SWP expulsions and squabbles

[butchersapron]

If watching the swp disintegrate is like watching the Titanic sink, I must be one of the people watching horrified from the lifeboats.

I'm on the iceberg

 

[The39thStep]

and the officers got prime place on it. analogy holds!

electric avenue is an officer?

 

[The39thStep]

I'm on the iceberg

I am the fox on the iceberg
I am the walrus

 

[butchersapron]

I am the fox on the iceberg
I am the walrus

Coo coo clarks shoes

 

[electric.avenue]

The Titanic only had enough lifeboats for about a third of their passengers.

At least in the case of the swp you can disembark when you want.

 

[electric.avenue]

electric avenue is an officer?

No, electric isn't.

 

[redcogs]

There is something very sad indeed about witnessing all this in frame by frame technicolour.

Time was when the SWP meant hope and possibility. Even at this distance (20 years) i have so many cherished memories of comradely friendship with some truly excellent people. Who could forget the Skegness days, or the linking of arms at Warrington, the combining to create the ANL, or the political relationships forged in the struggle of the great miners strike etc?

Can it really be that this implosion will leave only a cyborg Leninist rump devoid of the very qualities that gave the party its edge over the rest?

 

[sihhi]

There is something very sad indeed about witnessing all this in frame by frame technicolour.

Time was when the SWP meant hope and possibility. Even at this distance (20 years) i have so many cherished memories of comradely friendship with some truly excellent people. Who could forget the Skegness days, or the linking of arms at Warrington, the combining to create the ANL, or the political relationships forged in the struggle of the great miners strike etc?

The Labour Party once meant hope and possibility too.

The increasing twists and turns in the post-Iraq world meant that some kind of split was likely to happen at some point. But the nature of this and the fact that it's being played out over the botched sexual harassment/rape case due to the CC fuck-up is a particularly bitter taste in the mouth.

 

[redcogs]

Callinicos wants Delta reintegrated fully into party activities??

Can't wait to see the breakdown of voting figures on that one.

 

[SpineyNorman]

Just got this in my inbox from Kimber - I'm obviously still counted among the SWP membership!

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Charlie Kimber <Charlie@swp.org.uk>
To: Charlie Kimber ext email <joeeamon@aol.com>
Sent: Friday, 15 February 2013, 11:01
Subject: Deadlines, support for CC statement, and faction meetings


Deadlines for motions and IB, support for CC statement, and faction meetings.

Dear comrade,

Here is some information in the run-up to the SWP special conference on 10 March.

Internal bulletin and motions

May I remind you that the deadline for the internal bulletin is 10am, Friday 1 March. This is also the deadline for motions. Motions must be passed by a properly-organised branch, aggregate, fraction, NC or CC meeting and be in by the deadline for the IB. Motions that are to be discussed must be notified to members in good time so that there is proper opportunity for democratic discussion.

Signatures in support of the CC statement

The first 500 names of comrades supporting the CC statement that was sent out last weekend are pasted below. Comrades wishing to add their name should email addmynametoccstatement@gmail.com

[fucking massive list of signatories removed - it's only first names and initials but best to be safe]

Faction meetings

It has always been the party’s practice that faction meetings should be open to all SWP members (and only to SWP members). It is, however, reasonable that part of a faction meeting can be closed to comrades who are not members of the faction in order to have a caucus.

We are one party, not two. It is unacceptable to have wholly closed meetings, and factions should feel able to argue their political perspective with other party members.

The In Defence Of Our Party faction is holding a meeting in Leeds: [date and venue removed]
The faction may be contacted at swpidoop@gmail.com

Solidarity,

Charlie Kimber, SWP national secretary

The list of the 'first 500' CC signatories is intended to create a certain impression isn't it? First, that since that's only the first 500 there must be loads and loads more. Second, that since there's no corresponding list for the faction they don't have any real support.

I must say I'm looking forward to the internal bulletins - they promise to be very interesting indeed.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Aren't we pretty much told who wrote it in the text itself?

