Solidarity

There has been much debate here and elsewhere about the tactics different groups are using to oppose the government. Should you condemn the destruction of property as occurred on the 26^th of March? Have UK Uncut’s actions really been successful in promoting an anti-cuts agenda? Does tackling the one issue of cuts go far enough when really you oppose the whole system that allowed this right wing administration to exist?

The aim of the left during this government’s term should be to silently support a multitude of actions attacking the right. For many reasons the left have become seen as unelectable since the 1980s. Tony Blair was elected into government with a manifesto that promised to adhere to Conservative budget planning for the first two years in power. The left has everything to win by a multilevel attack on government and everything to lose by visibly debating the best way to do it.

Lucy Annson from UK Uncut on Newsnight refused to be trapped into attacking others direct action. By stressing that young and old participate in their action she demonstrated that there are many ways to act. In the Newsnight footage they claim that the majority of the march was overshadowed which has caused many to claim it as “an own goal”. No, what happened is that the media decided to focus on the actions of a few and then claim that their focus meant the rest of the march was over looked. This point would mean that there is only a finite amount of news space dedicated to the march in general which is untrue. The people who marched created news, UK Uncut created more and those who smashed windows created even more. All this means there was a bigger impact overall surely.

Therefore, none of the above questions matter. There does not need to be a consensus or agreement on actions. Would I ever adopt black bloc tactics, mask up and throw a brick at a window? No. Do I think that the fact that every time there is a Conservative government there are violent clashes that helps the left? Yes I do.