Respect get sent to Siberia!

[Pilgrim]

I must admit, whenever I read about the SWP's finances I have to scrape my jaw off of the floor. They have so much money for their size - it's impressive, even if you don't agree with em.

Matt

What makes me a tad suspicious is that they are frequently pleading poverty on the one hand, and begging for for cash on a regular basis, and yet they seem to have enough to send senior hacks on foreign junkets of apparently little worth.

Surely the relevent environmental NGO's and groups (Greenpeace, Friends Of The Earth, Corporate Watch etc) would have all the info they need, without spending large amounts of the rank and file's cash on beanos like this.

 

[oisleep]

i don't think there was any inference from that post that they were joe

 

[mk12]

What makes me a tad suspicious is that they are frequently pleading poverty on the one hand, and begging for for cash on a regular basis, and yet they seem to have enough to send senior hacks on foreign junkets of apparently little worth.

Respect, or the SWP?

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Have you been on the sauce or something Joe? The two comments that seem to have driven you round the twist are straightforward statements of fact.

1) The IST is not a seperate organisation with its own staff or offices or even structures. It is a name given by the SWP and its satellite parties to their association. That is quite unusual in the Trotskyist tradition, but whatever you think about the merits or otherwise of this arrangement it certainly places an additional burden on the finances of the SWP.

The IST works primarily as a series of relationships between the SWP and the other organisations involved and the SWP ends up shouldering the financial burden of much of that. While I do think that it's a highly undemocratic and inequitable way to structure an international grouping this is not an allegation of financial corruption. Far from it - the SWP actually loses out financially from this arrangement rather than gaining. Which leaves me somewhat baffled as to the relevance of the scams carried out by a number of people who were expelled from the CWI in Ukraine to this discussion.


2) There is no organisation called the "Socialist Party in England and Wales", just one called the Socialist Party. But that's rather beside the point. I'm not claiming that the Socialist Party is particularly important in the greater scheme of British politics at the moment either. No left group is, with the partial exception of the SSP.

But do feel free to contribute something sensible to the thread.

 

[rednblack]

Whereas the Clones for a Workers International (CWI) are just so sqeaky clean right? Particularly the Ukrainian section mmm?

Anyone interested (!) try a google search with the terms 'CWI' 'Ukraine' and 'fraud'.

already dealt with on here (and yes i had a very good laugh)

 

[rednblack]

There are reports on finances at National Conference and sometimes at National Committee meetings. Concerned members can therefore find out about such questions if they wish.

that's a lie - i tried to find out and was never told, i know far more about the finances than i did as a member (and branch committee member)

 

[Pilgrim]

Respect, or the SWP?

Come on, mattkidd12, RESPECT seems like another SWP front to me.

And Guy Taylor, head of Globalise Resistance is, IIRC, SWP.

I don't see RESPECT as much more than yet another SWP front group, largely controlled by the SWP and in its own interests.

And aren't you just a little curious to know where £325,000 has gone this year alone?

 

[mk12]

It's just that the SWP have 3,000-odd members, and Respect have 10,000 odd. So sending someone to Siberia (can't believe i'm posting on this thread) will be easier for Respect to do, than the SWP.

 

[oisleep]

so we'll see 1000 delegates at the conference in november then matt?

plus observers?

 

[mk12]

I'm just going by the Sunday Times magazine, which was brought to my attention by one Pickman's model.

 

[Pilgrim]

It's just that the SWP have 3,000-odd members, and Respect have 10,000 odd. So sending someone to Siberia (can't believe i'm posting on this thread) will be easier for Respect to do, than the SWP.

But why not, as I have asked earlier, simply contact Greenpeace, Friends Of The Earth, Corporate Watch et al, and make a request for information from them?

It would be a lot cheaper, and faster, than spending seemingly limited resources on sending Guy Taylor (or, to be fair, anyone) on a trip to Siberia.

