THE SECOND congress of the Socialist Labour Party took place on December 1314 1997. After the debacle that took place it must be an open question whether Arthur Scargill's party will survive long enough to hold a further congress.
Below we print an account of the meeting and the issues arising from it from PETE BLOOMER, previously chair of Birmingham SLP and a supporter of Workers Action.
In the next issue of Socialist Outlook we will carry more material from different points of view of the evolution of the SLP and the broader question of how the left can organise against Blair's project. WELL IN ADVANCE of the Congress itself it was clear that democracy was under concerted attack.
One third of the resolutions submitted - those from the left - had been ruled out of order.
The rules about electing delegates had been changed in the recent past as part of other structural changes to try to stem dissent. It seemed clear that there would be a majority of Stalinists and Scargill loyalists amongst the 250 delegates.
As the meeting got under way a number of delegates stood up to challenge the fact that resolutions had been ruled out of order. The chair moved the whole agenda to the vote and called for ratification of the constitution at the same time.
Through this manoeuvre, anyone not in the know was pressurised to cast a loyalty vote without a chance to hear what the real issues were. Next there were many resolutions on the question of membership eligibility, unfathomable to an outsider.
The constitution rules that only people with one year's residency' in Britain can join - excluding people in a totally racist way.
Amendments were also debated which raised the question of Irish people's membership eligibility. Rather than attack the reactionary idea of citizenship, the leadership pushed legal questions of interpretation.
Scargill may protest that the reason for the rule is not racist - but he has yet to come up with any other Scargill: his new deal with IWA rests on dodgy block vote from an organisation of ex-miners rationale.
The possibility of organising within the North of Ireland was also not ruled out, with the resolutions on this question voted down or remitted.
It is inconsistent for those who oppose the partition of Ireland to support the continued organisation of British trade unions and workers' parties in Ireland. We must stand for an independent, all-Ireland, basis of organisation.
Another amendment, to take the provision for a Black Section out of the constitution was moved by In dian Workers Association member, Harper Brar. In an animated speech he argued against the self-organisation of Black people, decrying it as tokenism.
The voting on this issue was to cause probably the greatest controversy of the weekend.
On the eve of conference North West, Cheshire & Cumbria Miners Association (NWC&CMA) affiliated to the SLP. Under the constitution a trade union affiliate commands votes according to its membership figures.
It is questionable whether a Minre-vote. During this furore a number of left delegates walked out of the conference, to jeering and abuse from the Stalinist wing.
The so called FISC-ites around the Sikorskis and Brian Heron knew about the block vote before congress and raised no objection to it. But when the block vote was used to vote the Black Section out of existence they went ballistic.
It seems that this move was an attack on them and their influence within the Black Section. Scargill went on a new tack, and cemented an alliance with the IWA. By closing the Black Section he was attacking them.
Horon in flight
After the re-vote closed, the Black Section - a procession of FISC-ites announced they would not take up seats (if elected) on to the NEC. ( The next day Heron, nearly in tears, announced that they would!
After the walkouts there was little real focus to the conference. It was a routinist crawl through a long agenda of resolutions. All of these went the way of the leadership or were remitted back to the new NEC.
Scargill used the block vote to determine every issue and to impose his slate for the new NEC. Without the block vote, one of the left candidates would have been elected, with another in place if any resignation during the term of the NEC occurred. The top table did everything they could to pretend that everything is fine with the Party.
In fact many members, unorganised by the left, tore up their cards as they left on the Saturday evening. The left held a joint meeting of 57 delegates which passed a motion condemning the stitch up of the conference (see box).
Subsequently most of the left has resigned, either as individuals or as a block around the Socialist Perspectives grouping ( see previous page). The SLP is consolidating itself as a Stalinist Party.
Isolation
Whilst the SLP at its inception had the potential to become a force on the left its leadership has cut itself off from that possibility. Rather than conduct a prolonged dogfight with Scargill and the Stalinists it is time to lead a split from it and from its sectarian isolation.
Socialist Perspectives is contacting SLP members to urge them to leave and participate in the debate on the politics and perspectives of forming a new organisation outside the SLP - with the question of regroupment and joint activity of the left high on the agenda.
Having played a small role within the SLP, Workers Action has been invited to participate in the debate on the politics and programme of the new grouping together with other forces.
Workers Action is arguing for a labour movement orientation and for revolutionary socialist politics and principles to be adopted.