Campaign
for Democracy in the UK (www.democracycampaign.org.uk)
A campaign initiated by Steve Wallis (http://www.socialiststeve.me.uk),
Tuesday the 12th of October 2004
We demand:
• A fair form of Proportional Representation in all elections to Westminster, the Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly, councils throughout the UK, and to the European Parliament. Voters must have the right to indicate preferences, so that they can write “1” on the ballot paper for their preferred candidate, “2” for second best. Many working class people and youths are disillusioned with politics because they realise that New Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Tories are all parties of big business. Let those people demonstrate their hostility at the ballot box by placing them last if they want to, enabling new people and parties to come to the fore.
• The reduction of the right to vote and stand for election to the age of 16.
• The extension of the right to vote and stand for election to all people resident in the UK, irrespective of their nationality.
• The extension of the right to vote and stand for election to people in prison. Tommy Sheridan, the leader of the Scottish Anti-Poll Tax Federation, went to jail for six months for defying a court order banning him from protesting in a particular area of Glasgow. He stood as a candidate of the revolutionary socialist organisation Scottish Militant Labour in the 1992 general election while still in prison and got over 6,000 votes coming second to Labour in the poverty-striken Pollok constituency of Glasgow. He stood again, while still in prison, in the council elections and got elected to Glasgow Pollok ward. Election law has consequently been changed to prevent anybody This was the springboard for the establishment of the Scottish Socialist Alliance, uniting organisations and individual socialists from different traditions in campaigns (most notably against the building of a motorway extension in Pollok, which established Rosie Kane as a serious environmental campaigner, and elections). The alliance transformed itself into the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP), just in time for Tommy to become the sole SSP member of the Scottish Parliament when it opened. The SSP and now Tommy Sheridan and Rosie Kane are members of the Scottish Parliament in Glasgow. Rosie is particularly respected for her act of defiance when she was forced to swear an oath of allegiance to the Queen of England in order to sit in the Scottish Parliament – she attended in jeans, as she has continued to do, and held her hand aloft with the words “My oath is to the people” written on it (and she also showed she has a brilliant sense of humour by saying “to her hairs and successors”, rather than “heirs”). I saw her do this, watching BBC1 (at a fairly early hour so not too many people in the British Isles would have found out), shortly after this happened, and it was pointed out that she had by far the most publicity of any Member of the Scottish Parliament at that stage.
• The right for the Scottish Parliament or Welsh Assembly to decide a policy relevant to its area of the UK, if it votes to remove the policy from Westminster. This may include abolishing the council tax in their areas in favour of a local income tax, renationalising Scottish or Welsh rail companies without compensation (except for pension schemes which may have invested some money in them), or modifying income tax levels, for the rich or poor, by any amount.
• The abolition of the House of Lords and the monarchy. These are relics of feudalism!
• Annual elections at all levels of government. This was a key demand of the Chartists. It is obvious why it has never been granted - history would be massively speeded up if we could get rid of the politicians who promise one thing and do another in a matter of months not years.
• Opposition to Britain adopting the Euro. Obviously having a single currency for many countries has reduced the abilities of governments to affect their economies.
• Opposition to the proposed European constitution. The European President, chosen not by the people of Europe but the select few politicians who claim to represent us, would have a huge amount of power to meddle in British politics.
• Opposition to New Labour’s proposed introduction of ID cards. If introduced, they would give the state far more information about us, enabling organisations like MI5 and the CIA to increase their harassment and persecution of activists, using the tactic of infiltrating political groups in order to subvert them from within.
The democratic demands of the Campaign are in green. The text in red explains why the points are important.
I am calling a mass gathering and protest in Trafalgar Square, London on Saturday the 23rd of October, starting at 12 noon. I’ll make a speech at 1pm and then open up the microphone for any points people would like to make. When we’re finished, we’ll march off somewhere, and hopefully influence a lot of shoppers on the crowded London streets.
I’ve set up an internet discussion group (mailing list) for the campaign. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/campaign-for-democracy-in-the-uk.
Note: I am a member of South
East Manchester Respect and the Socialist Alliance Democracy Platform, and will
be arguing for the Socialist Alliance to rename itself the “Democratic
Socialist Alliance” at its forthcoming conference, and for a new organisation
to be created - the Revolutionary
Platform of the Democratic Socialist Alliance. [An internet discussion
group around this issue can be accessed by clicking here.]
Ø Click to access the website of the Democracy Campaign in the UK