Socialist Movement Sympathisers Group
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Has the membership ever considered setting up a 'sympathisers' group? For the want of a better word.
Well supporters attend branch meetings, are subscribed to the website mailing list, and robbo was/ is part of the World in Common group.
Vin wrote:Has the membership ever considered setting up a 'sympathisers' group? For the want of a better word.It sounds too much like a slippery slope to having a two-tier membership. I'm not a fan of the idea.
People leaving the party appear to fall into a black hole when in fact they still desire socialism and will rejoin when we grow. Perhaps a list of "We will join when you are a bigger movement or the time comes". People 'give up' or don't join because they believe socialism is a long way off. There must be some way of using and harnessing this latent movement – again for the want of a better word.I was a non-member for a number of years but had I seen the party growing in social media I'd have given my support and rejoined. Im sure there are thousands like that."We are a small party but 10,000 or 100,000 people have agreed with us and signed a petition" I'm brainstorming here so don't take me too literally
Yes but a 'front' group is something other than it purports to be e.g. Stop the War Coalition, Stand Up to Racism etc. A Friends of Socialist Party or Socialist Standard Readers Group would be just what it says on the tin.
We'd need a change of rule to be able to do it: we as a party should not be offering any alternatives to party membrship, if you support the socialist case, join the party as a democratic member, or don't. Non-members are free to form their own supporters club, but no socialist party money nor resources should be involved, and members would be forbidden by rule 6 from joining or assisting. As Imposs1904 says, it is a route to two tier membership (that would also requrie a rule change).For example, the reason we continue to oppose the Ashbourne Court GFroup is not that they have different ideas to us, but that they are not accountable to our membership through conference, likewise Zeitgeist. Our aim is to build a single movement of self-organised socialists, not to be one of a thousand micro-sects.The alternative to 'readers groups' is branches running Socialist Standard reading sessions, or the like (also, lets not forget, that Militant posed for a long time as a readers group).
EC resolution https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SPINTCOM/conversations/topics/1998 Must have been the end of 2002 (looks like October, this was before routine publishing of minutes on Spintcom).
EC wrote:This E.C. considers that, whereas a WSM Supporters Association, such as proposed by Cde. Cox, would operate separate membership criteria from that of the Socialist Party; and whereas said body would be necessarily without the rule-book and democratic mechanisms of the Socialist Party; therefore that a WSM Supporters Association would constitute a separate political organisation.Further, this E.C. notes that, whereas, rule 17 states that the function of the Executive Committee is to:" generally administer the work of the party in accordance with Party polls, Party rules and conference decisions ;"and, whereas conference has repeatedly expressed opposition to entering into front-organisational arrangements; and, whereas rule 5 states:"A member shall not belong to any other political organisation or write or speak for any other political party except in opposition, or otherwise assist any other political party;"and, whereas Clause 7 of the Socialist Party's Declaration of Principles states:"That as all political parties are but the expression of class interests, and as the interest of the working class is diametrically opposed to the interests of all sections of the master class, the party seeking working class emancipation must be hostile to every other party;"this E.C., therefore, considers that, it would be ultra-vires for the Executive Committee to establish or provide material support for a WSM Supporters Association; and, that it would be an Infringement of the Principles and Rules of the Socialist Party for branches or individual members, to establish, or help establish, such an organisation; and, that the proper procedure for such a proposal as a WSM Supporters Association would be to first present it to a branch ("the unit of organisation" rule 7); and from thence to Conference for the democratic deliberation of the membership of the party as a whole."Young Master Smeet wrote:We'd need a change of rule to be able to do it: we as a party should not be offering any alternatives to party membership, if you support the socialist case, join the party as a democratic member, or don't.Precisely!
Quote:For example, the reason we continue to oppose the Ashbourne Court Group is not that they have different ideas to us, but that they are not accountable to our membership through conference, likewise Zeitgeist.Not only that, but in the case of 'Socialist' Studies (aka ACG), they were and still are, profoundly anti-democratic; never forget that was why its 'founding' members were kicked out of the SPGB.
I am in full agreement with the objections so far.I wasn't suggesting an active group, which is why I said 'for the want of a better word'. I was thinking more of holding a list of workers declaring their support for our case. They wouldn't be organised into a seperate group and probably unaware of each other.Rather like registering your vote. We claim that votes at elections 'count' even though the voters have note passed the entrance test. It may well be the case that many workers will vote with their feet so to speak.If we state our case cleary, they may register their vote with us. Perhaps a very small form on websites SS etc. 'Take time to fill this in' 'Would you take part if you knew others were willing to take part? or something.
As written in early issue of the Standard (and republished in the SOYMB book) – 'Democracy is not an end in itself, but a means to an end; and for us that end in Socialism'This is not necessarily a defence of SS.
I think we do hold a list of contacts and sympathisers (certainly I suspect most branches have such a list of people who have filled in contact forms at meetigns), and, of course, pople who have responded to adverts and taken out a 3-free.
jondwhite wrote:As written in early issue of the Standard (and republished in the SOYMB book) – 'Democracy is not an end in itself, but a means to an end; and for us that end in Socialism'I don't recall anyone here saying that democracy was an "end in itself". What is beyond dispute, however, is that socialism and democracy are inseparable.
Quote:This is not necessarily a defence of SS.But might it be…?
Whether such a group or list is desirable depends partly on what is meant by sympathiser. Is it people who agree 100% with the Party case but for whatever reason don't join, or would it include people who disagree with some aspect or other of the Party's case? Eg our stance on religion, the use of Parliament, outright opposition to reformism, etc?
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