Building a revolutionary party

Posted item #14 'Why we need a socialist workers party'

The Socialist Review Group, which Cliff founded in 1950 after a split from the main British Trotskyist organisation, remained tiny throughout the 1950s. Entering the 1960s, it had only 60 members but grew to around 400 at the beginning of 1968 (via a name change - International Socialists - in 1962). In the wake of the tumultuous events of '68, membership was around 1000 and, following interventions in class struggle in the upturn years of the early 70s, this grew to 3-4000 by 1974.

IS changed its name to the Socialist Workers Party on New Year's Day 1977. This wasn't some momentous event, but rather a formalising of how the organisation had developed in preceding years. The party's name derived from its paper, published on a weekly basis since September 1968, and the notion of being a 'party' reflected its growth in size compared to a decade earlier.

It was also symptomatic of the emphasis Cliff placed on the goal of building a revolutionary party inspired by the example of Lenin and the Bolsheviks: 1977 was midway through the publication of Cliff's multi-volume biography of Lenin. Volume 1, called 'Building the Party', had helped persuade the great majority of IS members of the need for Leninist principles, though this was controversial with some who were still influenced by more libertarian ideas.

The article here coincided with this move from IS to SWP - Cliff doesn't attend much to the reasons for the change, but instead focuses on the tasks facing party activists. The old IS had in fact been through a rocky two or three years, with a damaging split in 1975 when around 150 members left - this was against the backdrop of a sharp change for the worse in working class combativity, disorienting everyone on the left. Cliff reflects, however, on exisiting strengths - notably the ability to take significant initiatives, e.g. Right to Work Campaign - and outlines ideas for how to move ahead.

Interview with Cliff - a video

Posted item #1 Video interview with Tony Cliff

Let's get started with an interview with Cliff from 1996, a few years before his death. At the time he was in his late 70s and still a member of the SWP's Central Committee (he remained so right up until he died in April 2000). Cliff outlines here some of the key prinicples in revolutionary socialism and building a revolutionary party, with some well-chosen examples.

About 10 minutes in he recalls taking the initiative with founding the Anti Nazi League in 1977 - essentially a decision taken by the SWP's leadership, but seeking much wider support and broad unity. The need for dynamism and initiative - for seizing the time and daring to act - is one of the core principles of the Leninist tradition which Cliff was so brilliant at applying in practice.

Examples since Cliff's time include the founding of Stop the War in September 2001, after the terrorist attacks in the US, and the launch of Respect a couple of years later. Revolutionaries have to keep ahead and give a lead, not just tail-end others or wait for something to turn up in the struggle. When things change dramatically - the start of a new phase in imperialism, a major new economic crisis, etc - revolutionaries have to take the initiative in instigating broader coalitions and pursuing political interventions.