Socialist Party of Great Britain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Socialist Party of Great Britain
Abbreviation	SPGB
Leader	None
Founder	Jack Fitzgerald
Founded	12 June 1904 (121 years ago) (1904-06-12)
Split from	Social Democratic Federation
Headquarters	52 Clapham High Street, Clapham, London
Newspaper	Socialist Standard
Membership (2022)	≈300
Ideology	Impossibilism Orthodox Marxism Socialism
International affiliation	World Socialist Movement
Colours	Red
Slogan	World Socialism
Politics of the United Kingdom Political parties

The Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB) is a socialist political party in the United Kingdom. It was started in 1904. The party believes in using elections to bring about big changes in society. They are against Leninism (a type of communism) and also against simply making small changes to the current system. The SPGB thinks that countries which said they were socialist were actually "state capitalist". They were one of the first groups to call the Soviet Union "state capitalist". The party's ideas are often called a form of impossibilism.

How the SPGB Started

People at the first yearly meeting of the SPGB in 1905

The SPGB began in 1904. It split off from another group called the Social Democratic Federation (SDF). The SPGB disagreed with the SDF's focus on small changes. They also didn't like how much one person, Henry Hyndman, controlled the SDF. This is why the SPGB doesn't have a single leader.

The split also happened because the SDF was involved with the group that later started the Labour Party. This disagreement was part of a bigger debate in the socialist movement. People argued about whether to make small changes or aim for a complete revolution.

The founders of the SPGB saw themselves as part of a wider movement called impossibilism. This movement believed that capitalism could not be reformed. In 1903, many SDF members in Scotland left to form the Socialist Labour Party. The impossibilists in London then decided to form their own group, which became the SPGB. Unlike some other groups, the SPGB believed in using elections and parliament to achieve their goals.

Other Groups That Left

Sometimes, members of the SPGB have had debates about specific events. These included the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and the Hungarian Uprising of 1956. They also discussed the movements for democracy in countries like the Soviet bloc in the 1980s.

A few times, small groups of members left the party. They sometimes worried about how slowly the party was growing. These groups developed ideas that challenged the SPGB's main beliefs. However, only a few of these disagreements were serious enough to cause groups to break away. Some of the most well-known groups that left were the Socialist Propaganda League and the group that published Socialist Studies.

What the SPGB Believes In

Revolution and Change

The SPGB says it is a revolutionary party. This means they want a complete change in society. They believe in class struggle, which is the idea that different social classes have different interests. However, for the SPGB, revolution does not mean violence or civil war.

They explain in their pamphlet Socialist Principles Explained:

The kind of bloody revolution that brought capitalism to many countries is now old-fashioned. Four main things make it important to work for a peaceful, democratic revolution that uses voting where it exists:

• Most modern capitalist countries are very well-armed, informed, rich, and powerful. An armed uprising trying to overthrow the government would fail.
  
• If violence is used to start a government, it can only be kept by violence (like capitalism). A socialist society cannot be built this way.
  
• There is no way to know if a violent movement truly represents what most people want. Many workers would be against it because it's violent. Only a vote can show that most people want to get rid of capitalism.
  
• A very large majority vote makes violence unnecessary. It shows that opposing the change would be pointless.

The SPGB believes that socialism will only happen when most people around the world believe it's a better way to live. They support impossibilism. This means they want to achieve their goal through elections. They have a clear plan for socialism. Right now, their main job is to spread their ideas and "make socialists." Unlike Leninists, they think that society can change from capitalism to socialism right away when most people decide to do it.

What is Socialism?

An SPGB pamphlet from 1920

The party's main goal is printed on all its materials. This shows how important it is. The goal is:

To create a society where the means of producing and distributing wealth are owned and controlled by everyone, for the benefit of the whole community.

This goal is different from some others, like the Labour Party's original goal. The SPGB's goal specifically leaves out the idea of "exchange." This means they believe in a society where money is not needed. They think this can be done through careful planning based on what people need. They suggest a system like how supermarkets manage their stock. This would make sure goods are always available for people to use. This idea was explained in their 1980s pamphlet Socialism as a Practical Alternative.

Following Karl Marx

The SPGB says they follow the ideas of Karl Marx. They believe his ideas are correct, not because Marx was a special person. They sometimes quote him saying, Je ne suis pas marxiste ("I am not a Marxist"). They often challenge how the media uses the term "Marxist." They say it's wrongly used to describe guerrilla and terrorist groups that have nothing to do with what the SPGB sees as working-class freedom.

