Weekly Worker May 6)

Paper of the Communist Party of Great Britain workerweekly What would it take to persuade n FBU conference n Galloway·s book George Galloway to support a n Respect tactics woman·s right to choose? n ESF censorship No 528 Thursday May 13 2004 Towards a new workers· party www.cpgb.org.uk 50p/¼0.80

For the defeat of US-UK occupation forces 2 May 13 2004 528 workerweekly LETTERS

Letters may have been shortened because of space. Some names may assembly seat is highly marginal - Labour self off as a leftwing alternative to ernised families don't produce adults that important as developing its policies. * have been changed. lost it by a mere 551 votes four years ago Labour´. Actually, this just ³doesn¶t are balanced, all-rounded and properly Unfortunately, there is little sign that Mc - or that the present incumbent, Brian exactly square´ with his reactionary com- functioning individuals. Shane and her ilk understand that partic- Coleman, is a paid up adherent of the Tory ments on abortion, she said, quoting the Socialised families and childcare - ular dialectical interrelationship. Party¶s loony right. A recent characteris- notorious comments he made to the that is the solution for the 21st century. C James Vote Lucy tic statement by Coleman was: ³The Independent on Sunday. Unless you have buckets of money, the email Sean Thompson¶s letter attacking Lucy influx of asylum-seekers from countries Even more worrying for Respect modern world causes too many problems Anderson, the Labour candidate for the which have no connection with Britain, members is the conclusion she draws for parents and children, who end up London assembly seat of Barnet and such as Somalia, must be halted.´ And he about the coalition as a whole: ³We can being victims at the mercy of anti-social Undemocratic Camden, only serves to underscore the objected to plans to expand Middlesex only assume that the people who select- governments. And no amount of charity- You should know that: brain-dead sectarianism that characteris- University with the comment: ³Why ed Galloway to stand for the European mongering can ever alleviate the social 1. National Respect (as in the policies es the outlook of many Respect support- should the people of north London suffer parliament, despite his disgraceful stand problems of capitalism - that's an obvious decided by the majority of people at the ers. in order to attract hundreds of foreign stu- on this issue, attach rather less importance fact. launch of Respect) has no position on Thompson says of Lucy that ³no-one dents?´ to women¶s rights than Labour Party Women should be encouraged to abortion. It is neither anti-abortion or pro- has heard a peep out of her´ since she Lucy Anderson, by contrast, was members do.´ give birth, and not feel guilty about abortion. became a Camden councillor two years selected as a Labour candidate in part Back came a worryingly limp handing the child over. But, more impor- 2. Some members of Respect (such as ago (Weekly Worker May 6). He obvi- because she condemned what she called response in the May 6 issue from Una tantly, the culture of casual sex should be George Galloway) have anti-abortion ously doesn¶t read his local paper, the ³the illegal and shameful war on Iraq´, Doyle, a local Respect supporter. Una, ex- replaced with the culture of meaningful views, and some are likely to have pro- Camden New Journal. If he did, even over and has received the backing of the SWP and president of Camden National and truly adult relationships. If men and abortion views. the last couple of months he¶d have RMT council of executives, having Union of Teachers, simply wheedles that women don¶t know how to relate to each 3. It is impossible for the Respect execu- found reports of Lucy clashing with the signed up to the union¶s four-point ³this issue is one where freedom of con- other and treat each other, than the fallout tive committee to take on a pro-abortion, council leadership over nursery provision programme, which includes repeal of science is exercised by politicians of all from that does have far-reaching conse- pro-choice policy, as this would need to be and speaking out against the privatisation the anti-union laws and renationalisation political parties´. Then - idiotically - the quences. decided at a national meeting, where all of a local sports centre. of the rail network. Writing in the cur- comrade tells us that Respect is a ³broad Lila Patel members of Respect would be invited. If he went back further, he¶d find cov- rent issue of Labour Left Briefing, coalition´, which means that ³George email Otherwise known as democracy. It is also erage of Lucy¶s participation in a delega- Lucy has stated that, if elected, she will Galloway is one individual who has the impossible to change every leaflet, where tion organised by Lawyers for Palestinian ³work closely with all the London right to his own opinion. However, his has the programme of Respect is visible Human Rights, which visited the occupied trade unions to ensure that their con- no more importance than any other mem- Small-minded before the European elections. The territories and issued a report condemning cerns are raised on the London assem- bers.´ It would seem that Anne Mc Shane, along CPGB¶s demand to the national executive abuses by the Sharon government. This bly´ and ³energetically support policies Er, apart from the fact, Una, that with too many others on the small-mind- to suddenly change its position is simply made the national press and was the main that promote the equality and diversity George Galloway heads Respect¶s ed British left, is more interested in seek- undemocratic. argument used against Lucy by the that my Tory opponent so provocative- London list for the EU elections and - if ing out and emphasising divisions with- 4. The Guildford branch should under- Labour Party right wing in opposing her ly rejects´. enough people vote for him - he will be in in Respect than in building on, clarifying stand that Respect has no national position selection as an assembly candidate. Lucy Anderson is the only candidate a position to vote on issues affecting and developing the policies that already on abortion, and should wait until a But Thompson, like all sectarians, standing in Barnet and Camden who has women¶s reproductive rights. unite its members (Letters, May 6). national meeting, where such a motion thinks the only campaigns and organisa- a chance of beating Coleman. From Michael Jeeves Why is this, I wonder? Respect may be voted on by the mass of members. tions that have any merit are the ones he whose election would the labour move- London does not hide the fact that it is trying to If Respect was to adopt what the and his friends are involved in. So he finds ment benefit more? As Ken Livingstone bring together a diverse spectrum of the Guildford branch calls for, then I¶m sure it reprehensible that Lucy Anderson did- remarked in a recent letter to the Camden highly successful anti-war movement. every branch would be willing to cam- Q¶t join the local Stop the War Coalition New Journal urging support for Lucy, it¶s Mc Shane tries to make cheap political paign on this issue. What we don¶t want group. But the group was run by the a no-brainer. Yet Sean Thompson and his CPGB capital out of the fact that Respect has not is a small, rogue branch campaigning in Socialist Workers Party and its allies in the comrades have insisted on standing a opportunism yet been able to establish policy on some contradiction to the national campaign, as Socialist Alliance and reflected their pol- Respect candidate despite the fact that George Galloway has made his position critical issues like abortion. Yet she it is more effective for us to have a single, itics. For that reason, very few Labour they¶ll be lucky to get three or four per- quite clear in a recent press release and I knows that the coalition has, of necessi- unified campaign around the entire coun- Party members did join. They felt that cent of the vote, which in another close- cannot speak for him, but your use of this ty, been established on the hoof and try. handing out leaflets demanding the TUC run contest could be enough to let issue is downright offensive and should be thrown into an election campaign with It seems that, if CPGB members can¶t organise a one-hour general strike when Coleman in again. Indeed, in response to disregarded as rank opportunism, by little time to do so. get what they want on a national level, war broke out, or standing outside Alastair Livingstone¶s article, Respect supporters women especially (µFight for abortion She also knows that many of the they resort to anarchist-style decentralism. Campbell¶s home banging on pots and have flooded the correspondence rights¶, May 6). leading members of Respect (eg, the John Kay pans and frightening his children, were not columns of the New Journal with letters My personal view, for what it is SWP and International Socialist Group) email effective ways of opposing the invasion fiercely opposing a vote for Lucy. It¶s the worth, is that I detest abortion (but that are long-standing and well known pro- and occupation of Iraq. sort of ultra-left lunacy that split the does not mean I would support with- choice advocates. She disingenuously With her support and involvement, German labour movement in the early drawing it as an option for women). attributes to their motivation cynical Lucy¶s constituency party, Holborn and St 30s and allowed the Nazis to gain Abortion is a capitalist solution to getting opportunism, instead of honestly recog- Extremely Pancras, found other ways of opposing the power. rid of µunwanted children¶ (what an nising that the conservative prejudices of rightwing war. They sent their banner and large del- As far as Labour Party members in obscene phrase that is) and free-market some religious-pacifist anti-war activists John Davis argues that the CPGB¶s Red egations on all the main anti-war demon- Barnet and Camden are concerned, they morality is just as bad as free-market eco- (both christian and muslim) will not be Platform is racist for opposing a vote for strations, including the protest against regard Sean Thompson and his friends in nomics. It amounts to the same disrespect changed overnight. It requires a little Anas Altikriti and other members of the Bush¶s state visit. They submitted a con- Respect as the political equivalent of for human life as is now being demon- more time than the few months that have Muslim Association of Britain standing as temporary motion to the Labour Party¶s scabs. And you¶d have to say they have a strated in the emerging US-UK-run elapsed since Respect was formed. Respect coalition candidates (Letters, 2002 conference condemning plans for point. gulags in occupied Iraq. Mc Shane also mischievously spec- May 6). But what Manny Neira et al seem the attack on Iraq, and last year the Martin Sullivan Typical that you should side with ulates about the possibility that Galloway to be opposing is not a vote for candidates Holborn and St Pancras delegates sup- email imperialism once again, even at this might be elected on a pro-abortion posi- of muslim background or even religion, ported the RMT¶s attempt to get an moment, when the organised barbarism of tion. She glosses over the inconvenient but a vote for supporters of a specific, emergency motion on Iraq onto the con- the war against terrorism is at last emerg- fact that Galloway, and every other extremely rightwing political organisation. ference agenda. Vote Liz ing in full public view. Respect candidate (including Muslim If the BJP had a British section and its The party organised a public debate Sean Thompson's timely warning against David Morgan Association of Britain members), will be supporters were part of Respect - unlike- on Iraq on the eve of the war, and imme- voting for candidates like Lucy Anderson, email standing for election on the Respect ly, I admit - would it be anti-hindu racism diately the invasion began they con- who stand on platforms that do not founding statement which says: ³The right to oppose voting for them? vened a mass meeting for party members reflect their real political views, but are to self-determination of every individual The real issue is the inconsistency of at Camden town hall. This was addressed chosen principally to ensure their election, Responsible sex in relation to their religious (or non-reli- the Red Platform comrades. How can an by local MPs Frank Dobson and Glenda is to be welcomed (Letters, May 6). Abortion is a messy issue - almost gious) beliefs, as well as sexual choices." organisation which includes such Jackson, who roundly denounced the To my mind the fact that Liz 180,000 were performed last year, whilst Cryptic and in need of clarification and rightwing reactionaries on its electoral lists war. In response to members saying they Wheatley is a member of the SWP is not there are couples that want to adopt chil- elaboration? Of course. Anti-abortion? I be worthy of support? The presence of felt like resigning in protest at Blair¶s a drawback, but a positive reason for sup- dren. And it isn't an easy option - women think not. MAB members at the heart of the Respect actions, Dobbo declared: ³Its not Tony porting her. I would much sooner vote for are left scarred by the experience. Establishing a political organisation coalition is simply another reason why Blair¶s party - it¶s our fucking party!´ a dedicated communist who can be relied The problem is society and attitudes. out of the huge anti-war movement socialists should not support it. This was splashed all over the front of upon to defend socialist principles than for Sex sells commodities. It is accepted as requires time, patience, tact (shock, hor- Sacha Ismail the Camden New Journal, received a Labourite career politician. I, too, hope a recreational pursuit rather than some- ror) and, yes, sensitivity to the conserva- Alliance for Workers¶ Liberty national press coverage and made more she will interviewed in the Weekly Worker thing more profound. When people tive cultural prejudices of newly active impact on public opinion locally than any soon. engage in relationships, without under- anti-war militants, both christian and of the activities of Thompson and his Phil Kent standing what it involves, or what it muslim. I am not talking about adapting Build CPGB friends. email means, than undoubtedly all sorts of politically to these prejudices, but of Firstly, once again, an excellent Weekly To any Marxist, the fact that the local problems are created. Casual sex is one dealing with them with a degree of cau- Worker (April 29). The level of intelligent, STWC group failed to attract many of the worst things created by the west tion necessary to avoid the needless open debate one can find inside is to be Labour Party members, despite their Abortion row because it demeans women and leads to squandering of novice activists. The commended. overwhelming opposition to the Iraq Weekly Worker readers will be interested other nasty results, like child sex. British left is well known for its arrogance: I found the article µRed Platform war, would be seen as a failure on the part in a recent exchange in the Camden New Western societies, particularly Anglo- plenty of self-important, cultist organisa- founded¶ of particular interest. Now the of the group and its politics. According to Journal, the widely-read local paper. Saxon ones, have demeaned family tional egoism. Lots of intellectual chiefs, initial excitement regarding the founding the topsy-turvy logic of sectarians like Following a day of high-profile cam- relationships, women and sex. but very few Indians. of the Respect coalition has died down, Thompson, however, the refusal of paigning by Respect and George The real problem is that childcare and Any fool can blurt out the blinding- the challenges ahead seem huge. Having Labour Party members like Lucy Galloway in the borough on April 20, raising children need to be socialised ly obvious about Respect¶s political short- attended a local area meeting of Respect Anderson to follow his political lead is just local Labour Party supporters felt the need because the burden on parents - financially comings which stem from its incipient recently, I left feeling, well, almost fooled. proof of their political treachery. to strike back. George¶s comments on and in terms of time and other resources stage of development. But, as one of your What this appears to be is basically a well- I could go on at length demonstrating abortion gave them the perfect opportu- - is too onerous. Most get on with it previous correspondents pointed out, meaning, centre-left vehicle for the next the ignorance of Thompson¶s charges nity. because they have to. Families, by keep- political clarification not linked to the generation of careerist politicians. There against Lucy, but the real problem with his In the April 29 issue, Camden Labour ing the social requirements of society on building of a political alternative is an was no mention at all of how genuine left- letter is what it leaves out. He doesn¶t Party member Kate Purcell writes that a private basis, reinforce capitalism and its unimportant exercise. Ensuring that ist politics could address problems both mention that the Barnet and Camden Galloway was in truth just ³passing him- values. Moreover, the nuclear and west- Respect survives and develops is just as nationally and internationally. Instead, all

Letters, BCM Box 928, London WC1N 3XX l Tel: 020 8965 0659 l Fax: 020 8961 9193 l [email protected] l www.cpgb.org.uk workerweekly 528 May 13 2004 3

