The joy of sects (again)

Anyway, outside Kentish Tahn co-op Respect were holding a petion/stall (I think the WRP had just finished their shift, it's a regular political marketplace outside Kentish Tahn co-op). I couldn't resist - I asked if they were going to defect to the Tories if elected. The respectoid laughed, and said she's only just heard of the story herself - she tried to pass it off as the swings and roundabouts of electoral politics - she knew the *other* three councillors, and they are sound - so that's allright then. But from the SWP to the Tories? not since Hyndman - that's a hell of a record to be breaking.

Anyway, the Ingrate links to the greatest peice of trainspottery for somewhile: Mark Steel has left the SWP (according to Derek Wall).

I've been surprised by the resiliance of SWP members, and the fact that the party hasn't gone into meltdown after the failure and ructions of Respect - maybe this has begun, now.

How significant would this be? Well, their profile is enormous. My friends always thought I was out selling Socialist Worker and in the Socialist Workers Party - now matter how often I'd try to correct them. Basically, the far left peopel on street corners were Socialist Worker, and you'd have to be a trainspotter to know any different. Everyone has heard of them, especially if they've been through university.

I won't rehash their record in trashing the Socialist Alliance, Scottish Socialist Party and, bizarrely, Respect, but it's well known. Mind, I've been predicting the WRPisation of the SWP since Tony Cliff died, so what do i know...

Update: When I posted this, I had a sneaking suspicion I was repeating a joke: it turns out I posted an article with an identical title almost exactly two years ago (The joy of sects). Should I be worried? Or glad? Anyway, compre and contrast, comrades.

Idle bugger

I've been full of cold - that's my excuse.

Anyway, I'll try and fit in some posts about Venzuela and Pakistan in the next week or so (there, I've committed myself, I have to do it).

But first, given that it seems that the SWP are going to be holding the "constitutionally convened" Respect conference, and Galoway's mob are holding a rival one (because they lost the packing war) I take it that means that, all importantly, the SWP is going to be able to retain the respect brand, and - vitally - the registration with the Electoral Commission.

They can add it to their collection, because they currently own the registration for Socialist Alliance (the last front they trashed). I wonder whether, when they split with Tommy Sheridan they will keep the Solidarity registration? Perhaps they collect them? Are the SWP scalp hunters?

I'm surprised, to be frank, that no one is running round accusing the SWP of being an MI5 front, after all, they ahve systematically trashed everything on the left for years and years. No one has, and that would be absurd, because, everyone knows that, like the scorpion in the story, it's what they do.

Their baleful influence illustrates clearly that we all need to learn a lesson, that open, democratic movements that are impervious to their conspiratorial take over techniques.

p.s.

Unrelated, but fascinating article over at Socialist Unity about Cuba's (enforced) post oil economy.

Questions, M'lud

The hunting of the snark continues.

Greg Palast, he of uncovering serious polling Fraud in Florida back in 2000, has laid into George Galloway.

Now, I personally would not accuse Galloway of personal corruption - as some interesting gents noted t'other day in conversation, our ruling class doesn't understand any sort of corruption other than the sort that lines one's pockets handsomely. They don't understand being politically corrupt: engaging in debased and corupting political relationships for genuine reasons (however mistaken) or merely for personal glory.

The workers movement has always struggled to keep sticky fingers from the till, and to make its accounts clearer and more available and accountable than the really corrupt capitalist class.

It's peturbing, then, that when I have raised the fact that neither Respect nor the Scottish Socialist Party have managed to submit their annual audited accounts for 2004 to the Electoral Commission - even after being granted an extended deadline - the membership of those organisations, including the SSP's official press spokesperson, Eddie Truman, have appeared unconcerned.

This is not about petty regulation compliance, this is about asking a good question: why cannot Respect or the SSP put together something as simple as a workable annual account 9 months into the following year? How can such an organisation be held to account?

Now, we do know from the public record, that george Galloway is named as donating substantial sums to Respect. £ 5,029.17 back in 2004, alongside £6,000 value for a battle bus from a company he has a stake in.

This story is developing, I'll be keeping a beady eye out.