11.11.1999

Back to obscurity

Simon Harvey of the SLP

Last weekend’s congress of the Socialist Labour Party marked a complete turnaround in the fortunes of the supporters of the Economic and Philosophic Science Review.

To think that it was just a year since Royston Bull, editor of the EPSR, had been voted in as vice-president. He owed his election to the fact that Arthur Scargill had used him purely as a means of deposing the sitting incumbent, Patrick Sikorski of the Fourth International Supporters Caucus. Nevertheless the Bullites persuaded themselves that their day had come.

There was a different story this year. Bull is not only no longer in office: he is no longer a member, having been ‘lapsed’ for non-payment of membership dues. He decided to cut his losses in the belief that he was about to be expelled in any case - for refusing to close down his little cut-and-paste weekly.

His demise caused Bull to switch from abject sycophancy to the Scargill leadership to hurling vitriolic insults. Suddenly the SLP was no longer the “historic break from the Labour Party at a time of capitalist crisis”. Now it was completely written off and Scargill was nothing more than a dictator. But this line change caused a split within Bull’s own ranks, personified by the differing perspectives of the two EPSR NEC members who were elected into office on the anti-Fisc bandwagon last year. Sohan Singh went along with the new line, but Dave Roberts preferred to stick with Scargill.

It was comrade Singh who was openly handing out Bull’s leaflet, ‘The SLP is going the wrong way’, on Saturday morning. This condemned “the mistakes and small-mindedness of Scargillism, ruling through censorship and expulsion”. Like comrade Roberts, however, he was on the NEC’s self-perpetuating recommended list. He had clearly not been sticking his neck out too much at executive meetings.

Of course it is quite correct that the whole episode should have been debated. How was it that someone could be voted into high office and then within six months be disciplined, informed he was to be expelled and then ousted for a different reason altogether? Bull’s withholding of subscriptions was not a clever move. It gave Scargill the excuse to dismiss the entire question. Bull was no longer a member and that was that.

But the EPSR tactics at the congress were pathetic. It was almost as though the plan was to stage a provocation, hoping to have one of the gang physically ejected. The quartet of Jim Dooher, Adrian Greenman, Rod George and Singh himself raised the question of Bull’s removal at every opportunity, no matter what was being discussed, with Greenman in particular constantly resorting to heckling.

If they wanted to hit Scargill where he was weakest, surely the abolition of annual congress was the question to exploit, linking his attempt to censor Bull with his attacks on members’ rights in general. But no, the EPSR chose to strike where the general secretary was strongest - the emergency motion on rail safety and public ownership.

This was Scargill’s showpiece opening for the congress. Dave Rix, Aslef general secretary, proposed the motion, while Bob Crow, the RMT’s assistant general secretary, replied to the debate. Greenman was one of the first to speak, describing the call to renationalise the railways as “a fraud on the working class - the whole thing stinks”. Hardly the best way to go about winning over this particular audience. He even managed to bring Bull into his speech. Dooher, the EPSR’s candidate for general secretary, was a little more tactful, suggesting that while the motion was put with good intent, it was wrong.

Yes, nationalisation has never guaranteed safety. Yes, it is not a step towards socialism. And, yes, Blair will not do it anyway. But it is perfectly correct to demand that the state acts. What was missing from the motion was a call around which to mobilise workers - a call for them to take direct action to bring the industry under their control. The motion was passed overwhelmingly, with only the four Bullites voting against.

The next move came with Sohan Singh’s objection to the exclusion from the agenda of a motion which called for the “immediate reinstatement of the vice-president” (an hour before a new one was to be elected) and for the EPSR and Lalkar, Harpal Brar’s bimonthly, “to take central positions in developing SLP education”. Again only the same four voted in favour of allowing the motion to be discussed. Singh, in making the challenge, attempted to play down the closeness of his association with Bull’s rag: “I read the EPSR, but so do lots of other SLP members. Others read the Weekly Worker or The Guardian.” Nevertheless it was clear enough - for those poor souls that did not know already - that he was in with the other three. Yet, when it came to the NEC elections, enough Scargillite branches voted for him to ensure he was re-elected. He was after all on the recommended list. How were they to know it was not what Arthur wanted?

By Sunday the constant interruptions from Greenman and Dooher were not only causing party president Frank Cave to threaten their removal, but had succeeded in provoking many delegates. Dooher dared the stewards to come and get him, but Scargill was alive to the situation, knowing that a violent struggle would both play into their hands and alienate those delegates who are looking for a nice, peaceful home for disenchanted leftists. “Don’t touch them,” cried Arthur. “They’re not members of this party.” At this point comrade Greenman put on his coat and announced, “I’m going.” It got the biggest cheer of the day.

Last year the EPSR was flavour of the month, thanks to Scargill. No fewer than three members of what had been an obscure little group were comfortably elected. At the weekend not a voice was raised in their support. Scargill is sure to move soon against comrade Singh, and the whole bunch will fade back into obscurity.

Of course the fate of the Bullites is in itself of no importance. They are one of the most unpleasant and unhinged sects you are ever likely to come across. But their rise and fall says a lot about the SLP itself, not least in relation to the remaining membership. There is hardly anyone of any quality left in the party. Only Stalinites, social misfits and no-hopers - all of them prepared to go along with Arthur’s every whim.