that was heard was basically a small group unconditional electoral support for) Socialist Equality Party are basically con- of SWP people promoting Gorgeous Respect despite such statements, what fessional micro-sects that demand adher- George as the champion in the red corner. holds us back from simple membership ence to their precise ideological µlines¶ by I cannot support this movement. the SADP, and support for its more mod- members. They have little interest in Engage with it? Yes. Vote for it? No. Point est campaign? working with other sects who don¶t share London Communist Forum 3 (µTo build the CPGB¶) in the Ultimately, what it is seems to boil their precisely correct views. The SEP in Sunday May 7, 5pm - µBirth of the First International¶, part two, using August Neira/Richards article was spot on. Not down to is that the SADP is rather small- particular is notorious for conspiracy- Nimtz¶s Marx and Engels - their contribution to the democratic breakthrough only is it heartening to hear comrades er than Respect, and simply not worth the theorising that other left groups (especially as a study guide. speak of republicanism being absolutely trouble. But this is a risky rationale. In the SWP) are secretly controlled by intel- Diorama Arts Centre, 34 Osnaburgh Street, London NW1 (nearest tubes: Regents necessary, but I am utterly convinced that quite properly attempting to engage with ligence services as a method of breaking Park, Great Portland Street). the CPGB could and should be ³winning the central movements of the moment, we the real revolutionary left. Their volumi- individual comrades to the CPGB banner´ should be cautious of simply dropping, and nous pronouncements on µSecurity and the Emergency anti-war demonstration and be the main party of the left in needlessly alienating, those comrades we Fourth International¶ make British equiv- Saturday, May 22, 11am, central London - End the torture, bring the troops home Wales, Scotland, Ireland and England. have cooperated with along the way. alents like Healy seem like paragons of now. Called by Stop the War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Recruiting individuals to become politi- Rejoining the SADP is not a central sanity by comparison. Muslim Association of Britain. cally conscious members of the CPGB plank of our position, but it is perhaps Given their happy embrace of the con- and building a solid, electable party seems indicative of a greater emphasis we would straints of life as micro-sects, the SWP and Respect events to make nothing but sense. like to see on the longer-term, gradual SEP don¶t take their electoral campaigns Berwick-upon-Tweed: Public meeting, Saturday May 15, 1pm, Ravensholme Matthew Hutchinson accumulation of respect and cooperation terribly seriously. The SEP is headquar- Hotel, Ravensdowne. email between socialist groups and comrades. A tered in Michigan, but is not even bother- Bermondsey: Car cavalcade, Saturday May 15, 10am. Assemble The Blue. little bread and butter solidarity with an ing to make the attempt to gather signa- Ealing and Hillingdon: Mass leafleting and stall, Saturday May 15, 1pm, Ealing organisation which we helped to found, tures to appear on the ballot here. The Broadway station. Bread and butter and which is also standing socialist can- SWP is notorious for not bothering to Newcastle upon Tyne: Leafleting, Saturday May 15, 2pm, Northumberland Street. We would like to thank Pete McLaren, didates on June 10, whom even comrade µcampaign¶ outside of the occasional Fratton: Spanish evening fundraiser, Saturday May 15, 8pm, 48 Sandringham convener of the Socialist Alliance Manson ³wishes well´, should not be left µcampaign meeting¶ at the book stores they Road. Democracy Platform, for his comradely entirely neglected, as we chase the µbigger run. Ealing and Hillingdon: Mass leafleting and stall, Sunday May 16, 12 noon, letter inviting the CPGB to rejoin, and fish¶ - particularly when it zigzags the way By contrast, the Socialist Party, while Uxbridge station. express our disappointment that the invi- this particular fish does. still microscopic in a country of 280 mil- Birmingham: Video showing - Stop the war, introduced by John Rees, Sunday tation was not accepted (µDamaged cred- Red Platform lion people, is, at over a thousand mem- May 16, 2pm, Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Edgbaston. ibility¶ Weekly Worker May 6). CPGB bers, gigantic by comparison to the other West Hampstead: Amenities and transport hustings, Monday May 17, 7pm, West In declining it, comrade Peter Manson groups. Not surprisingly, it differs from the Hampstead Community Centre. wrote that ³the main site for « struggle is others in being an inclusive, multi-ten- Camberwell: Open meeting, Monday May 17, 7.30pm, pensioners centre, at present within Respect´ (µSectarian US left dency party that doesn¶t require members Camberwell Green. delusions¶, same issue). We agree entire- As an American, I have two comments on to sign on to any precise µline¶ or pretend Middlesbrough: Rally, Tuesday May 18, 7.30pm, St Mary¶s Centre, near UGC ly: but main is not the same as only. As Manny Neira¶s otherwise depressingly to agree with the party¶s decisions in all cinema. comrade McLaren made clear, there is no accurate take on the presidential election areas, although people do generally agree Camden: Cycling campaign hustings, Wednesday May 19, 7pm, council cham- conflict between membership of the here (µGod, Mammon, and the American with the consensus reflected in the party¶s ber, town hall. SADP and engagement with Respect. It is way¶ Weekly Worker May 6). solidly revolutionary statement of princi- Newcastle upon Tyne: Leafleting, Thursday May 20, 5pm, Regent Centre metro worth noting that comrade Dave Landau, First of all, our peculiar local super- ples, µSocialism as radical democracy¶. station, Gosforth. who contributed his report of his work to stitions are somewhat mischaracterised. As Similarly, the SPUSA differs from the Darlington: Rally, Thursday May 20, 7.30pm, Dolphin Centre. raise the issue of abortion in Islington I understand it, come the rapture, the born- other groups in its willingness to cooper- Reading: Meeting, Thursday May 20, 7.30pm, RISC (above Global Café), Respect, is also in the SADP (µSWP vote again are not supposed to float bodily up ate with others, reflected in its outreach to London Street. down women¶s rights¶, same issue). to heaven naked. Rather, happily for the other groups to form a µUnited Left Stafford: Public meeting, Thursday May 20, 7.30pm, Gate House theatre, East Comrade Manson emphasises the aesthetic sensibilities of those of us who Front¶, a proposal explicitly modelled on Gate Street. differences between the partyist perspec- will be left behind, they will simply Socialist Alliances in the UK and Balham: Public meeting, Friday May 21, 7pm, Balham library. tives of the CPGB and that of some mem- dematerialise à la Star trek, leaving their Australia. Berwick upon Tweed: Fundraising social, Friday May 21, 7.30pm, Ravensholme bers of the SADP: ³For some, the SA was clothes, watches and possible false teeth Ben Burgis Hotel, Ravensdowne. an end in itself - a loose network was all and the like behind. Such scenes have been Michigan Brighton: Introducing Respect, Friday May 21, 7.30pm, Phoenix Brewery that was needed. For others a federal struc- a staple of evangelical trash like the wild- Community Centre, Phoenix Place (next to Free Butt). ture « was sufficient´. But at Respect¶s ly popular Left behind novels. Bermondsey: Car cavalcade, Saturday May 22, 10am. Assemble The Blue. founding conference, Paul Holborrow of Secondly, it¶s worth noting that it is Editorial cuts Huddersfield: Public meeting, Sunday May 23, 7.30pm, Birkby and Fartown the SWP, urging members to vote down not entirely accurate to lump together the I think that in cases where letters or arti- Community Centre, Wasp Nest Road. the principle of workers¶ representation on various socialists Neira parenthetically cles are published in the Weekly Worker in a worker¶s wage, announced: ³Respect is mentions. There are important quantitative an edited/censored form, the CPGB editor Solidarity with Palestine not a socialist organisation´. We agree that and qualitative differences that affect should indicate that this is so at the end of National day of action, Saturday May 15: µThe wall must fall¶. we should be engaging with Respect, but how seriously their electoral efforts are to the particular piece. You should also pub- 1.30pm: Speakers and music in Trafalgar Square. if we can engage (and even recommend be taken. The Socialist Workers Party and lish the unedited text elsewhere on the 3.30pm: Demonstration to Downing Street. website, so that people can judge for them- Speakers include: Jamal Jumaa, director Stop the Wall, Palestine; Afif Safieh, PLO; selves if the editor¶s decisions were appro- Jeremy Corbyn MP, Richard Burden MP, Jenny Tonge MP, Caroline Lucas MEP, priate. The web page for unedited originals Keith Sonnet, Unison, Jeremy Hardy. could also be printed at the end of every Called by Palestine Solidarity Campaign: 020 7700 6192 Fighting fund letters column in the hard copy version. There is also a strong case for argu- Proxy wars in Africa ing that heavily edited letters/articles Day school, Saturday May 15, 2pm to 6pm, Dalston Methodist Centre, should not be attributed to their authors, Richmond Road, London E8 (Dalston Kingsland, North London line). Speakers since alterations and omissions may sig- include Jeremy Corbyn MP. Web donors nificantly, and sometimes mischie- Organised by African Liberation Support Campaign Network and Hackney Stop vously, distort the original viewpoint. the War Coalition. ast week 8,820 visitors to the you¶re there to report it! Keep up the There is always a case for editing arti- L CPGB website read us on the good work.´ There¶s nothing like a cles, especially long ones, on grounds of George Galloway internet. A few of them commented on good sized cheque to help us do just lack of space. But the case for editing In conversation with Yvonne Ridley, Monday May 17, 6:30pm, Bookmarks, 1 our articles and other features, but that. letters, which are almost always short, Bloomsbury Street, London WC1. Launch of new book, I'm not the only one three comrades left something else as Together with a £20 postal order on these grounds is not obvious to me. Questions from the audience. Tickets £3: 020-7637 1848; galloway@book- well: a donation via our PayPal facil- from NC, these gifts - £140 in all - This exceeds the editor¶s brief and marks.uk.com ity. AJ and FS both contributed a ten- have pushed our May total up to £193. amounts to tampering with a corre- ner, while WS left a splendid £50. But, now more than ever - bearing in spondent¶s expression of their opinion. Carnival against racism Gratefully received, comrades. mind our ambitious plans in the com- An example was the unnecessary trun- Sunday May 23, 1pm to 6pm, Ponders End recreation ground, Southbury (five And there was another £50 to ing period, not least for the European cation of my quote from Trotsky in last minutes from M25). Bus routes: 149, 279. Music, poets¶ corner, dancing, speak- match - this time arriving in my mail- Social Forum - we need the full £500 week¶s edition, which undermined the ers, stalls, children¶s activities. box - from LP, a longstanding sup- each and every month. We have two full sense of what was being argued Organised by Unite Against Fascism. porter from the Midlands, who and a half weeks to raise another (May 6). writes: ³I can¶t say I agree with the £257 l A little more transparency in the way NCADC line on Respect, but I¶m still glad Robbie Rix you publish submissions is in order, I National Coalition of Anti-Deportation Campaigns annual general meeting, believe. Saturday June 5, 12 noon to 5pm, Carrs Lane Church, Carrs Lane, Birmingham. Gary Williams Lunch provided, crèche available. Reasonable transport costs for anti-deporta- Ask us for a bankers· order form, or send cheques payable to ¶Weekly Worker· email tion campaigns reimbursed. To attend contact 0121-554 6947; [email protected] Labour Representation Committee Join the Respect Unity Coalition Founding conference, Saturday July 3, 9am to 4pm, TUC Congress House. LRC, PO Box 44178, London SW6 4DX; 020 7736 6297. Complete this slip and send it to: I wish to join the Respect Unity Coalition RDG Respect - The Unity Coalition Name To contact the Revolutionary Democratic Group, email [email protected] Winchester House Address 1 259-269 Old Marylebone House CPGB wills London NW1 5RA Address 2 Remember the CPGB and keep the struggle going. Put our Party¶s name and address, together with the amount you wish to leave, in your will. If you need fur- Include a cheque for a minimum of £10, Town/city Postcode ther help, do not hesitate to contact us. or more if you wish to make a donation, payable to the Unity Political Fund. Phone Email 4 May 13 2004 528 workerweekly ABORTION Anti-abortion websites George and the Wilful right to choose misunderstanding With apologies to the Twilight Zone, Manny Neira invites you to t seems the good ship Respect cannot but keep running aground. The take a journey into the imagination: what if...? latest faux pas to hit the project is comrade Galloway·s foolish com- I ments concerning abortion. Apparently, as a believer in god, ´I believe life begins at conception and therefore unborn babies have rightsµ ou may be familiar with the theo- (Independent on Sunday April 4). This is bad enough, but shockingly for ry, beloved of a thousand science a ¶progressive· organisation there has not been a peep of criticism from Y fiction writers, that we live not in the Respect executive. So not for the first time, the silence of the Socialist a universe, but a multiverse. At every deci- Workers Party has led them to become attorneys for the most backward sion point, where events could have gone elements in the coalition, and I doubt it will be the last time either. one way or the other, each universe has Political cowardice, however, might not be the only reason for the split into two. Therefore, throughout his- SWP·s silence on this issue. Tucked away on the Muslim Association of tory, every conceivable possibility has Britain website, we find Respect·s ¶external faction· heaping praise on been realised in a universe somewhere. Galloway·s comments, and a call to back him and the coalition as a ´real There is a universe in which Trotsky won alternativeµ (www.mabonline.net). No mention of Respect·s anti-war, anti- the battle for power against Stalin in the racist credentials - here is an explicit call to vote Respect on a reactionary Soviet Union. There is another in which basis. Now the SWP has never been noted for choosing socialist princi- Marx was killed in a freak beard-trimming ples over meagre short-term advantage, but surely even they would balk accident early in life, and leftists have had at allowing this to be used for political capital? to learn to pronounce the word In addition to MAB, Galloway has the charming Society for the µEngelsism¶. And there are some even Protection of Unborn Children as bedfellows on this issue stranger. With apologies to the Twilight (www.spuc.org.uk). The main feature on this small and imperfectly formed Zone, let me take you to just one. website is the latest edition of the Evangelicals news and prayer letter, Somewhere in this universe, the small which is useful for providing a snapshot of fundamentalist anti-choice hours of the morning find Mrs Galloway thinking. The first item introduces George and Jan Bell, two upstanding yawning as she drives, with an overcoat citizens who have now joined the SPUC national council, and ask that our pulled over her pyjamas, to an all-night prayers go with them. Moving swiftly on, we have concerns voiced around garage. She is on an errand to buy a dozen euthanasia, pro-choice moves at the United Nations, and bizarrely the Marathon bars and a jar of peanut butter. opportunity to obtain an anti-EU constitution paper (!) Once home, she will watch George dip What is not said is quite significant. Where we have moralising around each chocolate bar into the light-brown unborn ´innocent human beingsµ, there is nothing on the millions of lives spread and eat them, one after the other, destroyed by ¶our· inhuman system every day. The rest of the site is a without stopping. The cravings were hodgepodge of basic reproductive biology, based on the quasi-theological preferable, she supposed, to the morning notion that human individuality is present from conception. Strangely they sickness: but how could it have happened do not make much of this in their piece on the ¶morning after pill·. at all when they had been so careful? Preferring to dwell on the medical consequences of imbibing this pill, it Gorgeous George was pregnant. has to rely on a 40-year-old US health department leaflet to make the spu- The famous Armani suit has already rious claim that this constitutes abortion, rather than emergency con- been let out twice. They could not afford traception. a new one, thanks to the Red Platform: an The other feature that caught my eye is SPUC·s attempt to rope in organisation she could not name without young people by offering ´cash prizesµ in an essay-writing competition cursing. on the ´sanctity of lifeµ. Perhaps younger comrades with time on their It ceased to exist over a year ago, hav- hands might want to take this up in relation to the Iraq war. ing won a majority within the Communist The gently-worded SPUC website seems quite fluffy compared to the Party of Great Britain to impose political National Right to Life Convention, one of the main anti-choice lobbyists conditions before calling for electoral in the USA (www.nrlc.org). I knew straightaway what kind of site I was look- support for her husband. The CPGB itself ing at. Ridiculous buzzwords such as ´foetal homicideµ are used, and that had grown dramatically, apparently as a poster boy of the anti-abortionists, George W Bush, is pictured happily result of some new recruitment strategy, signing the NRLC-backed ¶unborn victims of violence· legislation into law. and relentless pressure by the Daily The irony of him being responsible for the deaths of thousands of once Worker had finally won a majority in very-alive Iraqis and Afghans seems to be lost on the smiling faces sur- Respect (³The µ5¶ is for republicanism,´ rounding Bush. she muttered under her breath, repeating The drop-down menus at the head of the site provide the navigation. its famous slogan) to demand all its can- The first, ¶Issue info·, lists abortion, euthanasia, medicare, cloning and didates accept only a worker¶s wage for ¶fact· sheets. The ¶Abortion· option takes the viewer to a page of selec- representing workers - and some other tri- tive information, but interestingly opposition is couched in medical lan- fling changes to do with socialism or guage. All the way through, they stress ´the physiological and psycho- something. George¶s journalistic income logical consequencesµ of having a termination, and use such positions had largely dried up (employers¶ preju- to ¶rebut· pro-choice arguments. dices against expectant fathers were sim- For example, their response to a ¶woman·s right to choose· is that no ply criminal) and their income had woman has the right to kill her ´babyµ (as with SPUC, for the NRLC life dropped by about 80%. begins at conception), and we are told that it is advances in antibiotics, They simply couldn¶t afford another not legalisation, that deserves credit for safeguarding women·s lives. child. There was nothing for it: he¶d just Needless to say, socialists should have no problems defeating these argu- have to have an abortion. ments - based as they are on wilful misunderstanding. She pulls into the drive, and careful- Back at the home page, viewers are treated to a typical shock-tac- ly checks the door of her home for booby tic: the diagrammatic rendering of a partial birth abortion. However, that traps. The µReal AWL¶ had been particu- is not half as shocking as the thousands of women maimed and killed larly active recently, and security measures by back-street abortionists, with or without antibiotics l had been stepped up around the Galloway Phil Hamilton household. No trip wires in evidence, she And they had been so careful lets herself back into the house, and calls a slightly weary ³Home, pet´, as she will not have an abortion. Who speaks for He looks at her evenly and speaks tramps up the stairs. George puts down his the child?´ with a quiet dignity, fiddling with the cord copy of Men are from Venus, women are She admonishes him gently: ³But of his Fathercare nightie: ³It¶s a man¶s right from Mars, and grabs the bag of goodies you voted just last week in the European to choose.´ as she enters the room. parliament to make free abortions avail- She watches in a kind of shocked fas- able on demand across all EU member- Quiz cination as he eats bar after bar of choco- states.´ Did you notice the differences between late. No matter how many wives experi- He dips his last stub of chocolate into that universe and this one? enced the cravings of their pregnant hus- the peanut butter. ³I had to. People voted 1. In that universe, George Galloway knew bands, they still found them weird. And Respect because that¶s what they believed the difference between his individual with peanut butter? She¶d smoked a little we stood for. We are a leftwing coalition: right to act according to his conscience, blow in her time, but the munchies had the majority of our members support the and the right of citizens to be democrati- nothing on this. right to abortion, the majority we received cally represented. ³Darling,´ she ventures gently. ³You from the electorate expect to get it. That¶s 2. In that universe, Snickers are still know we can¶t have this child. You¶re just democracy. I¶m there to represent them´ called Marathons. being stubborn.´ She looks sadly at him. ³So you won¶t Everything else was the same - or may George speaks between mouthfuls. ³I take advantage of your own law?´ be, one day ... l workerweekly 528 May 13 2004 5 REVIEWS

cratic: he lays out a whole programme for the democratisation of the United Nations, election of a reformed security council, etc, Strengths, flaws, as a dubious alternative to the current ³den of thieves and beggars´. His recipe for democracy in Britain involves abolishing the monarchy and the House of Lords, but also much fewer, more highly paid MPs - presumably with the model of himself in contradictions mind, having the means to travel round the world campaigning against imperialism to one¶s heart¶s content. eorge Galloway¶s book is There is not really much of a hint of somewhat unusual. Part auto- George Galloway ,·m not the only one any real understanding of the need for biography, part political expo- democracy from below - that is, substan- G sition, its title is based on a line Penguin Books, 2004, pp185, £10 tive democracy, which obviously includes from John Lennon¶s Imagine, which of the payment of those elected no more than course was also the inspiration for (and someone who has been demonised not insight, Galloway remains firmly in the the average of a skilled worker, and the title of) Tommy Sheridan¶s and Alan only by the bourgeoisie and the tabloid mould of a very left form of social power of those below to recall their rep- McCombes¶s credo promoting their press, but also by sections of the left. While democracy. Indeed, this is shown by his resentatives. Instead, we get a conception Scottish Socialist Party version of nation- he has on occasion been taken to task espousal of republicanism - a not insignif- of democracy that appears somewhat alist socialism deservedly, such as for his unreconstruct- icant inclusion in the book, given the vot- elitist, and no doubt owes much both to Galloway¶s work, despite its title, does ed catholic opposition to abortion, some of ing down of our call for the µ5¶ in Respect µofficial communist¶ and Labourite bureau- not really make for the wilder reaches of the most bitter attacks on him have been to stand for µrepublicanism¶ at its found- cratic practice. It is a bad conception, and utopian rhetoric, though such rhetoric is for his strengths, not his weaknesses. In ing convention by the assembled SWP a bad practice. not entirely absent, as you would expect. particular, his evident gut-level opposition ranks. The real meat of the book, of course, But for the most part the book is an expla- to imperialism in the Middle East - some- Galloway is certainly a republican, is the material about his involvement in the nation of his own rather unusual political thing that comes with a passion that is albeit a liberal one, as evidenced by his Middle East, and Iraq in particular. career as a left-reformist Labour politician quite unusual for a social-democratic rather tepid form of exposition: ³The Galloway tells the story of how, after meet- whose main activity has been - unlike career politician. queen will not be with us forever and ing a Palestinian exile militant in his days many of his contemporaries, who have Galloway is evidently strongly influ- even if she lives as long as her mother we as a youthful Labour Party member, he focused more on domestic matters - the enced by a Stalinised form of Marxism, should make plans now for a referendum was converted to being a lifelong advocate Youse and yours raising of opposition to some of the most even though his entire career has been on her successor as the British head of of the Palestinian cause. He was instru- oppressive manifestations of imperialist spent in Labour. In fact, at times his frame- state. Democrats should begin to make mental in the µtwinning¶ of Dundee with the US and the UN against the Iraqi peo- rule in the Middle East. work of analysis goes beyond social the case for a republican future´ (p23). Nablus in the 1970s, a gesture that became ple. Galloway is still being witch-hunted The book has been released as the democratic reformism; he occasionally This only begs the question: why wait? legion in the heyday of the Labour left in for this successful campaign, described at campaign for the Euro elections really gets appears to distance himself programmat- Surely the case for democracy has more the 1980s. At the time, however, being some length here, both of aid to a sick underway - obviously it is intended to be ically from social democracy entirely, urgency than that, and cannot depend on seen to ally with the PLO brought almost child who would otherwise have certain- a major contribution in getting Respect¶s defining it as a means of staving off social- the rhythms of generational succession, as much opprobrium as if today links with ly died, and equally importantly publicis- name known and the last two chapters are ism, particularly in the aftermath of World when one of the most blatantly unde- al Qa¶eda were being promoted. ing what was happening to many more in devoted to the unity coalition and its polit- War II. He also narrates at length his devel- mocratic features of the monarchical Galloway then gives a prolonged Iraq due to the sanctions. The third issue ical rationale in Galloway¶s eyes. Indeed opment as something that sounds rather system is precisely the issue of genera- account of the various phases of his rela- - the planting of forged documents in Iraq it might sell well: comrade Galloway is a like a far-left radical in the late 60s and tional succession to the office of head of tions with movements and regimes in the in 2003, purporting to show that Galloway figure of notoriety in some circles and, as early 70s - he boasts of friendly relations state. While he mentions the royal pre- Middle East, and in particular the focus of was in the pay of Saddam Hussein - is not many have observed, shares with Arthur with Fidel Castro. rogative, with its powers to ³declare the his activities since 1991, Iraq. He is able dealt with, probably for legal reasons (the Scargill the knack of polarising opinion Galloway talks up a sentimental µleft¶ country to be at war, to command the to point convincingly to his own role as a libel case against The Daily Telegraph is about himself - there are those who loathe British patriotism of a kind associated with House of Commons «, to create gener- vocal public opponent of Saddam due to come to court in November this him and those who admire him; but there both left reformism and µofficial commu- al elections or deny them to the govern- Hussein¶s regime right from the very year). are not that many in no-man¶s land. nism¶, lamenting Britain¶s and Europe¶s ment of the day´, he does not appear to beginning. His account of demonstrators, ³Sir, I salute your courage, your As someone who does not wholly subordination to the United States in the see the ending of this situation as partic- himself among them, being denounced by strength, your indefatigability,´ he con- trust any left reformist, I would personal- international order, and there are numer- ularly urgent either. Tory Douglas Hurd as ³communist trou- cluded his televised speech in Saddam¶s ly observe that Galloway is as principled, ous other things that mark out the fact that, Galloway¶s view of democracy oscil- blemakers´ for getting in the way while the presence in 1994. How does Galloway in his own terms, as any of them, and is despite occasional flashes of neo-Marxist lates between the vague and the techno- Tories were parleying with Saddam¶s explain this apparently incongruous and regime in the 1980s is certainly worth sycophantic turn of phrase? ³The µyour¶ in remembering. question in those remarks is not a singu- He makes an important point about an lar possessive pronoun, but a plural. event that may come to be seen as a turn- Those being praised for their courage, ing point by historians, in explaining the strength and indefatigability « are the 23 Fears of middle America sudden shift of Iraq from favoured ally of million Iraqis, not their president «if I¶d imperialism in the 1980s (against the used the good old Scottish word µyouse¶ filmmakers. Her inexperienced lawyer Iranian revolution) to pariah status in a rel- instead of µyour¶, the ruthlessly exploited Channel 4, Tuesday May 11 Aileen: the simply got her to plead guilty, without any atively short period of time. He quotes a misinterpretation of my comments would pleas for mitigation. Politicians, notably speech by Saddam Hussein at an Arab have been disabled.´ life and death of a serial killer Floridia governor Jeb Bush, standing on League summit in 1989, where the latter Whatever you think of this explana- a law and order ticket, exploited her case warned that ³if Israel attacks any Arab tion, it is beyond doubt that without the ick up any newspaper, watch any dramatised her life. Actress Charlize for electoral gain. Prior to her execution country ... we have the means to burn half albatross of that speech hanging round his P talk show, listen to any politician and, Theron won an Oscar for her portrayal of Jeb Bush had three psychiatrists declare of Israel´ (p41). Despite the usefulness of neck he would be a good deal more effec- too often you see the world being paint- Wuornos, and no doubt everyone Aileen mentally sound after a 15-minute Saddam¶s regime to imperialism in the war tive today. It has indeed been ³ruthlessly ed in black and white. There is clearly involved received substantial amounts of interview. The christian right vilified with Iran, Iraq was becoming just too exploited´ - not only as a weapon with something reassuring about being told money, while congratulating themselves her for being a man-hating, murdering, developed, too close to parity with US which to beat the man who uttered the that great lie: that somehow everything on tackling such a controversial and lesbian prostitute, clamouring for her exe- imperialism¶s most trusted regional gen- words, but as a means of undermining the makes sense. hard-hitting story. cution. Aileen fitted the mould of the dan- darme for comfort, and had to be cut down anti-war movement itself. The documentary Aileen: the life and Aileen had led a traumatic life. Her gerous outsider perfectly: she represent- to size. However, the demonisation of George death of a serial killer made for com- mother abandoned her when she was six ed the fears of middle America. There is some evidence that Hussein Galloway - unfortunately echoed by polit- pelling and uncomfortable viewing months old, her father committed suicide Watching the documentary, you got was encouraged to invade Kuwait in ically disarmed sections of the left - is part because it rejects that. It depicted the final after being convicted of raping and mur- the impression that almost everyone 1990 by the United States, which then, and parcel of the wave of chauvinist hys- months of Aileen Wuornos in 2002, as dering a young boy. Aileen was raised by treated Aileen as a thing, not as a human once the deed was done, emulated per- teria currently being directed against she awaited her death by lethal injection her grandparents in a small town in being: something to be exploited and fidious Albion of old in seizing on the Arabs and those with an islamic culture. for murder. The documentary follows Michigan, where she was sexually abused abused. To the men who wanted her only event to justify what in effect became a They are being used as a substitute writer and director Nick Broomfield as he by family members and by boys in her for sex and the people for whom she was prolonged war of destruction against Iraq µenemy¶ for the now vanished Soviet interviews Aileen in prison and charts her neighbourhood, took drugs and became simply a pawn, to be used for financial - both its regime and people. Galloway bloc in order to justify the militarism that tragic life leading up to the murders, her pregnant at 13. After her baby was taken gain or to further their moralistic crusade, points also to the gross manipulation of the imperialism - particularly in its most trial and conviction, her inhumanly long from her, she was not allowed to go home Aileen was merely a commodity. Nor is issue of the gassing of the Kurdish village powerful US manifestation - needs in time on death row and ultimately her exe- and lived rough in the woods. She later Nick Broomfield, the documentary- of Halabja in 1988. At the time, the order to hold its system together politically cution. It makes no attempt to deny her left her home town and travelled to maker entirely innocent of this. He too imperialists tried to blame Iran for this and economically. In that sense, the guilt or the horror of the crimes she com- Florida, where she made a living as a has an agenda, albeit a laudable one - to atrocity; it was only later, after they had attacks on Galloway recall the similar mitted, but it portrays Aileen not as an evil prostitute hitchhiking around the state, demonstrate the injustices of the decided to make Iraq the next target, that treatment of the pro-Soviet Labour MP, and calculating fiend, but as a tragic fig- while living in a caravan with her girl- American legal system that sentenced a the story was changed and history was Konni Zilliacus, in the early phases of the ure, abused, betrayed and exploited friend. It was here that she committed the mentally ill woman to death and the fail- rewritten. Of course, the culprit was cold war in the 1940s and 50s. throughout her life and tormented by