Dear Diane Abbott,

As you will be aware, the Socialist Labour Party was founded in May last year, to build a mass working class party to fight for socialism and for an end to the capitalist system. Now we have recently formed a local constituency party in Hackney North and Stoke Newington. Socialist Labour is standing candidates in the upcoming General Election in as many places as possible, but unfortunately will not be standing a candidate in Hackney North and Stoke Newington. We will be standing in neighbouring constituencies such as Hornsey and Wood Green. But this leaves us with the question of what to do in our own constituency.

You are well known as a Labour MP on the left of your party, and you may well be disturbed by the increasingly rightward direction of Tony Blair’s New Labour project. We believe it is now necessary to build a party that is a real alternative to New Labour, a party that fights for workers and against capitalism. We believe it is a serious mistake to stand in the General Election on the Blair leadership’s programme, and for socialists to stay in New Labour, which is clearly for capitalism.

While you stand on the political programme of New Labour we cannot support you in the forthcoming General Election. Unlike New Labour, Socialist Labour opposes all the Tory’s anti-trades union laws.

We would hope you would oppose these anti-trades union laws too. So we appeal to you to call for the immediate repeal of these laws. Take a stand on this issue or any other issue where workers’ interests are being attacked! Differentiate yourself from the capitalist programme of New Labour, and make it clear to the electorate that this is not your programme.

If you were to make such a minimal break with Blair and the capitalist programme of New Labour, we could gladly support you in the General Election campaign.

With socialist greetings

Hackney North & Stoke Newington SLP