Scottish marxists debate the way forward
Over 100 Scottish Socialist Party members attended the International Socialist Movement platform conference which was held in Glasgow over the weekend of September 29-30. GORDON MORGAN reports.
The ISM is a revolutionary marxist platform within the Scottish Socialist Party. It contains many ex members of Scottish Militant including most of the non-SWP leadership of the SSP. In all it claims between 150 and 200 supporters. It produces a theoretical journal Frontline, which is a worthwhile read for Marxists throughout Britain.
Last year’s ISM conference had voted to leave the Committee for a Workers International (CWI). The fight with the CWI, led by Peter Taafe, had lasted some years and the break was seen as allowing the ISM to concentrate more freely on building the SSP and a Marxist current within it. A group of around 30 ex- Scottish Militants split at that time and formed the CWI platform of the SSP.
At the February 2001conference of the SSP, the ISM was effectively relaunched, and the first issue of Frontline was produced. At that time, a number of Marxists within the SSP from a non-Militant background felt able to join the party for the first time.
Since then the ISM has supported the discussions with the SWP which led to all their Scottish members joining the SSP. This was a step which has strengthened the SSP as a whole and has resulted in there now being two significant marxist platforms within the SSP; the ISM and the SWP.
Upwards of 80 per cent of SSP members are however, in no platform.
In the run up to the conference, invites were issued to socialist groups in other countries with whom the ISM or SSP has had discussions. A number of subscribers to Frontline from England were invited as well as groups, including the ISG, active within the Socialist Alliance in England and Wales. The meeting was also open to SSP members not in any platform. After discussion it was decided not to invite the SWP platform to the conference.
The agenda for the conference was changed within the last week to reflect the events of September 11. The lead item on Scottish perspectives was extended to reflect the need to analyse the impact of the war.
Perspectives and the War
Alan McCoombes introduction and the documents analysing the events share an analysis common to Socialist Outlook readers. The discussion however, was the most informative I have participated in, due to the range of contributers from the US, Canada, Brazil, France, Belgium, Ireland, Australia, and so on.
One of the valuable points made was that the picture seen in Britain and the US of events is not common to mainland Europe, let alone Latin America , the Middle East or the 3rd World.
Each country being brought into the "coalition"; has dusted off its favourite reactionary agenda : nuclear parts for Pakistan and India, a free hand against Chechnya for Putin, identity cards in Britain, freedom to assassinate for the CIA.
Whilst we can see medium term positive developments in the consciousness of activists in the west or Latin America, the situation in poor Islamic countries is grim.
Repression will strengthen the hands of fundamentalists who can offer food and training and identifiable enemies.
Many contributions concentrated on the effect on the anti globalisation movement. The consensus seemed to be that anti globalisation and anti war were easily linked with defence of civil liberties, protection of union rights, of refugees, to be taken up within the movement.
It was suggested that some countries like Belgium are pushing on with anti globalisation and not building anti war movements, as there is in fact no war. In Brazil the media are attempting to associate the left with terrorism. Faced with currency collapse, the left is focusing on state terrorism and in effect taking a left turn.
A preliminary discussion on the likely effects of recession noted that Scotland is likely to be hit harder than UK overall, and that the national dimension must be taken up – not least in presenting our alternatives to the SNP.
The key issues for the ISM will be defence of civil liberties and asylum rights, the right to strike and winning the battle for ideas. An SSP anti war pamphlet is being produced.
Workshops
Conference finished Saturday with a series of workshops on Cuba, the Middle East and the Scottish National Question.
The Scottish discussion focused on the fractures within the British state and the question of Europe and a referendum.
Alan McCoombes insisted we be up-front with our position of calling for an independent Socialist Scotland.
How socialists take up the national question will be key to the success of our fight to develop a socialist consciousness within the Scottish labour movement, particularly given the divisions throughout sections of the bourgeoisie on Europe.
Internationalism
Having left an International current the CWI, but considering themselves Internationalists, the ISM faces the question of how best to build Socialism internationally.
International speakers from the USFI, the UIT (a left current of Morenist orgins within the Workers Party in Brazil), the French LCR, and the DSP in Australia contributed to this discussion.
Murray Smith indicated the ISM has been attempting through the SSP to forge links with other organisations which we define as socialist.
The SSP has participated in two meetings that have been held with other European parties of the left held to coincide with European Union summits.
