The debate (initially on the Law of the Tendency of the Rate of Profit to Fall - LTRPF) within the Socialist Party actually started in mid 2012 in the public pages of the monthly journal, Socialism Today (for example, see http://www.socialismtoday.org/159/profit.html).
However, after Bruce Wallace’s position began to gain ground amongst a few more members, the EC declared that Bruce was forming an “undeclared faction” (this is exactly what I was told by a representative of the EC around June 2013 when I was arranging a branch debate on the issue - funny because we were repeatedly barred from declaring a faction!) and all public discussion subsequently ceased. The branch debate I had been arranging was then suddenly put into question and I was told that the EC would have to meet to decide whether it should go ahead or not! This was the point where it began to dawn on me that the leadership would not “play fair” with regards to challenging their all-knowing wisdom. I raised my disgust in the Socialist Party Facebook group, which, whilst it is true was loaded with some hyperbole, created such a fuss that the EC had to back down and allow the branch debate to continue.
However, already the Party leadership had clammed up and no further public discussion or public documentation was to be produced. Oh, except for the leadership’s public publishing of their ad hominen attack on Andrew Kliman/Bruce Wallace here http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/17458/20-09-2013/the-causes-of-capitalist-crisis-reply-to-andrew-kliman of course. One rule for them, and another for us.
The branch debate in July 2013 that took place between me and Lynn Walsh was largely a vehicle for the floor (members of the EC or those primed by the EC) to throw straw man arguments and literal personal attacks at me. Fortunately, having anticipated such a scenario based on other ex-comrades experiences, I took a recording of the debate as proof. Now, this was a “secret” recording because the Party leadership had made it clear they did not want a public debate, using the excuse that “our enemies” would use it to attack us. Exactly what a theoretical debate on the causes of capitalist crises would yield to “agents of the bourgeoisie” is unclear, but it is clear that the leadership were mortally afraid of being challenged with Marxist ideas publicly in front of the working class.
At this time I administered the West London SP website and every meeting was advertised with the words “all welcome”. However, when I advertised the branch debate in the same way, I was chastised. It is unfortunate that I had to go to such measures, but I believe that the course of events that have borne out have fully justified my decision to record this debate and several others.
I was acting as a whistle-blower, if you like, not some sort of MI5 agent. However, whereas British bourgeois law formally guarantees the whistle-blower freedom from reprisal with structures and procedures in place, within the Socialist Party the law is determined by the EC and their unwritten rules. For example, the EC have been unable to show me their written disciplinary code which they are meant to follow with regards to my suspension – because they don’t have one as Hannah Sell has admitted to me via email! (More on that later).
As the EC went into lock-down mode around this time, my branch secretary (who up until this point was someone I worked closely with, speaking on the phone and meeting up with at least several time a week) became increasingly obtuse and hostile towards me. Other members of the branch committee also became difficult. Inevitably, relationships broke down and I felt I had little choice but to raise a grievance against my branch secretary. This was, as expected, rejected by the EC. I stepped down from the branch committee.
I then had the pleasure of bearing witness to the Stalinist amalgamation tactic first hand. The branch debate with Lynn Walsh that took place in July 2013 was also to become a denunciation session mid-way and after the debate, attacking not simply my Marxist ideas but my integrity as a socialist and human being. Listening to the meeting, it is clear that their aim was to whip up a hysterical frenzy, such that I would resign on the spot, or at least put me under increasing pressure to step down - they failed.
The recording of the branch meeting can be found below – listen and make up your own mind as to whether I was justified or not! It is clear that the main thread running through both parts to the recording is paranoia. They are simply afraid to debate and discuss Marxist ideas in front of workers. Because, you know, all workers care about is footy and tits - they’ll never want to grasp the ideas to change society with…!
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