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Sacked Firefighter Steve Godward is sacked by the SWP

Tony Greenstein | 04.07.2003 00:33 | Analysis

The Socialist Alliance was created shortly before the 1991 General Election. Many people had high hopes that the notoriously sectarian British far-left had at last agreed to bury the hatchet in the capitalists rather than their own hopes. How wrong we were. The SWP is determined to prove that the song may change but the tune remains the same.

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!)

Tony Greenstein
- e-mail: brightonunemployedcentre2000@yahoo.co.uk

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

well that was constructive

04.07.2003 16:38

So, basically you don't like the SWP or Muslims much, yeah?

;-)

kurious


secret networks?

04.07.2003 16:41

Odd that someone from Brighton should have such detailed knowledge and strong views on events in Birmingham. Are you in fact secretly part of some sort of group or network? Or does your outrage rest on clairvoyant powers?

suspicious minds


Why 'work' with the SWP?

04.07.2003 18:24

It's sad but predictable to see what's happening with SA nationally and locally within Birmingham.
What I can't understand is why people think they can actually trust these people and their pathetic sect in the first place.
Their track record is proven and self evident. Just look at what they did to the Birmingham Stop the War Coalition. Monopolising, smearing and denouncing sincere activists to gain control. This is what they do, and we all know about it. So I'm perplexed as to why people think they're gonna do anything different. Just because they call themselves 'Socialist' and spout rhetoric about united fronts doesn't mean they're sincere about it.
Its the Asian community I feel for. For a community to have been 'politicised' by a load of self interested white Trots makes my stomach churn. These people are probably completey unaware of what they're truly about and they're being taken advantage of. As if the SWP can relate or even emphasise with anyone in the Asian Community let alone the working class?!
As for electoral success. Well, a bunch of bigoted fuckwits who've alienated not just the rest of the left sects but the activist community in Birmingham, don't stand a chance! And I wonder who's gonna carry the can, the Asian community?
Do yourselves a favour and get involved in something independent from them. Make an autonomous space that they can't monopolise. And if they try and hijack your activism tell em where to go. Or better still, by any means necessary! it works ;0)

Don't waste your energies! Zero Tolerance of SWPies!


Never trust the SWP!

05.07.2003 02:57

I live in Brum and know Steve Godward. Fuck off with your "Islamophobic" smears, they don't wash. What the SWP did in Brum on Tuesday night was a fucking disgrace. Any chance of a viable Socialist Alliance got fucked that night, because of the SWP's vile anti-democratic bullshit. And THEY know it, and at least have the grace to look ashamed, even if you don't have that much suss. The BNP would be proud, given the blow the SWPies and their little firm of naive muppets have managed to deal to any form of left unity in Birmingham. And, trust me, that'll mean the Muslim community fucked in the log run, too. Remember- the SWP suck George Galloway's cock, a personal friend of King Fahd. And isn't HE just the greatest thing to happen in the lives of working class Muslims??

Bollocks to the SWP, now and forever. Authoritarian hierarchal sKKKum. I just hope it's not too long before most of their younger fellow travellers realise just what manner of filth they're actually dealing with, and move the fuck away.

POISON. AVOID.

Gerrymander Francis


We can't go on together...

05.07.2003 11:48

Tony Greenstein is indeed a member of a 'secret network'. It's called the UL Left Network e-list, which any lefty can join. Not PARTICLARLY conspiratorial is it? Particularly compared with the SWp's tactics of getting over 20 people to join Birmingham Socialist Alliance in the week before its AGM with THE SPECIFIC AIM of replacing ALL the organisation's independent minded holders of office either with craven party hacks or with another crop of "useful idiots", to be dropped as soon as their past the shelf-life.

And what the fuck's George Monbiot doing hanging out with these scum, anyway?

Elvis hates the SWP too!


Trotskyite wreckers

06.07.2003 14:10

The SWP is a Trotskyite organisation and it is playing the role that its type has played since the start of this trend more than 80 years ago: wrecking. The Trotskyites only ever wreck and sabotage any movement, they have never built anything serious, only wrecked it and sniped from the sidelines. Whereever there has been revolution the Trots have either been no-where to be seen (eg Vietnam) or actively wrecked it (eg Spain).

??


Bham SA & Steve Godward

07.07.2003 09:28

What a disgrace! No doubt the swp will bullshit and repeat the smears that steve godward is islamophobic and racist (if so why was he happy to actively support all anti-racist stuff even the counterproductive crap of the ANL?)
I dont know about what this has to do with the latest turn to the asian community cos by christ the swp dont have any weight in w/c estates balck or white! Especially now!
You cant let the swpies get way with this ...cos they've tried to deny steve godward a much needed job on the bham trades council too..god this guy has a family to support (unlike most of the socially inadequate and dysfunctional scum that comprise the swp)..as far as im concerned the swp are SCABS and should be treated as such..

Gerk Francis


can carrying

07.07.2003 10:55

not quite sure about the comments about the 'Asian community' (?) carrying the can in this one..nor why the SWPies skin colour (predominately white) has anything to do with it...far more relevent is the fact that m/c swpies are aligning with m/c muslims (salma yacoob is hardly living in a slum in balsall heath now is she!) to f**k over a decent w/c bloke steve godward..
i woouldnt vote for the swp/mab party as 1: the swp are total scum, 2: i dont vote for religious groups

antony gluckstein


A pyrrhic victory

07.07.2003 22:55

Looks like the SWP might have won the battle but lost the war, using such shit tactics that EVERYONE with any suss will now be able to seee them for the destructive, warped, energy sucking class enemies they truly are.

Revolutionaries? Fucking scabs more like.

Gerrymander Francis