The Fault Lines - Update

This should be read alongside our original statement.

Since this blog went up a few days ago we have generated interest, questions and criticism.  Here we would like to explain a little more about the blog and touch on a few topics raised.  Before that though, we would like to thank all those who have sent and posted messages of solidarity and support to the blog.  It was not an easy decision for us to make but we feel it was the correct decision.


Editors
This has thrown open accusations that we are stooges.  For the record, the editors of this blog are members of the SWP and one comrade who left the party after the recent special conference.  Until we post under our names you will have to give us benefit of the doubt.


Anonymity

The editors of this blog have decided for the moment to remain anonymous; the likelihood of immediate expulsion hangs over us if we weren’t.  Ideally we would like this not to be the case, we hope to be able to use our names in the near future.  It is unfortunate that this is the case but represents the current state of a party that emphasises discipline over debate.

Blog
Our motive is not to sabotage the SWP, to get people to leave or to try and form a faction around The Fault Lines blog. 

There are disagreements within the organisation around many issues, including the leadership, the political culture and the general direction of the party.  So if there is a difference of opinion, how do we hear it?  How do comrades go about telling people they are unhappy without being frozen out of their branches? What happens if they’re isolated in a branch away from any locale of ‘opposition’, who do they talk to?  Are we expected to keep quiet until October and then, like a jack-in-a-box, spring up with fully formed arguments and perspectives?

We want to open up debate and arguments to the wider membership of the party.  After special conference 2013 we were promised to have a space to discuss and debate the differences of opinion within the party.  This has failed to happen in any workable sense.  The ISJ has been ‘opened up’ to have the arguments but the timeframe and nature of this debate deems them unfit for this purpose.  We need to openly have these discussions now.

This is why we created the blog.  There are questions being raised within the SWP. The Fault Lines is a place where everyone can hear and participate in the debates.

Posts

The editors of this blog are united in their opposition to the way the leadership have handled the crisis and the direction the party is heading.  We also believe that without quick, serious change the SWP will no longer be any vehicle for working class struggle.

However we don’t necessarily agree in totality how we go forwards, or our individual analysis of what went so badly wrong.  We want to replicate this in the submissions to the blog.  

It is important to note that guest posts do not necessarily represent the position of the blog and its editors;  this blog is a space for comrades to submit articles which we feel are important or add to the debate.  We also welcome submissions as replies to posts that have been published.  We encourage comrades to use their names rather than pseudonyms although until we are also open about who we are, we understand the need for anonymity.

We would also like to encourage use of the comments section under each post.  This would be a great place for comrades to discuss articles and bring their own thoughts to the subject.

We hope that The Fault Lines serves a purpose in opening up the debate to all comrades, no matter your location or contacts.  There is no reason to keep quiet.

The Fault Lines editors