Socialist Workers Party (UK) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Socialist Workers Party
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| Abbreviation | SWP |
| International secretary | Alex Callinicos |
| General Secretary | Lewis Nielson |
| Founder | Tony Cliff |
| Founded | Socialist Review Group (1950) International Socialists (1962) Socialist Workers Party (1977) |
| Split from | Revolutionary Communist Party |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Newspaper |
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| Membership (2023) |  2,504 (financial)6,000 (registered) |
| Ideology |
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| Political position | Far-left |
| International affiliation | International Socialist Tendency |
| Colours | Red |
| Governing bodies |
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The Socialist Workers Party (SWP) is a far-left political party in the United Kingdom. It was started by supporters of Tony Cliff in 1950. Back then, it was called the Socialist Review Group. Later, it changed its name to International Socialists in 1962, and finally became the SWP in 1977.
The party believes in Trotskyism, a type of socialism. Tony Cliff and his followers thought that the Soviet Union was not truly socialist. They called it "state capitalist" instead.
The SWP has created groups to help organize and influence political actions. One famous group was the Anti-Nazi League in the late 1970s. The SWP is also part of a larger international group called the International Socialist Tendency.
Understanding the SWP's History
Early Beginnings: Socialist Review Group
The SWP started as the Socialist Review Group (SRG) in 1950. It began with only eight members. This group formed around Tony Cliff's idea that Russia was a "state capitalist" country. Because of these ideas, they were removed from the Revolutionary Communist Party.
The group was very small, so they decided to work within the Labour Party. This way, they could reach more people and find new members. Many early members were part of the Labour League of Youth.
The SRG grew by campaigning in groups like the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. By 1964, they had 200 members. Tony Cliff also wrote a book about Rosa Luxemburg. He believed her ideas about how revolutionary groups should be run were better for workers.
Becoming International Socialists
In 1961, the group started a newspaper called Industrial Worker. It was soon renamed Labour Worker and then became Socialist Worker. In late 1962, the Socialist Review Group changed its name to the International Socialism Group (IS).
As the Labour Party was in power, many of its members became unhappy. So, the IS group started working more outside the Labour Party around 1965. They focused more on working with trade unions. They published a pamphlet in 1966 that opposed the Labour Party's wage policies.
In 1968, the group adopted a way of organizing called "democratic centralism." This meant decisions were made centrally but with discussion. During this time, the IS was very involved in the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign. They also joined student protests in 1968. This helped the IS grow from 400 to 1,000 members.
The IS also supported the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in their fight against British rule. However, Socialist Worker warned against calling for British troops to leave too soon. They believed this would put socialists in danger.
From 1970 to 1974, the IS focused on working in factories and industries. Socialist Worker was popular among miners during the 1972 miners' strike. The IS grew from 2,351 to 3,310 members between 1972 and 1974. Many manual workers joined the group.
Forming the Socialist Workers Party
In 1974, the Labour Party returned to power. They introduced a "Social Contract" which limited wage increases. This led to less union activity. The IS's factory groups also became much smaller.
In January 1977, the IS was renamed the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). This change happened because the party decided to take part in elections. They also felt they were better at starting their own campaigns.
Fighting Racism: Anti-Nazi League
One important campaign the SWP helped create was the Anti-Nazi League (ANL). This group was formed to fight against the National Front (NF), a far-right group that was growing in the 1970s. The NF was involved in racist attacks and street protests.
A key moment was on August 13, 1977. Thousands of anti-fascists tried to stop the NF from marching through Lewisham. After this, the SWP launched the ANL. They used celebrity endorsements to promote the ANL in newspapers.
Many people saw the ANL as a way for the SWP to lead the anti-racist movement. Other anti-racist groups were sometimes suspicious. However, they often worked together to avoid showing public disagreements.
The ANL also worked closely with Rock Against Racism. This group was formed after musician Eric Clapton supported a politician with anti-immigrant views. They organized successful music festivals with bands like The Clash and The Buzzcocks. By 1981, the National Front had become much smaller, and the ANL campaign ended.
Changes in the 1980s
From 1978 onwards, the SWP believed that the period of rising worker protests was ending. By 1982, the SWP changed its focus. It became more about teaching Marxist ideas. The party's local groups became the main way it organized.
Many of the groups the SWP had helped create, like the ANL and Women's Voice, were closed down. Some members who were very active in the ANL's defense groups were expelled. They later formed other groups like Anti-Fascist Action.
The closure of Women's Voice caused debate. Some thought it ignored women's specific issues. Others felt it was losing touch with the common interests of male and female workers.
During the 1984–1985 miners' strike, the SWP focused on encouraging support for the miners. They explained why more solidarity was needed. This change in how the SWP worked was seen by some as becoming too separate from other left-wing groups. However, the SWP believes this approach helped it survive a difficult time.
The 1990s and New Challenges
The early 1990s were confusing for many far-left groups because the Soviet Union collapsed. But the SWP saw this as proof that their idea of the Soviet Union being "state capitalist" was correct. They argued that the change from state capitalism to multinational capitalism was just a different type of exploitation.
