Edinburgh Branch Meeting (6/6)

June 6, 7:00 pm

The Quaker Hall,

Victoria Terrace (above Victoria Street),

Edinburgh EH1 2JL

To win workers to organise for socialism is a massive task and it is easy to be demoralised and deceive yourself that there is an easier way to initiate the new system. But there is no alternative to the hard work being carried out by The Socialist Party — and the sooner those who want us to succeed join us, the sooner it will be done. It is not easy to join the Socialist Party. It is not just a matter of filling in an application form and receiving a little red membership card. No other political organisation requires potential new members to understand their aims and be capable of arguing for them. Our message to those who can see no future so long as the market economy remains is join us— and help make history.

History is littered with abortive attempts to reform capitalism. You cannot reform this system out of existence. What we need is a complete and utter change of society. We are not saying that workers shouldn’t try to get the best they can out of capitalism, but that’s the job of trade unions and other similar organisations, not of a socialist political party. History shows that a party that advocates reforms inevitably becomes the prisoner of its reform-minded supporters and eventually ends up giving only lip-service to the socialist transformation of society. The only place for socialists is inside a socialist organisation, completely independent 'of all other political parties. This, we say, is the only way of carrying on socialist promotion and campaigns free from compromise and from distracting side issues. We are socialists because we believe literally that socialism is the sole hope of the working class. We are independent because that is the only safeguard against confusion and compromise and the growth of non-socialist tendencies in our own ranks.

It is common for our critics to characterise the Socialist Party as some sort of exclusive Marxist club and a moribund sect, that is, when they haven’t chosen to ignore us completely. The Socialist Party is no sterile, unthinking organisation full of dogmatists. Is the Socialist Party some sort of dogmatic sect which refuses to admit the impure into its hallowed temple? This question is put by those who sneer at our principles because they themselves have none and find political principle an embarrassment. No, we are not out to maintain a small, select party. On the contrary, we are anxious to recruit members, and recruit them fast into the ranks of our movement. We do not expect every new member to have read the complete works of Marx or deliver lectures on subjects of theoretical complexity. All that we require is basic socialist knowledge: What is capitalism? What is socialism? What do we mean by socialist revolution? How can it be brought about? What is our position on religion, reforms, Russia — the three Rs. In short, we will only accept socialists into the Socialist Party, in much the same way as a golf club will only accept members who want to use the greens to play golf on, not bowls. The movement must prefigure its aim; the end must determine the means.

Adopting a socialist view means looking at the world from a class perspective instead of a national one. It is understanding how and in whose interest today's world is organised, envisaging how a socialist society can be established, and appreciating how socialism will improve people's lives. Socialism has nothing to do with organising capitalism. So isn't it time to break free of the deceptions, to acknowledge the reality and to join the struggle for socialism? The choice is simple. You can either watch helplessly as the world's problems intensify and threaten the very existence of humanity or join the movement to end capitalism and build socialism. If you're a socialist your place is in the Socialist Party. There is no middle course. Whilst the capitalist system continues, so will the socialist analysis continue to have a timeless relevance. A democratic system organised solely for needs would bring not just a sane way to live but a world-wide celebration of all that is best in being human. This could be so easily within our grasp. There is nothing in the human make-up that prevents this from becoming a reality. We are all capable of co-operating in each other's interests. We are still working to make socialists. Still lacking, unfortunately, is a conscious, political majority of socialists eager to move society on to the next phase of social evolution.

We advocate the only policy which we believe to be consistent with our principles: that is the adoption of an uncompromising attitude which admits of no arrangements with any section of the capitalist party or of those supporting any section of the capitalist party nor permits any compromise with any individual or party not recognising the class war as a basic principle and not prepared to work for the overthrow of the present capitalist system. In advocating this policy, we recognise that, in the political field, there are only two parties: one, for the retention of the present system; and the other, the social democratic, organised for its overthrow. Therefore, all entering into political action must join either one side or the other.