Annual Conference 2019

Annual Conference 2019

At The Socialist Party’s premises, 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN

April 27, from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm

April 28, from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm

Our party’s policies are decided by a ballot of all our members following full discussion at our Annual Conference.  We are a leader-free political party. The members of the Executive Committee and party officers are elected directly by the membership as a whole. Members of party committees are nominated by branches with subsequent appointment by the EC. In between conferences it is the work of the Executive Committee to coordinate the party’s activities in line with decisions made at past conferences and party polls. Our party has an Executive Committee Aren’t the EC the leaders of our party then? The EC of the Socialist Party are not leaders. They could not lead the members if they wanted to (which they don’t) because socialists do not need somebody to tell them what they should do. Implicit in membership of the SPGB is an understanding of Socialist principles. In fact, membership is conditional upon this. Therefore the members have the knowledge which enables them to make their own minds up for themselves. It is a fact that the rules of the party are so framed as to guarantee that the members control the EC. First, the EC is elected annually by individual ballot. Each candidate is nominated by a branch of the party.

Then, the EC is bound by rule to carry out the decisions of Annual Conference. In addition, any branches can demand a party poll on any question they deem to be of sufficient importance. Or, if they prefer, they can demand the calling of a general members’ meeting. And perhaps most important of all, every meeting of every committee of the party is open to all members—and indeed to all members of the public. Our door is always open for those who wish to know what’s going on. This, is the guarantee that no group or caucus can seize control of the party.

Contrast this with the intrigues, backroom cliques and underhand double-dealing which are the stock-in-trade of all the other parties. All this can only flourish with an ignorant membership.