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SA NEC MEETING IN SEPTEMBER DISCUSSES LEFT UNITY, RIOTS, DALE FARM AND TUSC. AGM AGREED FOR DEC 4th

The Socialist Alliance AGM for 2011 takes place on Sunday December 4th, 3pm at the Lucas Arms, Grays Inn Rd, London. All members will receive formal notices with dates for resolutions/amendments. Former members, and new members, can renew their membership and take part any time up until the start of the AGM

REPORT FROM SEPTEMBER NEC MEETING

LEFT UNITY LIAISON COMMITTEE

There was a discussion about the agreement by the LULC to ask Left Organisations/Parties why many were no longer attending Left Unity Meetings. NEC members suggested that the LULC become a Notice Board for the Left as was happening in Tyne & Wear. Organisations would say what they were doing, and this would be publicized on a LULC Web Site, along with events. A variation could be that the SA uses its own Web Site for this purpose with pages which do not enable assess to the rest of the SA Web Site. Pete McLaren agreed to discuss the possibilities with our Web Site organizer Dave Trussler

DALE FARM

SA NEC member Dave Landau, a member of the Dale Farm Solidarity Group, explained that until 1994 local Authorities had to provide Sites for travelers. They were then asked by the Government to buy their own land. Some did, as at Dale Farm. That did not, however, come with planning permission, although half of the land at Dale Farm had now received such planning permission. Once evictions became a real threat in 2011, a Support Group was set up. It now had some trade union and church support. Non violent resistance to the evictions had been agreed.

2011 SA AGM This was agreed for Sunday December 4th, 3pm, Lucas Arms

THE ANTI CUTS MOVEMENT

There was discussion about the various regional anti cuts organizations. It was reported that the London body was largely a talking shop with little democracy. In the West Midlands there was an open steering committee with representation from across the region and a positive dialogue between supporters of Right to Work, the NSSN, TUSC and local anti cuts groups, with reasonable co-operation. The Tyneside Anti Cuts Network had the nominal support of all left groups and was not sectarian.However it had no real trade union roots

TRADE UNIONIST AND SOCIALIST COALITION

The meeting heard a report from the TUSC Conference in July where it had been agreed to

Campaign against the spending cuts and all other attacks on working class living standards;

Build TUSC Branches up and down the country

Prepare from now for next year's Council Elections; and work with other genuine anti cuts

campaigners, community groups and organizations.

Broaden out its structure at national level to welcome representation from local TUSC branches as well

as trade union branches, political organisations and independents supportive of TUSC

Hold a TUSC Conference before the end of 2011 to prepare for the 2012 Council Elections

.

The Conference also agreed that these were interim arrangements and that discussions would continue on how best to organise TUSC as it developed, and this would be an agenda item at all future TUSC Conferences. The launch of a Network for all independent socialists supporters of TUSC, including members of the SA, was reported to Conference. This Independent Socialist Network was holding its first meeting on Sat October 29th, and it was agreed to encourage SA members to attend. Pete McLaren was nominated to be the representative of independents on the TUSC Steering Committee

Pete McLaren 02/10/11