You can do wonders with the internet these days, and I doubt that the above named organisations wouldn't be able or willing to give the information requested. The protest mentioned on the RESPECT website mentions a Russian environmental group, why not simply email them and ask to exchange information?

 

[mk12]

I don't know, it does seem sensible. My branch is forwarding a motion at conference about accountability, so maybe this links in with that.

 

[oisleep]

what you gonna do for the one other one that you're allowed, now that the NC have torn up the constitution that the members agreed upon at the last conference

 

[mk12]

Open borders.

 

[oisleep]

george wont like that

 

[mk12]

He probably doesn't. But being only one member of Respect, he will have to vote on it, with a few hundred other members.

 

[oisleep]

He probably doesn't. But being only one member of Respect, he will have to vote on it, with a few hundred other members.

 

[rednblack]

He probably doesn't. But being only one member of Respect, he will have to vote on it, with a few hundred other members.

er what way do you think the swp will instruct it's members to vote at the pre conference caucus?

 

[rednblack]

i assume it's a deliberate mistake

 

[mk12]

er what way do you think the swp will instruct it's members to vote at the pre conference caucus?

We'll see.

 

[Pigeon]

So the problem with Respect now is that it is doing something about defending the environment...?

by pointlessly flying someone to Siberia?

I love your posts mate. Comedy gold!

 

[Pigeon]

So sending someone to Siberia (can't believe i'm posting on this thread) will be easier for Respect to do, than the SWP.

Cool. Could you send Lindsey next, please?

 

[Chuck Wilson]

Urgent appeal for funds

The external faction of Workers Power has been requested to investigate the enviromental damage caused by swimming with dolphins in the Seychelles. A delegation including myself and Cheryl Tweedy has been invited to spend two weeks holding a precarious workers, peasants and small farmers inquiry into this attack on the international working class and its allies.

We are therefeore asking supporters to contribute to the £10,000 cost, all contributers will be given a special commemorative postcard to put in the dustbin of history of their choice for two.

 

[Pickman's model]

So the problem with Respect now is that it is doing something about defending the environment?

too little, too late, after all the hot air galloway's released.

btw, did we ever get to the bottom of what happened to the ruc's 23 million missing leaflets? that number must have taken a fair portion of a rainforest to produce...

 

[Pickman's model]

to me, the issue isn't why they're only sending a few ruc members to siberia, but why aren't they sending them all?

 

[Pickman's model]

I'm just going by the Sunday Times magazine, which was brought to my attention by one Pickman's model.

i think that the 10,000 members claimed by the ruc is as firmly rooted in reality as the claim that there were 100,000 people on the recent swc march.

 

[Ryazan]

Urgent appeal for funds

The external faction of Workers Power has been requested to investigate the enviromental damage caused by swimming with dolphins in the Seychelles. A delegation including myself and Cheryl Tweedy has been invited to spend two weeks holding a precarious workers, peasants and small farmers inquiry into this attack on the international working class and its allies.

We are therefeore asking supporters to contribute to the £10,000 cost, all contributers will be given a special commemorative postcard to put in the dustbin of history of their choice for two.

You are a shaodw of your former self. Cheryl is a bit of all right though. How did you recruit her?

 

[mk12]

I knew she wouldn't stay with Ashley Cole. She's far too good for him.

 

[oisleep]

i think that the 10,000 members claimed by the ruc is as firmly rooted in reality as the claim that there were 100,000 people on the recent swc march.

if, what they say is true, and respect's ranks have swelled beyond 10,000. This would equate to 1,000 delegates at the conference, plus observers, plus stewards and officials and the like, this would put expected attendence at the conference at at least 1,200.

it therefore surprises me to see that they have only booked a hall that caters for around 800 people

 

[mk12]

i think that the 10,000 members claimed by the ruc is as firmly rooted in reality as the claim that there were 100,000 people on the recent swc march.

Was that a claim by Respect then?