General Election
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Yes. We are standing in Cardiff Central and in Folkestone & Hythe but not in London. We are waiting there to concentrate on the Greater London Regional elections next April and May.
I really wish the SPGB wouldn’t contest elections at the present time.
The SPGB wasn’t able to contest its first parliamentary election until 1945, but it didn’t stop it being incredibly active in the preceding years. Contesting an election at this moment in time is a poor substitute for actual activity.
I know I’m a minority voice on this issue, so there’s no need to reply to my post to try and talk me round. I know it’s just a dialogue of the deaf at this point. 😉
Anyone would think that contesting an election was not “activity”. In fact, in the two constituencies chosen, it is the continuation of other activities by the local branches — a weekly street stall in Cardiff and consistently contesting local elections in Folkestone (as there is no free postal distribution of leaflets in local election this has involved members leafletting the wards door-to-door twice).
It is all very well being nostalgic about the past but the sort of activity the Party did in the interwar years (debates and, above all, street corner meetings) has died out. Our main activity today is distributing the Socialist Standard by post, street stalls and the internet (have a look at our lively facebook page). Besides, as you will know from your activity of putting the Socialist Standard online, the Party did adopt a candidate in the late 1920s (I am sure you will be able to pinpoint the exact date) and was only prevented from actually standing by lack of funds.
What did I say about a ‘dialogue of the deaf’? 😉
I know the opposing arguments to my position on elections; I just don’t happen to agree with them.
“What did I say about a ‘dialogue of the deaf’? 😉
I know the opposing arguments to my position on elections; I just don’t happen to agree with them.”
Seems more like a ‘monologue of the deaf’, with no arguments being given for opposing elections.
Personally, I don’t think we should dismiss any kind of activity that any member, or group of members chooses to undertake.
I think for years the party has looked for some kind of magic bullet that would be the great recruiting sergeant for socialism, whether that be the internet, elections, the Standard, debates. However, fact is, there is no magic bullet, what appeals to one worker, might not to another and vice versa.
As a consequence we all need to be doing lots of different stuff, at lots of different times.
It looks like I should be able to help out for a few days on 10th, 11th & 12th, if that’s any good. I can go to Folkestone or Cardiff, whichever suits (although Cardiff is a bit easier to get to and I know a couple of sympathisers in Cardiff that I might be able to rope in)
Hi Darren,
The three comrades in Cardiff have been running a stall every Saturday (weather permitting) 1300 -1500 since March 2018. During that time we’ve sold over a £100 in literature, given away loads of back issues of the SS and SOYMB, handed out hundreds of leaflets and had dozens of conversations with members of the working class.
Cardiff is a multicultural city and relatively high on the tourist agenda attracting visitors from all over the world. And we have a prime spot at the junction of a main train station and bus route with relatively high levels of footfall.
The three of us agree that the stall is far more productive than holding public meetings in that it provides: The opportunity to directly interact with members of the working class; after the initial outlay expenses are minimal; the party name is visible; we are being pro-active rather than re-active, instead of us waiting for the working class to approach us through public meetings we are approaching them; we have become a regular feature with several people making return visits for a friendly chat.
Nevertheless, we have so far failed to attract any new members, but that said it is early days and we knew from the kickoff this would take time. However, the stall is only part of our activity for we also attend protests and demo’s to hand out literature. Eventually, we also intend to film some of the conversations for distribution on youtube.
During many of these conversations we’ve been asked “Will we be standing in the next general election?” and the answer has always been “YES most certainly”. And lets face it although we’ll attract few votes at the very least the ballot will confirm there are X amount supporting the case who hopefully will end having a conversation at the stall, and maybe become members.
We can only keep trying and personally I find the stall enjoyable and interesting. Besides that I refuse to sit on my arse contemplating should we or shouldn’t we contest the general election.
Yours For Positive Socialist Activity
Brian
Hi Brian,
Fair play with the efforts in regularly doing the stall. More power to your elbow and all that, but such activity doesn’t necessarily have to tie in with electoral activity.
Hi Darren,
but such activity doesn’t necessarily have to tie in with electoral activity.
Depends on whether or not you are determined that the socialist message should be taken seriously and represents not just a political challenge but also a condemnation of capitalism. This perspective becomes proof positive during an election.
The socialist message is not about complaining on why the majority don’t get a fair shake of the cherry tree. It’s about applying critical thinking and then mounting a positive and serious challenge so a majority ultimately conclude that capitalism is unable to deliver on human needs.
YFPSA
Brian
Hi Brian
I know it’s early days yet, but if you want me to come down and help out in the final few days before the election, I should be able to get down for the Tuesday to the Thursday of the election week. I can sort out my own digs as I have a few mates in the area, etc. One of my mates (I think you met Richard when I was down there a while back) is quite sympathetic to the party and I might be able to get him roped into doing a bit of work as well.
Let me know if I can help
YFS
Tim
Found it. Knew I’d seen it somewhere.
https://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2019/09/our-first-prospective-candidate-for.html
Useful comment too.
The June 1929 Standard states that the required election deposit was a whopping £150!
According to https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator, this sum equated to £9,360.67 in 2018…and was lost if you failed to poll 12.5% of total votes cast (cf £500 and 5%, today).
Yes, there was still a hefty property qualification to stand as an MP in 1929. £150 would have been more than a year’s wages for many workers. So, even though this was the first UK election in which women had the vote on the same terms as men (from their 21st birthday) there was a wider “democratic deficit” than today – a deficit that can never be eliminated under capitalism due to its very nature as a class-divided, exploitative society.
Fortunately, today £500 is peanuts compared with £150 in 1929, making it less onerous for us to stand in elections for parliament which, as current circumstances and events are showing, is still the gateway to political power and so needs to be taken over by socialist delegates as part of the process of establishing socialism. Which of course is the ultimate logic for a socialist party to contest elections, even if it is only a token today but a token of a course of action we think a socialist-minded working class should take.
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