murders and was arrested. Aileen at first ure of the society that turned her into a indeed the Iraqi regime, but as long as All in all, ,¶m not the only one is an paranoid delusions and personality dis- alleged that she killed each man in self- monster. Ultimately the viewer is also Saddam was a US ally a whole different interesting, illuminating and at times sur- order. A woman who should have defence, protecting herself from rape and complicit in the voyeuristic tragedy of it story was told. prising read. Some of the material within received sympathy and support, but who murder. She later changed her plea, all. Two of the three major issues that it will be of considerable importance instead was vilified, exploited and sen- declaring that the murders were pre- In the midst of it all is the figure of have been used to demonise Galloway when historians come to write the history tenced to death. meditated. The documentary¶s inference Aileen Wuornos herself. In the interviews over recent years, accompanying his of the Iraq debacle - for that is what it is Aileen gained notoriety as America¶s was that after 12 years on death row with her, Aileen is confused and angry. She expulsion from Labour, obviously con- turning into, in some ways considerably first woman serial killer when she was Aileen just wanted to die. Aileen received talks about radio waves and sonic pressure stitute major themes. The first is his more quickly than Vietnam did. It reveals convicted in 1991 for the first-degree no treatment in prison and had very little influencing her thoughts, of the police famous speech in front of Saddam Hussein much about the strengths, flaws and con- murders of seven men in Florida. In human contact. allowing her to kill so they could get more in 1994 and the second is the Mariam tradictions of its author, and provides recent months she has once again become Aileen¶s arrest and trial were a trag- money by selling her story. To look into her Hamza campaign in 1998, which was at important documentation on recent events the focus of media attention because of ic farce. The police, her girlfriend and her eyes is to see someone who is lost l the time a major political blow against the that are still shaking the world l the Hollywood movie, Monster, which mother cashed in by making deals with Jem Jones murderous sanctions regime imposed by Ian Donovan 6 May 13 2004 528 workerweekly ABORTION Battling for control Over recent years µpro-lifers¶ have not so much attacked a woman¶s right to choose directly: they have adopted salami tactics. Eddie Ford revisits the fight for safe abortions, the history of counterattacks, and questions Respect¶s significant silence on this vital issue

n this week's Socialist Worker a rel- public meetings about the work of ket places. Women heard of them by word atively long letter appears under the Alexandra Kollontai in the Soviet Union, of mouth or through well-thumbed tracts, title, 'Bush has no right to control our and on the agitation for birth control in such as the 1930s booklet The shadow of I bodies'. Writing from Canada, the Germany and Austria, led by leftwing the stork. From generation to generation joint authors tell us: ³Over one million socialists and communists. After the 1917 methods to µbring on menstruation¶ were people came out for a historic march on Russian Revolution, for example, contra- handed down. Women passed enema April 25 in Washington DC to demonstrate ception, abortion and divorce were made syringes round their communities and for abortion rights. The National Mall, available on demand. However, the CPGB workplaces or resorted to lying in a scald- which has been the site of large mobilisa- did not have anything like a clear position ing bath. Others took large doses of tions for decades, was teeming with on such vital questions until the mid- Beechams Powders, castor oil or washing women from all manner of backgrounds, 1920s, when the leadership came round to powder in gin. taking nearly two hours to pass a single the idea that women, in order to fully par- Some of these abortifacients actually point on the 2.5-mile march. The Bush ticipate in the struggle, had to be free from produced results, but of course at great administration is attacking women and constant pregnancy. The CPGB subse- risk. They did not usually have a specific their reproductive freedoms. The pas- quently began to agitate for birth control. effect on the uterus, but were more often sage of partial birth legislation and anti- Meetings were held which were packed by than not general poisons, one of whose choice Supreme Court appointments have women desperate to find out about acces- side effects was to bring on a miscarriage. women fearing for the fragile gains they sible birth control that did not make them Such poisoning caused vomiting and have won .... Hundreds of thousands ill. During the 1926 General Strike CPGB convulsions which could not but serious- chanted passionately: µMy body, my members, amongst others, distributed ly damage those in already poor health. choice¶, µPro-sex, pro-gay, pro-choice all leaflets to women concerning contracep- Along with taking poisons, women the way¶ and µGet your rosaries off my tion. The catholic church counterat- often attempted to self-abort using knitting ovaries¶´ (May 8). tacked, stating that they were ³the kind of needles, hairpins, crotchet hooks or skew- Stirring stuff. If born-again Bush had women who visit matinees and sit with ers. Can you imagine the effect such been under the illusion that his attempts to cigarettes between their painted lips´. implements had on women, who used no impose a fundamentalist µpro-life¶ agenda There were even claims that communists antibiotics or anaesthetics? Between 1926 upon American society would prove to be were using working class women in sin- and 1935 around 500 died every year from something of a cake-walk, he will now ister, Dr Frankenstein-type experiments! such abortions. Yet, despite the known have to think again. Undoubtedly our One pregnancy after another The Workers¶ Birth Control Group dangers, women often had no choice. Socialist Workers Party comrades will was formed in 1934, arguing for safe con- The birth control clinics that existed continue to cover, and cheer on, the dem- est and most powerful country on the plan- been on the rampage attacking clinics traception but also for safe, legal and free were usually based on the principles of the ocratic struggle of pro-choice forces in the et, but when it comes to women's rights the which offer abortion services: there have abortion. It campaigned not only for the eugenics movement and were paid for by US and elsewhere for that matter. µpro-lifers¶ are increasingly setting the been shootings, bombings and acid attacks. right to abortion, but for amnesties for charitable donations from bourgeois However, now it only serves to draw atten- agenda. For anti-abortionist crusaders the During the 1990s µwanted¶ signs giving the women who were imprisoned for having women. However, communists and social- tion to the comrades¶ squalid manoeu- golden age began in 1873 and lasted till names, addresses and phone numbers of undergone them. At the 1935 Labour Party ists began to become involved and in vrings on this issue within Respect, which 1973 and the Roe v Wade test case in abortion providers were distributed across conference, the Labour women's motion Glasgow a clinic was set up by Labour and has actually led them to oppose - as in Texas. The federal government passed the America. Two featured doctors were mur- in favour of birth control was narrowly Cooperative women, who received finan- Islington - a straightforward motion which Comstock Act in 1873, which prohibited dered in Florida. Simultaneously organi- defeated with 1,850,000 votes against and cial help from the trade unions. Those supported abortion rights. The word all devices and information pertaining to sations like the Army of God have pub- 1,530,000 for. But the battle continued. campaigning for birth control were regu- µhypocrisy¶ instantly comes to mind. ³preventing conception and producing lished step-by-step instructions on how Women were still being criminalised and larly charged under obscenity laws - They loudly condemn George Bush. Yet abortion´. State after state quickly fol- make bombs. In the war for µlife¶ there have were dying from illegal abortions. The pamphlets were seized and destroyed. One they keep deadly quite about the other lowed suit. been many casualties. issue would not go away. with the title, Family limitation, was George here in Britain: George Galloway, For 100 years abortion remained When it comes to Britain we may not It was important for campaigners to described as a ³dirty book´, as it argued who heads Respect¶s London list for the effectively illegal. Of course, that did not - yet - have to contend with baying mobs highlight the tragedies caused by illegal that women should have pleasure from June 10 European elections. mean that desperate women did not seek or a growing fundamentalist bloc in par- abortion. Although many such opera- sexual intercourse - obviously a deeply The battle for safe abortions is far ways of ending unwanted pregnancies. liament, but we must never forget the fero- tions were successful, there was no doubt- subversive idea. Family limitation con- from over. Every year across the world Some authorities estimate that during cious struggle that was fought to legalise ing the real risk of death or serious illness. tained instructions on how to insert a about 50 million women have a termina- this dark period of prohibition as many as abortion on this side of the Atlantic, nor the Statistics from this time are difficult to diaphragm, illustrated with a finger insert- tion. Around half of these are carried out 1.2 million illegal abortions happened each succession of battles that have been obtain, as most abortions were recorded as ed in a vagina. This caused outrage in illegally. The World Health Organisation year, with many thousands dying or get- waged since the 1967 Abortion Act to miscarriages. However, we do know of the polite society. However, contraception estimates that somewhere in the region of ting horribly injured in the process. Yet the defend and extend the rights won by practices resorted to by desperate, main- slowly gained respectability, though abor- 200,000 women die annually from the µpro-lifers¶ look back with fondness to this women and the working class. ly working class, women. tion remained a taboo subject. effects of unsafe abortion. In Latin time - and want to bring it back. Prior to World War II arguments in Not all terminations were performed Stella Browne continued to cam- America they are the second most com- Over recent years anti-abortionists favour of birth control were taken up by by sinister operatives up dark back streets. paign. She openly admitted to having had mon cause of death among women of have had increasing success in the US - but both eugenicists/Malthusians and com- Most were induced by drugs obtained an illegal abortion - a scandalous confes- childbearing age. These facts alone stark- not through a direct assault on abortion munists - but obviously from somewhat from herbalists, chemists or stalls in mar- sion in the 1930s. For Browne birth con- ly demonstrate how poverty and ignorance rights. Rather they have adopted salami tac- different standpoints. One of the great combine with catholic moralism and state tics - both at a state and a federal level - campaigners was Stella Browne. She reaction to produce a staggering loss of whereby the grounds of having an abortion openly argued for sexual freedom for life. are whittled away to the point of effective- women and men, and also for contracep- Reforms under capitalism should ly disappearing. Not content with that tion and particularly abortion rights. always be viewed as temporary, never as µslowly does it¶ approach, an ugly coalition Browne was a leading activist in the permanent gains. That is certainly true of of bigoted catholics, born-again protestants, CPGB of the 1920s-30s and later on in the abortion rights. The US may be the rich- ultra-rightists and survivalist nutters have Labour Party. She challenged the idea that unmarried female comrades should ³always practise abstinence´, and pas- Hundreds of thousands chanted pas- sionately argued that women should have the right to live as they wanted and sionately: ´My body, my choiceµ, should be encouraged to fully express themselves. ´Pro-sex, pro-gay, pro-choice all the Browne reports a remark from a male comrade at a Communist Party wayµ and ´Get your rosaries off my meeting: ³On the subject of sex equality, ovariesµ. Stirring stuff. If born-again the majority of my women comrades are as unsound as their capitalist-minded sis- Bush had been under the illusion ters. It is time that some of our sex- obsessed comrades realised that woman¶s that his attempts to impose a funda- so-called slavery to man is solely owing to her economic dependence on him and can mentalist ¶pro-life· agenda upon only end when the capitalist regime ends.´ This summed up the dismissive, econo- American society would prove to be mistic attitude of many - though by no something of a cake-walk, he will means all - male CPGB comrades at the time. now have to think again. Browne advocated both birth control and abortion on demand, and held many American pro-choice protestors: no cake-walk for Bush workerweekly 528 May 13 2004 7

every opinion poll showed that there was nor tangles of red tape. For our bodies are mass support for abortion reform. In turn, our own.´ This was as clear a statement for of course, this heavily influenced MPs, the women of the 1970s as it had been 40 who were acutely aware of where mass years previously. Communist sentiment stood on this issue - so, if you Naturally, the new act had its oppo- wanted to keep your parliamentary seat... nents. Shocked by the published figures, However, as we know, the act that was which showed the number of abortions ris- eventually passed did not enshrine the ing steadily each year (50,000 in 1969, legal right for women to have an abortion 100,000 in 1975), a powerful alliance on demand - two medical practitioners emerged between sections of old, tradi- Party Books needed to be of ³good faith´ that a termi- tional Labour - which often depended on nation was in the interest and welfare of catholic votes - the catholic church itself the woman. Nevertheless, it represented a and pretty much the whole of the tremendous step forward. Conservative Party. In 1975 James White, The 1967 Abortion Act was one of the rightwing Labour MP for Glasgow several progressive changes to the law in Pollok, introduced a private member's bill, post-war economic boom Britain: the restricting the criteria for an abortion and ending of capital punishment (1965), the narrowing time limits. Had his bill been semi-decriminalisation of homosexual adopted, it would have undermined the relationships (1967), major reform of 1967 Act and knocked women's rights divorce (1969), relaxation of censorship, back a generation. etc. The Sex Discrimination Act and However, times had changed. Equal Pay Act followed. Women were Parliamentary lobbying may have brought entitled to pensions in their own right and about the change in the law in 1967 - but paid maternity leave. now mass demonstrations come to the These legal changes were accompa- fore. 1975 was not 1967. nied by a vast expansion in work for While James White MP had probably Stella Browne: pioneer women, better access to higher education anticipated a rather tame affair, argued out and the mass availability of the contra- on the floor of the House of Commons, he trol and abortion were part of a wider ceptive pill on the NHS, first introduced on and his supporters found themselves the transformation in the material circum- a limited, trial basis in 1961. Yes, these target of a concerted campaign fought out stances and social relationships between gains were partial and stunted and all man- in public and on the streets. The fight men and women. The ending of capitalism aged carefully from above - the Abortion against White was tough - and liberating. alone could not liberate women. Act certainly being no exception. Women were becoming empowered and Every now and then throughout the However, they were gains nevertheless self-activating. Many thousands of 30s headlines would appear about a trag- and reflected - albeit indirectly - the women, in the organisations on the left and ic death brought on by a back-street or self- influence of the working class and, it many not in anything, found a voice and abortion. Yet it was openly acknowl- almost goes without saying, were enough were not prepared to be dictated to by edged that µwomen of substance¶ could to enrage and antagonise reactionary some wretchedly reactionary Labour MP. l Which road? pay for a safe, µtherapeutic¶ termination. opinion in Britain. The campaign itself grew out of a rel- The programmes of µofficial communism¶ were designed to serve those in the Working class women, on the other hand, Then came the 1970s, which saw the atively small meeting which agreed to set workers¶ movement who had no interest in revolution, those who preferred com- not only took their life in their hands, but women's movement mushroom, with its up the National Abortion Campaign - and promise with capitalism rather than its destruction. were criminalised into the bargain. militant demands for equal pay, education throughout the rest of the 1970s it battled Jack Conrad also deals with the reformist programme of Peter Taaffe¶s group In 1938 there was a landmark trial, and opportunity, 