A third meeting is planned in Brussels in November. The aim of these meetings is to increase active co-ordination of similar organisations at a European level rather than to try to launch a new International. The ISM/SSP also co-operates with the Labour Party of Pakistan and with the DSP.
At a wider level the ISM supports the initiatives around the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre and sees the beginnings of a theoretical debate with sections of social democracy who are now participating in this forum. The building of internationalism will take place on several levels.
Francois Vercammen from the Fourth International noted that the starting point of the discussion was our failure to build a mass international, but argued that it was wrong to give up this aspiration.
The proletariat is bigger than ever and more heterogeneous. The sections of the Fourth International have comrades playing a leading role in the workers’ and social movements in many countries.
He welcomed the various international forums that exist which the Fourth International is fully committed to whether it be the European Conference of the Left or Porto Alegre, or discussions with individual organisations like the SSP.
The overall aim remains building a political international. He said that some groups would be invited to contribute to the Fourth International’s discussions through attendance at its leadership meetings.
Luciana Genro, the MP for Porto Alegre noted that Lula, the leader of the Workers Party (PT) may win the forthcoming Brazilan presidential elections. This would lead to the PT government confronting the working class, and the UIT was anticipating a split in the PT.
The UIT works with groups in Argentina, Peru, Spain, and Belarus as part of a broader organisation. Fighting globalisation on a world scale requires unified struggles.
The basis of an international is democracy not centralism; it should be federative, and not exclusively Trotskyist. Europe needs Latin America and vice versa. We must start co-ordinating.
Francois Duval from the LCR commented on the difficulties his organisation had as the largest section of the Fouth International. It is dangerous he argued for an international to be dominated by one organisation .
The LCR was building links with other parties; in Portugal, Denmark, the SSP, the SWP – working together because each has a role to play in regroupment. Many hours are spent discussing the type of party required. We agree the type of party we don’t want.
The DSP noted it had links with several dozen parties in Pakistan, France, Russia, Indonesia. These parties include ex Maoist groups so it would be wrong to insist on Trotskyism as a common starting point. It is better to debate the requirements of the world and then put the question of regroupment in that context.
In a wide ranging discussion it was noted that in the US many youth who created Seattle are anarchists and not keen on Marxists: these should not be excluded but involved in debates. We must reinvent presentation but retain essence of marxist methods and ideas.
The role of organised Marxists was key to building broader alliances e.g. the role of the ISM in the SSP. In summary there is no blueprint for building the International. There seemed to be agreement that the conception of the organisation required had more in common with the first and second internationals than the 3rd.
The ISM will continue to forge links and collaborate internationally.
ISM Organisation
Possibly the least satisfactory session of the weekend was that on ISM organisation. The ISM is a current within the SSP whose main aim is building and strengthening the party as a whole. It is no exaggeration to say the SSP would not exist without the ISM. But there was are wide range of views as to how the ISM should organise within the SSP.
Some leaders of the SSP felt that platforms did not require full time organisers, others that the existing structures of the ISM were too loose.
It was necessary to delineate the role of the ISM from the SSP, but there were differences on how to do this.
Some of this disagreement has become focused since the SWP joined the SSP.
The reason that ISM plays such a prominent role within the SSP is that its members are trusted and experienced. In contrast, the SWP’s apparent commitment to build their organisation before the SSP has reduced their credibility.
But on the other hand the SWP were recruiting to their platform, particularly amongst youth, while the ISM was less visible. Debates between ISM members took place in SSP there was no caucusing.
It was noted that most SSP members don’t understand why platforms exist. The ISM has to be open and tap into the thirst for discussion in SSP, offer training and development, offer members the opportunity to join if they wish..
The ISM is probably in a transitional phase as a number of people argued. No one wanted to respond to difficulties with the SWP by acting in the same way. The SWP behaviour has in fact led to several SSP members joining the ISM.
It was pointed out that it was important to recognise the diverse levels of experience within the SSP. The ISM needs to have informed discussions which are difficult in open SSP meetings.
The fact that this discussion took place against the clock left a number of these questions unresolved. It was however agreed that a new newsletter of the ISM is required and that Frontline should aim to move towards a monthly.
Overall, The ISM conference was a serious and educational experience. The level of discussion and analysis was of a high order and clarified how socialists in Scotland should respond to events both locally and Internationally.
I believe the ISM has shown its importance in the past and proved why it should continue to exist in the SSP.