Socialist League, S.L. Publications Goteborg, Sweden. Gelderen FOR ANYONE who is interested in the history of the Trotskyist movement in Britain, these publications are invaluable. As the very useful preface by Al Richardson makes clear, the movement was pervaded with sectarian fissures and splits. The main issue was whether the still tiny but growing trotskyists saould work within the ILP, the Labour Party, or set up an independent party. went right back to the first the so-called Balham Group, led by Reg Groves, Hugo Dewar and Harry Wicks. They opposed Trotsky's call on them to enter the centrist ALP which was then moving to the left, proclaiming the revolutionary proletarian He by Trotsky poured scorn on this, reminding them that not only were they not a revolutionary party, they were hardly a propaganda group. While the majority, under the leadership of Bert Matlow, entered the ILP and set up the Marxist iroup, Groves and his supporters entered the Labour Party and the Labour League of Youth soon afterwards, and Groves stood as Aylesbury in be 1936 ¿Where -- --of the last century rain to be won. millions T of women and men are taking part in mobilisations against the evils of cap bureaucratic dictatorships. This reflects the fact that humanity face widening dangers. Ecological, military, social and economic devastation faces millions of people Many more people recognise the barbaric I nature of capitalism. in a situation where communist parties to provide socialist soludons is becoming cicarer, Itsk of creat Eg new leaderships remains ahea socialists committed to this struggle. We are the British supporters of the world wide marxist organisation, the Fourth International. We stand for the revolutionLary transformation of society and a pluralist. socialist democracy world wide.
The overall goal which we pursue is the emancipation of all human coins from In full flow. Trotsky is filmed speaking in Copenhagen in 1932 General Election.
Within the Marxist Group. a struggle commenced about the tactics to be pursued. Some, including Harber and principle. Margaret Johns, WCTE already working inside the Labour Party round the journals Militant and Youth Milant. This had the full support of Trotsky. Inside the Marxist Group, Matlow led the campaign for entry years of the 1930s. into the Labour Party; while Cooper and Ballard wanted Spain, revolution and to remain inside the ILP:
CLR James, who was in contact with the ultra leftists, Ochler, Field and Weisbord in the United *talism and the every form of exploitation, oppression. Socialism must be under the control of States, was now won over to start of the civil war than кас concepton that maopen® Trotsky and the dence of a revolutionary International Secretariat.
The second issue of FIGHT organisation was a matter of asserted that POUM "alone Despite these differences, in Spain was advocating the which undoubtedly had a socialist revolution," and stifling effect on the growth had issued many correct of Trotskyism in Britain, slogans.". these journals present a There were also differences panoramic view of the on China, where Trotsky movement in the turbulent called for the full support for the Chinese in the strug The bloody strugsle in gle against Japan, James described Chiang Kai-Shek counter-revolution, is fully as a British puppet, and covered. Here also differ- called for his overthrow: ences developed. James took The very first issue of a far more favourable view FIGHT carried a special of the centrist POUM at the supplement on the first of Outlook the Moscow Trials and the start of Stalin's campaign to liquidate the leadership of the Bolsbevik Party. Throughout its brief existence FIGHT carried on the fight against the Stalinist lies and led the campaign in defence of L.con Trotsky. Degeneration While the Stalinist press praised the new, Stalinist constitution of the USSR (1936), as the "most democratic constitution in the world" (Pat Sloan in Russia Today, FIGHT published defines it as "a stage in the autonomy. ordinary people, democratic, pluralist, muld-pany, reminat, ecologos, ano-thille tarist and internationalist. It must abolish TOUCH state." This article is also useful because it answers the question whether the Soviet Union was still a workers' state, and why we defended "The USSR is a state which is supported upon the property relations created by a proletarian revolution and ruled by a labour bureaucracy in the interests of the new privileged strata. The workers' state in approxidespite the tremendous trade union ruled and betraved by opportunists. i.e. the agents of Capital can be called a workers' organisation. "In the same way as revolutionaries defend every trade union, even the most reformist, from the class enemies, so the parties of the Fourth International defend the USSR from the blows of Imperialism without one moment ceasing to struggle against the reac tionary Stalinist apparaIt is very tempting to quoic lurther from the rich material in these publications - the exposure of the lies of the Moscow Trials; the deception of the Popular Front; the support of the CONCOUR IS defence of the Spanish against Franco but also against the Stalinist and Social Democratic betrayals; laying the foundations for a the British section of the It is all bere, a rich tapestry of the history of the working class in the turbulent thirties. Get it if you can: and if you can't afford it, get your branch and your local library to buy it. wage slavery and national oppression.
The working class is the backbone of oppressed. The working class and its allies must uncompromisingly fight against capitalism and for a clear programme of action in order to gradually acquire the experience and consciousness needed to defeat capitalism at the decisive moment of crisis.
The movements of women, lesbians and gay men, and black people to fight their particular forms of oppression make an es. sential contribution to the struggle for a ditferent society. They are organised around the principle None so fit to break the chains as those who wear them".
The whole working class needs to fully commit itself to these struggles. Furthermore we fight for a strategic allianc between workers and these organisations an allance when respect their legumate by bullding simultancously revoludonary organisations in each country and a revoludonary internadona, we aim to guide and encompass the global interests of the workers and oppressed.
By building a united struggle against exploiton and oppression we at to ensure the survival of the human race. If you think this is worth fighting for, and you like what you read in socialist Cutlook why not join us? Drop a line to us at PO Box 1109, London N4 2UU, and we'll be
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