24-hour nurseries, free con- on, against onslaught after onslaught on the and lays the groundwork necessary for drafting a revolutionary programme. when a leading gynaecologist was acquit- traception and of course free abortion on 1967 legislation. The International Marxist £6.95/¼11 ted of performing an abortion on a 14- demand - not the pinched version offered up Group undoubtedly played a leading role, year-old girl, who was a victim of multi- by the 1967 act. The fight for women's but others were prominent too, including l From October to August ple rape. The rapists were officers of the rights had become re-energised and re-rad- the SWP, the µofficial¶ CPGB, various Articles by Jack Conrad, charting the rise and demise of the USSR from Stalin¶s Royal Horse Guards who not only made icalised - fully so when the official trade Maoists and a growing array of socialist monocratic dictatorship to the twists and turns of Gorbachev¶s perestroika and her pregnant but inflicted serious physical union movement, after a sluggish, even hos- and radical feminists, loosely grouped Yeltsin¶s counter-coup. Throughout there is a stress on the necessity of democracy. injuries and left her traumatised. One doc- tile initial beginning, threw its still sub- around this or that journal. £6.95/¼11 tor refused to perform a therapeutic abor- stantial weight behind some key demands. Every time an anti-abortion MP won tion, stating: ³As she was raped by officers, The words of Stella Browne, uttered a place in the ballot there was a new pri- l In the enemy camp she might be carrying a future prime min- in 1931, were starting to resonate again: vate member's bill - after White there was Examines the theory and practice of communist electoral work. Particular atten- ister of England´. ³Abortion must be the key to a new world William Benyon and John Corrie and tion is paid to the Bolsheviks¶ anti-boycottism and their strategy for revolution. However, the gynaecologist, Dr Alec for women, not a bulwark for things as finally the infamous David Alton. Within Vital for Socialist Alliance activists. Bourne, who agreed to perform an abor- they are, economically or biologically. weeks of that first NAC meeting an £4.95/¼7.75 tion insisted that it was the only option. He Abortion should not be either a prerequi- impressively big demonstration was organ- had acted in ³good faith of the patient¶s site of the legal wife only, nor merely a last ised, where 40,000 marched. Petitions, l Problems of communist organisation welfare´. From 1938 until 1967 it was up remedy against illegitimacy. It should be pickets, occupations followed. NAC mem- What is the correct balance between democracy and centralism? Jack Conrad to the prosecution to prove that a doctor available for any woman, without insolent bers and supporters systematically dis- explores this thorny issue in his historically significant argument against a dis- had not acted in ³good faith´, but this obvi- inquisitions, nor ruinous financial charges, rupted the activities of the then arch- gruntled minority who deserted the CPGB in 1992. ously only covered medical practitioners enemy, the Society for the Protection of the £4.95/¼7.75 and not the unofficial network. Unborn Child. Women chained them- Despite this case abortion was the There can be little selves to the railings at the House of l A plan for miners main cause of maternal death in Britain Commons and protested in cathedrals and The Communist Party¶s µanti-submission¶ to the Tory government¶s 1992 coal until the 1967 Abortion Act. It is estimat- doubt that high- churches. review. The case is made for working class self-activity and socialism. Arthur ed that between 20,000 and 100,000 That was not all. Despite the eco- Scargill famously disowned it. abortions were performed every year - the profile media cov- nomic recession, the Wilson govern- £1.00/¼1.50 higher figure seems more likely. In the ment's µsocial contract¶ and the disap- early 60s Holloway prison alone held 44 erage had a big pointment which had replaced the eupho- l Towards a Socialist Alliance party women who had been sentenced for per- impact - every ria following the defeat of the Ted Heath Jack Conrad¶s book argues for the Socialist Alliance to move to a higher organ- forming illegal abortions. One said, ³I government in 1974, the trade union isational and political stage. Drawing on an extensive study of history, this work knew it was against the law, but I didn't opinion poll movement was still fit and strong. Women presents the ways and means of arriving at that end. feel it was wrong. Women have to help were joining in large numbers and many £7.00/¼11 each other.´ Before the 1967 act, the law showed that of the conventional barriers were being did allow abortions in very limited cir- dismantled. On the first, huge, pro-abor- cumstances, when a woman's life was there was mass tion demonstration in London there were Buy all 6 books for £23/¼36 and save £8.80/¼14 deemed to be in imminent danger - in support for abor- trade union banners from all the white col- Delivery free within the United Kingdom 1966, for example, 9,700 abortions were lar unions, trades councils, post office Please send me the following number of copies of: performed by the NHS and an estimated tion reform. In workers and engineers. Then in 1979 there 10,000 were carried out in private clinics. was a massive demonstration called by the But for the vast majority of working class turn, of course, TUC (yes, by the TUC), when wave Which road? From October to August women the only option was back-street after wave of banners from every trade abortions, which caused unimaginable this heavily influ- union and every part of the country swept In the enemy camp Problems of communist organisation trauma, pain, as well as sterility and into Hyde Park, TUC general secretary sometimes death - then there was the fear enced MPs, who Len Murray at its head. A plan for miners Towards a Socialist Alliance party of discovery and prosecution. Looking back, it might seem strange were acutely that we should have to revisit the argument During the 1960s, pressure from I enclose a cheque, payable to CPGB, for £ / ¼ below, not least from the new women's aware of where for free and safe abortions again. Stranger movement, was making itself felt, result- still the fact that opposition to abortion has Name ing in the introduction of the Medical mass sentiment been become an issue again due to public Termination of Pregnancy Bill in 1966. courtship of the Muslim Association of Address This was introduced by Liberal MP David stood on this Britain by Respect¶s leading spokesperson Steel (now of course Sir David Steel, and the fact that the leaders of Britain¶s speaker of the Scottish parliament). The issue - so if you largest leftwing organisation, who once bill took 18 months to get from its com- wanted to keep took a lead fighting reactionaries such as Phone mittee stage to what became the 1967 White, Benyon, Corrie, etc, now claim that Eail Abortion Act - which was in parliamentary your parliamen- abortion is a matter of private conscience. terms quick. But it is not. It is deeply political. Return to: CPGB Books, BCM Box 928, London WC1N 3XX There can be little doubt that high-pro- tary seat... Women should, as a basic democratic file media coverage had a big impact - right, have control over their own bodies l 8 May 13 2004 528 workerweekly IRAQ seeing red Regular column of the RED Platform of the CPGB. For Republicanism, Equality and Democracy! web: www.cpgb.org.uk/red Imperialism email: [email protected] How to build the CPGB - and how not to out of Iraq! ertain books, shall we say, tend to cells and membership. Our work is high- C fall open at certain pages. A second- ly centralised in London, multiplying the hand copy of the original Penguin edi- effectiveness of our central office, but this tion of Lady Chatterley¶s lover, for has led us to seriously underestimate the instance, will tend to volunteer pages importance of work outside the capital. We 177 to 185. To the surprise of nobody are extremely efficient in the raising and who knows me, I discover that my use of funds, but this has simply allowed Yellow pages (somewhat wooden in us to maintain a very high level of politi- style, but not without its moments) has cal campaigning without addressing the a distinct crease along its spine outside issue of increasing our membership. We p1381: Indian restaurants. My favourite often play a pivotal part in the major polit- book of all, Jorge Luis Borges¶s extraor- ical projects of the left, such as the dinary Labyrinths, opens at p78: a story Socialist Alliance, and Respect. However, called µThe library of Babel¶, which may this leads us to neglect important smaller- haunt you for the rest of your life. scale tasks - from local meetings outside Were the founding statement of the London to the issue I began with: the Red Platform to be turned into a pamphlet, recruitment of individuals. it would undoubtedly fall open at the sec- Since forming the Red Platform, we tion on Respect. Every CPGB comrade, have been particularly aware of the need whether supportive, hostile or wavering, to apply the principles we have outlined, is aware that we oppose the CPGB poli- and with a little effort have grown cy of unconditional electoral support for more by winning new members to both Respect. A quick word count demon- party and platform than by recruiting strated, though, that this takes up only internally. We wish to see a new empha- about a quarter of our statement. This sis placed on organic growth throughout week, I hope to turn to a so far neglected the party. We believe that the Provisional Part of the ´setting up of a viable democratic Iraqi governmentµ? area of discussion: party-building. Central Committee should coordinate an Our statement on this subject initiative to expand our organisation. We he graphic exposure of the real Afghanistan to Diego Garcia in the Indian forced to acknowledge the comparison. begins: ³We believe that the CPGB pays have the following suggestions to offer, practice and programme of the Ocean, µdetainees¶ are being held by the The truth is that every disgusting technique inadequate attention to the simplest but they are merely designed to seed a US-UK coalition that invaded British and Americans. It is virtually cer- employed by the little gangsters of the and most method of building a new discussion. The plan is a matter for the T Iraq in March 2004, together with tain that many of them are also being tor- region, the worst torturers and killers Communist Party: recruitment.´ whole party: our simple contention is the growth of genuinely mass opposition, tured, as in Iraq. Indeed the whole like Saddam, the Saudi monarchy, the I can feel the frisson running that we should have one. has brought about probably the biggest cri- demeanour of those troops photographed Taliban, etc, was only derivative. The CIA through the Weekly Worker¶s famously l At any given time, every comrade sis for US imperialism since the late torturing showed their confidence and has been using, and teaching, such tech- large readership, as I write. How many should be responsible for talking to at 1960s. openness - they knew full well they had niques for many decades: one recalls of you do not have stories, I wonder, of least one named contact, and report back Following on the Tet (New Year) the approval of their superiors. After all, that in counterrevolutionary Chile, under the commando-like tactics and deter- to their cell their progress in political dis- Offensive of January 1968 was the mas- these are the same superiors who regularly CIA supervision dogs were specially mination of members of the Socialist cussion. No one is exempt from the sacre of hundreds of men, women and threaten, and not merely threaten, to hand trained to rape women as a particularly Workers Party on a recruitment drive? work of party-building. children in the Vietnamese village of My over detainees to regimes in places like savage means of torture and degradation. These guys are serious. Serious, that is, l Once recruited, new members should Lai, a name which now lives in infamy. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen or Jordan, All such regimes are in the end only pupils about getting you to join. Once you¶ve be supported by µmentoring¶ (usually by Though it was not fully exposed till the fol- whose governments make no pretence that of imperialism. Saddam¶s torturers were signed your application slip, however, the comrade originally responsible for lowing year, it played a major role in tear- they do anything other than torture µsus- trained by the CIA, and the nerve gas he you are no longer a recruitable prospect, recruiting them) and an induction course ing through the hypocritical claims of US pects¶. once possessed was supplied to him by and may require counselling to cope in our politics and methods. imperialism to be fighting a µwar for free- But the exposures - a product of mod- µdemocratic¶ American and its cold war with the transition from object of all lMuch as we run a Summer Offensive, dom and democracy¶. Now a similar ern digital and internet technology, togeth- ally, West Germany, in order to wage interest to cruel neglect. during which comrades commit them- exposure of imperialist savagery is taking er with the fact that even brutal occupying proxy war on behalf of western interests, So no, we do not wish to become a selves to individual fundraising targets, place. In the post-cold war world, the sick- forces often have individuals in them who against µrevolutionary¶ Iran in the 1980s. recruiting sect. It is possible, though, to go we should run a Winter Offensive, dur- ening doubletalk, the canting claims of are repulsed by such activities and will Given that the imperialists armed too far the other way. I had to mount a ing which we focus instead on winning moral superiority over supposedly barbaric sometimes blow the whistle if they get the Saddam to massacre Iranian shia muslims campaign with all the tenacity of a new subscriptions to the paper, new sup- terrorists and dictators, this time in the chance - is now a major problem for the at that time, their claim that they were Reader¶s Digest mail shot simply to join porters and new members. Arab world, is once again exposed as what Bush and Blair administrations. Bush is in invading in order to supposedly µliberate¶ the CPGB. I filled in an online member- lAll leading comrades should support it really always was. Lies in the service of the middle of an election year; Blair has Arabic shia was always utterly fantastic. ship application, and received no response. initiatives outside London by visiting world barbarism. been in deep trouble over Iraq since even In reality, the essential purpose of impe- I sent an email. I sent another. I called the cells and speaking at open meetings. The And it certainly is something that is before the invasion. rialism¶s war in 2003, and indeed in national office, though whether my mes- peculiar emphasis put on the organisa- spreading worldwide, thanks to the Bush The parallels between the current 1991, was the same as when it armed sage was mislaid, or simply ignored as a tion in London should be curtailed in doctrine. From Guantanamo Bay to torture exposures and My Lai are so Saddam in the 1980s - to enslave, to crank call because of its somewhat des- recognition of the need to build a Belmarsh, from Baghram Airport in startling that even Colin Powell has been humiliate, to destroy any minimally inde- perate, plaintive quality, I shall never national party for a national struggle. pendent state in the region with some real know. Finally, I spoke to someone, and l At least one aggregate should be means of standing up to the US and its was pointed in the direction of a local sup- scheduled in Wales and one in the regional gendarmes, most notably, of porters¶ group. Having attended a few north of England each year, with pooled course, Israel. London events, I explained that before I fares being introduced for all. So now we see the savagery and bar- joined I wished to discuss a few concerns. This is not, as they say, rocket sci- barism of the United States, and its British They were discussed with coolness but ence. It is not even domestic science. junior partner, in glorious digital colour on perfect openness: and the refreshingly Those who were part of Militant in the the front pages of our newspapers and on frank conclusion that if I wished to join 80s, as I was, should find it familiar: the television screens. We see naked men some other organisation then that was fine. essential principles were those that built being tormented with dogs, we see men During my train journey home that an organisation of perhaps some 8,000 forced to engage in simulated sexual evening, I reflected that the CPGB ran comrades. Socialist Workers Party mem- actions with each other in front of laugh- what was clearly the most open and bers may be put in mind of Cliff¶s ing and leering male and female US readable paper on the left, had a sound ³primitive accumulation of cadre´ - service personnel. We see piles of naked analysis of most of the issues which con- though that approach embodied a level people being forced at gunpoint to simu- cerned me most, and were right to of persistence which, paradoxically, late the kinds of activities one would focus on what they called (and now I undermined the acuteness of the politi- expect to see in more extreme porno- call) partyism over the building of cal decision a new comrade made on graphic movies: group sex involving sev- absolute ideological conformity. On joining the SWP and therefore often eral men, carried out by hooded, terrified the other hand, they might have a thing blunted their understanding and short- people afraid of being killed on the spot, or two to learn about contact work. ened their political career in the organ- or possibly being taken away and tortured The strengths of our party are also its isation. We have an awful long way to to death. According to Rumsfeld, there is weaknesses. Our comrades are almost all go, however, before we begin making much more of this material around, includ- experienced revolutionaries who have those mistakes - the opposite mistakes to ing photographs and videos of savage served long apprenticeships - some in other the ones we are making now. beatings, of Iraqi men, women and chil- organisations: but this can cause us to neg- A final thought on the power of dren being raped by troops, and even of lect those who are younger, or simply organic growth. Albert Einstein was outright acts of murder of detainees. newer to the movement. Our paper has once asked to name the most powerful Then there are the British. The author- always been our central weapon of polit- force in the universe. His answer? ities claim that pictures of an Iraqi detainee ical intervention, but our focus on pro- Compound interest l being beaten with a gun and then urinat- ducing it removes us from the building of Manny Neira Sexual degradation: ´relatively progressiveµ? ed on, published by the Daily Mirror, are workerweekly 528 May 13 2004 9

