John Lister and As events in Respect have spiralled downwards into crisis, various calls for unity have been raised which have a certain superticial attraction.
Wouldn't it be better if the two sides of the National Council (basically the SWP and fellow travellers on one side, and everyone else, including recent expellees from the SWP, on the other) could just sort out their differences and work together?
But the idea has had less credibility by the hour: the actions of the SWP leadership and its immediate supporters (in response to a crisis entirely of their own making) have been so damagig, so cynical and so reckless that it is NOW impossible to find a core of members of the National Council who would be willing to trust them to honour any agreement that might be proposed.
We already have the experience to show that these fears are well founded.
This is not the first time around for a unity drive: after the acrimony of the September 22nd NC in which 13 out of 14 SWP speakers had personally attacked George Galloway, seemingly determined to force him out of Respect, the September National Council carried a succession of unanimous votes for unity.
Since then every one of the unanimous decisions has been opposed and obstructed by the SWP leadership and its coterie who voted for them at the time.
The frenzied, back-biting attacks on George Galloway have continued and intensified in closed SWP meetings and in more public arenas. This same process of polarisation has alienated more prominent members of the SWP.
Nick Wrack has been hauled before an SWP Star Chamber and expelled. Rob Salma Yaqoob: she has been branded a "communalist" and part of a "right wing" in Respect allegedly "witch-hunting" the SWP Hoveman and Kevin Ovenden, long-standing and experienced SWP members working in George Galloway's office, were instructed to resign their jobs or be expelled: they too have now been expelled from the party.
Leading trade union militant Jerry Hicks did not wait to be expelled: he drafted a devastating critique of his party's leadership and resigned from the SWP.
The masquerade of unity was also promptv undermined by polarised meetings in Tower Hamlets, and HOIC recently in other towns and cities, in which the SWP has battled to secure the lion's share of delegate positions for the conference, and hyped up the rhetorical attacks Galloway, Salma Yaqoob and those who have supported them.
The conflict has not been accidental but deliberate: every clash, and every angry, frustrated statement expletive that has been proEvery one of the unanimous decisions has been opposed and obstructed by the SWP leadership voked, has then in turn been exploited to build up the fiction of a "left-right" clash in
"witch-hunt" against the SWP - in which all of the various currents and individuals which have criticised the way Respect has been run, and identified with the points made by George Galloway and Salma Yaqoob, have been branded as the "right" wing.
A "petition" against the non-existent witch-hunt has been whipped up as a test of loyalty to hundreds of SWP members up and down the country, many of whom have as a result signed as "Respect supporter", indicating that they are not even members of the organisation.
Four Tower Hamlets councillors, two of them SWP members and two very close to the SWP, who have held a press conference to publicise their resignation of the Respect whip and the establishment of a new party grouping in Tower Hamlets
(Independent) which may run candidates against Respect. The press conference was arranged by a full time worker in the Respect Office (an SWP member clearly working under the direction Central Committee member John Rees), with the £300 + venue billed to Respect, and attended by National Secretary John Rees, who has yet to voice any criticism of this very public and very damaging split in the organisation.
The SWP leadership has resorted to ridiculous manoeuvres in their efforts to manipulate an artificial majority behind their position at the Respect conference, scheduled November 17: large numbers of phantom members have been claimed "Student organisation wholly owned and controlled by the SWP, allowing the SWP to send along one delegate for every ten claimed members, and potentially outvote genuine delegates from branches. When challenged to produce evidence that these students were genuine members, the SWP leadership has responded claiming this is another part of the "witch hunt" and an attempt to exclude students.
Looking over the period since Galloway penned his critical letter at the back end every
The SWP leadership have
Continued on the to crisis August 23 2007 George Galloway's letter sent to NC members August 23September 21 Contributions are written by Salma Yacoob and Alan Thornett and one from John Rees and Elaine Graham Leigh. The latter is hostile and defensive. Internally SWP hold a series of aggregate meetings in which GG and SY are accused of "communalism". September 21. Galloway denounced at allLondon meeting of SWP members. September 22 National Council meeting. SWP members denounce George Galloway. He walks out of meeting saying he will resign from the NC and will not stand in the election. He is persuaded to go back. Afterwards sections of his proposals adopted unanimously. Meeting adjourned until September 29 to complete September 29 National Council. Motion to urge Galloway to reconsider and resume candidacy moved by SWP member and carried unanimously. Debate over formula for National Organiser and unanimous agreement on formula. Galloway proposes Nick Wrack for the job as acceptable to both sides of NC. September 30 SWP National council meets. Opposition develops inside SWP to the actions of the leadership in all this. Monday October 8 Nick Wrack told by SWP he is not acceptable to them as National organiser and
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GIR MA ESTER