Socialist Platform meeting – Saturday September 14, 1pm. The Meeting Place, 2 Langley Lane, London SW8.
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**NOT SURE IF THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING**
Socialist Platform meeting
Saturday September 14, 1pm. The Meeting Place, 2 Langley Lane, London SW8.
jondwhite wrote:**NOT SURE IF THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING**Socialist Platform meetingSaturday September 14, 1pm. The Meeting Place, 2 Langley Lane, London SW8.So as to be absolutely clear: This meeting is not connected in any way with the SPGB.
This is the same meeting place where there was a meeting of the Independent Socialist Network (part of TUSC) that 2 of us went to and were asked to leave. Would be interesting to go, but I'm not getting thrown out again. Where did you see it advertised?
I saw it advertised at the end of this article from this weeks Weekly Workerhttp://www.cpgb.org.uk/home/weekly-worker/975/socialist-platform-amendmentsIt has also been advertised elsewhere (on the websites of the groups involved?) as Alan J shared a slightly different wording in this forum.Given Weekly Workers target audience includes disaffected Trots, it could be a meeting where the SPGB might be thrown out … again! Especially if it is the same location (Nick Wrack's patch?).On this subject CPGB spoke with Nick Wrack at CU and it was recorded and is available herehttp://cpgb.org.uk/home/podcasts/fighting-for-a-mass-party-nick-wrackandhttp://cpgb.org.uk/home/podcasts/fighting-for-a-mass-party-john-bridge
Another podcast from CPGB, this time specifically about the Socialist Platformhttp://cpgb.org.uk/home/podcasts/september-8-2013-left-unity
We still don't know whether or not this is a public meeting. It's unclear from this exchange of emails I've had with them.On 29 August I emailed them:
Quote:I see from today's Weekly Worker that there's a meeting on Saturday 14 September. Is this a meeting open to the public to attend, even if only as observers?On 31 August they replied:
Quote:Yes you are free to attend as an observer. Will you be representing a particular organisation?I replied on 2 September:
Quote:Thanks. I'll be there. I won't be representing a particular organisation. I am a member of the SPGB struck by the similarity of the Socialist Platform.They replied later the same day:
Quote:There is some discussion on whether we want non-Left Unity members at the meeting so I will get back to you about this.I haven't heard from them since.I intend to go to the meeting anyway (with copies of our Questions and Answers leaflet which is written in the same language as the Socialist Platform) and see what happens. Hopefully other members will turn up too (it's not very far from Vauxhall mainline and tube stations).It will be interesting to see whether any ban will apply just to us or also to members of other groups which don't really support the Left Unity project.
Three of us went but were politely and apologetically told that it was a meeting only for those who had signed Ken Loach's appeal for a new Left Unity party. One consequence was that a leftwing German journalist was also denied access. She couldn't understand why they wouldn't want their discussions being known. Neither could we. Probably force of habit from groups some of them had previously been in. So we went with her to a local pub for 3-4 hours to wait the end of the meeting. She turned out to be a member of an animal liberation group which had come to realise that this has can only be achieved in a non-capitalist society and to embrace Marxism, especially of the Paris Manuscripts and the Frankfurt School. See here. So in the end neither our time nor hers were wasted.Apparently there was a vote at the meeting as to whether or not to admit observers that was lost by only 2 votes. Apparently too the Leninist amendments proposed by the CPGB to the platform got majority support in the meeting, not that this changed anything since the votes were only "indicative". It is not clear whether or not these votes reflected the views of the 100 or who had signed the original statement or the success of the CPGB in bringing its supporters along to the meeting. No doubt there'll be a full report in next Thursday's Weekly Worker.Incidentally when the CPGB delegation arrived and we gave them a leaflet they said "we're debating with you next Saturday". We said we didn't think so. They explained that they were referring to the debate with the "Labour Party Marxists" which was one of their front organisations. Don't know if North London realise this.
jondwhite wrote:Interesting developments that bode badly for the 'Socialist Platform'.I'm shocked. I Never saw it coming.
Ed wrote:jondwhite wrote:Interesting developments that bode badly for the 'Socialist Platform'.I'm shocked. I Never saw it coming.
But for those still not convinced…http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/event/left-unity-impossible-dream-chiswick-800pm
To be a stickler, and just to point out generally – 'socialist platform' is only a part of 'left unity' party. It includes at least two other platforms, the 'left party' platform and the 'class struggle' platform.http://leftunity.org/comparing-the-platforms/
Apparently, Grand Central Terminal in New York has 44 platforms; even good old Waterloo has 19….
jondwhite wrote:To be a stickler, and just to point out generally – 'socialist platform' is only a part of 'left unity' party. It includes at least two other platforms, the 'left party' platform and the 'class struggle' platform.The "Left Unity platform" is a vague, wishy-washy openly reformist and opportunist statement. It's the one that will be adopted when the new party is founded on 30 November. The so-called "Class struggle platform" is just the transitional programme of the Fifth International and will be laughed out of court. Mind you, this could be the fate of the "Socialist Platform" too, judging by the general comments on the Left Unity website. Most contributors are only interested in what reforms the new party should campaign for.
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