The Socialist Party in Brief (1973)

From the June 1973 issue of the Socialist Standard

The S.P.G.B. is no new organization but was founded in 1904, as a breakaway from the old Social Democratic Federation for the sole purpose of establishing Socialism. Unfortunately, there is widespread confusion as to the nature of the Socialist society we seek to establish. This is largely due to the obstinate persistence with which parties like the Labour Party describe themselves as Socialist.

A cursory glance at the London Labour Party’s Manifesto for recent GLC elections A Socialist Strategy for London show that the Labour Party is not merely a non-socialist, but a definitely anti-socialist party. Every one of its 77 promises are reforms of capitalism. If every one of these measures were implemented, they would make little or no difference to the position of the vast majority who, whether bank managers or dustmen, are all workers, members of the working class.

Reformers of all kind have tried to patch up capitalism for 150/200 years without any significant result. Why is this? Because the economic system of capitalism which obtains throughout most of the world is based on the exploitation of a propertyless, deprived working class.

Whatever “improvements” are introduced supposedly for the benefit of the workers, are nullified by the operation of the capitalist system itself. Thus the Rent Control or Housing Subsidies are a way of trying to reduce wages or prevent their increase.

Nothing short of the abolition of capitalism, and its replacement by Socialism can avail the vast majority — the workers.

The Socialist form of society which we propose will be completely different from everything encountered today. In the truly Socialist world, members of the community will co-operate voluntarily to produce the best, and freely consume what is then made available. Only this idea as its object makes a party Socialist.

The Socialist Party is utterly democratic in its constitution and practice. It holds that society can only be changed by a conscious informed majority who understand what they are about. For this reason it renounces violent minority direct-action methods, relying on the political consciousness of the majority of the working class.

Horatio.