fakes. The Mirror is sticking firmly to rialist occupiers, but also the Iraq people what its sources, two serving soldiers in the themselves, or institutions like the Red Royal Lancashire Regiment, have told Cross that really are not legitimate or even them: that these pictures are just a sample intelligent targets. Now that substantial of many more circulating through both the sections of the masses have become British and American contingents in Iraq. embroiled in a national revolt, it is The pictures are said to be of an Iraqi absolutely obligatory for socialists and detainee who was arrested for theft, sav- democrats in the west to call for the defeat agely beaten and abused, and then thrown of their µown¶ side. back on the streets in a severely injured The Iraqi left, which has unfortunately and traumatised state so that the people been reduced to a fairly pitiful state polit- who did it have no idea if he lived or died. ically by the meltdown of Stalinism, Nor of course could they care less. faces real problems of how to orient in the The Mirror then produced two more new situation that has come about as a soldiers who were prepared to break their result of the outbreak of a fully-fledged anonymity to the military authorities at Iraqi intifada. The forces of shia islam are least and tell of more beatings, torture and becoming a real power. Muqtada al-Sadr murders at the hands of British troops. It is acquiring the stature of a national has now emerged that the Red Cross and leader who shows signs of being able to Amnesty International had informed the appeal across the confessional divide to at British and American government that least part of the sunni population on a basis these kinds of systematic abuses have been that is partly national, partly pan-islamist. going on up to a year ago: ie, going back A mass national liberation movement to the very beginning of the occupation. has already been born, has already seized Thus the government of Tony B Liar is just important centres, and is growing and as deeply implicated in this barbarity as is spreading across the country. the Bush administration. Now the British are coming under real The British military and its apologists pressure in Basra from al-Mahdi, Sadr¶s incredibly cite the experience of suppos- openly organised militia formation. The edly fighting a µclean¶ war in Ireland as a US has been forced to retreat from main- US troops out: ´inappropriateµ? model for how to conduct the occupation ly sunni Fallujah, simply because retaking of Iraq. Indeed, the British contingent in it would require a bloody confrontation response to some fairly tame criticism of ation by the overwhelming imperative of their war. But right now, the proclaimed Iraq is behaving in exactly the manner it that would be rather difficult for the this µtactic¶ in the Morning Star, the ICP US imperialism to keep a tight hold on a programme of the US-UK in Iraq and their behaved in the north of Ireland; brutalis- Bush-Bremer crew to carry out at the recently rather plaintively complained region containing the world¶s most impor- Iraqi clients and allies - the setting-up of ing, torturing and terrorising the population moment, and might in any case be difficult that it could do without µlectures¶. But of tant strategic oil reserves. a viable democratic Iraqi government, and that increasingly it regards as the enemy, to win even in a military sense. And Najaf course, both of these stances, completely When Khomeini emulated his more ultimate US withdrawal - is relatively pro- just as the catholic-nationalist population is proving hard to retake also - in large at variance with reality, simply ensure that conventional and secular counterpart, gressive, and that of their armed opponents of the Six Counties came to be regarded in measure because of the fear of the politi- the followers of Al-Mahdi will have a Chiang Kai-Shek, and massacred the is reactionary by any measure you choose the same way. cal consequences of a full-scale assault on complete monopoly over the national Iranian left in 1980-81, just as Chiang had to use. Certainly the intentions of people The difference in Iraq, of course, is the city that contains one of shiism¶s holi- liberation movement. Large numbers of butchered the equally subservient and illu- such as al-Sadr cut radically against the that the µenemy¶ population comprises the est sites. Iraqis at this point, according to all sion-ridden Chinese communists in 1926- interests of the Iraqi working class and the majority, whereas in the north of Ireland It is perfectly obvious that for the Iraqi accounts, do not want a clerical state. But, 27, he exploded these illusions. But what nascent Iraqi labour movement´ the British had a mass ally in the protes- left to sit this one out and take no side, pro- given the horrors of occupation, they has grown up on the left in the region (Solidarity April 20). tant British-Irish population that acted as claiming µa plague on both your houses¶ could easily become reconciled to such a since, particularly in the form of µworker- Thus the editorial concludes: ³For all a counterweight to the forces fighting between the al-Sadr-led mass opposition thing as a lesser evil to the imperialists - communism¶ in Iran and Iraq, is an invert- these reasons we condemn slogans like imperialism. No such counterweight exists and the imperialist forces, is a recipe for and if the Iraqi left washes its hands of the ed, sectarian, almost child-like mirror- µtroops out now¶ as inappropriate to the sit- in Iraq, and for all the propaganda bullshit complete marginalisation, and hence polit- national struggle due to the prominence of image of this opportunism. Sectarianism uation in Iraq « In real politics, slogans about the Brits¶ supposedly good rela- ical suicide. To declare this confrontation the ulama in it, then such an outcome is after all merely inverted opportunism in like µtroops out now¶ signify support for tionships with the people of Basra µa war of terrorists¶, as does the Worker- becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. fear of itself. forces like al-Sadr's in a long and very province - the British zone of occupied communist Party of Iraq (WCPI) is sim- This in some ways is the mirror We see, for example, a tendency by bloody war. At the very best they are gross- Iraq - there is in fact no buffer at all ply to retreat into a private world, away image of the illusions that led much of the µworker-communists¶ to simply equate ly premature.´ between the masses and the British. Thus from the passions that animate the mass of Iranian left to support Khomeini in 1978- nationalist and islamist currents with Meanwhile, one of the group¶s more when, more than if, the generalised upris- the people against the rapacious occupier. 79, in the Iranian revolution that brought imperialism. But this simply fails to vocal sympathisers, one Alan Johnson, has ing that has already taken Fallujah and Fearful of the eruption of any movement the ulama to power. Then the Stalinist and take account of the fact that the µradical¶ taken this approach a stage further. Near Najaf gets fully underway in the south, the that could enhance the mass influence of Stalinist-influenced left claimed to believe sentiments demagogically espoused by the end of a remarkable exposition of his British could face a very torrid time islamists, the WPCI has over the past peri- that Khomeini was some kind of pro- these forces are in fact an adaptation to own political evolution towards the poli- indeed. In fact they could face military dis- od been calling for UN µpeacekeepers¶ to gressive, leading the first, democratic deep-rooted popular discontent with tics of David Aaronovitch and other aster - which would be fully deserved and intervene in Iraq to µstabilise¶ it, as an µstage¶ of a revolution that would, after a imperialist domination. A sectarian, Stealth-bomber liberals, he spells out the welcomed by all opponents of imperial- µalternative¶ to the coalition occupation, whole period of µnon-capitalist¶ develop- abstentionist stance when such forces logic of this kind of thinking - probably a ism. Either that or they should simply and supposedly lay the basis for working ment, proceed through subsequent stages lead the masses into conflict with impe- bit more clearly than the AWL would like: leave Iraq - now! class power. A dangerous illusion. Despite to some kind of socialism. rialism, indeed equating them with the ³A legitimate and necessary opposi- The demand for troops out now is an the opposition mounted by France and They were wrong. Khomeini¶s islam- imperialists themselves, simply again tion to US foreign policy is being misused important test of any socialist or commu- Germany to the Bush-Blair adventure, in ic radicalism was in reality a mutant hands over to these forces a monopoly of to minimise or deny or even to indulge the nist tendency, particularly now that the practice the UN acts as an extension of form of Iranian nationalism. A novel way leadership and the means to direct this terrorist threat posed by al-Qa¶eda and it resistance has broken out of the murky international imperialism - above all its to create a strong national state, in cir- discontent, uncontested, into the dead end is a bloody disgrace. I agree with Jean µphoney war¶ phase that existed in the dominant power, the US. There is nothing cumstances where the more traditional, of renewed strongman regimes and/or Bethke Elshtain¶s view that µOrganised early stages. No more does it primarily benign or neutral about it. secular Arab and related nationalisms theocracy. killers with global reach now threaten all consist of shadowy forces engaging in Worse still is the rump of the Iraqi (Persian-speaking Iran exists in an over- Unfortunately in Britain we have an of us. In the name of universal human scattergun, spectacular actions that as Communist Party, whose leaders have lapping cultural environment with the Arab even worse expression of this kind of morality, and fully conscious of the restric- often as not targeted not merely the impe- joined Bremer¶s governing council. In world) had been reduced to utter humili- method in the Alliance for Workers¶ tions and requirements of a just war, we Liberty. Unlike the WCPI, the AWL does support our government¶s and our society¶s not even have the excuse of understand- decision to use force of arms against able reaction to the opportunism of them¶´ (Solidarity March 18). µthird world¶ Stalinism, of having to Johnson is not actually a member of face the pressures of exile at best or the AWL, but is apparently something of bloody repression at worst. The AWL¶s a guru for its more rightwing elements. rightwing Shachtmanite evolution and Thus he has some value in drawing out the background - together with its craven logical conclusions of the AWL¶s political adaptation to the sentiments of liberals in method. Unfortunately, whereas in Iraq and around the labour movement who itself this kind of logic can only lead to the believe in µhumanitarian¶ armed inter- left being marginalised and reduced to vention by imperialism - leads it to irrelevance, in a country like Britain it pro- bluntly express what are at bottom sim- duces actual complicity in the crimes of ply pro-imperialist prejudices. It is worth imperialism. remembering, when looking at the mate- It may be that, given the disgusting rial it produces on Iraq, that this organi- practices now being exposed in terms of sation is so protective of the right of Israel the torture of detainees not just in Iraq, but to self-determination that it opposes the around the world - a ³new gulag´, as one right of return of Palestinian refugees to US politician put it - the AWL may begin Israel proper, while AWL leaders, in to reconsider its preposterous belief in the terms of historical analysis, regard the ³relatively progressive´ nature of the drive by Jewish settlers to expel imperialist teachers, compared to their Palestinians, leading to the creation of pupils like Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Israel in 1948, as a historically progres- Laden, etc. But that is not the only possi- sive war of national consolidation. ble outcome - what is also posed is the The AWL view of the current situation possibility of the organisation being drawn in Iraq is laid out starkly as follows: ³No completely into the imperialist camp. socialist or consistent democrat who After all, one cannot continue walk- knows the history of US and British ing in the middle of the road forever: those imperialism will trust Bush or Blair, or rely that do tend eventually to get run over on them to do anything positive, in Iraq or from one direction or the other l Al-Sadr·s shia militia: leadership unchallenged by the left anywhere else. That is why we opposed Ian Donovan 10 May 13 2004 528 workerweekly FBU Conference shambles ire Brigades Union delegates, again at the moment´, as a delegate from than boost fighting spirits. Apart from the having turned up in Bridlington Hampshire bluntly put it. apparatchiks, there was little actual enthu- for their four-day annual confer- No doubt this is true - it was not dis- siasm for the EC¶s proposal to pack up and F ence on May 11, voted to pack up puted by the opponents of the EC resolu- go home, but most delegates justified it to and go home on the first day. tion. Moving the London motion, ex- themselves using two equally flawed The decision to ³suspend´ conference Socialist Party member Matt Wrack arguments. was taken after delegates accepted an agreed that the union was ³not in a brilliant First, that the union needed to ³put executive council emergency resolution on position´, that there was widespread internal battles aside´ in order to take on the settlement terms of the 2002-03 dis- ³demoralisation´ and a ³lot of work´ need- the employers, as a Notts delegate put it. pute. The resolution recommended ³a bal- ed to be put in to ³rewin the hearts and Second, ³to stay here´, said a Scottish lot for industrial action to be decided by minds´ of the membership. comrade, and ³discuss peripheral issues´, recall conference in June 2004 following However, by suspending its delibera- while the rank and file were waiting for a a full consultation with the members´. The tions, conference would actually be dodg- lead would be ³ludicrous´. sting in the tail was that ³to allow this´ ing issues that were key to winning the It is important to emphasise again that consultation it was apparently necessary rank and file. First, ³the question of the these sort of arguments came from dele- that this ³parliament of the union´, as one Labour Party needs addressing,´ said gates from a range of political viewpoints. dissenting delegate put it, adjourn imme- comrade Wrack. ³We¶ve been pussy- For example, it seemed pretty clear that diately. The flimsy argument offered by the footing around for too long´ on an issue had the Wednesday debate on relations leadership for this was that delegates that was actually ³central to winning with Labour actually happened, the mood needed ³to get back to their members´, as hearts and minds´. was for disaffiliation. However, as one del- Kevin Brown of the general management Second, there were ³grave concerns´ egate from Strathclyde said, he would be committee said in seconding the resolu- over the witch-hunting investigation ³back in June´ to support his region¶s tion. launched by the EC into the ³serious mis- motion to disaffiliate - but today he was This is a victory for the leadership. conduct´ of a ³hard left faction´ - the rank going to support the EC¶s move to close Potentially, it was going to be an uncom- and file Grassroots FBU, which stands business. fortable four days by the seaside for the accused of organising a ³union within a If there had been confidence amongst Labour left general secretary, Andy union´. Despite the pleas for ³unity´ those assembled in Bridlington, reflecting Gilchrist. A potentially historic debate on from the EC, would the closure of con- a real fighting determination of the rank the relationship with Labour was sched- ference be immediately followed by and file, Gilchrist¶s cynical bureaucratic uled for the second day and now has to ³dozens