Quick report on the Stop the War coalition meeting
Peter Purves | 03.10.2001 00:25
Let me tell you, I will never ever slag off concensus based meetings again. Even at their worst they will never reach the depths of what I just sat through.
The main business was taken up with a motion by Arrow, the direct action peace group. They felt that the previous meeting had been a stitch up by the SWP (surely not!), with the interim steering committee presented as a fait accompli, and only one set of principles for the coalition presented to be discussed upon. They wanted a vote on the steering committee and a vote on the principles (they had an alternative set), and a general commitment to democratic procedures.
Speakers for and against Arrow's proposals talked, including Mike Marquesee (who disingenuously introduced himself as not being an SWP member, which ignores his close involvement with them, speaking on their platforms and writing for their journals).
It went to a vote and surprise surprise, the majority voted against having a democratic vote on the steering committee. Could it be that the meeting was packed with SWP members? Nah....
As with so many such ideas it occured to me in the pub that I should have asked to speak and said, right, anyone NOT in the SWP put your hand up.
It turned out that the steering committee has about 9 or 10 people on it; we were told that there are 3 SWP members on it, but there is also the aforementioned Mr Marquesee, someone 'from the Socialist Alliance', and Chris Nineham from Globalise Resistance. Don't know if he is SWP, but you have to wonder.
If anyone hasn't seen the odious leaked SWP internal email on IMC (stopping the war's just great for recruiting and paper selling), then check
http://uk.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=12954
Having read that earlier in the day you can imagine my bitterness towards the SWP. But fuck all the arguing with them, we all know about Kronstadt, the role of the leninist 'Party' and the general poo-ness of the SWP, there's an important question here. Do we (ie those of us against authoritarian socialism) engage with a group that, while having several genuine people involved is yet another plaything of the SWP, or do we strike out on our own? If so, how?
The main business was taken up with a motion by Arrow, the direct action peace group. They felt that the previous meeting had been a stitch up by the SWP (surely not!), with the interim steering committee presented as a fait accompli, and only one set of principles for the coalition presented to be discussed upon. They wanted a vote on the steering committee and a vote on the principles (they had an alternative set), and a general commitment to democratic procedures.
Speakers for and against Arrow's proposals talked, including Mike Marquesee (who disingenuously introduced himself as not being an SWP member, which ignores his close involvement with them, speaking on their platforms and writing for their journals).
It went to a vote and surprise surprise, the majority voted against having a democratic vote on the steering committee. Could it be that the meeting was packed with SWP members? Nah....
As with so many such ideas it occured to me in the pub that I should have asked to speak and said, right, anyone NOT in the SWP put your hand up.
It turned out that the steering committee has about 9 or 10 people on it; we were told that there are 3 SWP members on it, but there is also the aforementioned Mr Marquesee, someone 'from the Socialist Alliance', and Chris Nineham from Globalise Resistance. Don't know if he is SWP, but you have to wonder.
If anyone hasn't seen the odious leaked SWP internal email on IMC (stopping the war's just great for recruiting and paper selling), then check
http://uk.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=12954 Having read that earlier in the day you can imagine my bitterness towards the SWP. But fuck all the arguing with them, we all know about Kronstadt, the role of the leninist 'Party' and the general poo-ness of the SWP, there's an important question here. Do we (ie those of us against authoritarian socialism) engage with a group that, while having several genuine people involved is yet another plaything of the SWP, or do we strike out on our own? If so, how?
Peter Purves
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