Saturday, April 27, 2019

Join in the conversation

The Annual Conference of the Socialist Party of Great Britain takes place this weekend on Saturday, the 27th and Sunday and the 28th at 1000 AM at its head office.

As a matter of political principle the Socialist Party holds no secret meetings, all its meetings including those of its executive committee being open to the public. This means that all its internal records (except, understandably, the names and addresses of members which remains confidential) are open to public consultation. In keeping with the tenet that working class emancipation necessarily excludes the role of political leadership, the Socialist Party is a leader-free political party.

The Socialist Party exists in order to assist in the self-emancipation of workers. Since its foundation the Socialist Party has asserted what it believes should be the democratic norms of the labour and socialist movement.  All policy and activity should be democratic and decided by the majority.  Members should be able to speak freely and that any action deemed detrimental  will be judged and decided as democratically as possible and that positions of responsibility should be elected. This is the  time to have an open and honest discussion. Debates should be engaged in openly, for the mutual benefit of all.

Nothing would give members of the Socialist Party greater pleasure than a call to dissolve ourselves into a bigger, democratic and socialist organisation but until such a movement adequately addresses the question of Party, political action and anti-reformism, we'll continue to stand our ground and argue our case.

The Socialist Party applaud those taking action against climate change. No-body is born a socialist and people start protests with lots of the ruling ideologies in their heads. It is a learning process. So let us be clear that the Socialist Party stands in solidarity with the XR protesters, recognising their actions inspire some much-needed debate. Because of the global warming crisis people are actually questioning capitalism, because they’re being forced to. Capitalist "truths" are being delegitimatised by experience on the ground. People are talking, reading, and thinking. People need to use that education intelligently. If they do not become part of the solution, they may become part of the problem. The protesters may be asked all the right questions, but have they discovered the right answers? Clear goals are a must at some point. Whatever our criticisms of XR they were not based upon our Party's hostility clause but comes from a recognition of the protests' limitations. We do not discourage class struggle day-to-day resistance. The means and methods that those on particular benefits defend themselves is for their own self-organisation to decide, not for the party to intervene in. What the Socialist Party does is demonstrate the causes and the connections with capitalist exploitation. We make available the right ideas in sufficient depth and breadth, so that they can be picked up and used.

How do you organise a political party without leaders or followers? Come and find out. We've been doing just that since the very beginning in 1904. Our party's policies are decided by a ballot of all our members following full debate at our Annual Conference. Come and see how we are organising for a world of common ownership and democratic control. A world free from the tyranny of classes, nations, the state, leaders, money and war.

You'll be warmly greeted

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