A Charter for 21st Century Socialism

The Campaign for Socialism is totally committed to the success of the Labour Party. New Labour has failed to renew the country or the Labour Party with its reliance on tired, Thatcherite ideas of the supremacy of the private sector and 1950s type centralism. We believe there can be new forms of social, co-operative and democratic ownership. We believe in real participatory democracy for Labour Party members and real democratic participation for citizens in their community.

Below we set out some of the areas that we think socialists in the Labour Party can formulate alternative policies that would be genuinely radical and begin to make a fundamental change in our society. We know that there are large gaps in this list, but the campaign would hope to link with other organisations developing policies on international, defence and ecological issues. We ask you to sign up and join in the task of creating alternative policies that we can fight for within our Labour Party. In renewing the Labour Party we begin the task of transforming the country.

21st Century Socialism – a charter for social justice

We will campaign for
Economic Equality
Social & Common Ownership
Social Equality
Justice at work
Equality of opportunity and equality of outcome
Control of pension schemes to rest with the investors
Confrontation with social conservatism and a celebration of diversity in the way people live
An end to discrimination against young people at work
Every citizen to have the economic ability to participate fully in society
Support for mutually owned and controlled financial sector
A challenge to continuing discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, disability, age or sexual orientation
A minimum wage that is not a poverty wage
Progressive taxation
Democratic control of utilities including transport, power, water and communications
Decent housing to be a right not a privilege
The unconditional right of workers to organise, unionise and bargain collectively
A realistic link between earnings and benefits and pensions
Support for co-operative strategies in all sectors of the economy
Accessible education to everyone at any age
Paid parental and educational leave
Democratic control of the economy
An end to un-elected boards, quangos and trust
Health care to be available when it is needed
Participation of employees in decisions that affect their working live
Community led economic development
Local access to learning, leisure, transport, and amenities