Socialist Unity Network
Encyclopedia
The Socialist Unity Network is a small network of the British left
which is not affiliated with any single political party
. It grew out of the Socialist Alliance
in England, and was originally initiated by several non-aligned members of the SA executive in March 2004.
Members of the Network
are supporters of Respect - The Unity Coalition and other left electoral initiatives including the Green Party
. The main aspect of the network is its website which has regularly updated articles from a wide range of socialist perspectives on issues including (but not limited to) the possibilities of creating socialist unity.
of Respect. It has produced its own leaflets on occasions and in the 2005 General Election
some members of the network stood as 'Socialist Unity' candidates (e.g. Andy Newman in Swindon North, 208 votes http://www.swindonstopwar.org.uk/2005election.htm), providing a banner under which independent socialists could choose to stand, as part of the Socialist Green Unity Coalition
a coalition with the Socialist Party.
Socialist Unity candidates stood again in the 2006 council elections, gaining over 5% of the vote in Swindon, and over 10% in Hackney. The network also produced a 2005 election guide with Red Pepper
magazine.
Leading members included Jim Jepps (later a Green Party activist), Declan O’Neill, Andy Newman (secretary of Swindon Stop the War, trade unionist and blogger), John Wight, Matthew Caygill, John Nicholson
, Martin Wicks (of Swindon
Trades Council), Pete Green
, Nick Bird, Salman Shaheen (journalist, and co-editor of Third Estate blog), Reuben Rosenberg (journalist, and co-editor of Third Estate blog) and Tawfiq Chahboune.
and Australia
.
British left
The biggest organisation on the British left is the Labour Party with over 100,000 members.The Communist Party of Great Britain had a peak membership of 56,000 in 1945...
which is not affiliated with any single political party
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
. It grew out of the Socialist Alliance
Socialist Alliance (England)
The Socialist Alliance was a left-wing electoral alliance in England between 1992 and 2005.In late 2005, a small group reformed with the name "Socialist Alliance", with a mutual affiliation with the larger Alliance for Green Socialism.-Origins:...
in England, and was originally initiated by several non-aligned members of the SA executive in March 2004.
Members of the Network
Network
-Mathematics:* Graph * Complex network* Structure* Flow network-Electric, electronic, biological, and biosocial: * Electrical network* Computer network* Biological network* Artificial neural network* Social network...
are supporters of Respect - The Unity Coalition and other left electoral initiatives including the Green Party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
. The main aspect of the network is its website which has regularly updated articles from a wide range of socialist perspectives on issues including (but not limited to) the possibilities of creating socialist unity.
History
The network was formed in March 2004 by several non-aligned members of the Socialist Alliance in England, and has since grown to include left-wing activists from a range of political parties and campaigning organisations, as well as those with no party affiliation. It was centrally involved in the debates around the winding down of the Socialist Alliance and the formationFormation
Formation may refer to:* Formation flying, aerobatics performed with several aircraft* Formation , a high-level military organization* Tactical formation, the physical deployment of military forces-Sports:...
of Respect. It has produced its own leaflets on occasions and in the 2005 General Election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
some members of the network stood as 'Socialist Unity' candidates (e.g. Andy Newman in Swindon North, 208 votes http://www.swindonstopwar.org.uk/2005election.htm), providing a banner under which independent socialists could choose to stand, as part of the Socialist Green Unity Coalition
Socialist Green Unity Coalition
The Socialist Green Unity Coalition is an electoral alliance formed by leftist parties and political organisations in Great Britain prior to 2005 parliamentary election after the Respect Unity Coalition rejected requests to discuss an electoral arrangement to avoid clashes in...
a coalition with the Socialist Party.
Socialist Unity candidates stood again in the 2006 council elections, gaining over 5% of the vote in Swindon, and over 10% in Hackney. The network also produced a 2005 election guide with Red Pepper
Red Pepper (magazine)
Red Pepper is an independent ‘red, green and radical’ magazine based in the UK. For most of its history it appeared monthly, but relaunched as a bi-monthly during 2007.- Origins :...
magazine.
Leading members included Jim Jepps (later a Green Party activist), Declan O’Neill, Andy Newman (secretary of Swindon Stop the War, trade unionist and blogger), John Wight, Matthew Caygill, John Nicholson
John Nicholson
-In politics:*John Nicholson , United States Representative from New York*John A. Nicholson , United States Representative from Delaware*John Robert Nicholson , Canadian former Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia...
, Martin Wicks (of Swindon
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
Trades Council), Pete Green
Pete Green
Peter "Pete" Green was a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and trainer with the Ottawa Hockey Club/Ottawa Senators. Green won ten Stanley Cup titles in his time with Ottawa, 4 as a trainer, and 6 as a coach. Green also was a trainer with the Ottawa Football Club...
, Nick Bird, Salman Shaheen (journalist, and co-editor of Third Estate blog), Reuben Rosenberg (journalist, and co-editor of Third Estate blog) and Tawfiq Chahboune.
Core beliefs
The 'who we are' section on the socialist unity network webpage states:"The Socialist Unity Network originated in the Socialist Alliance. It is not a political group conceived to add to the competition between the many socialist organisations which already exist. It is a network of activists which campaigns for the widest practical collaboration of left groups and movements resisting the attacks of the Blair government.
In England the left has failed to make the break with the sectarian legacy that has dogged the 'far left' for so long. Such divisions undermine our ability to build a fightback against the Blair government.
The Socialist Unity Network therefore believes that, in the interests of building resistance and striving to create the conditions in which a socialist alternative to New Labour can emerge, it is necessary to strive to develop collaborative methodCollaborative methodCollaborative methods are processes, behaviors and conversations that relate to collaboration between individuals. These methods specifically aim to increase the success of teams as they engage in collaborative problem solving...
s of working as widely as possible. This is similar to the process that led to the formation of the SSP in Scotland, which was the result of a number of years of common work and discussion which enabled previously competing and sometimes hostile organisations to overcome old antagonisms and to develop greater political agreement."
Socialist Unity Network website
The Socialist Unity Network Website contains a large number of articles on a wide range of topics of interest to left wing activists. Although primarily based in England the articles include opinion and news on issues from around the world including for example IraqIraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
External links
- Socialist Unity Network
- Socialist Unity blog
- Old blog archive, 2006-7, edited by Reuben Rosenberg and Salman Shaheen
- Swindon Stop The War 2005 Elections page
- Salman Shaheen on the re-launch of the Network, Weekly Worker January 2005
- Andy Newman on the Respect project, Frontline no.17, 2005
- Andy Newman's Guardian profile
- The Third Estate, web project of former Socialist Unity Network activists Reuben Rosenberg and Salman Shaheen