If we were I missed it. Who?

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

...

 

[The39thStep]

There is something very sad indeed about witnessing all this in frame by frame technicolour.

Time was when the SWP meant hope and possibility. Even at this distance (20 years) i have so many cherished memories of comradely friendship with some truly excellent people. Who could forget the Skegness days, or the linking of arms at Warrington, the combining to create the ANL, or the political relationships forged in the struggle of the great miners strike etc?

Can it really be that this implosion will leave only a cyborg Leninist rump devoid of the very qualities that gave the party its edge over the rest?

which branch were you in? there are a few ex SWP vets on here, some stretching back to the 70s!

 

[Red Cat]

There's only one word I take issue with in your post. It's "leading", because conscious engagement as and assumption of the mantle of "leading" of the class struggle, outwith any form of delegation of that leadership by the class to that person or people, is a contributor to the alienation of the working class from organised left politics.

I added leading because that's what it means to the SWP.

 

[mutley]

the faction has 400+. So 500 for the cc ain't all that.

 

[emanymton]

If we were I missed it. Who?

I was thinking of this, but my memory seems to have been faulty, I remembered it as saying she carried on regardless, but reading it again it seems to imply she stooped.

At the start of the discussion, incidentally, Alex barked at Amy Gilligan, insisting she stop taking notes. He, however, continued to cheerfully fill his notebook with copious notes throughout the meeting, as well as typing into his Blackberry

 

[emanymton]

Just got this in my inbox from Kimber - I'm obviously still counted among the SWP membership!



The list of the 'first 500' CC signatories is intended to create a certain impression isn't it? First, that since that's only the first 500 there must be loads and loads more. Second, that since there's no corresponding list for the faction they don't have any real support.

I must say I'm looking forward to the internal bulletins - they promise to be very interesting indeed.

I have seen the same email, is it said that I read all the names? Haven't done a count thought.

 

[The39thStep]

Callinicos wants Delta reintegrated fully into party activities??

Can't wait to see the breakdown of voting figures on that one.

I am intrigued if the person who asked for the investigation is still fully integrated into party activities.

 

[SpineyNorman]

joeeamon@aol.com?

Fuck knows, assuming it's the email address of the SWP admin person or something.

 

[SpineyNorman]

the faction has 400+. So 500 for the cc ain't all that.

Yeah but the email is intended to give the impression that those are just the first 500 - the whole list would be too long to fit on an email.

 

[SpineyNorman]

I have seen the same email, is it said that I read all the names? Haven't done a count thought.

Yes, yes it is. But you're not alone, I was sad enough to do exactly the same (and got disappointed when I saw the names of people I once respected).

 

[butchersapron]

Whereas it makes people go, is that all you got after a month of whipping? Potemkin party.

 

[emanymton]

Yes, yes it is. But you're not alone, I was sad enough to do exactly the same (and got disappointed when I saw the names of people I once respected).

There is one person I am very disappointed with but i already new his position, other than that of the names i recognised there were no surprises

 

[tony collins]

joeeamon@aol.com?

His kids' names.

 

[pansalar]

There is one person I am very disappointed with but i already new his position, other than that of the names i recognised there were no surprises

Since receiving this little list I have been humming the Mikado

 

[TremulousTetra]

This is supposed to be triumphal. These are the material they work with.

is it?

 

[TremulousTetra]

It's like someone on the Titanic saying "have we sunk yet?" over and over.

as it is a prediction made almost monthly over the last 10 years, one has had a lot of opportunity to take the piss.

PS. not been on board for over 10 years. So it is nothing like it.

 

[Sean Delaney]

THIS SUCKER'S GOING DOWN

 

[electric.avenue]

THIS SUCKER'S GOING DOWN

But it's not over till it's over.

Probably they'll lose a significant part of their younger end, and lose much of the pulling power they once had, but be left with a rump that knows no other home and has nowhere else to go.

 

[butchersapron]

With no youth input they'll have to rely on the manufacturing sector.