SWP expulsions and squabbles

[sihhi]

have they split yet?

mutley is the poster to ask.

 

[leyton96]

Hillarious minutes from the latest ISN Steering Committee meeting http://www.internationalsocialistne...minutes/114-2013-05-13-steering-cttee-minutes

There's some real gems but this is by far the best

• It was agreed we start from the position that everything we say is for everyone in the organisation to hear, if not it has to be raised and agreed.
• It was pointed out that sometimes the minutes could be too exhaustive. Keith F pointed out that it would be difficult, for instance to call Alex Callinicos a wanker on the Steering Committee without it being made public in the minutes.

 

[butchersapron]

The remaining dissidents look like they are starting to move again. Here's a discussion document from Mike Gonzalez:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/141977026...achers-2?secret_password=2ecnhcy9zk0z2fgp8x8s

It's of interest less because of its argument and more because the tone it takes indicates that previous "soft" oppositionists are very hostile to the leadership.

This piece is very good. It outlines the idea that he party is key and superior to the class in short simple terms.

 

[DotCommunist]

Hillarious minutes from the latest ISN Steering Committee meeting http://www.internationalsocialistne...minutes/114-2013-05-13-steering-cttee-minutes

There's some real gems but this is by far the best

comedy gold

 

[barney_pig]

It was pointed out that sometimes the minutes could be too exhaustive. Keith F pointed out that it would be difficult, for instance to call Alex Callinicos a wanker on the Steering Committee without it being made public in the minutes.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

A lament, comparing today's SWP to the, alleged, good old days:
http://the-faultlines.blogspot.ie/2013/05/losing-aura-of-competence.html

 

[audiotech]

A lament, comparing today's SWP to the, alleged, good old days:
http://the-faultlines.blogspot.ie/2013/05/losing-aura-of-competence.html

If you had been around in 1978 at the annual rally in Skegness of that year the queue for the bar was non existent. It did improve in later years, however, for those with large elbows. And don't forget that when IS was formed they had a total of around 33 members nationally.

 

[emanymton]

A lament, comparing today's SWP to the, alleged, good old days:
http://the-faultlines.blogspot.ie/2013/05/losing-aura-of-competence.html

1 in 4 members is a manual worker

 

[dominion]

Tommy Sheridan to speak at Marxism......... along with Jane Aitchison (not known outside PCS but purged from DWP Group Presidency after leaving the Socialist Party in a bit of a huff).

 

[audiotech]

Is Nigel bigging his sect up with that above post one wonders.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

1 in 4 members is a manual worker

the end bit doesn't make much sense as it also talks about NATFHE and NUPE in the same sentence as if they're current unions...

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Is Nigel bigging his sect up with that above post one wonders.

I'm afraid that would be too subtle for me.

 

[leyton96]

Tommy Sheridan to speak at Marxism......... along with Jane Aitchison (not known outside PCS but purged from DWP Group Presidency after leaving the Socialist Party in a bit of a huff).

That's a perfectly sensible way of putting it if by 'purged' you mean lost the Left Unity (PCS broad left) election.

 

[barney_pig]

1 in 4 members is a manual worker

This is a quote from a Kimberly article about labour years back

 

[emanymton]

This is a quote from a Kimberly article about labour years back

I thought it might be referring to labour but the context certainly implies the SWP, a very messy paragraph that one.

 

[sihhi]

Has anyone been following Jack Conrad podcasts and the Weekly Worker?

http://www.cpgb.org.uk/home/podcasts/may-19-2013-special-report-on-left-unity-and-swp

Heavy space devoted 3 documents (some discussed above)

http://www.cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly-worker/online-only/swp-opposition-signs-of-life

with an almost wilfully mangled picture of Ian Birchall:

 

[sihhi]

I thought it might be referring to labour but the context certainly implies the SWP, a very messy paragraph that one.

Just to be clear, he is saying 1992 Kinnockist Labour is like the 2012 SWP in terms of composition:

Fast forward 20 years and it is a painful exercise to ask how much of Kimber’s polemic now applies to us: “Nor is the party just older. Its class base has shifted. A party which was once composed largely of workers is now dominated by well-intentioned members of the new middle class. They are committed to Labour ideas, but they are not in the main rooted in the workplaces and housing where most working class people, and most Labour voters, spend their time. Just one in four members are manual workers. Only 17 percent live in council houses compared with 25 percent of the whole population and 39 percent of Labour voters. There are as many Labour members in the lecturers’ union NATFHE (membership 70,000) as there are members in the public employees’ NUPE section of the UNISON union (membership 580,000)…”

 

[Red Cat]

I thought it might be referring to labour but the context certainly implies the SWP, a very messy paragraph that one.

There are speech marks indicting it is a quote, it's just that the piece invites skimming rather than careful reading.

 

[articul8]

with an almost wilfully mangled picture of Ian Birchall:

Looks like he's been taken in by Yewtree

 

[leyton96]

Looks like he's been taken in by Yewtree

You really are vile aren't you?

 

[articul8]

You really are vile aren't you?

No, not really *I don't really think Birchall is a sex criminal*

 

[Nigel Irritable]

A bit unnecessary, don't you think articul8?

Meanwhile, the ISN continue to butter up the faultlines people:
internationalsocialistnetwork.org/index.php/ideas-and-arguments/organisation/swp-crisis/117-jules-alford-there-are-two-swp-oppositionsfaul

 

[sihhi]

Link messed up Nigel.

Here


Good central point on the functioning of the SWP:

In the top-down internal regime of the SWP the only significant debate allowed is the one that takes place among the CC and these comrades are regarded as indispensable, as in the case of 'Comrade Delta'. So ‘leadership’ becomes a sinecure rather than something that is constantly contested and renewed and as the full-timers function as a transmission belt for the CC’s directives, the party becomes ossified and sectarian. This arrogance inevitably alienates those we worked alongside as happened in Stop the War, Respect and Unite Against Fascism. Gonzalez restates the need for a revolutionary politics that is the product of a culture of controversy and debate, of “permanent and active collaboration among all its members” including the newest party members.

But where will the newest party members come from. I see no one particularly joining although there is a sense of hyper activity at all costs within the branches.

 

[SLK]

Marxism really is sparse and the Hain rumours are true:
http://marxismfestival.org.uk/downloads/marxism-2013-timetable.pdf

If I'm not wrong, no big venues at all.

 

[Spanky Longhorn]

Ian Hodsons a nice guy never set the world alight though

 

[butchersapron]

wtf is Hicks doing on there. Samir Amin is a good catch but usually someone they would not have given his approach. I wouldn't bet your house on either of them being there come the (glorious) day. Other than that..tumbleweed.

And that it a terribly designed program - like some hideous WOMAD thing.

 

[barney_pig]

wtf is Hicks doing on there. Samir Amin is a good catch but usually someone they would not have given his approach. I wouldn't bet your house on either of them being there come the (glorious) day. Other than that..tumbleweed.

And that it a terribly designed program - like some hideous WOMAD thing.

Even womad has better music than the 'cultural' events

 

[belboid]

wtf is Hicks doing on there.

quid pro quo - they supported him, so...

Interesting that all the debates seem to be between their own members

 

[butchersapron]

quid pro quo - they supported him, so...

Interesting that all the debates seem to be between their own members

Nasty business that politics - before the election he was at war with them.

 

[belboid]

Even womad has better music than the 'cultural' events

no Martin Smith playing jazz, for some reason.

The Will Kauffman Woody Guthrie thing is quite good