Comrade Tony Green has an initiative on Facebook which deserves the support of everyone who is campaigning against globalism and capitalism. Tony has a religious viewpoint which would appeal to Christian Socialists perhaps more than Pagan ones. If you are one of the people who broadly agree with official SWPE policy, but find our position on organised non-European religion to be the sticking point which prevents you from joining, then Tony's Socialist England may be more to your liking. Likewise, Tony has a position on immigration which differs from official SWPE policy. Whereas SWPE argues for the borders to be firmly sealed and for those who are hostile to Socialism to be encouraged to relocate elsewhere, Tony's Socialist England proposes that nationality be given to everyone who is here in this country, regardless of immigration/refugee/asylum or legal status. Tony is married to a Chinese lady and has mixed-race children with her, so has a personal perspective on racial identity which can be summed up in these words:
"If someone described my Chinese born wife as 'BME' I'm not sure what response they would get, something like a mixture of shock, outrage, and amusement. Not being white doesn't necessarily give you common cause with everyone else who isn't white. It's just another, silly aspect of the 'White Privilege' myth so beloved of the New Left (and rightly derided by the white working class)."
SWPE applauds Tony for his Socialist England initiative and encourages everyone to give him support. He has already attracted some very interesting people, who would be worth getting in touch with regardless of differences in ideology, which in the bigger scheme of things are of only minor importance. Tony's group has the following as its policy outline:
Socialist England is intended as a new political movement that combines the principles of English Patriotism, Socialism, Libertarianism, Traditionalism and Environmentalism. We believe that this combination of ideas and philosophies, as well as being right in principle, is in tune with the deepest desires of the vast majority of the English people, indeed with the deepest desires of all peoples.
At the moment Socialist England exists as an idea. It is not envisaged at this stage that we will constitute ourselves as a separate political party – there are already enough tiny political organisations grandiosely declaring themselves to be THE Party. At present it is hoped that we will develop as a network of supportive individuals who may or may not be members of other political organisations such as the Labour Party or the Green Party. It is hoped that we will later be able to establish some form of membership organisation. This membership will then determine its future direction.
Here are some of the premises with which we begin.
We believe that there is a distinct English Culture that has long been buried within the wider, artificial national construct of ‘Great Britain’, and is now under threat of disappearing completely through the combined attack of national subordination within the European Union and the more general movement towards a Global system where we are all in severe danger of becoming rootless consumers rather than citizens actively engaged in the running of our own communities. Our culture is further weakened by a sense liberal guilt at our Imperial history, a history for which the common people of England were not responsible.
Our second premise is that there is also a distinct English Socialist Tradition, which has little to do with Marxism, and nothing at all to do with authoritarian ideology of Leninism, an ideology which led directly to the horrific one party dictatorships seen in Russia, China and elsewhere. Ours is a Libertarian traditionwhich includes figures such as Robert Owen, William Morris, George Orwell and Tony Benn. We also see ourselves as inheritors of the proud history of English radical protest and struggle which encompasses thePeasants Revolt, the Levellers and the Diggers in the English Civil War,, the Tolpuddle Martyrs, and theChartists, right through to the striking miners of 1984-85 and the Anti-Poll Tax movement of the late ‘80’s.
Let’s look in more detail at the five elements of the philosophy that will bind our new movement together.
English Patriotism
Our patriotism is civic and cultural, and has nothing at all to with the Racial-Nationalism of the Far Right. The English are a mixed people, with a rich heritage that that is the product of the many different peoples who have lived and settled here, including Celts, Romans, Saxons, Vikings, Normans, and the peoples who have arrived in more recent years, from Africa, Asia and elsewhere. Our culture has emerged and prospered through and not in spite of this rich melting pot of ideas. Although we will advocate strong limitations on further immigration, this has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the protection of our communities and our culture. It is based on the recognition that a Nation is something more than a geographical area in which people work and consume, the condition which the global capitalist elite wish to reduce it to. Our patriotism is based on a love of our land and our people, and not on the hatred of any other lands or peoples; nor is it based on a narrow ‘white-only’ definition of Englishness.
