Communists and the People’s Assembly March 2014
“Communists - be part of this movement! Defeat austerity and capitalism, and help usher in an age of socialism and freedom which those who have stood and fought before us could only dream of.” Dear Comrades,
T
he People's Assembly movement grew from a call in the letters page of The Guardian for a broad-based movement against austerity, signed by Trade Union leaders, anti-privatisation organisers, community and anti-cuts activists, environmental campaigners and Left forces – including at its heart, our Communist Party. This led to a national meeting at Westminster Central Hall in London called by senior figures in the trade union, progressive and socialist movement, attended by 4,000 delegates from across the country. At its conclusion, all agreed to return to their districts, counties and regions, and set up local assemblies. These are the twin pillars of the movement's strength 1. Commitment from the national labour and trade union movement leadership alongside senior Left figures like Tony Benn and Owen Jones, and; 2. Commitment from activists across Britain, grounding and rooting the movement in our communities. In less than 10 months (as of March 2014), there are now up to 100 assemblies in Britain with more being launched every month.
In modern Western Marxist terms, the People's Assembly movement is Antonio Gramsci, par excellence. Here is a national popular struggle against austerity, challenging the hegemony of the ruling class through a war of position, at a moment of organic crisis for capitalism in every area of its establishment - its banks and finance sections, central manufacturing industries, rate of profit, media, Parliament, Whitehall, legal system, police et al. Those building the movement are creating what Gramsci called an historic bloc, a democratic alliance of progressive antiausterity forces - uniting the disabled, antiracists and anti-fascists, women, students and many more - under the leadership, but not the dominance, of the working class. In terms of praxis - continuing the Gramscian theme - the movement's activists stand alongside trade unionists on strike, on their picket lines everywhere, with firefighters, teachers, postal workers, health service staff and more. The movement works with, but never takes over, subsumes or dominates, single issue campaigns, like those against the bedroom tax. It broadens them, pulling in other activists, who bring campaigning skills and experience to sharpen and focus them. It
also binds together a Left usually fragmented and sometimes at war, and unites it with mainstream organisations representing for example pensioners, the homeless and hungry, and faith communities ranging from Muslims, Buddhists, the Christian churches and beyond them, to charities...radicalising all. 2014 will be its tipping point, pivotal year. A year of elections local and European, demonstrations against the Far Right and Fascism, mirroring intense activity locally, meeting every regional visit by every Coalition Minister - and every shadow Minister who backs austerity - with high profile protests; organising its own first, national people’s assembly demonstration, a milestone moment in the emergence of what is fast becoming the most influential and effective anti-austerity movement in Britain; and all concluding in a major demonstration organised by the trade unions in October. This pivotal year will be one of opportunities, threats and challenges. The enemies of the People's Assembly in the Coalition have woken to its dread potential and are moving against it with new laws bearing down on legitimate democratic protest, taken for granted for centuries. New laws allowing the state to break up meetings and gatherings, adding to those already in existence which lead to mass surveillance of emails and facebook pages, texts and mobile phone calls; and they are being rushed through. However, this anti-
party political, extra-Parliamentary street movement has momentum, because it has committed courageous activists who are not deterred, but are focused on action. One of the most active local movements is my own assembly in Norfolk. Launched and led by women at the top of the Norwich trades council and in trade union branches alongside the disabled, women are most hurt by the austerity – this assembly embraces all political and “non-political” groups, campaigners and, most of all, ordinary people who have never been involved in any kind of politics before. The media profile of Norfolk People’s Assembly is aggressive. Its attitude to austerity, from whichever political party, is uncompromising. It pitches itself openly and with justification as the official opposition to austerity in the county, and has launched campaigns ranging from fighting cuts in mental health services to fighting the bedroom tax. It has held demonstrations, occupied MPs offices, asked public questions of councils, taken over local bank branches and demonstrated against eight visits by Coalition Cabinet Ministers, including the Prime Minister and Chancellor. Its activism never ceases. So what of the People's Assembly movement’s prospects? This is no nascent soviet. Nor is it a post-modern factory council movement. It is what it says it is...a people's assembly - the first stages of a genuinely broad, democratic and popular
anti-monopoly alliance, the basis of a potential future local government of the Left in every region, balancing and supporting a national government of the Left at Westminster. As set down in our Communist Party programme Britain’s Road to Socialism, this is the mass movement we have envisaged, supporting a future popularly-elected Left Government, implementing its People's Charter. Crucially, it will also be - as BRS states - the bulwark against any anticipated Reaction. In short - the bigger the People's Assembly movement, the greater the chance of a peaceful transition to socialism within the traditions of this country, and in accordance with the slogan of the original Chartists – “Peacefully if we may, Forcibly if we must”. Across the world, other peoples’ movements are watching the rise and rise of this People's Assembly in the birthplace of capitalism and imperialism, knowing that if we can bring it down here, it can be brought down anywhere and everywhere. And as the movement here grows, so will its international links and its internationalist outlook - critical also in the battle to defeat narrow nationalism, insularity, and its genocidal offspring fascism and racism. This is a plea to communists everywhere to join the People's Assembly. To be active and organising elements of it, bringing your
experience, knowledge and analysis, helping to build a deeply-rooted, sustained movement- attracting the most militant and determined fighters to the Party. This is the heritage of communists which stretches back to the national unemployed workers and minority movements, to the movement for civil liberties, and those against fascism in Spain and Britain. It resonates with the great tenants and antimeans test organisations. It reflects the power of the genuine rank and file and shop stewards organisations in the Trade Union movement, built and nurtured by communists and our allies. Witness too, the mass anti-imperialist, solidarity, anti-racist and peace organisations. Fast forward to Stop The War and the march of two million, the greatest in British political history. This is what we communists do and have done for over 90 years. We have the organisational skills, analysis and insight, and above all the history, with deep roots in the working class, labour, trade union and people's movements. Communists - be part of this movement! Defeat austerity and capitalism, and help usher in an age of socialism and freedom which those who have stood and fought before us could only dream of.
David Peel Convenor, Anti-Austerity Commission, CP (Delivered first at the CP Eastern District Party Building School)