Militant: Socialist Party Scotland respond to Richard Leonard’s attack

By Philip Stott, Socialist Party Scotland national secretary 

Socialist Party Scotland – Militant, as we were previously known – welcomed Richard Leonard’s election in November 2017 as Labour’s leader in Scotland. Moreover, we advocated a vote for him in the contest against the millionaire Blairite, Anas Sarwar.

However, we were disappointed at Leonard’s attacks on Militant in an interview with Dani Garvelli, published last Sunday on the Scotsman website and in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper. https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/interview-scottish-labour-leader-richard-leonard-1-4700180

Citing Richard Leonard’s involvement in the Stirling University Labour Club in the early 1980s, which had many Militant supporters among its members, reference is made to Militant’s so-called “cult-like” approach and its “bullying tactics” to “make people part with money”. Anyone in the labour, trade union and socialist movement who has participated in Militant, or today at Socialist Party Scotland events, will find these lazy, tabloidesque attacks laughable. In fact that are lifted from the playbook of Labour’s own millionaire Blairite tendency, who raised the spectre of Militant as they fought bitterly to oppose Jeremy Cobyn’s welcome ascendency to the leadership of the UK Labour Party.

It has never been the method of Militant to bully anyone, either in political debate or to “make people part with money”. What we have always done is, unapologetically, ask for support, both politically and financially, based on our ideas and campaigning record.

Richard Leonard is quoted as saying that: “It was all about the advancement of Militant rather than the advancement of working people”. Really? Let’s not forget that it was Militant that spearheaded the campaign of mass non-payment of the poll tax. Beginning in Scotland in 1989 and then spread across the rest of Britain from 1990, 18 million people refused to pay, which led to the demise of Margaret Thatcher and the scrapping of the hated poll tax legislation.

Without Militant that victory would not have been possible. Was the ending of Thatcher’s reign and the death of the poll tax not an example of an “advancement for working people”?

Similarly it was Militant in Liverpool between 1983 to 1987 that was the driving force which led the defiant anti-cuts campaign of the socialist Labour council to win increased funding for the city. And it was a campaign that was successful, forcing the Thatcher government to retreat and to provide millions in extra resources for Liverpool. Richard Leonard and Jeremy Corbyn today should be calling on their councillors in Scotland, England and Wales to “do a Liverpool”. That means refusing to implement cuts to council jobs and services while fighting for a return of the hundreds of millions stolen from councils as a result of a decade of austerity.

Democratic reselection

Richard Leonard says in the interview that Militant sought to “take over control of the commanding heights of the Labour Party, to deselect MPs and insert Militant supporting members”. Militant’s support, along with Tony Benn, Jeremy Corbyn and many on the Labour left at the time, was for democratic changes that would allow party members and trade unionists to select Labour candidates and was a huge step forward. Moreover, it allowed for the selection of working class fighters to stand as Labour candidates and for the removal of some “jobs for life”, pro-capitalist right wing Labour MPs.

Indeed the formation of the SDP – the right wing split-off from Labour in 1981 – was a direct result of the opening up of Labour Party democracy.

It wasn’t only Militant supporters like Terry Fields, Dave Nellist and Pat Wall – who all took the average wage of a skilled worker as MPs – who were then able to be selected as Labour candidates, but many other lefts including Jeremy Corbyn.

Mistakenly Richard Leonard goes on to say: “There are some elements in Momentum who have spoken about deselections, which I don’t think is very helpful”

Buy why should Labour Party members and affiliated trade unionists not have the right to select their candidates? And if necessary deselect sitting MPs, MSPs and councillors if they fail to defend the interests of the working class, for example by voting through cuts?

It has been a mistake by the Momentum leadership not to campaign for a fully democratised Labour Party, including the right of democratic selection and where necessary deselection of MPs etc.

Labour, including in Scotland, is still two parties in one. The pro-capitalist right wing have not and will not simply acquiesce to Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. Biding their time they will act again to try and remove him at a certain stage.

On the other hand, the pro-Corbyn, anti-austerity membership face a situation where a majority of councillors, MPs etc represent the old right wing, many of whom are voting through austerity in councils across the country. This cannot go on indefinitely and it is the responsibility of the left to fight for the transformation of Labour into a fully democratic, anti-austerity party. This includes the right of those socialists, including Militant supporters, expelled from Labour in the past to be able to participate in this struggle.

Instead of attacking Militant and our record, Richard Leonard should give his support to achieving the building of a principled, 100% anti-austerity socialist Labour movement in Scotland.