State Capitalism

The party disagrees with the idea that "socialism has existed before and failed." They believe that countries claiming to be socialist were actually state capitalist. SPGB members argue that socialism cannot exist in just one country. It must be global. They also believe socialism will only happen when most people want it and are ready to work together to create it.

Many people mistakenly think the SPGB called the Russian revolution "state capitalist" right away. Actually, they first praised the Bolsheviks for taking Russia out of World War I. But they warned that Russia, with its many uneducated peasants, was not ready for a socialist revolution. They said, "the right to vote gives workers a way to freedom. Until workers learn to use this tool properly, they are not ready for socialism." Their first mention of "state capitalism" was actually a quote from Vladimir Lenin describing Russia's situation. The theory grew over time. It focused on the fact that wages and money still existed in the Soviet Union. This showed that capitalism had not been removed.

A big debate within the party was about who the capitalist class was in Russia and Eastern Europe. Some thought there were private capitalists, just like in Western countries. Others believed the government officials themselves were the capitalist class. This second idea won in a 1969 meeting:

This Conference agrees that the ruling class in state capitalist Russia has the same relationship to the means of production as the ruling class in any other capitalist country. This means they control those means of production and are therefore a capitalist class.

Fascism

Unlike other left-wing groups, the SPGB did not see fascism as a special danger to the working class. They saw it as a type of reform movement. They noted two main things about fascism. First, it often brought fragmented nations together, like Germany, Italy, and Spain. Second, it often had strong support from the working class.

The party believed the working class was the most important political group. So, if the working class supported fascism, fascism would win. Articles in the Socialist Standard in the 1930s often made this point. Early writers noted what Benito Mussolini could do with state power. This supported the SPGB's idea that workers should take control of the state. Because of this, the SPGB did not join anti-fascist groups. They argued that promoting socialism was the best way to deal with fascism.

Nationalism

The SPGB has always been against nationalism. Nationalism means favoring one country or group of rulers over another. SPGB members often say that socialism is the only way for people to truly be free.

More than almost anything else, we Socialists are internationalists. We belong to the international working class. Our problem is international; our only hope is international, and our enemy is international too.

The SPGB believes that national liberation struggles (wars for a country's independence) are a waste of workers' lives. They think these wars don't truly change world capitalism. For example, they criticized the Irish Easter Rising and the fight for freedom in Ireland.

Democracy

The SPGB is committed to using elections to achieve its revolution. Their focus on democracy is about giving the working class enough power to make their revolution happen. The party does not discuss things like proportional representation or changes to Parliament. They believe the current system already gives the working class enough ways to express its will.

They used these arguments to oppose the suffragettes. The suffragettes wanted to extend voting rights to women, but with the same property rules that men had. The SPGB argued this would mostly increase the votes of the capitalist class, without helping the working class.

In the 1920s and 1930s, the party started saying that workers needed enough "space" to organize for a socialist revolution. So, they supported workers fighting for democracy and basic freedoms. However, they said socialists should not team up with any pro-capitalist groups to do this.

In the 1980s, this idea was extended to supporting the fight for democracy in Central and Eastern Europe. They especially supported Solidarity's struggle in Poland.

The SPGB is against vanguardism (the idea that a small group of leaders should guide the revolution). They also say that capitalism cannot be reformed to help the working class. They do not get involved in direct action or work with political parties that don't agree with their founding principles. The SPGB and its partner parties in other countries form the World Socialist Movement.

Trade Unions

Trade unions were a big topic for the party in its early years. Some members wrote letters criticizing trade union leaders for being too willing to compromise.

At the party's second meeting, a rule was passed saying members could not hold office in trade unions. However, this rule was later overturned. The agreed position was to work within trade unions. But they also accepted that unions had different goals than political parties. They decided not to try and take over unions. Later, there were debates about whether trade union struggles could actually help the working class, or if their role was only to defend against losses.

In the 1980s, the issue of trade unions was key to their decision to support Solidarity in Poland. Also, during the miners' strike of 1984–1985, the party supported the miners. But they also said the miners would not win. They stated: "It is our job as socialists, then, to stand with our fellow workers in their necessary battles to defend themselves, but to point out at all times that the real victory to be achieved is the abolition of the wages system."

