German Commanism, (published by Plo10), morlein the German CP was very hieh because of that growth. Would Hallas therefore conclude that the tactics of the German CP of the Third Period were correct because of its recrultment rate?
OF course, if the needs of the class. struggle are correcily understood then an Does the IMG merely organisation does grow-and indeed this is the onlylong term basis for growth. Hut the sarting point is the needs of the class, not the organisational growth.
If we turn to electoral tactics, did the electoral division of revolutiomaries in Stechford take forward the class struggle? Put in those correct serms the answer is obvious. Ie would have been far better for L singie revolunonary cancocale su th lection. The effects of such a division wil be worse in aneneral cection. ta from this starting point, the needs of the class struggle, that the IMG calls for electoral agreement amongst the revolutionary left.
Of course it doesn't follow from this that the eternational Marsis Group is any less meresica in ouame as own cocansanon than is the SWP. The difference is that we a long-term hasis in contradiction with the needs of the class struggle. The SWP, by rejecting those needs, on this issue, hinders building a revolutionary party.
Firstly it delays the mobilisation of thousands of people who won't join any revolutionary organisation in the present state of division of the left, bus would rally 0 lee aar -and would Join revolutionary groups in the process, Secondly the SWP, by its sectarian line, totally miseducaresits own memhership for dealing with internal differences and those with other forces. What we criticise the SWP for is not "party patriotism' but for ariemptingto bu d an organisation against the interests of the working class on this issue. That, we believe, is deeply sectarian два сестаго партасоа.
Hallas.
want united action and not the buil ding of a unified revolutionary organisation?
Indelitoral agrees it leG an electoral agreement with the comrade Hallas present the proposal as one of simply a manoeuvre. He says, 'the basic difficulty. is that most of them do not want unity only "unity manoeuvres" to try and strengthen themselves at our (the SWP's) expense.
Unfortunately here comrade Hallas! sectarian starting point shows itself in his cule arument He spparently doesn't consider that the IMO may stand for unity because i takes forward the class struggle. We see increased joint activity in clections and on other issues as a way of resting the ability of revolutionary organisations to collaborate in the class struggle-resting our the ground for a united revolutionary Thisisno, tosey of coisrsethat our abilts to reach agreement over a joint state in elections, to offer a socialist alternative to Labour would automatically lead fusion of thest oratisations-election arconly one aspect of the class struggle, and •i Duncan Hallas quite rightly says, by no means the most important. We think more is required to see ifa unified organisation is Comrade Hallas questions the IMG) organisarion, which is placed in question by DIOCESE HOLD GESTUKS WILS WILE Internacional Socialists in 1968/9, Webav debates and wish to have serious discusslons to find out whether such unity is indeed Liverpool sees possible. Whilst comrades of the SWP may feel that this is because of the failure of the IMG to 'overtake' the SWP in numerical growth, we can only ask the contrades to opening up discussions with us. We will be very happy to explain in full detail the reasons we favour revolutionary unification -we explained it many times in the Red Weekly:
Another difficulty which Duncan Hallas revolutionary rears tens do not revolutionary organisations, glorify factions and tendencies when they exist, but we are proud of the right of these Tacions and tenacoces no etu where different groups of comrades feel the need to organise for their politics inside aur organisation.
Such rights are essential in our view for maintaining the unity of any socialist Di karlaN asthe CP are now finding to their cost. We would therefore agree with Duncan Hallas that internal democracy would beamajor item on the agenda of any talksto escablish the possibility of unity of the two organisations.
Duncan Hallas also points to another ares which he regards as a difficulty: The differences on Russia cic. are, in principle, contananie wusin a since democrat centralist organisation provided there is an agreed approacho building the party in the working class.
Here he has in mind not simply electoral work, but primarily work in the trade ations and th mass struggles of the working class. Here again we agree with Duncan Hallas that there is a 'difticulty" to unity-and it is on this that we now wantto concentrate.
What do we see as the tasks of revolutionaries in the labour movement today?
The labour and trade union bureaucracy has Lied workers, through the Social Contract, to colaboratine with bo cab italist class in solving the crisis at the expenae of the working class This an organised left wing or opposition must be built, uniting all those wishing to fight that class collaboration by fighting for policies Which can solve the crisis ar the capitalists" expense. This opposition must base itself upon mass extra-parliamentary struggle to We realise that building such an utransed let wine as necessary becamer there are wide layers of workers, who whilst wishing to fight class collaboration, have not yet broken with all their past illusions in the labour and trade union bureaucracy. we wish to unne man inese workers, including those who are sill reformist, to that of the Minority Movement in the "30s, huild, Like the Minority Movement, we must build in every union an organised tendency which groups all those prepared to fight the policies of class collaboration and seck to replace the leaders who follow much policies. These tendencies will achieve this goal by campaigning and organising to extend new sen organismo ou cne rank and file in the unions to carry forward their Movement fought to do this by campaignup to a general strike, concils of action in LOIT BECA As workers begin to organise in their unions and mount struggles against che policies of the Lahour Government, some of the inhour and trade union burenucrats of that rising opposition, to prevent the leadership of it passing to the revolutionaries.
This again is what happened when left bureaucrats like Purcell and Hicks associaced themselves with the Minority More ILICHE selves to be party's leadership and that can only be done through democratic debate and political struggle.
The IMt will continue to work in the rank and the groups and tent to remare them towards intervening in the broader impose united fronts on the left retormist leaders. We are currendly fighting in Redder Tape in the Civil and Public senios Asociation for use such orientarion towards the Broad Lef However impossible becouse of the undemocratic charscier of these groups, as in the National Union of Teachers, we will Join with other militants in forming groups such as the Socialist Aliance which car stimulating the development of broader In Conclusion It is not 'party epoism' which makes the SWP sectarian, but their idea that their size makes them qualitatively ditferen ent from the rest of the far-left. fo educating their militants in the spirit of the SWP being the sule nucleas of the party This leads to an inbuilt sectarianism because that is not the real situation today.
We believe that a party can best be bails through a struggle for united action, by / mansing ine tames be the anited iront because it is only in this way that the massof workers can be won from reformism. Fora party to exist it has to be recognised as such The number of tamacks" the SWP makes on the IMC in Socialist Worker is besides the point. Sectarianism is not only manifested by big attacks, bur also by igmoring the activity of "rival groups'. The Morning Star specialises in this. Obe example is its taslure to mention Riley's or Thornet's sore in the TRGWU clections or Worker tends to do the same!
We in no way see why our consistent campaign against the united front from below tactics of the SWP invalidares ou Tight Ter a united tevolubonary organisa tion. We are sure Duncan Hallas agroes political differences. On the contrary, we should begin a serious discission ascertain the CATE breadth of these