Edgar Hardcastle
Source: Socialist Standard, March 1941.
Transcription: Socialist Party of Great Britain.
HTML Markup: Adam Buick
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Political organisation in this country takes many forms. There are organisations which exist solely in order to gain one reform. When it has been gained their purpose has gone. This was true of the women's suffrage organisations. There are the Tory and Liberal parties, agreed on the retention of capitalism but divided over such questions as free-trade and tariffs, and the amount of taxation to be laid on the backs of different sections of the propertied class. Until capitalism is ended such parties can go on existing, there are always new problems arising for them to deal with, always new opportunities of fighting for their respective sectional interests, and always the need to obtain working-class support for capitalism by the offer of reforms to alleviate the most distressing hardships. Then there are the Labour Party and Co-operative Party, which came into existence primarily to defend the interests of the trade unions and co-operative societies respectively. They have attained stability by taking over much of the former support given to the Liberal Party by workers desiring reforms of one kind or another. Then there is the S.P.G.B., which exists solely for the achievement of one purpose, though a fundamental one, the establishment of Socialism in place of capitalism.
Another category of political parties is what may be called the parasite parties. They live by exploiting the disgruntled supporters of the bigger parties. Among these have been the Communist Party, and all the brood of organisations hatched out by the Communist Party. Every crisis that happens at home or internationally produces its groups of persons dissatisfied on personal or other grounds with the policy adopted by the majority in the bigger parties. Always there are a certain number of workers who vaguely see that there is something wrong with asking for moderate reforms and think the remedy is to ask for bigger reforms—so if the Labour Party asked for a 5s. increase of old-age pensions they would easily fall for propaganda which tells them it is more "revolutionary" to ask for 7s. 6d. As the Labour Party by tradition is nowadays the normal gathering ground for discontented workers it follows that the parasite parties have their most favourable opportunity whenever it happens that the Labour Party is otherwise engaged; for example, when the Labour Party is in office wrestling with problems of the administration of capitalism, or when it is part of a Government carrying on war. While this situation lasts everything plays-into the hands of those adepts at political scheming and wire-pulling, the Communist Party. Their latest venture is the so-called People's Convention, which met on January 12th, 1941, at the Royal Hotel and Holborn Hall, London. A pamphlet, "The People Speak," has been published by the National Committee (price 3d.), described somewhat erroneously as "The Official Report." It does not contain a full report of the proceedings. Out of 62 pages, 34 are given up to the speeches of three of the leading lights—Mr. Harry Adams, Mr. Pritt, K.C., and Mr. W. J. R. Squance. Then follow 15 pages consisting of "points from speeches" of 26 delegates, prominent among them being leading Communists. The remainder of the pamphlet is taken up with messages sent to the Convention, resolutions passed, and particulars of delegates, etc. The claim is made that there were present 2,234 delegates "directly representing 1,200,000." Since the Convention took place several organisations have repudiated the representative capacity of the delegate who claimed to represent them; nevertheless, it may well be true that the Convention had something like the support it claims; there are, unfortunately, very large numbers of muddle-headed people capable of supporting the hotch-potch programme of the Convention.
The People Speak—Under Directicn
The claim is made early in the pamphlet that the Convention was for democracy. "Here, indeed, were the People. Here, indeed, was democracy in action." It is a little odd, therefore, to find no sign that the "people," i.e., the delegates, had any hand in selecting the star speakers or in deciding that what purports to be an official report should contain very little of what the rest of the delegates had to say. Equally odd is the way in which "the people" selected their National Committee. On page 61 we are told that the Standing Orders Committee (who elected them, by the way; and how?) "recommends that 26 be elected by this Convention to the National Committee." And on page 62 we are told that the Standing Orders Committee itself also presented to the delegates a list of 26 persons whom it recommended to be the elect! "Here, indeed, was democracy in action" !
What was Said and left Unsaid
On every page of the report are the unmistakable signs of the nature of the Convention and of the handiwork of the wire-pullers behind the scenes, carefully leaving the well-meaning muddlers to have their say "from their hearts."
The first point to notice is that among the prominent figures are men who claim that Socialism is their aim and who have (elsewhere) been heard to admit that Socialism is the only hope of the workers. On this occasion there was, it seems, a curious reluctance or forgetfulness to say anything about Socialism. The resolutions contain no reference to it. Nor do the speeches, although here and there were appeals to Socialists to support the campaign. About the nearest approach was that of Mr. Palme Dutt, Communist Party, who (page 37) mentions Socialism and suggests that "a People's Government" is "the first step forward."
