10.10.2001

Press group

The Socialist Alliance Press group originated, as its name implies, as an internet list for the exchange of information and the dissemination of press releases prior to the general election. Immediately afterwards it was announced by Dave Nellist, our national chair, who had been responsible for overseeing the list, that it would no longer be moderated.

As a result, with comrades able to post whatever they wanted, it was transformed into a de facto discussion forum, open to all SA members - a decision ratified by the July 28 Liaison Committee meeting, which also agreed to establish a more restricted list for press officers, etc.

But the decision was not to the liking of the SWP, which has continued to complain that the SA Press Group has been taken over by ?sectarian backbiters?: ie, comrades who publicly disagree with one another and - horror of horrors - sometimes criticise the SWP (see Weekly Worker August 2).

Recently, with the encouragement of Rob Hoveman, the SWP?s main Socialist Alliance representative and an SA vice-chair, there has been a very public campaign to ?unsubscribe? from the list, with several SWPers, along with one or two ?independents?, announcing their departure.

However, at the October 6 Liaison Committee meeting comrade Nellist reported that, although 74 people had unsubscribed since the election, 54 new people had subscribed, despite the complete absence of any publicity for the list. Several additional comrades put their names down at the Liaison meeting.

To subscribe to the Socialist Alliance discussion list

Peter Manson