Socialist Outlook

Socialist Viewpoint, International, Socialist Outlook and their supplements, 1984–2002

SWP founder Tony Cliff: strengths and theoretical weaknesses

· Socialist Outlook no. 37, September 2000 · 263 words

Trotsky

yony pleted his autobiography A World IE win, Luc ore before be died on April 9 Recolutionary this year. It has been published posthumously. The book is chiefly Cift's account of his life's work the buildorganisations in Britain.

These organisations werc moulded by Chiff's energy; strengths, weaknesses, theoThis quirks. also deals with the organisations of which he was a memThe show's how Chiff's rejected Trotsky's analysis of the class nature of the Stalinist states) and (which purported to explain the post war boom few in the west)of the organi-tions he buile at along- group! side his rejc theory of permanent revolution. 200 by It also reflects his particular brand of work socialism from below rank and fileism - the refusal KEKO positions unions above the rank and sle level.

This tended towards secing was the trade union burcaucracy burcaucratic layer class which springs from the theory of state capitalism itself.

CIf€ unconvincingis, that with Trotsky, over the class nature of the were not a break with Trotskyism such but brought it into line with the main body of the Marxist tradition.

He recounts how he went over to te tucor of statc which debate OCUIC within International, in the immediate post war years (1947/8)

with his text The Class Nature of Stalinist Russia.

Cliff formed the Socialis:

Review Group (SRG) in 1950 the Revolutionary SRG inside the Labour Party and had a loosc and Luxemburgist structure, bur its main restore ae Pi arate existence trom the FIG INE SUIS gAl* J OE 3 JOB ria FIGH T 'SI THE CUTS 1 SAVE

← Hungry for · FIGHT THE CITS T ! SAVE NE JOBS →

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