The SWP relaunched the ANL in 1992 to fight against the growth of the British National Party. They also protested against the Criminal Justice Bill. A protest in 1993 for Stephen Lawrence, a murdered teenager, turned violent. This led to criticism from some politicians. Stephen's mother, Doreen Lawrence, later felt that the groups involved were hurting her campaign. She asked both the ANL and another group to stop using Stephen's name.
In 1997, the SWP encouraged people to vote for the Labour Party. Even though they disagreed with Labour's policies, they thought it would lead to people questioning Labour later. This would create opportunities for left-wing groups.
Police Infiltration
Between 1970 and 2007, British police had undercover officers join the SWP. These officers sometimes used the names of children who had passed away.
Working with Other Groups
The SWP worked with the Socialist Alliance in England and Wales. Its members in Scotland joined the Scottish Socialist Party.
After the 9/11 attacks, the SWP worked with other groups like the Muslim Association of Britain. Together, they started the Stop the War Coalition. This group aimed to oppose the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It also campaigned against attacks on Muslims. The SWP was the main group in this coalition.
The Stop the War Coalition organized a huge protest on February 15, 2003. Between 750,000 and 2 million people marched in London. The SWP described the resistance in Iraq as a movement against military occupation. They also supported Hezbollah, calling them "the resistance."
The SWP also became involved with Respect – The Unity Coalition in 2004. This was an alliance with former Labour MP George Galloway. However, this alliance broke apart in 2007.
After the split, the SWP formed the Left List. In Scotland, the SWP left the Scottish Socialist Party to join Tommy Sheridan's group, Solidarity. In 2010, the SWP joined the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition and ran candidates in the general election.
Recent Events
In 2009, some leaders of the SWP resigned from the Central Committee. They later left the party in 2010. Around 60 former members, including John Rees and Lindsey German, resigned from the SWP. In response to the financial crisis, the SWP started the Right to Work campaign in 2009.
In 2011, Chris Bambery, a long-time member, resigned from the party. He said the party had too many internal disagreements. After his resignation, 38 members in Scotland also left to form a new Marxist group.
How the SWP is Led
The SWP is led by a central committee and a national committee. Members of the central committee are chosen at a meeting each January. As of 2023, the central committee members include Alex Callinicos, Amy Leather, Charlie Kimber, and others.
The national committee has 51 members, also chosen yearly. The central committee also organizes at least four party councils each year. At these councils, two members from each local group can attend, along with the national committee.
What the SWP Believes In
Duncan Hallas, one of the founders of the IS (the SWP's earlier name), said that the group saw themselves as mainstream Trotskyists. The SWP calls itself a "revolutionary socialist party." It follows the ideas of Leon Trotsky, which are based on Marxism and Leninism.
The SWP's supporters often call their beliefs "socialism from below." This idea means that working people themselves must achieve their freedom. They believe this sets them apart from other socialist groups. They see the Labour Party as a "capitalist workers' party." They also disagree with what they call Stalinism, which is linked to the former Soviet Union. They believe these groups support "socialism from above."
The SWP also has some unique ideas that set it apart from other Trotskyist groups. These include: State Capitalism, Deflected Permanent Revolution, and The Permanent Arms Economy.
The SWP does not have a formal written program like some other groups. Instead, they publish an outline of their ideas called "Where We Stand" in every issue of their newspaper, Socialist Worker.
State Capitalism Explained
The SWP believes that other social groups should not try to take the place of the working class in the fight for a socialist society. This idea led Tony Cliff, the SWP's founder, to disagree with other Trotskyists about the Soviet Union. Other Trotskyists thought the USSR was a "degenerated workers' state." But Cliff argued that the USSR and Eastern Europe used a type of capitalism he called "bureaucratic state capitalist." He believed this was also true for countries like China, Vietnam, and Cuba.
This theory was summarized with the slogan: "Neither Washington nor Moscow, but International Socialism." This means they did not support either the capitalist West or the Soviet Union's system.
Deflected Permanent Revolution
The SWP needed to explain why many former colonies had overthrown their rulers but did not become truly socialist. Tony Cliff developed the idea of "deflected permanent revolution." He argued that if a strong working class was not present, educated people could lead a revolution. However, this revolution would lead to a state capitalist system, not a socialist one.
Cliff first wrote about this idea in 1963, looking at the Cuban Revolution and the Chinese Revolution. This theory became an important tool for SWP thinkers to understand revolutions in different countries.
Permanent Arms Economy
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The idea of the "permanent arms economy" (PAE) helped explain why the global economy grew so much after the Second World War. This was different from the period after the First World War, which saw economic problems.
The PAE suggests that spending on weapons helped capitalism stay stable. This is because money spent on arms does not lead to more goods being produced. This prevents profits from falling.
The PAE idea was first suggested in 1944 by Ed Sard. Tony Cliff introduced it to the IS group in 1957. Later, Mike Kidron and Chris Harman further developed this theory. However, Mike Kidron later disagreed with the theory in the mid-1970s.
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