Labour Withdraw (1985)

Party News from the July 1985 issue of the Socialist Standard

Guildford Branch apologises to members and supporters who were denied the opportunity to hear a debate with the Labour Party is Farnborough on 26 June. The Farnborough & Cove Branch of the Labour Party had agreed in principle to a debate with us, but this decision was later overruled by their Branch Executive Committee who explained that ". . . the Labour Party shares no common ground with the SPGB, and no useful outcome would result".

It is certainly true that the Labour Party has absolutely nothing in common with the SPGB but the idea that no useful outcome would result illustrates just how arrogant and unprincipled these apologists for capitalism are. The title of the proposed debate — "What is socialism and how can it be achieved?" — was probably the real reason why the Labour Party backed down; they do not know what socialism is, and they certainly do not know how it can be achieved.