Marxism (the event that is!)

[poster342002]

Attack of the Strawmen? Is that a code word for local government workers?

No - it isn't.

 

[cockneyrebel]

What about a straw man who works as a caretaker?

Do you reckon he should be brushed away by the working class?

 

[poster342002]

That's enough strawmen.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

I agree the idea is a daft one. The Militant miners were the largest single left force - but they could not manage such an outflanking given the weight of left bureaucrats (who were still heads and shoulders over the rest of the TU leaderships it must be said). Loyalty to the NUM leadership and Scargill was fully understandable and critisim had to be broached very carefully.

When cracks appeared within the NUM towards the end of the strike - it was the right wing - Kim Howells and Terry Thomas of South Wales along with McGahey in Scotland looking for a settlement.

Where the young Militant miners had strong positions (in some areas of Sourth Wales for example) and played a leading and critical role - they were very carefully shunted out after the defeat of the strike.

I think you underestimate the role of the CP in the strike. Whether they could be considered 'left' is a moot point. As a party, of course, they were on the right of the leadership, but many of the rank and file militant (small 'm') activists were still members or looked to the CP. The evolution of the CP and the inadequacy of their role during the strike caused many to question it, but they were a significant group.

 

[Fisher_Gate]

My initial experience (being in Portsmouth at the start) was that there was no independant group locally - simply the SWP setting up a 'support group' - rather than any genuine force. We remained involved in this but became, in effect, 'the' organisation (LPYS and Militant) putting up all the south wales pickets (we had scab coal ships coming into the port - from the 'socialist' state of poland mainly!!) - working alongside local trade unionists (mainly the working class semi-tankies of the local print union and t+g) who were all still in the Labour Party at the time and not that involved in any 'support group'.

I can't really speak for elsewhere - except Liverpool (i ended up based in Bold, Lancashire, with endless foreys to South Wales inbetween) - where the biggest support group was the entire Labour council

Fair point - and certainly the group I was involved in was overwhelmingly dominated by Labour Party members (of both the entrist and traditional variety including a fair few councillors who thought they could make a difference).

But there were also forces like the CP, non-aligned TU activists and students, and later the SWP, that it was important to work with, but who did not look to the Labour Party. I think Militant were still struggling to come to terms with the need to work with broader forces and had a tendency to fall back on their traditional means of organising, including substituting the 'organisation' for the need for a wider grouping of class struggle forces and the 'Party' for the wider needs of the working class. But as I said, a very different position to the SWP's who tended to swing from one extreme of tactics to the other.

 

[audiotech]

A large number of workers came to Marxism. John Knowles, a retired Longbidge car worker, said, “I’ve been involved in working class struggle for many years, and I get a sense that there’s a revival going on now – that is the feeling here at Marxism.

“I particularly enjoyed the meeting on the politics of disability, as it is an issue that affects me directly. When I get back to the West Midlands, I want to start to organise among other disabled people so that we can fight for our rights.”

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=12359

I saw this treelover and thought it might address some of the points you raise about disability rights and the left (the SWP in particular).

 

[nwnm]

Attack of the Strawmen? Is that a code word for local government workers?

No he's just a fan of Dr Who. Did you see the one where aliens occupied scarecrows when the Dr was pretending to be human?

 

[cockneyrebel]

Not that theres much point as this thread is so far derailed but here is a report:

http://www.permanentrevolution.net/?view=entry&entry=1487

 

[treelover]

all hail the leaders,

btw, like the PR report, its quite humorous

 

[dennisr]

I think you underestimate the role of the CP in the strike. Whether they could be considered 'left' is a moot point. As a party, of course, they were on the right of the leadership, but many of the rank and file militant (small 'm') activists were still members or looked to the CP. The evolution of the CP and the inadequacy of their role during the strike caused many to question it, but they were a significant group.

I'd agree with you fully about the CP. I did make a quick reference to that in another post - to counter the idea that the SWP was in any way a significent force in the dispute (as the - usual - direction of the discussion may have made others believe).

The reference was mainly about the role of the CP and fellow-travellers within the NUM abd wider TU 'leadership'. But yes, absolutely, there were plenty of CP supporting older miners in the welsh valleys. A couple of the lads I got to know well after the strike (mentioned earlier) came from CP families. Only a generation before the CP had completely solid strongholds at some pitheads - running social centres and sunday schools. There was plenty of sharp discussion with dads and uncles who, while they were proud of their sons as Militants during the strike, still had plenty of illusions - less so be the end of the strike. Good solid NUM members

It was all a big lesson for a country boy from the comfy SE and I think I can honestly say the experience that has most shaped my life and outlook since.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

By the way, according to Social Worker, the attendance at Marxism was 4,000 again this year which means that attendance was not, in fact, up. Whatever about the SWP exaggerating numbers at their events they certainly haven't taken to underestimating them.