14.01.1999

Report from NEC

Part of document circulated to SLP membership

At its meeting on December 12, the NEC also adopted several motions put forward by the general secretary, which he had formulated, he explained, in hope of helping all within the SLP to focus on the real struggle - to win mass support for socialist policies - that lies ahead for our party.

One resolution dealt with an ‘Appeal’ from a number of individual members calling for a special two-day conference to discuss the direction of the party, which has been circulated together with NEC documents (but without the consent or prior knowledge of the NEC or the general secretary, author of one of these documents) since October.

On this matter, the NEC overwhelmingly agreed:

“That the initiators of the ‘Appeal’ be instructed to withdraw the ‘Appeal’, cease their activities immediately, and undertake to abide by the party’s constitution. The NEC emphasises that no individual member of the party and no group of individuals within the party is allowed to circulate any appeal, document, letter, etc to CSLPs, affiliated trade unions, sections, etc, other than with the authorisation of the NEC.”

All members should be organised in CSLPs and/or membership in affiliated trade unions. If any member wishes to call for the convening of a special congress (the ‘Appeal’ called for a “special conference”) this would have to be in accordance with clause VI (2) of the party’s constitution; a member would have to raise this through her/his CSLP and/or affiliated trade union; if such a call secured support of 25% of the party’s membership calculated on the basis of votes at the previous congress, then a special congress would be convened in accordance with the constitution.

Another resolution dealt with concerns arising from the election at the special congress of the current vice-president, and material appearing regularly in a bulletin called the Economic and Philosophic Science Review (EPSR), with which he is closely connected.

The general secretary proposed: “That the publishers and contributors of the EPSR cease publication of that journal, or alternatively give an undertaking that it will not comment on the affairs of the SLP or carry contributions that may lead members to conclude that the EPSR is attacking and discriminating against women or sections within our society because of sexual orientation/preference and/or religion, etc.” This motion was overwhelmingly adopted by the NEC.

It was also agreed by the NEC:

“That if any individuals, groups, factions or journals/bulletins referred to refuse to comply with these policy decisions by the NEC, then the general secretary be empowered to bring proceedings against the individuals responsible for the production of ‘Appeals’, bulletins, journals, etc, or those individuals who organise groups and/or factions contrary to the party’s constitution, such proceedings to be brought under the terms of the party’s complaints procedures.”

Hopefully, these decisions will allow us all to get on with the real fight: against the capitalist system!