The central debate conference was a discussion. state of the class struggle in Britain. T'his debate has been eoing on in the SWP for some time and leading protagonists, Tony Cliff and Steve Jeffreys, ventilated thoughts in public (and length).in the last two issues oi International Socialism.
Ciiff, supported by a majority of the Central Committee, argued in the pre-conference debate that there had been a sharo downturn in the class 'struggle. He ascribed this to certain structural changes typified, in his opinion, by the partial bureaucratisation and incorporation of shop stewards. would be limited, defensive in character, with a clearcut logic for the practice of the SWP.
Some of Cliff's more exuberant supporters argued that there had been a decisive defeat of the working class: 'Grunwicks defeated, the sold out, the low paid betrayed, the miners divided, Deep Duffryn closed, Leyland demolished, the smashed, Street solidarity seldom, collections puny, pickets tiny, lock-outs back, normal, se -Ols expecicu prevented. The catalogue is endless.' Jeffreys accepted that there had been a downturn, but explained this by the coincidence OI economic crisis and government in office. In other words, it was the ideological weaknesses of the working class and the lack of a viable socialist alternative that paved the way for setbacks, culminating in the return of a Tory government.
Jeffreys and those supporting his political positions denied setbacks constituted a shift in the relation of class forces. They pointed to the eneineering workers' denied that the miners of the majority.
the on the risen, Dur wilnn lac the LW U their su anst conciousucos.
at great mausi y Hence struggles essentially be suicidal.
firemen class as such, majority.
shipyards flattened, Autonomous lay-offs Movements sharp Labour SWP 'organisational resulted in that these conference. fundamental recent struggles, had been rather strange.