WeeklyWorker

23.11.2000

SWP - nationalism 'not a problem'

In this internal document, Allan Green, the Scottish Socialist Party's national secretary, reports on the Socialist Workers Party's annual conference

Catriona Grant and Allan Green of the Scottish Socialist Party attended two sessions of the Socialist Workers Party's Britain-wide annual conference in London on Sunday November 12.

Both were observers in the session on Socialist Alliances and both passed on greetings to the conference during the session on the SWP and the SSP. At a very rough estimate, there were perhaps 400-450 SWP delegates and observers at these conference sessions.

Session on Socialist Alliances

John Rees introduced this session. JR described the political backdrop as: increasing international opposition to transnational capital, the crisis of reformism and, in Britain, disillusion with New Labour.

JR argued that disillusion with New Labour is reflected in lower electoral turnouts and it is vital to unite socialists to fill this vacuum or the beneficiaries could be the greens or even the far right. JR said that, although the SWP should try to work with other socialists and convince them of the merits of revolutionary socialism, the first priority was to build the biggest possible coherent voice for a socialist alternative to New Labour.

JR argued that, unlike two to five years ago, building unity in a reviving movement is a viable project. He said the SWP should look beyond unity of the existing revolutionary left, although this was perhaps inevitable in the very early stages, to reach out to all those disillusioned with New Labour. He pointed to ex-Labour councillors in Preston and Liverpool joining the SAs.

JR said that the SWP should not be afraid to be a minority as the SAs develop, as the SWP could have confidence in its ideas, tactics and strategy. The emphasis, however, should be on building a long-term organic relationship with other socialists in the SAs. JR stressed that this is a long-term project and, even if there were to be an upturn in the class struggle, this work would remain important.

JR outlined some tactics for local campaigning: seeking collaboration with others on the left locally; organising a large rally, which can encourage other socialists to participate in local campaigning/building of the SAs. JR also argued that SAs should choose their priority seats for the election carefully, saying it would be a tactical mistake for SAs to stand against Labour lefts, such as Jeremy Corbyn.

JR concluded by saying that, as there were significant cracks appearing in the reformist edifice, building the SAs is an exciting project which should become a priority for the SWP.

There were 19 further contributions from delegates, all in favour of the strategy outlined by JR. Speakers involved in SAs in Lancs, Coventry, Sheffield, Bristol, Huddersfield, Tottenham, Wembley, Hackney, Brixton, Southern, East London, Manchester, Newcastle, Bedfordshire and Liverpool all described positive local experiences and spoke of big potential for the SAs. One speaker said he is pleased to be building a centrist organisation (the SA) but wanted more theoretical clarification on the role of the SWP.

JR, summing up, agreed with the contributions reflecting the enormous potential for the recomposition of the left. He did not agree with the term 'centrist' for the SAs, arguing that the historical analogies were not appropriate. JR argued that SA work should be seen more as united front-type activity.

JR said that so far only a minority of SWP comrades were involved in SA activity but, with the election looming, there should now be a call to arms throughout the party. JR said that the SWP should caucus, plan carefully and think on a mass scale.

SWP-SSP session

Julie Waterson introduced this session, along very similar lines to the introduction given by Chris Bambery at the SWP's Scottish aggregate (see October's report), and moved the motion passed at the Scottish aggregate.

JW said the SWP should start from the objective needs of the working class - a united party would be more powerful than the sum of the two parts. JW also outlined three objective circumstances: the collapse of New Labour support in Scotland; the collapse of Stalinism, which had roots in the Scottish labour movement; and the growing international anti-capitalist mood.

JW described the success of the SSP in elections, beating the Liberals in eight out of nine by-elections. She said that SSP branches were active, involved in united front-type work and prepared educationals. She described Tommy Sheridan's column in The Record as brilliant and said TS is seen across Scotland as a leader of the left, standing up to New Labour.

JW said the SSP is not a revolutionary party nor democratic centralist, but a party with platforms. JW said the SWP is not interested in entry work (short- or long-term), or a parallel organisation inside the SSP, but it must maintain the right to propagate revolutionary ideas and produce materials within the SSP.

JW described the four meetings between representatives of the SWP and SSP as having come a long way, but there remain two stumbling blocks:

JW asked conference to support the motion from the Scottish aggregate to continue discussions. In the subsequent discussion, both Catriona Grant and Allan Green passed on greetings to the conference. Both welcomed the SWP opening discussions around unity and both expressed their hopes that the discussions would continue.

There were five contributions from Scottish-based SWP members. They all strongly argued that the SWP should start from the interests of the working class and try to build unity on the left. They all spoke of positive experiences of working with the SSP or attending meetings with SSP members. One member from Glasgow university said that she had met an SSP member who had hoped that the SWP would join the SSP and help pull the SSP away from nationalism. This point was not developed by the speaker, nor was it taken up by anyone else until JW's summing up.

There were four contributions from English-based SWP members. One comrade who had recently left the Socialist Party (English and Welsh section of the CWI) argued that he had witnessed Scottish Militant Labour liquidating itself into the SSP and he did not want the SWP to do the same. He argued that the SWP should remain as a revolutionary party with a revolutionary paper.

The other three English-based speakers were all strongly for the motion. Two speakers, referring to the ex-SP comrade, said that in the SP debates it was Peter Taaffe who was wrong. Both argued that, although revolutionaries must be careful to maintain their traditions, the biggest danger was not liquidation but sectarianism.

Two speakers, one from Scotland and one English-based, were indicating that, although the SSP had more experience of running elections, the SWP could also bring strengths to the SSP - for example, the SWP's global anti-capitalism campaigning around Prague, asylum-seekers, etc.

JW, summing up (presumably in response to the comrade from Glasgow university), said that she recognised the SSP's key slogan of an "independent socialist Scotland" and that she had no problem with the break-up of the British state. She also went on to say she had no problem with a united Ireland, and there should be discussions on how we get socialism. JW said that times are changing and the SWP must be prepared to change with them. She argued that a united party would be in a stronger position to take on New Labour and the bosses.

The SSP observers were not present when the vote was taken, but we have been told that the motion from the Scottish aggregate was overwhelmingly accepted.

Conclusions

The debates at the London conference were very much in line with the previous discussion at the SWP's Scottish aggregate. The political conclusions arising from the SWP's Scottish aggregate have been reinforced by experience of the London conference. It is clear that the SWP are motivated by a genuine and healthy desire for socialist unity.

Outstanding matters for discussion remain public sales of SSV/SW; guidelines for platforms; and use of resources and finances. As previously stated, it is also important to try to get a more detailed understanding of where the SWP in Scotland stands with regard to our key slogan, 'For an independent socialist Scotland'. SWP central committee members continue to say they are aware of the SSP position and it is not a problem.

The SSP should welcome the decision of the SWP to continue discussions on the SWP joining the party .