War

Since it started, the SPGB has been against every war, including World War I and World War II. In its early years, party writers often compared the number of deaths in wars to the number of people killed or injured in industrial accidents. They wanted to show how much passion went into war, compared to the lack of action against bad conditions under capitalism. The party argues that wars under capitalism are fought for the benefit of the capitalist class. They believe that workers do all the dying for no gain for themselves. They also pointed out that while the press called for strikes to stop during wartime, capitalists continued their "class war" by lowering wages and raising prices. During both wars, some members were recognized as conscientious objectors.

In 1914, the main headline of the Socialist Standard asked workers to join up for the "class war" as the only way to bring peace. The magazine was banned from being sent to the front lines.

The party almost supported the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War. They thought it was about defending democracy. This led to a debate within the party. The official statement did not fully support the pro-capitalist republican government. Instead, it offered general support to workers fighting for democracy.

A similar debate happened during World War II. Some members argued it was a war between totalitarian and democratic governments. But many writers in the Socialist Standard tried to prove it was another trade-based war caused by capitalism. This latter view won. The party set out three rules for supporting any action:

• Is the action meant to achieve socialism, and will it?
• Is the action meant to protect democracy, and will it?
• Is the action meant to improve workers' lives, and will it?

Because of censorship during that war, the party could not publish articles directly criticizing the war. Instead, they wrote articles about ancient history, like the Peloponnesian War. These were hidden ways to talk about the current conflict. The Socialist Standard noted that they were sad to do this, but saw no other choice.

Since the party is against nationalism and national liberation struggles, it has always refused to take sides in wars like the Vietnam War. They also did not support the different rebel groups in the Iraq War.

Their stance is for immediate peace between nations, no matter the borders. Party speakers emphasize that the SPGB is not a pacifist party. They would support using force to defend a socialist revolution. They generally have a careful criticism of nuclear weapon opposition.

How the SPGB is Organized

Membership

Danny Lambert speaking against capitalism at Speakers' Corner, 31 October 2004

To become a member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain, you must agree with the party's main goal and principles. All people who want to join must take a short written or spoken "test." This test helps them show they understand and agree with the party's basic ideas. This is important because once someone joins, they have full democratic rights. All members are equal. This kind of democracy only works if everyone agrees on the main principles. The party believes there would be no point in a socialist group giving full rights to those who strongly disagree with the socialist cause.

Leadership

One reason the party split from the SDF was about leadership. Since it started in 1904, the SPGB has had no single leader. The party has a ten-person executive committee. This committee is chosen every year by a vote of all members. Its job is to manage the party day-to-day. Its power to make decisions is limited. All big decisions are made at the Annual Conference, held every year at Easter.

The SPGB Today

The SPGB is strongly anti-Leninist. They work to keep their identity separate from the Socialist Party (SPEW). SPEW is a Trotskyist group. The SPGB often calls itself "The Socialist Party." SPEW uses "Socialist Party" (without "The") and runs in elections as Socialist Alternative.

The party started with 142 members. In 2000, it had about 500 members. As of 2022, the party had about 300 members. Around 150 members regularly vote in party elections.

In 2005, the party made a film called Capitalism and Other Kids' Stuff.

As of 2022, the party was reported to have £2.6 million in savings. This included a property worth £1.3 million, £800,000 in investments, and £400,000 in cash. The party spent £80,000 on political activities in 2021 and £114,055 in 2022.

Elections

The SPGB has run in most general elections since 1945. They have put forward candidates in one to ten areas. They have not yet reached the number of votes needed to get back their election deposit. The party also sometimes runs candidates for European, Welsh, and local elections.

Only the votes for specific areas were counted, not the overall regional vote. The percentage only refers to the total votes in those areas.

Debates

Party Debates

Debates between the SPGB and other groups helped share the party's ideas with more people. These debates were often easier to understand than formal speeches. In debates with the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) in the late 1940s, an SPGB member named Sammy Cash convinced the RCP's Jock Haston that the Soviet Union was state capitalist. This idea then reached Tony Cliff, and in a slightly different form, it became part of the ideas of the British Socialist Workers Party. Richard Headicar, who used to speak for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, changed his mind after debating with the party.

See also

In Spanish: Partido Socialista de Gran Bretaña para niños

• List of Socialist Party of Great Britain members
• World Socialist Movement