03.07.1997

Democracy and the Socialist Labour Party

Open letter from Terry Burns, the SLP’s parliamentary candidate in Cardiff Central

The right to assemble: the ‘yellow sheet’

I was at the meeting of the Campaign for a Democratic SLP (CDSLP) held in London on June 14. I went with the intention of meeting others who want to change the constitution of the SLP - party members who want to create a democratic SLP. I will not attempt to deceive anybody about my attendance. I was there. I participated in the discussions.

The necessity of getting involved in such a struggle as the CDSLP was made abundantly clear when members who wanted to attend the meeting were met by an NEC member handing out a ‘yellow’ sheet of paper. The ‘yellow’ sheet threatened all SLP members entering the meeting with disciplinary action. It now seems even the right of assembly is to be denied to SLP members (I assume the sheet was legitimate, as there was no NEC meeting date on the sheet, nor was any NEC minute quoted).

I became a member of the SLP with the expectation that I had joined a democratic party where socialists engage in discussion and debate. I sought a campaigning socialist party with a healthy internal life. I anticipated a deluge of comrades joining the party, cascading in from all the various socialist and campaigning organisations. I anticipated they would bring all their different traditions and methods of work.

After 30 years in the stifling Labour Party, particularly the Kinnock years, I was looking forward to the political climate I expected in the SLP. I thought it would be open and pluralistic. I certainly expected a party, with comrade Scargill in the leadership, to be committed to fighting witch hunts, bans and proscriptions. I expected comrade Scargill and the NEC members to be the most ardent defenders of dissenting members.

Unfortunately this has proved to be a false hope. The result - I have continued my quest for a democratic party, and set off for the CDSLP meeting on June 14. As I started to go into Conway Hall I was asked by an NEC member if I was an SLP member. My name was taken and I was handed a copy of the ‘yellow’ sheet. Then I was harangued by another SLP member who proceeded to denounce democracy, explaining that “too much democracy caused the USSR to collapse”. I’m afraid the level of debate convinced me. In I went.

The CDSLP meeting

The meeting centred on three issues:

1. the general lack of democracy in the SLP: for example, the programme of voiding members and branches;
2. the need for a journal that addressed socialist and democratic ideas and aimed at the class;
3. affiliation of other parties to the SLP - the central issue for the meeting.

The meeting agreed that affiliation was the priority issue and to be the sole subject for resolutions to the SLP conference from CDSLP-supporting branches.

This proved problematic for me, given the fact that since the day I joined the SLP I have made it clear that I do not support the concept of the SLP being a federal body. I belong to no other party - only the SLP - and I do not regard affiliation as a democratic issue.

The party can be completely democratic with or without affiliations. I believe affiliation of other parties, and trade unions for that matter, to be a diversion from the main task of building a democratic, mass-based SLP.

Affiliations would create a battleground, as each little ‘party’ within the main ‘party’ seeks to build its own party, as they all posture as The Party - Bolshevik of course. No matter how it’s posed, it’s a party too many for me.

Fusion and alliance

The task we need to address is that of building a socialist party that is able to reintroduce socialism into the everyday vocabulary and political agenda of working people.

A concept of socialism free of the tainted totalitarian states of the east and free of the betrayals of Labourism. In the process of building such a force, I have no problem with a party that has internal factions supporting a variety of ideas. They can even challenge the party leaders for the leadership itself.

I have no problem seeking pacts and alliances, or working with other groups to build campaigns or united fronts. In many cases I see this as essential. I would welcome discussion with the CP (Morning Star), the CP (Weekly Worker), the Socialist Party, Labour lefts, even the SWP. The idea of contesting general elections, with proportional representation, fielding a team such as Corbyn, Nellist, Scargill, Sheridan, Foot (Paul), would be very interesting.

The SLP should pursue the idea of a united left, combining with other parties, based on fusions where possible, and alliances where fusion is not a viable option.

Democratic rights in the SLP

Having rejected the main plank of the CDSLP - that of affiliation - I cannot in all honesty see why I should continue my involvement. There appear to be two other campaigns on ‘democracy’, which have broader aims. These aims include: rights of members facing disciplinary charges, the right of free speech and association within the party, including rights for minorities, tendencies and platforms, plus, unfortunately, the affiliation issues.

Democracy in the party must centre on the right to influence and change the leadership. There is a clear need to fight for the right to speak and organise within the party. If we are to understand the tasks that face the party, we need the ideas that independent journals, newspapers, bulletins can provide. Ideas, not constitutions, change people.

More discussion and debate, not less, will develop, enliven, stimulate and animate the party. Democracy will help build the SLP.

Root and branch

The constitution, where it relates to organisation, disables activity and disempowers members - it impedes the party in its work. To list chapter and verse of the changes needed would require a lengthy report. A simpler task is to scrap the organisational sections of the constitution and replace them. Therefore we need to:

• Cancel all disciplinary action taken under the existing constitution, restore membership to all ‘voided’ and expelled branches and individuals.
• Establish a committee to hear disciplinary cases, drawn from the NEC and equal representation from the regions.
• Establish a rank and file appeals committee elected at congress from members who are not national officers or NEC members.
• Establish a constitutional commission to write a constitution that empowers the rank and file of the SLP and assists it in developing and building the party. The commission should be NEC members, rank and file members, party sections - women, youth, etc. It should take evidence, contributions and suggestions from any party member, branch or section, write a draft, circulate the membership for consideration and amendments and bring it to a recall conference within six months.
• Maintain the political statement in Clause 4, as our affirmation that the party is anti-capitalist and committed to revolutionary socialism.

A campaigning, socialist SLP, based in the masses

Are you fed up with all this internal wrangling? Me too. I have to get involved in this debate: I must defend the right to organise and attend meetings. But I prefer campaigning against the bosses or the giant multinationals who are involved in the ‘rape of the world’s’ environment and resources.

The election gave us a great opportunity for taking the SLP out into the world. Given all the circumstances, we did well. The number of votes was important, but not vital. The essential element was doing something as a party - propaganda and agitational work in the name of socialism.

It really is a pity we have to spend time on issues like the constitution. To most of us constitutions are of secondary importance to policy, programme and campaigning.

June 1997