17.01.2013

Fighting fund: Upsurge

Robbie Rix feels that the interest in the CPGB's coverage of the crisis in the SWP proves that the Weekly Worker is serving its purpose

Readers may not be surprised to learn that our online readership has shot up over the last couple of weeks. In the seven days since the last issue came out, no fewer than 31,851 people read us on the web. That represents a threefold increase compared to the average readership over recent months. In fact last Thursday alone (the day Weekly Worker No944 hit the internet) we had 8,489 readers - a similar figure to what we have sometimes notched up in a week in the past.

The reason for this upsurge is no secret. It is entirely due to our coverage of the crisis engulfing the Socialist Workers Party. This fact alone gives the lie to those who say that the role of any socialist or communist paper must be to ‘appeal to workers’ - they mean the mass of ordinary workers, rather than the class-conscious, politically aware minority. In reality there is a role for publications of both types, depending on given circumstances.

This paper is unashamedly aimed at left political activists, not workers in their millions or even union militants. It is to this minority that we look at present to fight for the Marxist party that would be able to appeal to the millions. And our readership figures prove that our target audience is real enough. The way the left organises is important to them.

That is why I am so confident that my appeal in this column, week in, week out, will not fall on deaf ears. Comrades know that the fight for party is a vital one and that this fight must be paid for (especially as we have temporarily increased the number of pages). We need at least £1,500 every month and in January we have raised £772 so far. Last week saw £115 come in via standing orders and £90 in cheques (thank you, HJ, LY and FP).

But more than half the month has gone and we need to step up the pace. Do you count yourself among the partyists?