Socialist Unity Network
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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.
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[edit] 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 formation 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, providing a banner under which independent socialists could choose to stand.
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.
Leading members include Jim Jepps, Declan O’Neill, Andy Newman, Matthew Caygill, John Nicholson, Martin Wicks, Pete Green, Nick Bird, Salman Shaheen, Reuben Rosenberg and Tawfiq Chahboune.
[edit] 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 methods 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."
[edit] 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 Iraq and Australia. Contributions which fit the guidelines available on the website are welcome, but not all submitted material is published. Currently existing sections are:
- News (including a sports section)
- Reports
- Socialist Voices
- Responses
- Diary or links
- Gazette of the Press
- CounterBlasts (a cultural section)
