British left
Active in England
Labour Party
The biggest left-wing party in the UK in terms of members and representation is the Labour Party. The party had 201,374 members on 31 December, 2004 according to accounts filed with the Electoral Commission. The Labour Party grew out of the trade union movement and socialist political parties of the 19th century, and continues to describe itself as a party of democratic socialism. Under Tony Blair's leadership, however, the party has adopted a number of Thatcherite policies; this has led many observers to describe the Labour Party as social democratic or neo-liberal rather than democratic socialist. Blair himself has described New Labour's political position as a "Third Way". The Socialist Campaign Group is a left-wing grouping of Labour Party Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1981 by Tony Benn's supporters as a split from the Tribune Group. In the 2005 General Election Labour won 9,556,183 votes.
Respect - The Unity Coalition
The next largest group is the Respect coalition which has the support of; Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central
Committee), The International Socialist Group, The Socialist Unity
Network, Socialist Resistance and The Revolutionary
Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist). Before its dissolution the coalition had the support of The national
council of the Socialist Alliance. Respect allows its members to hold membership of other political organisations. It includes
George Galloway, Respect's sole Member of Parliament, expelled from the Labour Party, The
Other groups
- Socialist Labour Party (won 19,529 votes in the 2005 general election)
- Socialist Party (England and Wales) stands as Socialist Alternative in elections (won 9,398 votes in the 2005 general election)
- Alliance for Green Socialism (won 1,978 votes in the 2005 general election)
- Workers' Revolutionary Party (won 1,143 votes in the 2005 general election)
- Communist Party of Britain (won 1,124 votes in the 2005 general election)
- Independent Working Class Association (won 892 votes in the UK general election)
- Democratic Labour Party (won 770 votes in the 2005 general election)
- Alliance for Workers Liberty stand as Socialist Unity in elections (won 581 votes in the 2005 general election)
Less than 500 votes
Including those who did not stand on principle or for practical reasons
- Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist) (backed Labour)
- Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist) (formed from former members of the SLP)
- Democratic Socialist Alliance
- Economic and Philosophic Science Review
- New Communist Party of Britain (backs Labour)
- Peace and Progress Party
- People's Party (formed from former members of Labour)
- Red Party (formed by former members of the CPGB PCC)
- Revolutionary Communist Group
- Socialist Appeal
- Socialist Equality Party (formed from former members of the WRP)
- Socialist Party of Great Britain
- Spartacist League
- Workers Power
Media (unaffiliated)
- What Next Journal
- The Morning Star (independent since 1945)
- Red Pepper (magazine)
Publications affiliated to parties
- Socialist Worker (Socialist Workers Party)
- Weekly Worker (CPGB (PCC))
- News Line (WRP)
- The Socialist (UK) (The Socialist Party of England and Wales)
- Economic and Philosophic Science Review (EPSR Supporters)
Further reading
- Socialism in Britain by John Callaghan
- A Socialist World is Possible by Peter Taffe
- Britain's Road to Socialism by the CPB
- A Dictionary of Alternatives by Martin Parker
See also
- Socialist Unity Network
- List of political parties in the United Kingdom
- History of the Socialist Workers Party (Britain)
People
External links
Critiques
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