Platform of Cannon-Trotsky faction

Scan page 12

Speakers include Jeremy Labour Committee on Corbyn MP, Jock Campbell Ireland, BM Box 5355, and POEU Executive mem- London WC1N 3XX Socialist Organiser RECENTLY Socialist Organiser reported the launching of Socialist Action, a public faction of the American Socialist Workers Party in opposition to the bureaucratic SWP leadership (headed by Jack Barnes) and its headlong abandonment of Trotskyism in favour of Castro's Stalinist politics.

In this situation it may be useful for readers to see how other opponents of the Barnes leadership have voiced their criticism of the SWP's trade union orientation and international polities. One grouping which raised such positions in particularly sharp form - and were summarily expelled in 1982 for the 'crime' of forming an (internal) faction - is based in Minneapolis around veteran Teamster militant Harry De Boer.

We reprint here the declaration of the 'Cannon-Trotsky Faction' 1. We call for a return to party democracy and an end to the repressive methods carried out by the leadership of the Socialist Workers Party against the membership. Such methods should not exist in a revolutionary National Committee elections are rigged. Opposition political tendencies are outlawed. Policy decisions are determined by the leadership in secret and not submitted to the members for approval. Critics of the leadership's policies are driven out of the party, threatened or put on LABUUK Campaign for WAVL TA Gay Rights. Contact: Mike, 659 2938 or Bob 341 0666.

GAY YS. Contact: 263 9484.

STOP Privatisation of BT. Public meeting called by Islington Labour Parties. Monday December 7.30pm. Central Library, SCOTLAND Edinburgh.

Contact: Dave, 2294591.

SO is sold at Muirhouse (Sat. 10.30-12.30) and at the First-of-May bookshop, Candlemaker Row.

Glasgow.

Contact: Stan Crooke, 34, Garturk St., G42. SO is sold at Rutherglen shopping arcade (Friday lunchtime), Coatbridge shopping arcade (Saturday lunchtime), Maryhill dole (Tuesday morning), and at the West End bookshop.

NORTH WEST Hyndburn.

Contact: Accrington Liverpool.

Contact: 733 6663. SO is sold at News-fromNowhere, Whitechapel and at Progressive Books, Berry Manchester.

Contact: Tony, 273 5691. SO is sold at Grass Roots Books, Newton St., Piccadilly.

Rochdale.

Contact: c/o 28 Middle Lane, London N8.

Stoke.

Contact: Paul Barnett, 328198.

Stockport.

Contact: 40 Fox St Edgley. SO is sold at ! tockport Market, Saturday 11.00 12.30).

We call on the party leadership to lift the threats made at the February plenum against the 12 party members who were told they had forfeited their right of membership. We call for a massive effort to re-recruit the working class fighters who quit the Socialist Workers Party over the last five years, largely because of the party's policies in the labour movement and its methods of treating comrades. 2. We believe in the need for a socialist America and world. We are supporters and defenders of the Fourth International. In the current world economic crisis, there are growing opportunities among our co-workers, but because of the leadership's policies, those opportunities are being squandered. The party leadership has dropped the transitional programme. It is in the process of revising Lenin, and it is abandoning the theories of Trotsky. We call for a return to revolutionary theory and method. 3. We advocate that the party fight on behalf of the workers. The party's methods in the labour movement today are self-defeating. The leadership encourages members on the job to quickly reveal their membership in the party, leading to wholesale victimisations. The leadership counsels party members to abstain from participating and leading on-the-job struggles, further isolating our members.

Fieldway Crescent, N5.

ber.

Wirral.

Contact: Lol Duffy, 3 St.

James Court, Victoria Rd., New Brighton, Merseyside.

YORKSHIRE EAST Durham.

Contact: Andy, 64088. SO is sold at Community Co-op, New Elvet.

Halifax.

Contact: 52156. SO is sold at Hebden Bridge Books.

Harrogate.

Contact: Mark, 522542. SO is sold at Harrogate Market (Wednesday, Friday, Saturday lunchtimes).

Huddersfield.

Contact: Alan Brooke, 59 Magdale, Honley, HD7 2LX Hull.

Contact: c/o 28 Middle Lane, London N8. .

Leeds Contact: Garth, 623322. SO is sold at Books and Corner Books, Woodhouse Lane.

Sheffield.

Conract Rob, 589307. SO is sold at Boots in Fargate (Saturday, 12 to 1) and at Independent Bookshop, trial. All key local branch decisions are made by the national leadership rather than by the branches.

The control commission, which is supposed to defend party democracy, is used by the leadership to terrorise and silence any opposition.

Bristol.

Contact: c/o 28 Lane, London N8.

Cardiff.

Contact: 492988.

Taunton.

Contact: c/o 28 Lane, London N8.

MIDLANDS

Birmingham.

Contact: Godfrey Webster, 169 Barclay Rd., Bearswood, Smethwick. SO is sold at the Other Bookshop.