Our patriotism also rejects the phony ‘my country right or wrong’ ‘patriotism’ with which our parasitical elite have always sought to indoctrinate us as a diversion from their own self-serving rule. These ‘patriots’ have engineered the present day situation where our defence policy is decided in Washington, most of our laws originate in Brussels, and many of our public services, what’s left of our industry, and large parts of the land itself is owned by foreign states, individuals and multi-national corporations.
Socialism
Socialism is about Co operation, solidarity, collective responsibility and mutual support. We are an unashamedly radical socialist movement that bases itself on the struggles of the working people and oppressed of England. We will support strikes, demonstrations and social movements which seek to defend and further the cause of our people, as well as supporting electoral candidates who genuinely defend the rights and aspirations of our people.
We absolutely reject the bureaucratic state socialism which, starting with the Soviet Union, once repressed a third of humanity. Instead, a Socialist England will have a mixed economy that combines state ownership, Municipal ownership, Workers Co Operatives, and small businesses including one person and family businesses. Whatever their form of ownership, all sections of the economy should be, as far as possible, owned and managed by elected representatives of the workers in that business or industry. Trade Union membership will be encouraged. Production should be for need not profit. The economy should be the servant of the people, not its master.
Libertarianism
Freedom is the freedom to think differently, and to express those thoughts openly without fear, or it is nothing. Under modern capitalism only an increasingly narrow range of opinion is allowed to exist.Socialist England will encourage the widest range of views to contend, the only limitation being on those who incite violence against their fellow citizens.
In recent years, Political Correctness has become a key tool limiting the terms of discussion and debate. This is a trend that is contrary to the longstanding commitment of the English people to liberty. In Socialist England, people will be free to express their opinion, no matter how objectionable or offensive others may find it.
Naturally, anyone publicly expressing an opinion, cannot also object to those opinions being challenged, and cannot advocate that fellow citizens should be denied the freedom they themselves enjoy. In Socialist England, people will be free to live their lives as they see fit, so long as their actions do not cause harm to other members of the community. The principle upon which we stand is individual Freedom with personal and collective responsibility.
There was once a time when as long as people paid their taxes and were neither the perpetrator nor the victims of crime, then English people’s contact with the state was minimal. Now, even as the state increasingly transfers its responsibilities to private corporations, it records, monitors and tracks our every move, online and off. Socialist England will roll back and end the surveillance state. Technology should serve the people, not enslave them
Traditionalism
In contrast to Marxism, including the Cultural Marxism of the Frankfurt School of Marxism which has been so influential on the development of modern society in recent decades, we uphold the traditional familyas the foundation of a civilised society, and of a future Socialist England. It is within the natural and mutually supportive institution of the family that children are best nurtured and cherished, so that they grow into the decent, active, engaged and responsible citizens of tomorrow. The breakdown of the traditional family over the last forty years or so is in large part responsible for the huge growth in social problems such as petty crime, violence, vandalism and problematic drug and alcohol use amongst young people. Through the development of locally based industries and crafts and other measures a Socialist England would encourage the strengthening of the nuclear family and the renaissance of the extended family.
In the society we seek to build, women will be free to work or not to work, but staying home to raise children by either parent will be seen as a valid and laudable choice.
We are also committed to the re-birth of the traditional regions of England, by once more basing strong local government on the historic English Counties such as Lancashire, Yorkshire, Northumbria and so on. Socialist England will encourage and develop locally specific industries and businesses which will reverse the regrettable growth of identikit ‘clone towns’.
We are also for the promotion of Regional dialects, languages, and folk customs and art forms which at the moment are under increasing threat of extinction through the drive towards a one world, global culture.
Environmentalism
For too long human beings have acted as though we are separate from nature, that we have a right to mastery over it, and that it is a limitless resource to be exploited. These attitudes are destroying our habitat, Earth. To destroy our habitat is to destroy ourselves. A Socialist England would mark a return to a more natural society based on smaller scale, localised and sustainable production for use, rather than the current absurd and wasteful globalised system where food and other products that can quite easily be produced here are imported from all corners of the planet. We will strive to be as economically self-sufficient as possible, particularly in the area of food production.
