23.10.1997

Paisley South by-election

Simon Harvey of the SLP

I was disappointed to hear that the Socialist Labour Party and the Scottish Socialist Alliance are to go head-to-head in the Paisley South by-election to be held on November 6. This points yet again to the opportunity and promise the SLP has offered being squandered through petty sectarianism.

Both candidates, the SLP's Chris Herriott and Frances Curran for the SSA, are proven class fighters. What is perhaps most ironic about this unnecessary electoral conflict is that both are former comrades from the Militant Tendency. Herriott, who stood in Motherwell for the SLP in the general election, is a former miner.

The manner of the SLP leadership’s support for his candidacy underlines Scargill’s pig-headed sectarianism. The entire Paisley South campaign, though much thinner on the ground than the SSA campaign will be, is to be fully funded from central sources. It was not so much a question of local initiative - Scargill insisted on a candidate.

Through pursuing such a short-term and narrow agenda, Scargill may well be cutting off his nose to spite his face. This approach is not only seen as ludicrous from forces outside the SLP - including within the Labour Party left - but has patchy support from within our party, to say the least.

Weird and wonderful

Last week I looked at resolutions to congress which were ruled out of order. The manner in which such an obviously bureaucratic approach to party democracy was handled points to the completely cynical attitude which the clique around Scargill holds for the membership.

Several serious and constructive resolutions concerning party democracy are considered outside the line. Yet others are allowed which are so wacky that, if they gain dominance within the party, the SLP will not need an obituary, but may earn itself its own strip in Viz magazine.

This is not surprising, given that the motions I am referring to come from Constituency SLPs where supporters of Roy Bull’s Economic and Philosophic Science Review have dominance. Take the resolution from Leicester East:

“This congress recognises the disruptive influence of people who have political loyalties to opposition parties and groupings.

“This congress believes:

• that the continued presence in the SLP of people affiliated or ‘in sympathy’ with the anti-SLP stance of the Workers Power group and the CPGB should not be tolerated further.
• that under cover of a campaign for ‘perfect democracy’ these hostile parties and groupings are organising to destroy the SLP by diverting attention away from the development of socialist understanding and organisation ...

“The congress resolves to ... expel them from the SLP and establish firm leadership in the working class war on capitalism and build socialism as the only genuine democracy.”

Further, Bristol East CSLP calls for

“the NEC to guide completion of the necessary work of exposing and uprooting all middle class idealism and sectarianism still hindering the democratic and disciplined growth of Socialist Labour ... The SLP stands four-square with all the workers’ states, present and past, on whose experience all new advance toward Socialism will necessarily be founded.”

Such sentiments, somewhat toned down compared to the usual EPSR froth, do not represent stable or serious political personalities. These ‘ideas’, developed and distorted in the grotesque Healy-esque world of the Workers Revolutionary Party, have more to do with ultra-alienation and a sick desire to control other human beings than any movement for genuine liberation. ‘Let me purge,’ scream the Bullites. They would be barely worth a mention, were it not to illustrate the SLP leadership’s hypocrisy.

For Scargill to continue to identify with such twisted ideas can only diminish his reputation amongst serious class fighters. To run a party as a court means you will only get jesters.

As congress draws nearer, I will begin the task of looking at the resolutions which will define the party’s political orientation - particularly around Ireland, Europe and the constitutional monarchical system. These debates, no matter how stunted they may be within the poisonous witch hunting atmosphere, nevertheless point to the questions our class will need to consider, and master, if it is to become the ruling class.

Congress organisation

As I understand it, each recognised CSLP is allowed five delegates, but only one vote. On this basis there would be a small turnout; so party centre is allowing members to attend as visitors - at £5 a pop.

In its wisdom, the NEC has appointed Terry Dunn as congress organiser. It is to him that applications for visitor’s passes must be made. So if you are not a delegate from your CSLP, or you are party member not allocated to a CSLP, write to comrade Dunn at SLP centre for tickets.

Wongsam leaflet

I was interested to see John Pearson’s letter in last week’s Weekly Worker. It referred to a leaflet handed out at a Labour Party Campaign Group meeting with the apparent blessing of “Manchester SLP”. The busy leafleters included ‘clever’ Trevor Wongsam - a Fourth International supporter.

Given that Scargill has repeatedly ruled out pacts or alliances with other socialist forces, I wonder if the leaflet’s contents point to yet further rifts between the Scargill/NUMists and the Fiscites on the NEC.

In part, the leaflet states: “Socialist Labour gives full support to socialists in the Labour Party.” Does it? This is news to me. From the very beginning, Scargill has made clear his newly discovered view that you cannot be organised as a socialist inside the Labour Party. I personally would give support to ‘socialists’ inside the Labour Party only to the extent that they oppose Labourism.

As the various opportunist groups which submerged themselves inside the SLP see their hopes disintegrating in their ‘last chance saloon’, perhaps they are beginning to look for safety ropes back to their natural home?