Coventry. Contact: Keith, 75623. SO is sold at the Wedge Bookshop.

Leicester.

Contact: Phil, is gold at Glossop Rd.

Sunderland.

Contact: c/o York.

Contact: 414118. SO is sold at the University (Friday mornings), Coney St. (Saturday mornings), the dole office (most mornings) and at Community Bookshop.

WALES AND WEST Middle Middie 857908. SO Blacktborne The leadership encourages members to lecture co-workers on the party's policies, which only antagonises workers. Ine party leadership systematically yanks members out of workplaces before they can get established, transferring them from city to city so that they have no bases anywhere and little understanding or connections with the class they seek to organise.

Loyal party members and long time party builders who do not take industrial jobs are driven out of the party. The party leaders have little understanding of trade union principles. They advocate crossing picket lines and did so themselves during the strike by the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organisation (PATCO). A party member who advocated using union buses for a union demonstration was expelled.

The party leaders no longer seriously promote a labour party in the United States. Despite the worsening layoffs, the party leadership does not have a plan to organise the unemployed.

Today, the party leadership has lost confidence in the workers. Under the leadership of the party's founder, James P. Cannon, the party had a reputation as a fighter for the working class. We call for a return to that tradition.

4. We call for a return to workers' internationalism. The party leadership opposed demonstrations in support of the Polish workers, at a time Solidarity desperately needed such support. We call for unconditional defence of the Cuban revolution against American imperialism, but we oppose the party leadership cover-up of Cuba's major shortcomings.

Cuba supported the Polish bureaucracy's crackdown on the Polish workers and the imposiSaturday 17 December.

Coventry Socialist Organiser Christmas Party and video showing of 'Framed Youth' Vauxhall Tavern, Days Lane, Hillfields. 7.30pm Video and 8.30 pm Buffet and Disco. Extension applied for.

Books, High Street.

Northampton.

Contact: Ross, 713606.

Nottingham.

Contact: Pete, 585640. is sold at the Vict Centre, (Saturday, 11 t and at Mushroom B shop, Heathcote St.

Basingstoke.

Contact: c/o 28 Lane, London N8.

SO is sold at Goo Bookshop, London 1 Oxford.

Contact c/o 28 Lane, London N8. sold at Tescos, Rd., (Fridays 5 Cornmarket (Sal 11 to 1) and at EOA Cowley Road.

LONDON AREA Brent [and NW).

Contact: Mick, 624 Camden.

Contact: Mike, 267 Hackney.

Contact: 5941 0771.

SO iria okMiddle i News oad.

Middle SO is to 7), urdays, Books, tion of martial law. Cuba's internal regime is undemocratic. The party leadership's practice of cover-up betrays the Cuban revolution. tarianism all he Socialist Workers Party. Sectarians put their own narrow interests above the workers. The party leadership is more interested in pushing its sectarian line on Cuba than building a mass anti-war movement opposed to US intervention in the Caribbean, including Cuba. The party leadership follows a sectarian course in the trade unions, women's rights movement and the movements ot the national minorities, including Black, Chicano and Indian.

6. The grouping responsible for the party's disastrous policies and methods is led by Jack Barnes. These policies continually zig-zag. The grouping is a clique, loyal to Barnes rather than a political perspective.

It is a secret faction that has never spelled out its positions before a convention, merely carried them out afterwards.

The Barnes faction has no experience or base in the labour movement and none of its leaders have proven themselves in a working class battle. Virtually all of the party's older leadership are in opposition to Barnes. These older members are the ones with trade union experience who have been tested in struggle. Not surprisingly the Barnes leadership is trying to drive them out of the party.

7. It is time to fight back. Despite the party crisis, we are confident the American workers and the world working class will win. If you believe in the need for building a revolutionary party, we encourage you to join our faction.

HOUNSLOW Socialist Organiser day school. Sunday December| 4, 12.00-5.00 at Hanworth Labour Hall. Includes: 'Politics of SO' The Parliamentary Road, The AES, and The Working Class and Revolutionary Politics.

Hounslow.

Contact: Chris, 898 6961. Islington.

Contact: Nik, 278 1341.

Orpington.

Contact Siu Ming, 691 11.

Putney• Contact: Tom, Richmond Contact: Nick, SE London.

Contact Siu Ming, 691 114 Southwark Lambeth.

Contact: Jeff, 635 8468.

Tower Hamlets.

Contact: Susan, 377 1328.

SO is sold at the following bookshops: Central Books, Colletts, The Other Book.

shop, Bookmarks, Bookplace, (Peckham Rd., SE15] Kilburn Books and Reading Matters [Wood Green Shopping Centre].

London Educationals:

State and Revolution; The Russian Revolution; The USSR and Stalinism;

Ireland: Why is the left divided?. The above are a planned series taking place on Fridays, 6pm at the LSE, East Building, Ist Floor, room E196.

Discussions on Imperialism Thursdays, 7pm, at 214, Sickert Court, London N1.