Where is the SWP going?

Submitted by cathy n on 25 August, 2008 - 7:03 Author: Charlie Salmon

Something about the SWP’s recent behaviour smacks of more than the usual sectarianism. Desperation might be closer to the mark

Over the last year ‘the Revolutionary Party’ has experienced one setback after another. The split with George Galloway, the collapse of Respect, the more than dismal showing for the “Left List” in the London elections and a raft of resignations must have hit them hard. Further resignations and disputes may well follow.

At this year’s ‘Marxism’ event, one SWP member was heard to say “John Rees is doing a session on ‘Strategy and Tactics’ — they must be having a laugh”!

The actions of the SWP in the run-up to and on the day of the demonstration against the BNP’s “Red, White and Blue” festival show just how desperate they are. Some comrades with long memories compared their behaviour to the outright paranoia of the Healyite WRP. The SWP’s initial abstention from organising with other socialists was reminiscent of the now famous “Why we are not marching” leaflet distributed by WRP members on anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. You see, the WRP thought the demonstrations were a conspiracy to sideline their leaders and sabotage ‘The Revolutionary Party’! God alone knows what’s going through the SWP leadership's minds.

Quite a few SWP members — some of whom looked visibly embarrassed by their leaders antics on the day — must be scratching their heads. The honest ones will have to admit that the SWP’s own description of the event is an outright lie.

On the surface, at least, it looks unlikely that the SWP will suddenly collapse but the steady accumulation of disasters, embarrassments, resignations and increasing paranoia will take their toll. We urge any SWP member reading this to think long and hard about the state of their organisation, to educate themselves about the SWP’s traditions and practices and, importantly, to ground themselves in the real traditions of socialism. Only in this way will the left avoid the demoralisation and dispersal of once-committed revolutionaries to the four corners if and when the SWP falls apart.

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