In the main resolution submitted for the coming annual congress of the CPGB, the Executive Committee of the Communist Party admits that nearly 2,000 members have been lost since last congress in 1967. This represents about 6% of the membership and 4% of this loss has been in the last year, When discussing this position, the resolution admits that one of the factors has been the influence of ultra left ideas on the youth and students, It furthermore claims that ultra left ideas are now being combatted more effectively.
An indication of what is meant by the latter point is the appearance, in August, of a 60-page pamphlet by Betty Reid, entitled "Ultra Leftism in Britain", Costing 5/- and with an attractive cover the pamphlet appears to be a serious and objective attempt to come to terms with other left tendencies.
We received this pamphlet too late to devote enough time to ensure that it is dealt with at length in this issue. It is worthy of serious examination and reply and this will be done in the next issue, However, in the meantime a few comments are necessary.
THE IMG POSES A PROBLEM
Although the pamphlet deals with many groups to the left of the CP - it even finds space for the 'Pabloites" - the International Marxist Group receives more attention than any other.
Betty Reid seems to have some difficulty in explaining her criticism of us on the question of unity and Vietnam. In fact in stating her case she is forced to pay us some compliments in a back-handed manner. This will no doubt be used by the SLL to "prove" that there is an alliance between the CP and IMG to divert people away from the "true believers".
thus when commenting upon the editorial of the first issue of INTERNATIONAL, which was explaining that the new journal would continue THE WEEK's policy of seeking to create non-exclusive organs of struggle on important and principled issues, Betty Reid says that it was "making a claim which is IN PART justified." (BR's emphasis).
This, one might think, is no small tribute coming from one of the professional interpreters of the doctrine. However, she goes on to explain that this is not the whole of the story. Apparently, the IMG means something different from the CP by unity, A further quotation from INTERNATIONAL reveals that the IMG's kind of unity would exclude the 'soggies' and would be predicated on the assumption that it did not equivocate in its support for all those engaged in struggle. This, according to Betty Reid, is basing unity on the most advanced programme and excludes those working on a programme of immediate demands.
FORMATION OF A BARRIER
A serious warning follows for those "naive" Communists who do not distinguish between the immediate and long-term aims of the IMG, The latter being essentially "unity of the various rival Trotskyist groupings, on the basis of Trotskyist policies, and thus the creation of a barrier between Communists and the left in the labour movement,"
So it is not a compliment after all, just a warning that we are rather dangerous to combat,
On Vietnam, at the end of a long section designed to prove that the CP has been right all along (even to the extent of always having a solidarity line), Betty Reid: "Whatever our disagreements with the IMG they have at least not accepted the line of IS on Vietnam" (that of trying to turn VSC into a multi-issue campaign,)
She then goes on, in a passage which will give members of IMG many belly laughs, to say that we are reeling from a split which lost us direct influence in the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation and the Institute of Workers Control,
Near the end of the pamphlet, she says that the CP imposes no bans and proscriptions and it will "work with anyone who will co-operate on an agreed basis for specific aims,"
This is an important statement and will be of use in trying to develop unity of action on Vietnam, against the Government's anti-trade union policies and other questions.
Whatever the views of the leaders of the Communist Party they realise they can no longer ignore other tendencies in unity of action. However, it will also mean that the exchange of ideas and debate will be facilitated.