Quite a lot really? Yet another attempt to unify the far-left grouplets left of Labour is so predictable and familiar that “Convention of The Left” is as apt a grand title for this project as one could imagine.
” This bold venture comes as a result of people from different left and radical traditions – or none – getting together in Greater Manchester to say that there IS an alternative to Labour’s policies of war and privatisation.”
That’s according to the website of this project.
Hilariously, while they’re convinced that Environmentalism is necessary for socialism, they’re less sure that the reverse is true. They say:
We cannot have socialism if the planet has been destroyed, but we [probably?] can’t save the planet unless we have socialism.
I must admit that the self-reflective “probably?” is quite charming. Sadly though, their other expectations are a little optimistic:
Our Convention will be united in our determination to combine our strengths and develop through open and participatory debates the rebuilding of The Left today.
I suspect it – using the million monkeys analogy – it will be easier for World Socialism to come about by accident than for “the rebuilding of The Left” (knowing which “Left” we’re dealing with here) to have any realistic prospect of success “today” or any other time, though the event is scheduled to coincide with this year’s Labour Conference in Manchester.
So.. diarise it: Saturday September 20th, four days of themed debates and discussions. Thursday.. The World.
