Steve Godward is a sacked Firefighter and the type of trade union militant the SWP was backing to the hilt a few months ago. That of course was before the war. He was also Vice-Chair of the Socialist Alliance nationally and Chair of Birmingham Socialist Alliance.

Unfortunately he had developed a dangerous habit – it was called independence. And when he wrote an article questioning the nostrums of the SWP’s guru, John Reece, concerning building an alliance with the ‘new social forces in society he had to go. You see the SWP, seeing the success of getting 2 million people on the streets (they actually believe that they were responsible rather than merely riding the crest of a wave) and gaining few recruits, they decided to junk socialism and class politics and propose a broad electoral front to the Morning Star Communist Party of Britain, who they work with in the STWC and to leaders of the Birmingham mosques.

Steve wasn’t terribly happy about all of this, especially since John Rees refused to tell SA people in Birmingham what he was up to, because his discussions were ‘confidential’. The CPB turned him down but he retains hopes of greater success with the Imams of the mosques. The SWP, having already won a seat on Preston Council through an alliance with the local mosque, were keen to repeat the trick elsewhere. And with the Euro elections coming up they proposed an electoral pact. Whether it will take off is anyone’s guess and if it did it might be extremely dangerous, dividing the Black from White working class with socialist, i.e. class politics out of the window.

What is more likely though is the SWP’s ‘strategy’ (if that is what this crass electoral opportunism can be called) will fail miserably, but not before democracy in the Socialist Alliance and the Alliance itself has died a death. And so, up and down the country, local Alliances which have been thorns in the side of the SWP are being divided (Manchester) wound up (Lambeth, Bedford) or else wound down, other than for elections. Those like Steve Godward, who dare to raise their heads and even query the SWP gurus are having them chopped off.

The SWP has always been somewhat equivocal about the SA. It wanted it to develop, but no that its own rationale and reason for existence was threatened. First the Socialist Party was forced out (and unfortunately chose to walk instead) and now any vestige of independence left is being squeezed out of existence.

At the last SA Conference the SWP used its muscle to take a majority of seats on the Executive (with a few compliant ‘independents’ and the support of Alan Thornett’s ISG). It staged an election which was farcical with just one slate to be voted on and no possibility of minority representation that the SWP objected to. It opposed the creation of a Workers Party as in Scotland, still less an SA paper. And quite understandably from its narrow sectarian viewpoint – why have another party when the SWP is itself a party. And why have a newspaper when there is already Socialist Worker?

In Scotland, where the SSP gained 6 seats, the SWP has been forced to accept that they sell their paper inside the SSP, that they recruit to the SSP not themselves and to participate in the most successful socialist experiment in these isles. The SWP Leadership (aka German, Rees, Hoverman) look on what is happening north of the border with fear and trepidation. The more successful a genuine mass socialist party is, the less reason they have for existence separate and outside of it. That is not something to be repeated in England and Wales.

And there is therefore also the other side of the equation The religious cult that says and believes that Black=White. How else to explain Julie Waterstone of the ANL informing us that the working class don’t vote BNP, that New Labour’s vote is collapsing and yet the BNP only take votes off the Tories (except for the ‘scum on the estates’). Not surprisingly according to Waterstone, the BNP was ‘marginalised’ at the local elections and our job is to finish them off and crush them. It is the height of unreality and because of that fact alone it is believed. Instead the SWP crowed about their one election victory, in alliance with the Imams. And in Birmingham what is being proposed? That an election manifesto for Muslim candidates at the Euro elections will not mention gay rights and the oppression of women will be hedged around.

It is not surprising that the SWP is intent on purging the last remaining independent voices in the Alliance. What is surprising is that they are so crass as to purge one of the few genuine working class militants the Alliance attracted.

Tony Greenstein
Secretary – Brighton Unemployed Workers Centre & Brighton Socialist Alliance (just!)