The Left in Greater Manchester, in the broad sense, has been able to respond reasonably well to the electoral strategy problems thrown up by the forthcoming general election and the lack of a united progressive alternative to New Labour and the traditional bourgeois parties. In three areas – Wigan, Salford and Manchester – there has been a good deal of success in achieving some level of cooperation and non-aggression. This has in turn been based on experiences of cooperation built over months or years.Two local initiatives, one aimed nationally – Back the Left – and the other locally – the Greater Manchester People`s Alliance – have drawn on these local experiences. Their central objective has been to create electoral cooperation with a view to maximise what could be called the anti-neo liberal vote.

In Salford the `Blears must go` campaign united broad forces drawing together a number of local organisations which had been working locally in defence of working class interests. Hazel Blears` political weakness was fully exposed by the local reaction when she quit the government during the expenses scandal. She was able to avoid removal as Labour Party candidate in the face of street protests and popular contempt but this threw up the possibility of a challenge from outside Labour which has resulted in the selection of a candidate to stand against her.

In Manchester Respect and the Green Party have been able to agree a level of electoral cooperation. Respect general election candidate Kay Phillips will be endorsed by Respect and Green local election candidates in her constituency. Respect is standing in two other local wards were the Greens have a general election candidate but will not stand. The Socialist Party have generally gone along with the People’s Alliance appeal and will be standing in Wythenshawe, their regular electoral territory, with no Green standing against them. The only remaining area of potential conflict is the TUSC candidate in Gorton, standing against Gerald Kauffman. Unfortunately this SWP candidate has been declared without wider consultation despite agreement at a meeting in November to call a broad meeting to discuss standing, campaigning and the position of the already existing Green candidate.

History of cooperation

Manchester has a lengthy history of cooperation among the left. Over the last couple of years most left organisations and many individuals have made or do make input into the Convention of the Left. This has been largely a positive point of contact and provider of useful forums such as the original convention organised during the 2008 Labour Party conference and the public sector event in February 2010. The Convention group itself does not take a position on voting and candidates in order that it can remain a forum open to all. However the experience of working together through this group enabled Respect and the Green Left to take a lead on electoral cooperation.

Wigan has the unique position of having had a nominally left of Labour group of 18 councillors – the Community Action Party. This group has subsequently ‘split’ but the more progressive remaining Community Action Party members have responded positively to approaches from Respect to link up firstly in opposition to the proposed Greater Manchester congestion charge (campaigning instead for of free and better public transport), and then shortly afterwards on the basis of the People’s Charter. Very soon after that, at a joint public meeting with Dave Nellist from the Socialist Party, Nahella Ashraf of the Socialist Workers Party and Alan Johnson of the Green Party – the Wigan, Leigh, & Makerfield ‘People’s Alliance’ was launched . Around a dozen candidates standing in the local elections (standing as CAP or People’s Charter) will be campaigning under the banner of the Peoples Alliance.

While the results in Greater Manchester are far from perfect there are some useful lessons that can be learned. First, all local situations are different and trying to prise them into national frameworks is not easy. Secondly, previous joint activities and discussions help develop and create opportunities. Third, the widest involvement in open discussions is the only effective way of creating the levels of trust and respect needed to develop our campaigning and electoral interventions.

Chris Jones