Our treatment of domesticated animals through the increasing industrialisation of farming is one of the greatest crimes ever committed by humanity. Socialist England will seek to base all of agriculture onorganic, natural methods where animals will be treated as what they really are, as our fellow living, sentient beings.
In Socialist England, as much of our energy needs as possible will be based on renewable sources, i.e. solar power, wind power, wave power.
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As it is intended that our new political movement will be a democratic organisation where policy is decided by the membership, it would be wrong to try and mandate policy in any detail at this stage. The following are merely draft recommendations which flow naturally from the general philosophy outlined above.
Independence and the Constitution.
Socialist England will by definition be an independent England. We will therefore work with us towards the establishment of an English Parliament. A constitutional consultation process of all of the English people should decide on the final shape of a future English Constitution. A Socialist England would strive to maintain close ties with fellow members of the former United Kingdom. We would withdraw from theEuropean Union.
We favour a Citizens Charter outlining the principle rights and principles of all citizens of Socialist England.
It is to be hoped that in new society the need for sectional party political interest will disappear. Socialist England should be governed by free-born Englishman acting according to conscience and the will of the people.
Economics
The land, banking, the utilities, the railways and the Post Office should all be the property of the nation as a whole. In other industries, we will encourage a multiplicity of ownership forms, e.g. co operative, municipal, small businesses. We would use a revamped local planning system to favour local businesses, rather than national or multi-national corporations.
We are in favour of a system of Positive Money where the state alone has the right to create money, although, as well as nationally legal tender we should encourage the development of local currency, so as to further boost the local economy.
We support a Citizens Income paid to all citizens. No one would go without the basic needs of life in aSocialist England.
We absolutely reject the dominant paradigm of permanent economic growth as both unrealisable and destructive of both the environment and traditional culture.
Foreign Affairs and Defence
We would withdraw from NATO and close down all foreign military bases on English soil. The armed forces should be used for purposes of defence only, and should be under the control of the English Parliament. All adults would receive one year’s military service, and periodic refresher courses, in case they are called upon to defend Socialist England. We support general, responsible gun ownership amongst the adult population.
We would seek to live in peace with all peoples, but would in particular extend our friendship to other nations and social movements that share our socialist values.
Immigration
Socialist England would offer immediate citizenship to all who currently reside here who want it, regardless of how they got here. We would then introduce a strict Australian style points system where further immigration would be based on the needs of, and with the consent of, our society as a whole. We would extend a welcome to those who are genuinely fleeing oppression, war, or natural disaster. However, anybody leaving one country of safety in order to reach another, more prosperous place of safety becomes by definition an economic migrant and would not be granted refugee status within a Socialist England.
Crime and Punishment
Through concentration on the removal of widespread social and economic inequality and poverty, and the engagement of people in the running of their own communities, it is to be expected that crime and disorder would be massively reduced in a Socialist England. However, there will always be individuals who offend against others and against the community as a whole. Such individuals will be dealt with through a combination of rehabilitation and punishment. We oppose the death penalty, but the most serious or persistent offenders will be removed from the community to a place of supervised safety, for the protection of themselves and others.
Health
Health care should be free from the cradle to the grave. In Socialist England the emphasis will be on the prevention of illness through exercise and a healthy diet. We would end the dependence of our NHS on parasitical pharmaceutical companies by the production of our own, genetic medicines. We will encourage the use of alternative and complimentary medices based on indigenous, organic produce.
Education
Education should be free from nursery to university level. The aim of our education system should be the nurturing of intelligent, engaged human beings ready, willing and able to play a full role as citizens of a Socialist England. We are not against selection on merit, but the current elitist system based on money and class privilege will end. Private Education would therefore be abolished.
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These suggested policy positions may be added to or amended by all who choose to associate themselves with Socialist England.
The Socialist England group is a closed one, membership of which has to be approved before joining. The direct link to the group is https://www.facebook.com/groups/1805680786317476/
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