Prospects for a revival of left reformism

Draft of part of speech at 1998 European School of the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI)

I am going to make some points about prospects for a revival of left reformism.

I am from England, but these comments are in support of the proposals from the Scottish EC (Executive Committee – the leaders of Scottish Militant Labour).

I will start by asking a question:

Will the mass of workers have to pass through left reformism before they draw revolutionary conclusions?

In particular, when they realise that a socialist society is needed, will they consider it achievable gradually by a series of reforms?

We often make the general point that the mass of workers will look to the easiest way first.

But what if a gradual series of reforms is not perceived as the easiest way of achieving socialism?

Indeed, what if gradual reforms to socialism are not even seen as viable?

Clearly, when they conclude that a socialist society is needed, they will also conclude that capitalism must be overthrown rather than reformed.

The world situation has changed due to the collapse of Stalinism (the “communist” societies in the USSR and Eastern Europe) and the end of the post-war boom.

I will briefly list some reasons why a revival of left reformism is less likely when workers move into struggle than it would have been in the past.

Reformist governments in practice have failed disastrously. They have been unable to deliver reforms due to the end of the post-war boom.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the former workers’ parties and trade unions have swung over, almost without exception, to embracing the “free market”, largely due to the ideological effects of the collapse of Stalinism.
There is a lack of reformist leaders with any credibility for leading struggles.
Globalisation makes it even harder for significant reforms in the interest of the working class to be made.
There is an increasing polarisation in society between those who are satisfied and (those who are) dissatisfied with capitalism.

There is quite a widespread feeling that the problems of society are so great that tinkering with the system is not enough and that fundamental change is needed.

However, there is a lack of clear ideas about what sort of change, how it can be achieved, or confidence that it will happen.

In addition to these general points, there are some specific factors in Scotland.

Our party is relatively strong in comparison with the strength of reformism. The Scottish EC has referred to this as a more level playing field between Marxism and reformsim.
It is likely that the SNP will come to power in the near future, in the Scottish Parliament. The failure of its reformist policies in practice, especially if there is an independent Scotland, will clearly cut across the growth of reformist ideas.
Even if there is a significant growth in left reformism, the SNP will be a pole of attraction to them (left reformists). They will not necessarily join the SSP.

So is a big revival of left reformism likely?

At the end of the first plenary session, Peter Taaffe (Socialist Party General Secretary) pointed out that there had been no discussion over the developments of a reformist left.

He pointed out that in this situation of capitalist crisis, there is no way (space) for a half-way position. Parties have to support the market or oppose it.

I agree that the Asian crisis and its repercussions discussed in the first session further reduce the prospects for a revival of left reformism.

In the short term, Peter Taaffe seems to agree with me that many workers will draw revolutionary conclusions without passing through left reformism (or perhaps passing through it very quickly). [NB I rephrased this sentence in the final speech to say that I agree with the position that Peter Taaffe seems to take, after someone pointed out that this sentence sounds rather big headed!]

However, he went on to forecast a phase of left reformism and centrism (revolution in words but reformism in deeds) in the longer term.

Personally, I would question this perspective.

If workers can draw revolutionary conclusions without a revival of left reformism in the short term, it would be wrong to rule this out in the medium and long term.

In my opinion, a big revival of left reformism is unlikely in the short term at least and questionable in the longer term.

It is especially unlikely that there will be many left reformists with clear coherent strongly held views.

However, obviously workers will not become rounded out revolutionaries overnight.

They will pass through vague ideas, they will have a rough idea of what a socialist society would be like and be very unsure about how to achieve it.

They will undoubtedly have some illusions, for example in parliament or peaceful change.

But these socialists will be able to rapidly draw revolutionary conclusions, especially when we are in a position to influence them.

In conclusion, it is certainly not inevitable that revolutionaries in the SSP will be overwhelmed by left reformism as the British EC (Executive Committee – leaders of the Socialist Party) asserts.

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