06.06.1996

No way back

Irish Republican Socialist Prisoners respond to ‘Historical reality’ in last week’s Weekly Worker on splits in the IRSP and Inla

Thank you for giving us the right to reply to the article, ‘Historical reality’. Without wishing to appear pedantic, we would suggest that this article was nothing more than a mish mash of political jargon that lacked form, structure or a coherent argument. But even so we feel it necessary to put the position of Republican Socialist POWs on the record once more and to set out for your readers the facts.

It is undoubtedly true that TA Power correctly identified the cult of personality within the Republican Socialist Movement as a major barrier to the overall growth of the movement. Following the end of the attacks on our movement in 1987, the then leadership promised that never again would the movement tolerate personal egotism or any personality cults. Unfortunately there were those in that leadership who brought the cult of personality to a fine art form and until 1995 attempted to mould the movement in their own image. These individuals ensured that anyone seeking a broad-based leadership would be isolated and marginalised until there was nothing left for them other than to resign from the movement.

There were no structures to enable change so therefore change could only come about at the personal whim of that small clique controlling the movement - or what was left of it.

‘Historical reality’ relies much on the politically correct phrases and terminology, but we can assure you that there was little politics in the Republican Socialist Movement as these people strengthened their hold. Comrades did not leave because they were disillusioned with the struggle, but because they were disillusioned with the leadership. And to allude to Patrick Daly’s exposure as an MI5 agent being the cause of comrades leaving would be laughable, if it was not for the fact that comrades are still imprisoned as a result of Daly’s actions. Perhaps your anonymous ‘political prisoner’ could explain why senior members of the then leadership were under no threat of prosecution after Daly’s admissions.

For all the allusions to socialist politics in the article, let us examine a few simple facts without blinding your readers with rhetoric.

The previous leadership allowed the Irish Republican Socialist Party to practically go out of existence. They did not produce a party paper and had no intention of doing so. While other parties in the Six Counties were seeking to increase their political profile, the Republican Socialist Movement at that time sold our Dublin and Derry offices.

They then went on to declare a ceasefire from the dock of a Dublin court without the approval or knowledge of the wider movement. This was done for personal and selfish reasons, to get them out of jail, and it worked. These people had no politics and even less principle.

The movement convention referred to took place in a house in Belfast, so that may give your readers some idea of its size and significance. The leadership that had taken over had no problems with a convention, but wanted it to be a movement convention and not simply a convention of selected activists. At all times our movement was willing to sit down and discuss the problems. We believed that only by open, constructive debate could the problems be resolved. The previous leadership refused to do so and in January effectively ended all debate by their cowardly murder of our national organiser, Gino Gallagher.

This was their most apolitical act of all and was compounded by the fact that drug dealers were used to carry out the murder. That is what has led our movement to once again defend its membership and we make no apology for doing so. Those in the previous leadership must realise that the Republican Socialist Movement is not a personal fiefdom and can no longer be used as their personal tool.

Finally there are two claims in ‘Historical reality’ we would wish to address. Firstly the accusation of “self-appointed individuals using the media to promote themselves”. This again is another thinly disguised attack on comrades who are now prepared to articulate the political stance of the Republican Socialist Movement and to raise the profile of a movement that had no profile at all. We as POWs remember only too well when we seemed to be isolated and marginalised with no one to speak on our movement’s behalf and we are delighted that our comrades are now prepared to represent us. As for the accusation of self-appointed people - who appointed the previous leadership?

Secondly I address the claim made about John Fennell and his “permanent legitimate position”. In revolutionary politics there is nothing permanent and certainly no one has the right to permanent leadership. Of course this goes to the nub of the problem - where that previous leadership believed they would be a permanent fixture and in fact saw the Republican Socialist Movement as their own property.

It is time for that discredited group to realise that there is no way back for them. Their dismissal from the Republican Socialist Movement still stands, and no amount of gibberish mixed with political rhetoric can alter that fact.

You are yesterday’s men.