Coalition of Resistance calls for unity and agrees policy conference

The Coalition of Resistance adopted the declaration below at its founding conference in November 2010. It explains that "CoR will encourage all anti-cuts organisations to work together with the aim of establishing a single, broad, and united anti-cuts organisation in each area." The coalition's structure also states that "There will be a policy-making conference for the Coalition of Resistance by July 2011."

The phoney war is over. The Coalition of Resistance’s aim is to force the ConDem government to abandon its cuts programme. The recent anti-cuts demonstrations and the Milbank occupation by students mark a turning point in people’s willingness to go beyond token protests.

As the reality of the cuts becomes clearer, local campaigns are now also organising against the government’s programme of demolishing welfare and state provision. The Coalition of Resistance (CoR) therefore calls on all anti-cuts groups, trade unionists, students and campaigning organisations to participate in a week of protest from Monday 14 February involving local events all over the country and a demonstration in London.

CoR supports the 2010 TUC Congress resolution for united and co-ordinated industrial action against the cuts, and will organise solidarity with those taking action in the front line across the public sector. We support militant and audacious actions against the cuts, including strikes, occupations and civil disobedience. We will seek to connect community with trade union campaigns, and support co-ordinated industrial action to the highest level necessary.

CoR will work to make the national demonstration called by the TUC for 26th March 2011 the biggest demonstration in Britain since the anti-war marches of 2003.

CoR will encourage all anti-cuts organisations to work together with the aim of establishing a single, broad, and united anti-cuts organisation in each area. Where no local campaign exists, we will encourage CoR supporters to initiate one; where such a campaign does exist we will encourage it to affiliate to CoR.

In schools, colleges and universities, CoR will encourage the formation of united anti-cuts and anti-fees groups, and will help in the calling of a ‘No cuts, No Fees’ conference in 2011 to establish a united national campaign.

In recognition of the international nature of the crisis, the Coalition of Resistance will seek to deepen links with similar movements throughout Europe, support the call for mobilisations against the G8 and G20 in France next year, and to initiate an international solidarity Conference Against Austerity.

CoR is committed to opposing all cuts and privatisation; exposing their effects on the most poor and vulnerable, opposing the government’s plan to dismantle the welfare state; and rejecting all proposals to "solve" the crisis through racism and other forms of scape-goating.

CoR will encourage debate on a programme for sustainable economic and social recovery which meets the needs of people and the planet, not profit.

The Coalition of Resistance will collaborate with other national campaigns, and supports the creation of a national united anti-cuts movement which is able to mobilize millions of people against the ConDem government.

2. Structure of the Coalition of Resistance

This founding conference of the Coalition of Resistance agrees to elect a National Council to co-ordinate the national campaigning work of the organisation.
This conference will aim for the composition of the National Council to be representative of the breadth of the anti-cuts movement across the country. We will also aim for it to have good representation of women, the LGBT community, people with disabilities, and black and ethnic communities. Members of the National Council will be signatories to the Founding Statement of the Coalition of Resistance.
This conference agrees that the National Council will meet no less than four times a year. At its first meeting, it will elect a Steering Committee, which will meet frequently to organise the day-to-day work of the Coalition, and which will be open to all members of the National Council.
There will be a policy-making conference for the Coalition of Resistance by July 2011.