May’s government is weak and unstable, riven with divisions over Brexit. Given this, there is a possibility that the government will fall and there will be a general election before the end of the parliamentary term. The majority in IL agree that a Corbyn-led Labour government would be the best outcome in any general election, not only for our members but for millions of working class people.
Given this we believe that PCS’ (non-) intervention in the last general election was wrong.
We think that union policy should be to encourage PCS members to join Labour, to campaign and canvass for Labour and to volunteer to help get the vote out on Election Day.
IL doesn’t think that the union’s overt neutrality makes any sense when a Tory victory in any future election would mean many more and sustained attacks on the union (and the wider union movement) and on our members.
In contrast the Labour Party has openly stated that it wants to work with us, that it wants to restore national pay and that it will repeal the last anti-union Act (though we think it must scrap all the anti-union laws).
Wanting Labour to win is not the same as saying we give them a blank cheque, that we will agree with whatever they do and that there will not be disputes between us and a Labour government. We will be a critical friend. That said a Labour government is so obviously better for us that we would be fools not to want it.
If you want a Labour government and for the union to play its part in getting Labour elected, then in the NEC elections vote for us. We are the only people standing in the NEC election who want the union to argue for a Labour victory in the next General election. PCS cannot be, and should not be neutral as to what government we want. Vote Labour, Vote IL.
PCS Independent Left 