MANY readers of Challenge will be as amazed as 1 was by some of the arguments appealing, with clear editorial support, your pages. In particular this will be true of the article by ington (12 March).
Socialist Challenge seelus have turned its back completely on what was supposed to be the central Diank ot its politics when it founded, endorsed at last year's International Marxist Group ference.
This was, sistence on the need for the lett outside the Labour Party socialist alternative to Labour.
It was in this sense, for instance, that you wrote to us in the Socialist Workers Party demanding unity in july 19lo, alla agan last yeat, if the unfortunate tone of your first letter made it impossible for us to meet your demand.
Socialist called for is not the building ora Labour. but Party on the Labour left's terms.
Bob Pennby the Labour left around the questo We are told: was state to the centre of LIC the in- politics.
to build a that the Labour left is 'deluded' belief that socialist advance. even SLCau outside'.
Around But now, it seems, what is being Socialist revolutionary socialist alternative to entry into the Labour Pennington presents the struggle tion of reselection and an electoral college in the most glowing terms.
"The fight for democracy (within the Labour Party) is an attempt to break the grip of the state... This brings the question of ington Soul Scorn is poured on those of us left? who adhere to the old Marxist view such a reformist party can be an agency of Apparently it is wrong to tell the reformist left it is 'wasting its time' and we are 'crazy' to argue for a parMarxistito Telate directly to whanis ends going on in the Labour Party, inof 'commentating from the would make for clarity all Pennnington anc Socialist Challenge would spell out their answers to a few questions Are all readers and supporters of Challenge being urged to ioin the Labour Party? If so, when and how was your previous position that focussing tionary unity • reversed?
Finally, are Socialist Challenge supporter within the Labour Party expected to argue, honestly, that such a party cannot become a tool of socialist advance without a complete break which even Pennwould admit is unlikely with not only the reformist right, also the leaders of the reformist Or are we going to have a repeat of the pattern of recent weeks, of the words of Benn, or even Foot, being presented as it, perhaps minor modifications, they could be correct rallying cries for the class? Yours fraternally, Chris Harman, Socialist Review Challenge BOB PENNINGTON replies:
I DO NOT think, nor did I ever suggest, that the Labour Party Is agency of socialist advance 1 do belleve fights on policy and democracy in part of the struggle to build a revolutionary socialist alternative.
The labour bureaucracy alco working class, and its ultimate loyal- between capitalism ty lies with the capitalist sta.e. This is why the right wing and the media so ferventiy MPs against their constituency parties.
They want to tion where the MPs are free of control by the labour movement so they can be accountable to tional Monetary Fund, the Bank of England, the military establishment and the other institutions capitalist state.
They want the Labour leader to be elected by a predominantly rightwing Parliamentary Labour Party, capitalism Because the 'an however that the are an important but they also anti-capitalist policies. medipreach to them defend the rights of preserve a situaChallenge were to join the interna Labour Party adopting a unilateral ist policy, coming out of the EEC abolishing the House of Loras, ana extending nationalisations. All these measures would be a serious blow to fighting about democracy and Issues of policy that have an anti-capitalist potențial, some 800 people a week are joining the Labour Party. Most of them have illusions in retormism, want more radical, It is not enough for the far left to from the sidelines that left social democracy will only betray in the end. The far lett has to be where the fight is, and it has to be where the biggest opportunities for winning thousands of new people to socialist ideas are to be found.
If the supporters of Socialist and Socialist Worker forces in helping to organise the Labour left, we would able to build a powertul alternative to the right wing.
we would aiso De position to counter the illusions of And we could lay the basis for a real Marxist move ment rooted in the working class.