Writing in International Socialism 43, just prior lo ine lyro beneral election, Peter. Sedgewick was to unhesitatingly descripe ine Labour rarty as an open agency of capitalist rule!. boston. wrose widesoread accediance by the left resulted in an 'abstentionist! line. Was not news continuation of the one-sided and simplistic notions of the marxist left which can be traced back to the origins the Labour Party over 75 years ago.
It is, of course, Party does not represent a 'socialist party! despite the adoption, Clause 4 which has been the source of many inter-party feuds since that time. It is. and always has been, dominated by an anti-working class leadership imbued with the ideology of reformism:i. e of accepting the status quo and merely seeking reforms within it.
in this sense, 'agency of capitalist rule! since refusal to challenge ine svstem torces ine leaaat times of economic downturn, ersnip, o capon ine workers' collaborate in making it 'work' again. netorms are continuallv debencent as was most clear in Mac -Donald's decision to cut the dole in 1929 al a time woen inere were over z millior unemo loved.
Dual Nature Recognition of this fact in no way, however, makes ine Labour rarty Identical with the Tories any more than the TUC. at present collaborating in a voluntary' Sedgewick's time, of true that the Labour in 1918, of on why, the our san movement lo orically, wally, Lenin identification as groups like the IMG & IS tended to do during the 1970 election, is to divorce the Labour Party from its social roots. Despite its limitations. make it clearly an obstacle on the to socialism, the Labour Party was born out of profound struggles and advances in consciousness and is inus, at ine same La gain towards an independent pol¡tical voice.
It is this duality of the Labour Party -what Lenin summarised in the phrase la bourgeois Labour Party' - which has never sensitively been grasped marxist movement in Britain. ure to grasp the party's dual nature ( as a gain as well as an obstacle struggle for socialism)which is the reasover 75 years after its creation, the marxist left remains marginal to political life while the Labour Party grown in both size and influence.
Without such a rounded understanding, it has proved impossible to intervene in ine labour movement and implement a strategy for breaking the grip ot the labour bureaucrats over Sectarianism, wider layers. te succombing to the 'retormist ideology ot the labour movement, has been the major impediment. Such an attitude nas, let the labour bureaucrats off the hook since it has isolated the ists from the ranks of the labour men voic are s ova o ne Party and which still regard it as the LRC creation. that path present, was components, by une It is a failin the in the early years.
has effectively the 'worst a so made up ever -a fear of nStto snow inose marxmove- ineir alms..... We Labour 'help Snowden their we are right: i.e. Democratic Federation* which split from on vars It came under heavy fire its sectarian leanings from both Marx & cncers wio poinica out. in a letter to Florence Kelly in 1886: ...a millior two workingmen's votes for a bone workingmen's party is worth more, inan a nunarea inousand for a doctrinally perfect platform!.
Ine sectarian tradition set by the SDF to find a 'reflection' in the early the British Socialist Party, had emerged from the SD). Willie Gallagher's dismissal of the Labour as comine more ano more uncer une influence of middle-class liberals' was to. set ine tone tor une party's orear or It was Lenin in part¡cular wno nadio poemicise wiin sucr an infantile attitude (which went so far as lo retuse voline cavour in elections, by pointing out that the Labour Party was a pecullar barty wich may be reactionaries' but which of !.. all the trade unions which now have a membership of over 4 He stressed, in numerous speeches and articles, inal support tor ine Labour Party was a pre-requisite for beginning mations who still for it that it was insufficient to achieve must tirst, ne said. and Henderson to Lova Georce in order inal on ine dasis of their own experience the majority Lne workine class will De convince ar that the Hendersons Struggle votes since inc fundamental way changed. ¡cularly applicabic period of office from 1964-70, Party the same errors of the past.
of Gallagher's earlier mistakes. Such mistakes, Native side, is ship noring the Labour Party, voted has proved the opposite since beat saddle the labour movement. only be removed by correctly the party's dual character. ing the Labour Party as a step
SOCIALIST ACTION