Log in

View Full Version : New round of resignations from the SWP



blake 3:17
24th December 2013, 05:51
Good on them! Peace to all those who struggle for justice.


23 DECEMBER 2013
Open statement: Resignation from the SWP

The signatories to this statement can no longer remain members of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) following events at its annual conference on 13-15 December 2013.

We all fought for a just resolution for the two women at the heart of this crisis. We are proud of having conducted that battle. We are honoured to have worked alongside hundreds of comrades in an effort to uphold our political principles on women’s liberation.

We remain committed to socialism from below and to the need for revolutionary organisation. The SWP taught us how to fight and we are indebted to both the politics that inspired us and the individuals who made this happen.

We have resigned because our leadership failed to put our principles on women’s liberation into practice. Nevertheless many good revolutionaries who did not fail that test will remain members of the SWP. We want to work with the SWP and others in campaigns and struggles ahead.

Over the last year we began debating a wide range of political questions. We want to continue those debates. The crisis has brought out both the strengths and the weaknesses of our own political tradition. These questions will not be resolved in weeks, or even in months. But we do want to assess how we begin again to organise collectively.

In solidarity,

Adam DC, Adrià Porta Caballé, Alexis W, Alice LB, Amy Gilligan, Andrew Osborne, Andy Cunningham, Andy North, Angela S, Anindya Bhattacharyya, Anne Saxon, Annie N, Arjun Mahadevan, Arnie Joahill, Bartley W, Bea Leal, Bettina Trabant, Bill Crane, Brian Parkin, Bunny La Roche, Charlie Hore, Christian C, Colin, Colin Marchant, Colin Wilson, Cris Johnson, Dan Swain, Darren P, Dave Radford, Dave Roberts, David Renton, Deborah M, Despina M, Dominic W, Elizabeth Dearden, Emily McDonagh, Emma C, Estelle C, Ewa Barker, Ewan Nicolson, Fraser Ritchie, Gary M, Gill George, Graham Campbell, Hanif L, Helios Alonso, Ian A, Ian Birchall, Imelda Messenger, Iris C, Isabel H, Jack Farmer, James Norrie, Jamie Andrews, Jaz Blackwell-Pal, Jen W, John Walker, Jonas Liston, Jonathan Neale, Jonny Jones, Judd Osborne, Judith Swift, Kaiya S, Kath Knight, Kevin F, Kyri Tsappas, Leon Bond, Liam Tobin, Linda Nunns, Lois Clifton, Louis Bayman, Lukas K, Luke E, Luke Henderson, Mark B, Mark W, Martha J, Matthew C, Michael McDonnell, Michal N, Mike Thompson, Mikhil Karnik, Mireia Chavarria, Miriyam Aouragh, Mitch Mitchell, Moses Milner, Nancy L, Nathan B, Neil Davidson, Neil Rogall, Nick Cimini, Nick E, Oliver Lowe, Ollie Vargas, Owen H, Owen Miller, Pat Stack, Patrick Naylor, Patrick Ward, Pete Cannell, Pete Gillard, Phil T, Rebecca Short, Rick Lighten, Rita McLoughlin, Rob Owen, Robin B, Roderick C, Ron Smith, Ross S, Ruairidh Maclean, Ruth Lorimer, Sadie F, Sam James, Sam O’Brien, Sara Bennett, Seb Cooke, Sebastian Cooke, Shanice M, Shirley Marchant, Siân R, Simon Behrman, Simon Fisher, Sophie Williams, Søren G, Stella Hawker, Steve Baker, Steve Henshall, Stuart Calton, Sue Bond, Suhail M, Sundara J, Tara Topteagarden, Theo Williams, Tom Haines-Doran, Tommy Martin, Tony Walker, Viv Smith, Will Stacey, William Cleary, Yasmin Kenyon


http://revolutionarysocialism.tumblr.com/post/70922748501/open-statement-resignation-from-the-swp

Lily Briscoe
24th December 2013, 08:55
Is there even anything left of the SWP at this point?

The Feral Underclass
24th December 2013, 09:46
Pat Stack resigned? That's pretty big.

The Idler
24th December 2013, 17:14
Hatful of History compares this to the CPGB in 1956 or even 1989
http://hatfulofhistory.wordpress.com/2013/12/23/is-2013-the-socialist-workers-partys-1956/

Red Commissar
25th December 2013, 02:47
Pat Stack resigned? That's pretty big.

Who is he? There's stuff on the internet (like this resignation letter (http://www.scribd.com/doc/192705508/Pat-Stack-Resignation-letter)) but being here in the states I've only heard of the recent issues of the SWP through this site.

The Feral Underclass
25th December 2013, 02:49
I'm pretty sure he was a CC member at one point during Cliff's years, but he was a big party stalwart, speaker and writer.

Malesori
2nd January 2014, 20:35
What about Callinicos ?

khad
2nd January 2014, 21:12
Talk about disintegration...

The Idler
2nd January 2014, 21:41
What about Callinicos ?
Callinicos will be the one turning out the lights whilst reporting hundreds of new student recruits.

Soviet Goon Boy sums up it up quite well
http://sovietgoonboy.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/this-is-the-way-the-party-ends-not-with-a-bang-but-with-a-whimper/

I read a satirical article mentioning a SWP Mark II (Stackite). I'd be surprised if Pat Stack isn't secretly caucusing with some of the 'high-profile' SWP resigners to launch this on an unsuspecting and unconsulted public (freshers).

The Feral Underclass
2nd January 2014, 21:51
Wow, I know the woman Maxine who is spoken about in Stack's resignation letter. I lived in her house for a week when I was sixteen. She used to be the full timer in Sheffield. Fucking depressing.

The Feral Underclass
2nd January 2014, 21:54
I'd be surprised if Pat Stack isn't secretly caucusing with some of the 'high-profile' SWP resigners to launch this on an unsuspecting and unconsulted public (freshers).

Most likely. I don't believe for a minute that he'd be retiring.

Vladimir Innit Lenin
2nd January 2014, 22:32
Callinicos will be the one turning out the lights whilst reporting hundreds of new student recruits.

Soviet Goon Boy sums up it up quite well
http://sovietgoonboy.wordpress.com/2014/01/01/this-is-the-way-the-party-ends-not-with-a-bang-but-with-a-whimper/

I read a satirical article mentioning a SWP Mark II (Stackite). I'd be surprised if Pat Stack isn't secretly caucusing with some of the 'high-profile' SWP resigners to launch this on an unsuspecting and unconsulted public (freshers).

Interesting article, though the writer seems determined to disconnect the problems of the SWPs structure from Democratic Centralism, and Lenin, as much as possible. Setting themselves up for disappointment, and failure. Frustrating.

The Idler
2nd January 2014, 22:39
Interesting article, though the writer seems determined to disconnect the problems of the SWPs structure from Democratic Centralism, and Lenin, as much as possible. Setting themselves up for disappointment, and failure. Frustrating.
There is a comment on the blog article which discusses Lenin I think.