The dominant figures in the current SWP are very much batten down the hatches, sell the paper, recruit the next generation of students and get involved with whatever demos and industrial battles are going on….i.e the same as the last 50 years of SWPism.
Briefly in the 1970s and 60s the SWPs forerunner International Socialist, was more grassroots in nature, proclaiming Rosa Luxemburg as their star along with Lenin. I think they have got stuck in a groove.
They need to participate in a flexible democratic way and rethink. Karl Marx didn’t say ‘sell the paper build the party’ he said ‘Doubt everything’ i.e have a critical edge.
In Britain there is a General Election coming up, SWP members should go and do leg work for good candidates, leafletting canvassing, etc….doing nothing or trying to take over or constructing a ‘just add water instant left party’…are not serious options. They should build on Martin Empson’s excellent booklet ‘Marxism and Ecology’ and participate in non violent direct action.
Above all they should take a long hard look at their own political practices, even on the left they are unpopular and if you build a narrow sectarian left politics which pisses everyone off, you only help the right.
I would love them to say live and let live to the likes of Lindsay and John, to reinstate Clare Solomon and to look at what is good about the progress that left has made in Latin America under Chavez and Morales.