British Trotskyism - Sons of the Prophet

[whichfinder]

Event organised by the SPGB

Date: Sunday, 27 May 2012 - 3:00pm - 6:00pm

Venue: 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN

Directions: About five minutes walk from Clapham North tube on the Northern Line

Speaker: Keith Scholey

Eighty years of Trotskyism: A short history of British Trotskyism, 1932-2012, illustrated with items from the Archives and the speaker's collection, together with an analysis of the differences between Trotskyism and the SPGB. Two handouts will be presented, one showing timeline and development, the other current groups and their papers.

Free entry
Audience participation
Free refreshments

[Small Geezer]

I love those World Socialist Party events. Always so warm and cosy. Like their party. I can imagine all their members around a fire, in a very small room.

But seriously, they are a nice bunch of chaps and they are right on many points.

[eyeheartlenin]

I love those World Socialist Party events. Always so warm and cosy. Like their party. I can imagine all their members around a fire, in a very small room.

But seriously, they are a nice bunch of chaps and they are right on many points.

I remember reading someone's remark years ago that SPGB (Socialist Party of Great Britain, which I think is a World Socialist Party affiliate) really stood for "Small Party of Good Boys." Not to criticize small parties, since I have been a member of a few of those myself. I just thought the remark was funny.

About English-language Trotskyism (please forgive my digression), some years ago, in an impressive article, the Sparts pointed out that most Trotskyists in Britain believe that cops are workers, and my experience here in the US is that Trotskyists are either social democrats, like the ISO and the Grantist WIL, or incurable sectarians (to borrow a phrase from Barnes), like the very well-read Sparts themselves. All of which leads me to believe that English-language Trotskyism has reached a dead end, and the future of Trotskyism probably lies in Latin America. So we should all try to learn Spanish. :)

One other thing occurs to me in evaluating English-language Trotskyism: A few years ago, at a union rally in Britain, the reactionary nationalist slogan, "British jobs for British workers," was raised, and there were "Trotskyists" who defended that, the Grantists, among others. That, as much as the enthusiasm for cops among British "Trotskyists," shows the political dead end that English-language "Trotskyism" has arrived at.

[Q]

Event organised by the SPGB

Date: Sunday, 27 May 2012 - 3:00pm - 6:00pm

Venue: 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN

Directions: About five minutes walk from Clapham North tube on the Northern Line

Speaker: Keith Scholey

Eighty years of Trotskyism: A short history of British Trotskyism, 1932-2012, illustrated with items from the Archives and the speaker's collection, together with an analysis of the differences between Trotskyism and the SPGB. Two handouts will be presented, one showing timeline and development, the other current groups and their papers.

Free entry
Audience participation
Free refreshments

Sounds interesting. If I was anywhere near I'd come, but alas. Will it be published as a video?

[Small Geezer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIQEsZS6j8Q (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIQEsZS6j8Q)

[Manic Impressive]

Sounds interesting. If I was anywhere near I'd come, but alas. Will it be published as a video?
A few people have asked for it to be recorded so I'm guessing it will be.

[whichfinder]

Sounds interesting. If I was anywhere near I'd come, but alas. Will it be published as a video?

No but an audio recording was made which should be available soon.

[The Idler]

Just uploaded
British Trotskyism - Sons of the Prophet (http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/audio/british-trotskyism-sons-prophet)