Liam redux

, ,

SSP split – only the truth used to be revolutionary

Eh? “Many socialists and working class people around the world celebrated Tommy Sheridan’s recent libel victory.” That’s what Mike Gonzalez writes in this week’s Socialist Worker. From La Paz to Ulan Bator champagne sales rose 300% across the globe to mark the happy day. He adds that 120 SWP members in Scotland voted unanimously to…

Liam
1–2 minutes

Eh? “Many socialists and working class people around the world celebrated Tommy Sheridan’s recent libel victory.” That’s what Mike Gonzalez writes in this week’s Socialist Worker. From La Paz to Ulan Bator champagne sales rose 300% across the globe to mark the happy day. He adds that 120 SWP members in Scotland voted unanimously to support Sheridan’s split and attempt to wreck the SSP.

His article has the virtue of trying to give a political justification for the split which is more than the SWP have done up to now. Here there is room for a serious discussion. When he writes “there has always been a tension concerning the relationship between the party itself and the growing mass anti-capitalist and anti-war movements” this is a code for “we want a Scottish Respect”. In any case I’ve not seen any evidence that the anti-capitalist movement is growing. The G8 demonstrations left nothing behind them and the ESF is looking as if its moment has passed. Respect shows the limits of the type of party that can be built out of the anti-war movement. Its major weaknesses are the absence of significant layers of working class activists and a depressingly low level of political culture and discussion. Until new working class forces come into struggle and see Respect as their political home that is unlikely to change. Using the anti capitalist and anti war movements as the substitute for large numbers of militant workers isn’t going to change that. This is the methodological problem with the position argued by the SWP.

Splitting an organisation explicitly on these grounds is understandable. Yet it’s only forgivable if there has been a serious attempt to fight for these positions inside the party. This hasn’t happened. If Sheridan had lost his case the split wouldn’t be happening now. Sheridan’s basis for this service to the SNP and the Labour Party is that a group of socialists refused to stand up and tell lies on his behalf about his sex life. What sort of self respect or credibility would an organisation of liars have?

6 responses to “SSP split – only the truth used to be revolutionary”

  1. Carol Hainey Avatar
    Carol Hainey

    Thankyou.It’s uplifting for loyal SSP members to know that not everyone sees us as scabs for refusing to lie for the great leader about some nonsense in his personal life.We are bruised but are already excited about rebuilding the party and campaigning for socialism.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Liam Mac Uaid Avatar
    Liam Mac Uaid

    It’s pretty obvious from here who the wreckers are. Keep up the fight!

    Like

    Reply
  3. Derek Wall Avatar
    Derek Wall

    as a non ssp member, I certainly view loyal SSP activists as much wronged!SSP has been the only socialist party that looks democratic, I am loyal to my party the Greens but I sympathise with the non Sheridan side of this argument

    Like

    Reply
  4. twp Avatar
    twp

    Not to mention that the sexist language of a number of Tommy’s supporters and Sheridan himself during all of this has been absolutely disgusting. Keep fighting comrades!

    Like

    Reply
  5. AN Avatar
    AN

    I think your observation about Gonzalez’s reference to the “growing” anti-war and anti-capitilist movements is very well put.Surely it is no-ones expereince that the anti-war movement is still growing?

    Like

    Reply
  6. Ex SSP member Avatar
    Ex SSP member

    The Green Party member is very wrong about democracy in the SSP. The leadership of the SSP consistently ignored the will of the members to the extent the vast majority of serious members left.The official, democratic decision of the SSP membership was to give “full political support to Tommy Sheridan in his court case against News International”.What sort of democracy is it when some members of the party decide to ignore this and do what they want.What is left in the SSP is an obsessive anti-Sheridan clique. They are finished as a serious party and people will not forget Colin Fox posing in a hard hat with the name of his party’s sponsor “The Sun” emblazoned across it.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

Trending