17.10.2001

Haringey

SWP ignores decisions

When the Socialist Alliance met on October 3, it was to take a lead in organising an anti-war rally in Haringey later in the month. Representatives of the Socialist Workers Party, the Alliance for Workers? Liberty, the CPGB and independent Tom Rubin discussed the format and speakers for the event.

The idea of inviting leading SWP member Lindsey German as a speaker for the Socialist Alliance was challenged. It was suggested that SWP member and general election candidate Weyman Bennett would better represent the Socialist Alliance as a well known local figure. Everybody present agreed and Weyman took it upon himself to invite three other speakers: Gary Younge of The Guardian, Suresh Grover of the National Civil Rights Movement and Tariq Ali.

However, the latest newsletter of Haringey SA lists as speakers the above three plus - surprise, surprise - Lindsey German in her function as ?editor of the Socialist Review? (the SWP?s monthly). Local SA members had not been informed of this change. Another decision of the October 3 meeting was totally ignored: to invite a speaker from the Worker Communist Party of Iraq.

While it is to be welcomed that the comrades from the SWP actually chose to organise this meeting via the Socialist Alliance (and not the Stop the War Coalition, as in many other parts of the country), it is regrettable that there seems to have been a certain cost when it comes to democracy. In general, the SWP has tried to include the other component organisations of the alliance in the decision-making process. This was not without its hiccups, but at least the comrades gave the impression of making an effort.

However, things are very different in the anti-war campaign. It seems the comrades are determined to follow their leadership?s rigid guidelines, come what may, even when it is only a question of which SWP speaker will appear on the platform. Of course whether it is comrade Bennett or German is in itself hardly of world-shattering importance, but abiding by agreed decisions ought to be a general principle.

Let us hope that the SWP, in the passion of the campaign against Blair?s war, has not forgotten all the lessons in democracy learnt in numerous SA meetings over the past couple of years.

Tina Becker