29.05.1997

Democrat deserts the field

The Weekly Worker (March 27) published correspondence between Arthur Scargill and Jack Crossfield of the Tameside SLP branch, in which Crossfield was berated for circulating to party members his letter in defence of a voided SLP member. Scargill warned Crossfield that unauthorised dissemination of such correspondence was an action incompatible with the SLP ‘constitution’.

Scargill has returned to the attack, breaking off from his campaigning in Newport East to write again to comrade Crossfield on April 28 (see correspondence published below).

In his reply, comrade Crossfield makes some valid points about the importance of openness and democracy, but it is highly regrettable that he has reacted to Scargill’s bureaucratic bullying by resigning from the party.

Jack Crossfield is a well-respected trade union activist, and trades council secretary in Manchester. He topped the poll when the former Greater Manchester branch elected its executive committee in April 1996. He opposed that committee’s capitulation to the move, initiated by Fourth International Supporters Caucus members, to disband the branch (see ‘Right wrecks Manchester’ Weekly Worker July 11 1996), and has been vociferous in arguing for a special party conference to debate the ‘constitution’. The movement for democracy in the SLP cannot afford to lose comrades like Jack and it is to be sincerely hoped that he will reconsider his decision to resign.

April 28 1997
Dear Jack Crossfield

I have received correspondence from an SLP branch enclosing correspondence between you and I regarding John Pearson.

The copy correspondence has been sent to this branch by Mr Pearson and I would like to know why you are divulging correspondence/information from me when I made clear that you should stop circulating correspondence on internal party matters when you have no authority to do so.

I would ask you to let me have an explanation as to why you have divulged my letter without authority.

Yours sincerely,

A Scargill
general secretary

April 29 1997
Dear comrade Scargill

I am sorry that you seem upset about somebody else seeing your correspondence to me.

All my life I have been open about what I do and why I do it and in this case I was writing in defence of comrade Pearson, who I believed should see what response I got from you. It was not under my control what comrade Pearson then did with this correspondence, as I left it up to his discretion what to do.

Because the SLP have acted in this manner of expelling a member without any appeal or giving any reason then they have led themselves (SLP executive) to try and defend themselves by trying to keep everything a secret.

I am afraid to tell you that I no longer want any part of this type of undemocratic organisation that runs from the top and I therefore submit my membership card - by the way, you can keep this year’s subscription money.

Yours fraternally,
Jack A Crossfield

PS: I will be sending a copy of this correspondence to comrade Pearson as well.