WE MUST PROVE OUR IDEAS ARE BETTER (Letters: More about Joining the Labour Party)

Setting up a new party, complete with a hundred per cent correct programme, a weekly paper, full-time workers and offices is no guarantee that the millions of workers who today support the Labour Party will transfer their allegiance to the new party.

Before the British working class recognize the need for a Marxist programme and leadership, they have first to be convinced that the present Right-wing leaders are not going to solve their problems.

How can that necessary transformation be achieved? By speeches and propaganda alone? Of course not.

First of all, the workers must test out the old leadership. This is done, not in the discussion clubs and the debating societies, but in the mass organizations of the working class, where the workers place their political demands upon the Right wing.

Surely the job of Marxists is to be in these organizations, counterposing a principled socialist programme to the 'Welfare State-ism' of the Gaitskells and Carrons.

For Marxist ideas to gain a mass base in Britain, then they must prove their superiority in the Left wing of the Labour Party and the trade unions.

Of course the sectarian will hurriedly cross himself here and mutter 'Betrayal'. Such people are in essence not prepared to trust themselves not to be opportunists.

I can only ask them: 'Is it a betrayal to join the Labour Party in order to fight the ideas of Fabianism and help to construct a Left wing?'

One final point. Some of those who have taken part in this discussion in The Newsletter seem to be getting a little starry-eyed about the Labour Party.

They should note that although its base is working-class, its leadership basically thinks and acts like capitalists. Unless we lead a struggle against that leadership, our membership is useless.

Liverpool, 9.

Bob Pennington