28 July 2006

Call for candidates to oppose war

The Campaign for Socialism is appalled by the decision of a Labour Leadership to collaborate with the government of the US in supporting the Israeli assault on Lebanon. We acknowledge that this is another shameful chapter in New Labour’s ‘special relationship’ with the US, a partnership designed to ensure the dominance of the free market throughout the globe, which requires the West’s unfettered access to oil reserves.

In particular we resent the weak response of Margaret Beckett, foreign minister, to the high handed use of Prestwick airport by the US to conduct the hypocritical transfer of bunker busting bombs to Israel in order to flatten targets there, while, at the same time, the US government sends aid to that ravaged country in order to appear compassionate.

We do not believe that the Labour Party will escape the retribution of the British people for this latest outrage by the New Labour Leadership and we therefore demand that all progressive forces in the party now publicly take a stance to help end the conflict, especially those who will shortly face the electorate in Scottish Parliament and Scottish Council elections. They must add their voices to the call for an immediate ceasefire.

We call on all Labour Party candidates to make clear their position on this issue in order that the electorate and Labour Party activists can make decisions based on a proper understanding of where their Labour representatives stand.