22.11.2001

Nationalists stage Edinburgh walk out

On Sunday November 18 members of the Scottish section of the Republican Communist Network voted to break constitutional links with RCN members in the rest of Britain.

The build-up to this meeting had been marked by heated debates over seemingly petty issues. However, underlying everything was the deep divide that had been present since the RCN?s inception: the divide between left nationalists in Scotland on the one hand and those who stand for the unity of the working class against the UK state on the other.

Sunday?s poorly attended meeting was different - much that had dominated previous discussions was again raised, but instead of the heat previously generated there was the distinct impression that many comrades really could not be bothered. The argument for the split was put forward as being over two main issues: firstly the CPGB is not very nice; and secondly that the RCN does not function in England.

The second point is true at face value. The RCN does not intervene as the RCN in the Socialist Alliance in the way that the RCN in Scotland has intervened in the Scottish Socialist Party. But obviously that is not to say that comrades in England are not active - especially in the SA. Comrades in the RCN have been some of the most pro-active members in the Socialist Alliance project, in particular the CPGB comrades. The fact that the work of these comrades actually promotes the aims of republican communism is seen as irrelevant by those wearing nationalist blinkers.

The nationalist comrades stated that the RCN England held back the Scottish section of the network. Allan Armstrong of the Communist Tendency believes that working with comrades in England had somehow prevented the RCN from intervening in areas such as the anti-capitalist movement - which is odd, given that the CPGB is the only group involved in the RCN that has engaged with that movement by sending comrades to international demonstrations and providing extensive reports and space for debate in the Weekly Worker.

There was a seven to two vote in favour of splitting the RCN along national lines. Mary Ward and myself were the only two who voted against the split, although comrade Ward made it clear that she would have abstained had doing so not resulted in the loss of her status as a supporter of the Revolutionary Democratic Group. This appeared not to be an issue for fellow RDG supporter, comrade Nick Clarke, who voted with the nationalist majority on the grounds that the current situation was unworkable. He has since resigned from the editorial board of the RCN?s quarterly magazine, Republican Communist.

The all-Britain office-bearers based in Scotland met afterwards to discuss the organisational practicalities of the split. They agreed to remain in post until current business is concluded. The RCN England will receive its share of the money in the all-Britain account. There was, however, still the question of the next edition of magazine, which is due by December 1. There appeared to be some confusion over what is to happen. Comrades made clear that no money would come out of the RCN Scotland account to pay for it. Some comrades stated they would not sell it, while other would, depending on its content.

The most frequently stated reason for the split was the dislike most comrades felt towards the CPGB - not exactly the most principled of grounds. Although undoubtedly the left nationalists are unhappy with articles in the Weekly Worker critical of their theory and actions and our open and direct, no-holds-barred style of debate, it would be naive to believe that this is the cause of the split. As far as they were concerned, an alliance with anti-nationalists was never comfortable - especially when they found themselves in a minority.

The RCN was founded when former CPGB members Mary Ward and Nick Clarke, operating as the Campaign for a Federal Republic, along with Steve Freeman of the RDG, joined forces with Allan Armstrong and his nationalist micro grouping, the Communist Tendency, and the slightly bigger yet still tiny Red Republicans (now defunct), to form a bloc in the Scottish Socialist Alliance. As things moved on politically with the birth of the SSP, they were joined by CPGB comrades in Scotland and other CPGBers and individuals based in England. We in the CPGB were open in our view that the RCN should be part of the fight for a single, all-Britain, working class party. It was essential that an anti-nationalist force should take that fight into the SSP.

However, although at first the RCN constituted the main left opposition within the SSP - it had some success in 1999, winning a vote at the SSP conference over democratic demands - it was never on a consistent anti-nationalist basis. In fact the propaganda call by our nationalist wing for a Scottish workers? republic is in practical terms identical to the SSP?s ?independent socialist Scotland?. Little wonder that we were able to operate in Scotland as little more than a ginger group, rather than a potentially hegemonic force within the SSP. The RCN in Scotland has not grown and cannot be described as a dynamic force.

The political differences between the nationalist elements and those advocating working class unity intensified as recruits were made in England. It was clear to the nationalists that they would always be in a minority while the RCN remained an all-Britain organisation - it hardly suits those who advocate Scottish independence to operate within an all-Britain organisation: that is the underlying factor behind the split, not CPGB polemics. Other big political issues (such as collaborating with individuals who do not even recognise the need for a working class party) were a continuing source of tension.

The left nationalists have now walked out. Despite our best efforts, we were unable to win them to a principled communist position of uniting our forces to defeat the UK constitutional monarchy state.

Sarah McDonald