WHY DO the IMG always have to ascribe grandiose schemes to people who sometimes criticize them (and work with them)?
In her report of the LCC-far left debate, Valerie Coultas (20 March) accuses me of 'rejecting both left reformism and revolutionary politics' in favour of a 'third way'. I would not claim to be doing anything so pretentious and foolish.
I simply believe that some — not all — features of present-day Leninist organisation do more to put workers and women off socialist politics than to involve them. By opening up some of the problems behind this, "Beyond the Fragments" could, I think, help to strengthen revolutionary politics — not play into the hands of the Labour left as Valerie implies.
But, by equating our criticisms with 'a third way' (as if you guard the only true way), you only confirm, I'm afraid, the sort of things we've been criticising.
Hilary Wainwright