I’m a revolutionary socialist because reformism doesn’t work. Reforms in the interest of the masses that can be afforded under capitalism during booms are unaffordable and reversed during recessions and slumps.

Although it’s unlikely that Left Unity will come to power electorally, I don’t believe that violence is a necessary aspect of a revolution. I favour mass strikes from below (as argued for by Rosa Luxemburg) and demands that trade union leaders call general strikes from above, as part of the strategy for changing society. Indeed, I proposed such an amendment to the Left Party Platform statement of aims and it was agreed at the founding conference.

Another amendment of mine, to cap compensation for shareholders, at a certain level when nationalising a company so rich shareholders lose most of their investments, was inserted into the economics commission document presented and accepted at the Manchester policy-making conference.

I first got seriously involved in politics during the mass non-payment campaign against the poll tax. I went on the huge demonstration on 31 March 1990, and the People’s March Against The Poll Tax from Liverpool to London. Over 18 million people hadn’t paid a penny or were in arrears at the campaign’s height, hence the Tories ditching Thatcher and Major admitting the tax was “uncollectable” when justifying its abolition.

When the Militant Tendency was proving itself serious in largely leading that campaign, I joined thinking it could also lead a revolution. I left in 1998, mainly due to the organisation (renamed the Socialist Party) being more sectarian, particularly due to it opposing establishing the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP).

I’ve joined other left unity initiatives (including the Socialist Alliance, Respect and SSP) but Left Unity is far better since it’s a broad socialist party with quite a good balance between reformist and revolutionary politics.

I’m in the Greater Manchester Community branch of Unite.

Read more of my views about LU, and about campaigns I’m involved in(including opposing the bedroom tax, council tax demands for the poor, fracking, police corruption/brutality/murder and the surveillance state) at http://thatcheroftheleft.wordpress.com.

As a candidate member of the Communist Party of Great Britain, as a yearlong subscriber to the Weekly Worker, and as a resident within the North West who has done research on the parties standing in the North West I will try and answer your questions.

As a Party we see the Greens as a petty-bourgeois liberal distraction. The Greens, unlike Labour, have no organic links with the Labour Movement and have some policies which are inherently Working Class. Their policies on maintaining and increasing subsidises for those who own wind turbines/solar panels benefit the wealthy in our society and whilst their manifesto is left-of-Labour’s it is imperative to note that AT BEST the Greens are a Labour Party Mark Two. We in the CPGB have consistently argued that the idea that simply re-inventing the wheel (creating yet another broad party committed to dragging the Labour Party to the left) is a pointless exercise. At the meeting where North West Left Unity voted to support the Greens we were the only ones against this proposition.

With regards to the Socialist Equality Party I personally see you as no different to No2EU and the Socialist Labour Party. The call for EU withdrawal smacks of Official Communism “Britain’s Road to Socialism”/Left Nationalism. Whilst I understand you still call for a Socialist Europe I think the premise you work from is deeply flawed. Yes the EU is undemocratic, yes it is Neo-Liberal, yes I know you cannot nationalise industry, or reduce VAT below 15%, under EU law, yes I know about the Europe-American trade deal, however a call for EU withdrawal suggests that the Government in Westminster would be in some way more progressive/preferential (otherwise you wouldn’t advocate EU withdrawal).

I don’t know who we’ll support in the North West this time round. If we do decide to critically support a group which calls for EU withdrawal then you will be one of at least three organisations we have to choose from. I would suggest that if you want to have a real debate about this issue, write a letter for the Weekly Worker as this website doesn’t get nearly as many views as our weekly paper does.