of union members and officials´ ruse would have been brushed aside in the wait for a June recall conference - after the being ³taken out´? eagerness to get on with the battle. Given µsuper Thursday¶ elections. There was a Replying to the debate, Gilchrist the absence of that confidence, delegates real chance that delegates would have promised there were ³no tricks´ here: the were certainly right to be cautious and to voted for disaffiliation from Blair¶s party genuine motivation for the EC¶s propos- recognise the scale of the task they are fac- - a big embarrassment in the run-up to al was to be ³back with the members´, to ing. June 10. It was also more than possible get a head start on the job of winning them But they were wrong to vote for a sus- that conference would have taken steps to for strike action. Just before the vote, pension. Issues such as the relationship call a halt to the EC¶s new witch-hunting London withdrew its motion, recognising with Labour or the democratic right to agi- move against the left, announced early in that the overwhelming sentiment of con- tate and organise against the leadership¶s the month (see Weekly Worker May 6). Andy Gilchrist: cynical ruse ference was with the EC - presumably a disastrous tactics are not ³peripheral´. At the same time, the whole shambles dignified retreat was judged more tactically Indeed, as the 2002-2003 pay debacle underlines the scale of the political prob- were ³dependent upon µsavings¶ being the increase due to firefighters in astute than a heavy defeat. proves, they could prove key to victory at lems the union has inherited from the made - the audit commission will check November last year, despite the fact that The closing of conference is a mis- the end of the day l inconclusive and demoralising settlement that all the other conditions have been met the union has met all its obligations under take, more likely to deepen demoralisation Mark Fischer to its 18-month pay dispute last year. After before the increases are paid out. The the June 2003 agreement. However, given a drawn out campaign of partial action, negotiations and consultations on all the that this agreement actually represented a Gilchrist recommended that delegates to other aspects must also be completed. If defeat of the union, it was inevitable that the June 2003 conference sign up to a deal anything breaks down, management could the management would return to the fight that had not even been finalised at that renege on the whole deal´(Weekly Worker sooner rather than later to press home its stage. A promised 16% pay increase was June 19 2003). advantage. The local authority employers Fringe speeches to be introduced in stages up to July 2004. And - predictably - ³renege´ is pre- have raised problems with the duties of isaffiliation loomed large in a recognition. But, as Matt Wrack, London region- cisely what it has done. The national crews on stand-down time between mid- D Respect fringe meeting on the I hope the battle ahead of you will al FBU officer, noted at the time, these employers¶ organisation refused to honour night and 7am, demanding greater µflex- Tuesday night, which was attended by be fought on the basis of no longer ibility¶ to meet ³the needs of the 24-hour 50 or so people, even though most del- being affiliated to a party that is kick- society´. egates were already on their way home. ing you in the teeth. Stand-down time represents an ele- Introductions by George Galloway, ment of workers¶ control, so it is hardly John Rees (Socialist Workers Party and George Galloway: surprising that Christina Jebb, Lib Dem national secretary of Respect), Tommy I am sure there was a perfectly good Stay or go? chairwoman of the employers¶ association, Sheridan (Scottish Socialist Party con- reason to postpone the FBU conference udging by the way delegates political work´; comments that the bosses ³cannot condone venor) and Linda Smith (London FBU until June 11, which just happens to be Jcheered attacks on Tony Blair and l allow members ³more flexibility the retention of this as a national condi- regional treasurer and Respect candi- the day after the European, GLA and New Labour, it is quite possible that nationally and regionally to use the tion´. Instead, ³reasonable working pat- date) were followed by a lively question mayoral elections. I would of course not conference would have voted, albeit political fund in pursuit of the union¶s terns´ should be ³determined locally´ with and answer session from the floor. dream of questioning the motives of the narrowly, to disaffiliate, as argued by objectives´; firefighters (The Guardian May 12). The union¶s leadership « three different regions. The FBU exec- l allow the political fund to be used to stage is set for a confrontation, then. But Tommy Sheridan: Under the current rules, you may utive now has another month to support ³organisations whose poli- how ready is the union for a fight? Regardless of what you would have not give money to Tommy Sheridan, manoeuvre, counterattack and turn cies and principles are supportive of Politically, organisationally and in terms of decided in this conference, regardless of who fights for everything the FBU that mood around. this union´. This may include organi- morale, there are clearly huge problems. which resolution you would have voted believes in, but you must give money The EC¶s µStatement on restruc- sations who stand in opposition to New The EC¶s emergency resolution was through - it would have been a move to to Dr Richard Simpson MP, who called turing the political work of the Labour, ³so long as they uphold poli- opposed by an alternative from London the left. In reality, this decision will you ³fascist bastards´. That is simply union¶ attempted to bridge the gap cies and principles in line with those of region. This was identically worded, but probably be made for you: I think it is wrong. between staying affiliated to the the FBU´. with the recommendation to suspend inconceivable that an executive would However, it is not true that there are Labour Party and taking account of However, the devil lies in the conference removed. The debate was stand by and watch how the employers no decent people left in the Labour the anger and mistrust of the FBU detail. All proposals to financially instructive. It quickly became clear that a and the government is determined to go Party. There are thousands, maybe membership. The statement seems to support non-Labour organisations or majority of delegates, from across the after the blood of the union and the tens of thousands, of good Labour Party open the door for supporting candi- candidates would have to be present- political spectrum, supported the EC rec- working conditions of its members. It members who fought against the war. dates outside the Labour Party - ed to the EC to take a final decision. Of ommendation to close business, accepting seems inconceivable to me that the We just have not persuaded them yet and could be interpreted as a way to course, the rules of the Labour Party do the justification it offered. FBU militants executive would actually attempt to that the hope of reclaiming the Labour democratise the political fund: not allow affiliates to financially sup- told each other how desperately urgent it remain affiliated to the Labour Party. Party is almost certainly a forlorn one. ³Many within the Labour Party, not port candidates other than its own. The was that - having adopted a resolution rec- This is the way forward for the But we must approach those people only other unions, are deeply unhap- RMT¶s expulsion for exactly this rea- ommending industrial action - delegates union and I hope that in Scotland it will with the tools of solidarity. We need to py with this government. However, son would undoubtedly serve as a use- return to their stations to begin the process lead to a more formalised relationship win people like the leadership of the disillusion and anger at a Labour ful precedent for the EC to deny any of winning the rank and file to take between the SSP and your union. Until FBU. Branch after branch of the RMT government is not the same as anger such requests. action. now we had tremendously strong, but are supporting Respect. I had hoped that with the Labour Party « We wish to Having foreseen this problem, Several opponents of the EC propos- informal relations. I hope the union will we could have looked forward to a sim- ensure disillusion should not lead to the London region FBU put forward an al pointed out how unconvincing this was open up the debate about which polit- ilar situation in the FBU after this con- disengagement from the political amendment: ³Regional committees - politically and logistically. However, it ical party best represents the aims and ference. process «´ shall not be required to refer such deci- did vividly underline the lack of confi- objectives of your organisation - and not There is a risk, however, of being Amongst other things, the leader- sions to the EC before implementa- dence among conference participants that stay stuck in a time warp, which was left without a political fund at all, with ship is recommending the union tion.´ Only with this amendment the membership - deeply demoralised by determined when the constitutions of no political structure at all if you follow should: accepted would the EC¶s statement the squandered opportunities of the 18- the unions were formed and there was the strategy of straight disaffiliation l reduce its affiliation to £20,000, make any sense in the real world - and month pay campaign - could be won to only one party of the working class. from the Labour Party. That is why I using the money freed up ³for wider come pretty close to a real democrati- support further action. Delegate after del- That party of the working class is no prefer the democratisation of the polit- political education, campaigns and sation of its political fund l egate got to their feet with variations on the longer. It has changed beyond all ical fund l theme that the members ³just won¶t strike workerweekly 528 May 13 2004 11 DEBATE What we Fighting capacity fight for he editors of the Weekly Worker are effect of applying such conditions today. pleased to carry a regular column While it is quite correct to state that dif- The SWP is now nOur central aim is the organisation of communists, revolutionary social- T from the Red Platform, a group of ferent circumstances call for different ists, anti-capitalists and all politically advanced workers into a Communist CPGB comrades who take a minority tactics, the fact that the left, mired as it is hurtling down the Party. Without organisation the working class is nothing; with the high- view on a number of issues: not least our in economism, has never campaigned for est form of organisation it is everything. attitude to the Respect unity coalition. a republic and consistently played down populist path of n The Provisional Central Committee organises members of the Clearly our commitment to open polemic demands like open borders ought to tell us elections for Communist Party, but there exists no real Communist Party today. There and minority rights is no empty boast. something. Are we to insist upon a more are many so-called ¶parties· on the left. In reality they are confessional While just about everyone in our principled approach from Respect candi- their own sake. sects. Members who disagree with the prescribed ¶line· are expected to organisation is agreed on the need for crit- dates? gag themselves in public. Either that or face expulsion. ical engagement with Respect, the Red Yet Red Platform comrades seem to The fight for party n Communists operate according to the principles of democratic cen- Platform comrades, along with some oth- be advocating an unconditional vote for tralism. Through ongoing debate we seek to achieve unity in action and ers, believe that such engagement should other left forces on June 10 - the Scottish has also been set a common world outlook. As long as they support agreed actions, mem- stop short of calling for a vote for Respect Socialist Party in the EU elections, the bers have the right to speak openly and form temporary or permanent candidates. They do not actually make the Socialist Party in local elections and per- back and must be factions. blunt demand, µDon¶t vote Respect¶, but haps one GLA constituency, and at least conducted on n Communists oppose the neo-conservative war plans of the Project for the conditions they wish to impose are so some SA Democracy Platform candi- the New American Century and all imperialist wars but constantly strive restrictive that in effect that is what they are dates (also in local elections). I am uncer- less fertile to bring to the fore the fundamental question - ending war is bound up saying, for it is highly unlikely that any tain as to whether this support will also be with ending capitalism. coalition candidate would pass the test they extended to the SLP (comrade Cameron ground. n Communists are internationalists. Everywhere we strive for the clos- set. Indeed, if we were to place the same Richards has stated that he personally does est unity and agreement of working class and progressive parties of all conditions on all other left candidates not favour voting for Arthur Scargill¶s Nevertheless countries. We oppose every manifestation of national sectionalism. It is standing in the June 10 European Union, ³degenerate´ party) and the Communist an internationalist duty to uphold the principle, ¶One state, one party·. To Greater London Authority or local elec- Party of Britain. there has been the extent that the European Union becomes a state then that necessi- tions, in all likelihood not one of them Such a pick ¶Q¶ mix approach betrays no qualitative tates EU-wide trade unions and a Communist Party of the EU. would be deemed worthy of support. a certain incoherence. SP election material n The working class must be organised globally. Without a global According to the defeated motion will not mention, let alone highlight, the break Communist Party, a Communist International, the struggle against cap- moved by the comrades at our April demand for either open borders or a ital is weakened and lacks coordination. aggregate, Respect candidates must republic. Neither will the propaganda of True, the others might give more nCommunists have no interest apart from the working class as a whole. ³announce their support and campaign´ the SLP or CPB, who will also steer well prominence to the words µsocialism¶ or They differ only in recognising the importance of Marxism as a guide to for the three principles of open borders, clear of a worker¶s wage. SADP comrades µsocialist¶ and might even mention the practice. That theory is no dogma, but must be constantly added to and republicanism and a worker¶s wage in will stand on a variety of localist and econ- workers once or twice, but the actual poli- enriched. order to earn our backing. There is, of omistic platforms and will almost certainly cies are very similar indeed. And the n Capitalism in its ceaseless search for profit puts the future of human- course, a logic of a kind in wanting to not focus on the constitutional monarchy. Respect declaration is virtually identical to ity at risk. Capitalism is synonymous with war, pollution, exploitation and impose such conditions, since the CPGB Yet the Red Platform comrades would the SA¶s 2001 µpriority pledges¶, as the crisis. As a global system capitalism can only be superseded globally. All was instrumental in highlighting the aban- apparently have us recommend that work- SWP¶s John Rees delights in pointing out. forms of nationalist socialism are reactionary and anti-working class. donment of these principles before, during ers should vote for, say, an SP candidate It is not that such demands are not n The capitalist class will never willingly allow their wealth and power to and after the founding of Respect. All fea- who accepts only one of the three princi- supportable - they certainly are. In fact be taken away by a parliamentary vote. They will resist using every means tured in the Socialist Alliance¶s pro- ples, while - perhaps in the same polling they, or something like them, must be con- at their disposal. Communists favour using parliament and winning the gramme, People before profit, drawn up booth - they should refuse to vote for a sidered essential parts of a revolutionary biggest possible working class representation. But workers must be read- for the 2001 general election, and were Respect candidate who might accept two programme. The problem is that, taken as ied to make revolution - peacefully if we can, forcibly if we must. consciously rejected by the Socialist of them. What lesson can possibly be a whole, the various manifestos of the left n Communists fight for extreme democracy in all spheres of society. Workers Party in the transition to Respect. learnt from such an approach? - Respect included - do not highlight Democracy must be given a social content. However, they were supported by Even if it were correct to impose spe- democracy, but instead concentrate on n We will use the most militant methods objective circumstances allow most SA candidates only in a very formal cial conditions on Respect - which it is not improving the lot of workers as a slave to achieve a federal republic of England, Scotland and Wales, a united, sense. The SWP, with its disdain for pro- - clearly the three that have been chosen do class. They carry nothing, or next to federal Ireland and a United States of Europe. gramme, took little interest in the drafting not fit the bill. Our Red Platform comrades nothing, about how the proletariat can n Communists favour