Information request #3
For those who haven’t already seen it on Twitter, we’ve been trying to follow up a recent comment made by James Kelly of the splendid Scot Goes Pop! blog, and we’ve drawn a blank. So: does anyone know when the UK Labour Party gave up its full membership of the Socialist International?
The party’s website still claims to be a member, and the Wikipedia entry concurs, so the change of status is likely quite recent*. But the SI’s own site is clear that the party is no longer a participating member, merely an observer. Yet we’ve turned Google upside down searching for any sort of news story about it anywhere.
(And since UK Labour has been an active member for the entire period of the international group’s existence – joining it when it took its present form in 1951 – you’d think someone somewhere would have seen fit to mention an event as significant as it leaving “the worldwide organisation of social democratic, socialist and labour parties”.)
Anyone?
.
*[EDIT @ 13.12: An alert reader uncovers an entry on archive.org still listing the party as a full member as recently as December 27th of last year.)
I just looked at the Socialist International web site and the Labour Party are listed on their world map of member organisations.
That link just leads you back to the membership page that says they’re an “observer”, though. They’re presumably still technically classed as a “member” while in possession of that status, but they’re no longer a full one.
It’s like being an “observer member” of a snooker club – you can come in, watch other people playing and perhaps buy a drink at the bar, but you can’t play snooker.
Organisations would tend to show when membership grows. They are not as quick to show when a member leaves or downgrades its membership.
This is a PDF link that I found on the website for a meeting last year. It shows that noone from the UK attended. There is a e-mail link, perhaps the best way to clarify the situation would be to ask the relevant question directly.
link to socialistinternational.org
It’s also like being an observer member of the European Parliament, a status given to such countries as Canada, Mexico and the USA – none of which could be called “European” in any way.
Just like Labour couldn’t be called socialist in any way…
or has someone been a tad slow in paying any annual membership Fees? still embarrassing though.
There’s one little comment right at the end of this blog from last month:
link to labourblogs.com
The NEC agreed to downgrade Labour’s membership of the Socialist International to observer status, in view of ethical concerns, and to develop international co-operation through new networks.
“ in view of ethical concerns”
What – like they are Socialist?
So lets dissect the “kids in Bolton are just as important as kids in Bathgate” line, fine, that still stands, but obviously kids in Bogota or Bologna, are not as important as kids in Bristol or Bath……
I was a wine waiter in a big Glasgow Hotel when New Labour held one of their final ‘fundraisers’ before coming to power in 97. Blair was there, followed by all the sooks and wannabees – they must’ve paid a fortune, especially if they were at the top table. (Bet they didn’t realise that the ‘top table’ ran the full length of the biggest hall in the place, must’ve been seventy feet long.)
The bookies had stopped taking money on them winning. At that time they’d promised to introduce new legislation granting p/t workers certain ‘rights’ if they’d been working for more than x-number of weeks – some holiday time, maternity-related security etc etc. That hotel chain, like so many other service-industries, had already ‘sorted’ an elegant solution to the problem – we were all sacked en masse before the 16-weeks or whatever was reached, and then required to reappear for ‘induction’ etc (again, en masse) if we wanted back in.
That’s ‘socialism’ New Labour style.
Simples!!
O/T But has anyone seen this shite
link to bbc.co.uk
“a no-brainer in terms of an event that is going to reach part of the community that perhaps might not get terribly entrenched into this”
Jesus, he actually said “entrenched”.
Adrian B
Your link shows that Isobel Owen of the Labour party of Great Britain attended.
Tattie-boggle
I see that the BBC’s back to using the word celebrations for the war anniversary next year. Hopefully, people will see through that.
OT: watching the 6 Nations rugby and thinking to myself what happens to this competition if Milibands’ ‘One Nation’ is implemeted. Do they change it to 3 Nations?
@Tattie-boggle –
That is just sickening beyond belief. No-one could or would dare make it up.
”
World War I took place from 1914 to 1918 and claimed the lives of millions of young men – 947,000 of them from the British Empire.”
Celebrate.
The death throes of an empire celebrating millions of wasted lives lets hope the public reject this stupidity.
Re Jutemans comment. I believe that as a per capita Scotland had more war dead in WW1 than any other country apart from Croatia!
Yup, The government wants to play football in what is essentially a massive graveyard to celebrate the unofficial ceasefire ….Great idea that…..No really, totally acceptable.
Im fucking livid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please sign and pass on!
Petition against WW1 “celebrations”
link to epetitions.direct.gov.uk
I already signed ages ago, and they still only have about 600 signatures. Not good.
I don’t see any mileage in not approving of a ceasefire. Celebrating The Great War though, is an entirely different matter.
Oddly, the SI seem to have also downgraded the Norwegian Labour party (DNA) and Dutch Labour party (PvdA).
DNA is to the left of UK Labour, basically a typical social-democratic party by European standards, and governs with the Socialist Left party (self explanatory) and Centre party (liberals and agrarians). Can’t see where they might have major ethical problems, short of finding a Norwegian translator. Norway hasn’t bombed anyone lately, IIRC.
PvdA is also to the left of Labour, but more liberal than the usual social democratic movement in Europe. It currently governs the Netherlands with the right-liberal VVD party (actually the LibDems’ sister party, but practically identical to the UK Tories). Then again, PvdA has never governed without forming alliances with centre-right parties in all its history, so I can’t see why SI might object to that now.
@ Adrian B, that list does have an attendee from the UK listed, under Gran Bretaña Partido Laburista.
Still, odd how the Socialist International are happy to have authoritarian movements like Palestine’s FATAH and Mexico’s Institutional Revolutionary Party as full members, but not Labour…
Seems like the German SPD pulled loads of money out of the Socialist International, and is attempting to found a new replacement International called the ‘Progressive Alliance’ in Rome this May.
link to neues-deutschland.de
Leipzig not Rome, sorry guys.
James K
Anonymous X
I read that bloody thing three times before I posted the comment and still I missed it!
Thanx
Labour have amended their page about SI to mention the party’s current Observer status.
link to labour.org.uk