The Joy of Sects

Following the theme from the recent Discord discussion, it appears that another schism in the SWP is occurring, based on the very public and very bitter outpourings that have emerged on the internet involving the Newcastle branch of the SWP.

Those who like things in the fine detail might be interested in the following link, which those leaving the SWP have put together:

https://swpcrisis2020.blogspot.com/2020/04/response-to-swps-statement.html

The link to the “evidence bundle” in this part of their blog…..

https://swpcrisis2020.blogspot.com/2020/04/our-statement.html

…..must be causing panic attacks and seizures at SWP HQ (where ever that is), as it lays bare the bizarre workings of the “democratic” centralist approach, with all of its authoritarian machinations and skulduggery. Considering the SWPs paranoia about spies and traitors and the rumblings about the “Comrade Delta” affair, I would guess that having the internal workings of their Central Committee and Disputes Committee open to public examination will have gone down like a cup of cold vomit. The proposed apparatchiks of the SWP’s future Lubyanka will no doubt have been dispatched to the North East, their cattle prods and rubber truncheons to the fore, in an attempt to reestablish the “party line”

Long term Socialist Party members in the North East will probably remember one of the main protagonists in the split, Yunus Bakhsh. Although he has always been a bit feisty and more than a little assertive, he is one of those rare creatures in the SWP, in as much as once you get him calmed down and sat down and get a couple of pints inside him, he can talk without resorting to the kind of “Leninspeak” phrase book approach taken by the common or garden Trotskyist.

Back in time when we used to have regular Socialist Standard sales in Newcastle City Centre, he and a couple of the more mature SWPers would often join our comrades for a pint or two at the Old George pub in the Bigg Market. I can’t say we managed to teach them much about Socialism, but we certainly showed them how to drink.

It seems a shame that someone like him should have a journey of 40 years in a political party only to find out that he was just another disposable dolt to the cult of the leadership. He could have spent that time in a genuine Socialist Party whilst contributing to the genuinely democratic, transparent and open processes of that Party. Still if you’re foolish enough to vote for leaders, you shouldn’t be surprised when that leadership shit on you from a great height!