industrial unions. Bureaucracy and class com- of People before profit and was quite especially do not want to vote for anybody achieve self-emancipation. Demands that promise must be fought and the trade unions transformed into schools happy to let others take the lead - not least from the Muslim Association of Britain actually challenge the way we are ruled, for communism. the CPGB. But the SWP saw to it that the (though they are standing as individuals demands that answer the democratic n Communists are champions of the oppressed. Women·s oppression, SA campaigned exclusively around the so- and accept exactly the same manifesto as deficit inherent in the UK state¶s consti- combating racism and chauvinism, and the struggle for peace and eco- called µpriority pledges¶ - an economistic the other candidates). Its members are tutional monarchy system, demands that logical sustainability are just as much working class questions as pay, wish list that downplayed or ignored the deemed irredeemably reactionary, almost prepare the workers to become a ruling trade union rights and demands for high-quality health, housing and edu- key question of democracy, including akin to fascists, and are therefore totally class are totally lacking. Nor do they have cation. the demands for a republic and the free beyond the pale. Yet, when I spoke to Anas any understanding of the main weapon our n Socialism represents victory in the battle for democracy. It is the rule movement of people. While the commit- Altikriti, who heads the Respect EU list in class needs: a democratic centralist of the working class. Socialism is either democratic or, as with Stalin·s ment of SA candidates to accept only the Yorkshire and Humberside, he enthusias- Communist Party. Soviet Union, it turns into its opposite. average wage of a skilled worker was tically agreed with open borders and a Yes, the SWP is now hurtling down n Socialism is the first stage of the worldwide transition to communism sometimes referred to, it was hardly the worker¶s wage (albeit ideologically filtered the populist path of elections for their own - a system which knows neither wars, exploitation, money, classes, states cutting edge. Only the two CPGB Socialist though his muslim prism). As to abolish- sake. In the process they have decided that nor nations. Communism is general freedom and the real beginning of Alliance candidates campaigned for all ing the monarchy, he was open to per- principles such as republicanism, open human history. three principles. suasion, although on balance he tended to borders and a worker¶s wage are incon- nAll who accept these principles are urged to join the Communist Party. In other words, while our aim in favour the status quo (Weekly Worker April venient. Perhaps a woman¶s right to championing these principles within 29). In terms of historical parallels he choose could suffer the same fate. The Respect was to strengthen the coalition, it brought to my mind the turbulent Russian fight for party has also been set back - had the effect of bringing to the fore the priest, father Gapon, of 1905. Altikriti¶s despite the backing of a number of RMT SWP¶s shift to the right. We had no ideas were incredibly fluid: an eclectic mix branches, etc - and must now be conducted intention whatsoever of wielding them as of old Labour welfarism, militant anti- on less immediately fertile ground. ultimatums. After all, a failure by Respect imperialism, internationalism and tradi- Nevertheless these setbacks must not to accept the three principles would mark tional islam. blind us to the reality: there has been no no practical change from the situation in So the three chosen conditions could qualitative break. The Socialist Alliance Become a the alliance. In fact we specifically stated on their own quite conceivably lead to urg- did not represent some golden era of par- that we would not withdraw support if the ing a vote for a leading member of MAB tyism and principle. founding convention voted against our but not socialists such as John Rees, So we must begin from where we are, Communist Party proposals - although we would, of course, Linda Smith, Lindsey German, Ken not from where we would like to be - continue to fight against the unprincipled Loach, Michael Lavalette and Greg which means with the left as it is, in its retreat led by the SWP. Tucker. And, because they are applied only present dire state. In order to create the supporter In response to our charge of incon- to Respect, they do nothing to distinguish space for partyism, we need to seek out sistency, the Red Platform comrades it either from Labour Party candidates or anti-Blair Labour Party candidates where Name argue: ³The fact that such conditions the rest of the left. If we wanted, for what- possible. But we also have every interest were not applied to the SA or the Socialist ever strange reason, to demonstrate that in working for the success of left-of- Address Labour Party reflects their objectively dif- Respect is completely unworthy, as com- Labour candidates - above all those of ferent nature: whatever their weaknesses, pared to other, supportable, parties and Respect, which is the only half-serious they were progressive and inherently par- candidates, we would have to find other force. If George Galloway or John Rees Town/city tyist projects´ (Weekly Worker April 29). criteria. were elected on June 10, that might infu- Let us not dwell too long on how ³pro- A difficult, if not impossible, task. riate some morbid sectarians. However, Postcode gressive´ (a relative concept) and ³inher- Take a look at Respect¶s founding decla- whatever else it did by way of inflating ently partyist´ they were (while the CPGB ration and compare it to the election already inflated egos, it would certainly Telephone recognises that Respect represents a ret- pledges of the SP, SLP, SSP and CPB. You boost the morale, and hence the fighting rograde step compared to the SA and even will not find much difference, I assure you. capacity, of the anti-war movement and Email the SLP, all three were or are a site for the Anti-war, anti-privatisation, equal educa- crucially the militant working class. struggle for a single, revolutionary work- tion, a totally free NHS, pensions linked to Tommy Sheridan did that in Scotland. Age ers¶ party - despite the opposition to that earnings, EU µdecency level¶ minimum And that, not artificial check-lists, is Date struggle from the majority in each for- wage, tax the rich, repeal the anti-union the alpha and omega of communist elec- mation). laws, defend asylum-seekers, end dis- toral tactics l Return to: Membership, CPGB, BCM Box 928, London WC1N 3XX However, the main point concerns the crimination, protect the environment « Peter Manson

Layout by: Manny Design. Printed and published by: November Publications Ltd (020 8965 0659). Registered as a newspaper by Royal Mail. ISSN 1351-0150. © May 2004 No 528 Thursday May 13 2004 weekly SWP-SA clique treat ESF as private property workerPaper of the Communist Party of Great Britain www.cpgb.org.uk Privileged information here is at last some progress to estimated expenditure of £1.5 million the financial situation. Why could we not report in the preparations for the will have to come from individual regis- simply openly report on how we are plan- European Social Forum, to be held tration - and the vast majority of that ning to pay for our event? The SWP¶s T in London from October 14-17. In money will not start to come in for a good Jonathan Neale, however, thought that ³the a few days time, the ESF website will be few months. In fact, most people will not Europeans do not really need to know any able to accept proposals for the hundreds pay for their attendance until a week or details. We were never presented with a of seminars and workshops that will take two before they make their way to budget before the first ESF in Florence. place during our forum. London. And the French showed 10 people in a Organisations from across Europe Instead of addressing this problem room a mini-budget a month before the will finally be able to start networking with seriously and discussing openly within our ESF in Paris.´ other groups working on similar issues. movement how it could be resolved, the This is, of course, total claptrap. I And, thanks to our European comrades, SWP-SA have even attempted to prevent remember various meetings of the each individual organisation will be able any reporting. On a number of occasions European practicalities group in which the to submit a proposal. The main groups CPGB members have been thrown out of Italian comrades presented quite detailed involved in the British ESF organisation, meetings of the coordinating committee figures about the cost of translations, etc. the Socialist Workers Party and Socialist whenever the subject of finance is dis- But for the likes of the SWP and SA, all Action, wanted only pre-existing net- cussed (including registration and affilia- such details are considered privileged works, with groups from at least two or tion fees). Our crime: we openly report information - only suitable for the eyes of three different countries, to be allowed to developments in the ESF - good and bad. the select few. make suggestions. Luckily, as with a Our exclusion was only reversed thanks The meeting came to a close - without range of other issues, the SWP-SA were Chris Nineham: ammunition to enemies once again to the intervention of our any meaningful report on affiliations. All overruled by our European comrades at European comrades (see Weekly Worker we were told is that about 40 organisations the last ESF assembly in Istanbul on April come that many emails were not answered clear that the two main organisations in the March 11). have between them paid ³several thousand 17-18 (see Weekly Worker April 22). and vanished down a deep black hole. The ESF process had been engaged in yet more However, attacks on the Weekly pounds´ in affiliation fees l Seminar proposals will have to be office, which will be staffed by four peo- secret negotiations. It was simply Worker (and, more recently, on Indymedia) Tina Becker merged because of space restrictions - but ple, will hopefully bring with it a degree announced that ³four organisations would have not stopped - and we are still being at least this will happen through a process of accountability. second one person each´ to work in the used as an excuse to keep details of of open and transparent networking: The way in which the four staff have office ³for the time being´. The lucky four finance under wraps. The focus of the everything that comes in will be put up on been chosen, however, leaves a lot to be are: Louise Hutchins from the National attacks has shifted, though. It is no longer ESF diary the website and sorted according to sub- desired. When members of the µdemo- Union of Students (and Socialist Action), those never specified but often-quoted ject. Groups interested in organising a sem- cratic opposition¶ previously enquired Chris Nineham and another comrade ³lies´ and ³inaccuracies´ the Weekly Every Thursday, 10am - coordi- inar on a similar subject can simply get in how we would arrange the staffing situa- from Globalise Resistance (ie, the SWP), Worker is supposed to have published nating committee, City Hall, Greater touch with the original proposers - and tion and if those working there would be who will share one position, an intern from about the ESF. In recent weeks, the cen- London Authority. start trying to arrange a joint meeting. paid, the SWP-SA majority on the coor- the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament sorship has been extended to all those who Sunday May 16, 1pm - organising Another advance is the fact that we dinating committee always made sure this and a GLA employee. Others interested in ³report negatively about the ESF´. committee. London School of will finally have a proper office space from question was never really discussed. The the µposition¶ did not even have a chance At the ESF coordinating committee Economics, Aldwych, London. next week. This is long overdue. Until now issue was time and again referred to ³the to discuss this in their organisations, as it meeting on April 29, Rahul Patel (London Monday May 17, 6pm - ESF info employees of Ken Livingstone¶s Greater next meeting´, where it always fell off the was never announced we were looking for Unison and SWP) was about to give a meeting for groups working on the London Assembly were the only ones, for agenda. seconded staff. Any proposals for other report on how many organisations had issue of Palestine, 6pm, All Hallows example, to have access to the official At the last meeting of the coordinat- staff will now have to be presented as a affiliated. He began with the remark that Church. email address - with the predictable out- ing committee on May 6, it finally became hostile alternative to the four. ³none of this can be reported in any shape Wednesday May 19, 6pm - out- The plan is that ³at some stage´, staff or form´. When a number of people sim- reach group, UCL. will be paid by the ESF - undoubtedly, the ply wanted to know why this would Thursday May 20, 6.30pm - ESF four already in situ will have a very good have to be kept secret, members of the info meeting for anti-racist organi- chance of getting the job. When and SWP and Socialist Action started to attack sations, City Hall, Greater London how much they will be paid is anyone¶s the Weekly Worker and Indymedia: ³It is Authority. Relaunch appeal guess, as finance (or rather the lack of it) very bad for the ESF if these issues are Saturday and Sunday, May 22-23, ur paper will go daily during the CPGB never accepted the right of is still a rather tricky issue. Many months reported in a negative way´, said comrade Rome - µProposals for another O ESF. We will put out four issues opportunists to close down the party or ago, when Redmond O¶Neill (Ken Patel. Chris Nineham (SWP) thought Europe - towards the London of the Daily Worker to coincide with to deprive us of our rights and duties as Livingstone¶s transport adviser and lead- that ³it limits our ability to act if we pub- European Social Forum¶. the four days of the forum - October party members. Indeed after 1991 our ing SA member) presented the only draft lish details about our finances. It gives Saturday and Sunday, May 29-30, 14-17. duties as party members necessarily budget we have ever seen, he suggested ammunition to our enemies and is very Paris - international programme We shall combine up-to-the- increased dramatically. We did every- that office staff should be paid for six damaging to the ESF.´ Sarah Colborne working group. Details to be con- minute reports of all the main plenaries, thing we could to rebuild the party months at the GLA going rate. (Palestine Solidarity Campaign and SA) firmed. seminars and workshops with current organisationally, but this time from This now seems a little tricky, con- thought that it was quite right ³not to dis- Saturday and Sunday, June 19-20, news items and features along the firm programmatic foundations. sidering that London Unison¶s £50,000 is cuss these issues openly in front of people Berlin - next European ESF assem- theme of European and working class During the 1994 general election still the only µofficial¶ donation to the ESF. who want to destroy the ESF´. bly. Friday reserved for meetings of unity. While this is an ambitious campaign the Daily Worker hit the The GLA will give a six-figure sum and Oscar Reyes (Red Pepper) remarked smaller working groups. undertaking for our organisation, we streets once again - under the control of there might be other donations from trade that in Istanbul, a number of comrades are confident in being able to provide the Provisional Central Committee of unions. However, the main bulk of our from around Europe requested details of an invaluable service to the many CPGB. These 1994 editions, which thousands of participants in the ESF, supported our four candidates, con- who will be looking for information, sisted of just a single, double-sided A3 debate and perhaps even communist sheet. Ten years later, however, the Name answers. Daily Worker will be rather bigger at The original Daily Worker, first eight full pages. Subscribe! Address launched by the CPGB in 1930, was Clearly this undertaking will distributed nationwide by a tireless demand organisation, planning, initia- army of volunteers. It recorded all the tive and hard work - and not only from Subscription £ / ¼ highs of working class struggle, as well our usual Weekly Worker team, but Town/City as the lows of the popular front and from all CPGB members and sup- Donation £ / ¼ class collaboration. The liquidation of porters. They must perform miracles as Postcode the Daily Worker, in favour of the reporters, distributors and sellers. But RATES 6m 1yr Inst. Email µbroad labour movement¶ Morning there is another vital ingredient: UK £15/¼24 £30/¼48 £53/¼85 Star, in 1966, was bound up with, and finance. Even if you cannot be in Europe £20/¼32 £40/¼64 £70/¼112 Telephone reflected, the long drawn out death of London for the ESF, you can still help Rest of World £40/¼64 £80/¼128 £140/¼224 the CPGB under one set of oppor- by giving our finances a boost. tunists leaders after another. The final Send donations, made payable to Date blow was struck by the Marxism µWeekly Worker¶ and marked µDaily Special offer for new subscribers: Today Eurocommunist faction in 1991. Worker appeal¶, to the usual address l Post a cheque or postal order made payable to the However the Leninists of the Peter Manson ¶Weekly Worker· to: Weekly Worker, BCM Box 928, 3 months for £5 London WC1N 3XX, United Kingdom