This coyness about mentioning Socialism prompts the question whether "the People" had spoken prior to the Convention urging all and sundry not to raise such a disturbing question. Or perhaps the idea of soft pedalling came from some other quarter.
The Chairman, Mr. Harry Adams, was frank and enlightening about the origin of the Convention. On page 9 he is reported as saying : —
What happens to a Party which owes its birth to a mood of pessimism about the war when the tide turns ? "Born after Dunkirk, died after Benghazi," may well be its epitaph.
The Programme adopted by the Convention contains about a couple of dozen demands, ranging from "adequate A.R.P. bomb-proof shelters" to increased wages, soldiers' pay, pensions, compensation, insurance and unemployment allowances. Also, of course, a "People's Government," and a "People's peace." Some delegates added a few things of their own. The Chairman favours nationalisation of the mines (page 12). Mr. Pritt calls the League of Nations "an admitted swindle" (page 21) but did not say a word about the Russian Government and the British Communist Party who tried for several years to foist that swindle on the workers. He demanded that the banks "must serve the whole people." It would be entertaining to have that scintillating legal mind explaining just how a bank can serve the whole people. He also wants men to be "free to speak or write, not merely without losing their liberty, but without losing their jobs" (page 24), but gave no reason why that very desirable end is good for this country but not for workers in Russia. Mr. Pritt was scathing about the charge that the Convention is "against the Labour Party" (page 25). But surely, Mr. Pritt, either the Labour Party is in favour of the Convention Programme, in which case there is no need for the Convention, or the Labour Party is against the Programme, in which case Mr. Pritt, on his own showing, should be against the Labour Party ?
Mr. Pritt does indeed answer this question. The only way in which the Convention Programme cuts across Labour policy and principles, he says, " is the linking up of its leaders with their class enemies" (page 25). This means, of course, the present Government. But who are the present Government? A large number of them are the leaders of the Labour Party, and the Prime Minister is Mr. Churchill. "Ah," Mr. Pritt would say, "they ought not to be in the Government with Mr. Churchill." Elsewhere in the pamphlet (page 48) Mr. Pollitt of the Communist Party made this quite plain. He spoke of the real enemies of the workers being "in the Churchill Government," and wants the Churchill Government to be removed to make way for the People's Government.
But has Mr. Pritt really forgotten that it was Mr. Pollitt and the Communist Party who were bellowing in March, 1939, for Mr. Churchill, Sir A. Sinclair and Mr. Attlee to get together and form a Government? What about it, Mr. Pritt?
All the delegates and speakers appear to have had not a particle of doubt that a "People's Government" (whatever that is, nobody troubled to explain) would solve all things. In particular they saw in a "People's Government" the Open Sesame to Peace. Perhaps they have all forgotten that this is not the first occasion a lot of them have wanted a "People's Government." As recently as September 19th, 1939 (when the Communist Party was still all in favour of the war) the Daily Worker was demanding "a People's Government capable of prosecuting that war."
"The war to halt Fascist aggression," shouted the Daily Worker, "must go on with redoubled energy, and the British people will insist on a People's Government capable of prosecuting that war."
On the subject of war it is also worth while to recall that, although the Communist Party denounces the present Government and the Chamberlain Government for not building adequate deep bombproof shelters to protect civilian population fully against air-raids, the non-existence of such shelters did not deter the Communist Party from calling for the war before it came and demanding its energetic prosecution after it had begun, knowing full well what the consequences would be for the civilian population.
Among other objects of the Convention are the strengthening of the Co-operative movement, but simultaneously "we will work to safeguard the interests of the small shopkeeper, small farmer and consumer" (page 57). Mr. Squance, in his speech introducting this, went a bit further and claimed that the Convention also represents the interests of "small business men" (page 32). One delegate, who claimed to speak for landworkers, does not seem to have thought such a lot of helping small farmers, for she spoke up for "collectivisation" (page 44).
Altogether as much nonsense was talked as it was possible to crowd into a one-day Conference. The cost to the National Committee was £2,200, a lot of steam was let off, and a good time was had by all.