WW archive > Issue 391 - 05 July 2001
Letters
Dumping paedophiles; Keep the pound; F-type political prisoners; Local radicals; Not only spiteful; Dead Tories
Expelled by the SWP inquisition Eric Karas describes his final interrogation at the hands of the SWP thought police
What is clear to me now is that the Socialist Workers Party leadership behave in an autocratic and arbitrary manner, and that the rank and file exercise very little control. Anyone who attempts to raise political questions contrary to the line of the leadership, soon finds themselves under scrutiny and facing expulsion. Last year I wrote a short piece for the SWP pre-conference bulletin. This followed my mounting concerns about the SWP's attitude to the Socialist Alliance during the Euro elections, its political line on Kosova and the tendency to downplay issues of democracy in Britain. It finally dawned on me that we needed a programme. But in putting pen to paper I signed my membership death warrant. I was finally expelled in January this year. What follows is a verbatim record of an interview that took place at my home with Martin Smith, an SWP central committee member, and the local full-timer, Viv Smith. It gives an insight into how the SWP regards open polemic and inner-party democracy. Note that I had no witnesses or friendly representative. I had not been informed about being interviewed in connection with charges brought against me. I was only told that the comrades wanted to talk about the future of the Bedfordshire Socialist Alliance. But as soon as they sat down matters took a different course.
Milosevic on trial
Republican socialism Connolly versus Cliff
Dave Craig of the Revolutionary Democratic Group criticises the Socialist Workers Party for its economism and tailing of spontaneity
Tory move to centre?
Southwark
Defend organisational unity
Democratise union funds
Beyond anti-capitalism
Scottish Socialist Party
SW shows its strength
Merseyside SWP steamrolls in
Merseyside Socialist Alliance chair Chris Jones, a member of the Revolutionary Democratic Group, reports on events in Liverpool
Our history
Lenin for unity
Call for conference
Statement issued by Mark Serwotka, general secretary-elect of the Public and Commercial Services union, together with militant members of the national executives of Unison and the Communication Workers Union
Marxism 2001
Heat and light