The Socialist party and the SWP

[Angry Young Man]

I think that these two parties should merge. I'm looking for notable differences, and what I've noticed so far is that the SP focuses more on small-scale action and the SWP says more about its party line than its practice.

Discuss...

[Matina]

No way. They have different views on the question of the deformed workers states (or state capitalism according to SWP), the SWP doesn't accept the transitional programme , has a different question on Hamas/Hezbollah and a different way of organizing.
For example the SWP builds on sand, by recruiting-losing people-recruiting. The SPEW focuses more on consolidation. This brings up differences between the quality of the cadre of the two organizations, as well as attitude towards organization.

I think an electoral coalition is a must. A united front of the British left parties can work, but a merger between those two organizations is suicide for the SPEW! The SWP and the SPEW should form a principled electoral front, in which they should by no means dissolve their respective organizations and also attract other groupings , which are obviously in the order of magnitude of 20-100 people. This electoral front can attract a layer of the working class that is dissapointed with Labour and give an alternative, for both the organized and the unorganized working class.

Having in mind RESPECT and Solidarity though, I doubt this would work in practice so much, but who knows the conditions have changed and the working class is more class coscious now.

[Q]

In addition to the good points raised by Matina I want to add that the cooperation with the SWP thusfar has been catastrophic as they always seek to centralise initiatives in very early stages of their development, and if they can under their control. This has destroyed a lot of work and I can imagine the SPEW being wary about just starting another front with the SWP without very clearly having discussed its politics.

On that note I want to point to Socialism and Left Unity (http://socialistworld.net/eng/2008/11/07newpua.html) (book review here (http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/keyword/Left_and_radical/SWP/6705)) that got published a few months back. It makes it very clear that not only did the SWP leave behind any form of transitional method, but they also left behind a clear class analysis in favor of a communalist approach. I think these two issues in addition with past experiences would be big roadblocks in having a united front with them, let alone fuse with them!

[Die Neue Zeit]

I'd like to see a restoration of the Socialist Green Unity Coalition: more dialogue between the SPEW and the CNWP, the Alliance for Green Socialism, and the Democratic Socialist Alliance. I'd also like to see participation from the Revolutionary Democratic Group and the CPGB (the latter pressing for a CPEU).

[Jimmie Higgins]

SPEW? That's a terrible name.

[Matina]

SPEW? That's a terrible name.

Socialist Party of England & Wales. As the name Socialist Party is unfortunately taken by some historical but insignificant group.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Same here in Canada :(

[The Idler]

Socialist Party of England & Wales. As the name Socialist Party is unfortunately taken by some historical but insignificant group.Its a shame the SPGB (http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/) are dismissed in this way as they seem to be much more principled about democratic socialism from below and serious about abolishing money. The SPEW seem much more opportunistic by comparison, their predecessors even having supported Britain in the Falklands War.

[bellyscratch]

I can't even really seeing a coalition happening between the 2 parties to be honest. From my experience theres too much *****ing about each other. They do work together to a certain extent but not enough fo my liking. And of course they both blame each other for not being able to work together, even though in my opinion they both are to blame for not getting things done together.

[Q]

The SPEW seem much more opportunistic by comparison, their predecessors even having supported Britain in the Falklands War.

Incorrect. The Militant had a position of neither supporting Britain nor Argentina. But I'll kindly point you to an original source (http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/militant/ch20.htm) for this.

[robbo203]

Socialist Party of England & Wales. As the name Socialist Party is unfortunately taken by some historical but insignificant group.


I think the significance is that SPEW is merely a reformist, left-wing state-capitalist outfit, whereas the SPGB - the Socialist Party - is a genuine revolutionary socialist organisation

[Sam_b]

For example the SWP builds on sand, by recruiting-losing people-recruiting. The SPEW focuses more on consolidation. This brings up differences between the quality of the cadre of the two organizations, as well as attitude towards organization.

Funny, I don't remember you being our membership secretary.

No way is a merger on. I wouldn't want to consolodate into a party that has such an appalling line on imperialism and with a (Militant) history of attacking the working class the organisation apparantly came from. If the CWI are more interested in writing books attacking other sections with very shaky conclusions (if this new one is the same as the hilarious one the Irish section put out a while ago) than actually organising the class then they're welcome to it: and they certainly won't be doing that with us on side.

[Die Neue Zeit]

Um, I think you're confusing the CWI with the IMT.

[Forward Union]

I think that these two parties should merge. I'm looking for notable differences, and what I've noticed so far is that the SP focuses more on small-scale action and the SWP says more about its party line than its practice.

Discuss...

LOL :lol:

[Q]

Um, I think you're confusing the CWI with the IMT.
I think Sam_b was refering to Socialism and Left Unity (http://socialistworld.net/eng/2008/11/07newpua.html), which imo is an excellent pamphlet on the methods of building a revolutionary party. Not by having an abstract set of ideas, but by taking the SWP as the example of how not to do things.