Jim Jepps

* updates at end of post, generally most recent last *

I hadn’t really intended to write anything on this. So I won’t. However, lots of other people have and many of those contributions have been articulate, intelligent and go well beyond the specific issue that brought it all to a head.

So, in an effort to be helpful I thought I’d collect together all the pieces (of any worth) in one place so that people can read for themselves the various perspectives. I’m bound to have missed some, as I’ve not exactly been dedicating myself  to trawling the internet over the last two weeks, but I hope it is reasonably comprehensive. If you want to bring a piece to my attention that I’ve not linked to contact details are at the bottom of the post – do let me know.

* updates at end of post, generally most recent last *

Let’s try to put this in some sort of order.

In the run up to the SWP’s national conference at the beginning of this month there was an unprecedented amount of fractiousness, four members who were unhappy with the Central Committee were expelled and in response two factions were set up formally and a minority grouping on the Central Committee formed demanding their reinstatement and other reforms – all highly unusual. However it is the fall out after conference that we shall concentrate on here;

• Socialist Unity published a leaked transcript of a discussion at SWP conference dealing with a highly contentious report on an internal investigation conducted by friends of the “defendant” over an accusation of rape which, obviously, exonerated him.
• SWP leader Charlie Kimber issued an order for SU to take it down (also on Socialist Unity). He didn’t.
• Tom Walker a journalist on Socialist Worker publicly resigned in the pages of Weekly Worker.
• Laurie Penny wrote a very measured piece on this in the New Statesman.
• The Independent wrote a piece on it, bizarrely linking the story to Sharia law.
• Andy Newman of Socialist Unity was compelled to point out that was not his analogy in The SWP and quasi-judicial proceedings.
• The Daily Mail and the Sunday Times also printed stories on this.
• Richard Seymour then came out as part of the opposition in a very well written piece The SWP in crisis.
• The crisis in the SWP broke into full view. Even the Swindon Advertiser is covering the story.

Resignation letters

• “Donny Mayo” (Counterfire) * recommended letter from former Central Commitee member
• Tom Walker (Weekly Worker) * recommended letter from Socialist Worker journalist
• Jon Hosier (Socialist Unity)

I’m disgusted but not resigning letters

• China Mieville (Lenin’s Tomb)
• Linda Rogers (Lenin’s Tomb)
• Ian L (Lenin’s Tomb)
• Leeds Universtiy SWSS group open letter (reproduced at Grumpy Old Trot)
• Sussex University SWSS
• Emma Rock (Lenin’s Tomb)
• Nathan Akehurst (his own blog)

The case for the defense There’s not much of it…

• Socialist Worker’s official report of the conference.
• Lenin’s Tomb in urgent need of repair Snowball, possibly the only pro-CC piece online by an SWP member. Quite funny.
• A much delayed edition of “party notes” which tells everyone to shut up. Hilarious.
• Gilad Atzmon has written a foul defense of Martin Smith in which he explicitly and repeatedly says it is all down to the Jews. I’m the SWP CC are far from doing cartwheels at this sort of support.

Discussion from those in the SWP and SWP tradition

• Serbian section splits from international grouping (Grumpy Old Trot) * recommended 
• The crisis in the SWP. Counterfire. * recommended
• Why it is necessary to fight and A reply to the central committee, Richard Seymour
• The SWP in crisis, what do socialists say? Keith Watermelon
• Some thoughts on IS theory and Get on t’internet from Roobin
• The SWP and women’s liberation. Nora J at Lenin’s Tomb
• Thoughts on the crisis, ISO member in the USA
• Reflections on the crisis in the British SWP Paul Kellogg, Canadian IS
• For a creative regroupment of the left, Alan Gibbons, former SWP member
• Sexism and the left Suki Sangha and Sarah Collins, ISG Scotland

Discussion by non-SWP members on the wider implications of this case

• SWP internal committee exonerates senior member of rape. Laura F-Word
• Colluders in sexual violence, don’t let thhem off the hook Rebecca Johnson (touched on)
• 10 years on, a comment on the British SWP, Mike Marqusee * recommended
• Crawling from the wreckage, Mark Perryman (Socialist Unity) and I’ll cry if I want to
• What happens next? Andy Newman of the same site, and explaining the paradox.
• The SWP meltdown, institutional legitimacy and the broader lesson for the left Though Cowards Flinch
• Countless zig zags on women’s oppression Weekly Worker
• Whose Democratic Centralism?, Jane Kelly of the orthodox Trotoskyist Socialist Resistance. Also No Marxism without feminism
• Sex, lies and audio tape. Stuart King of Trotskyist groupescule Permanent Revolution
• SWP crisis, what now? Workers Power (ditto description)
• The SWP crisis AWL, the SWP’s arch-rivals and the case isn’t closed
• Leninism in the twenty first century Pham Bin and how not to deal with a rape allegation (Northern Star)
• On hubris, Grumpy Old Trot
• The Socialist Workers Party and the Rape Committee: When organisations become cults Not so big society
• Where now for the SWP? and The SWP, Rape and revolutionary justice and SWP, life on the revolutionary treadmill AVPS

Ones I’d missed Readers are welcome to let me know of any interesting links I’ve missed or that were written after I posted this.

• Progress online has the centre-right critique of  the whole thing.
• Under the Ocular Tree links to all the Harry’s Place articles, mainly by Michael Ezra.
• The left: Rebellion, regroupment and the party we need Ben Lewis in a bumper SWP-themed issue of Weekly Worker
• SWP crisis: Opposition emboldened as demand for recall grows Paul Demarty lead article in Weekly Worker.
• Sexism: Macho culture and the lessons we can learn from the Middle East Yassamin Mather in Weekly Worker draws an interesting parallel.
• Can the SWP survive? Tony Greenstein
• THE CRISIS IN THE SWP AFFECTS THE ENTIRE LEFT from the anti-capitalist initiative
• The SWP and the collapse of the cults at the not so big society
• Crisis reveals a crisis on the left William Bowles

SWP “opposition” members have launched a blog to bring together their efforts into one place. Visit the International Socialism blog for more info.   More updates (Monday 21st onwards)

• British politics urgently needs a new force Owen Jones in the Independent
• Sample motions calling for a recall conference International Socialism
• Reply to party notes International Socialism
• Misogynists and the Left Mhairi McAlpine
• Time to Fight: The Crisis in the SWP Andy Wilson, UnKant
• Respect the authority of conference International Socialism
• Facing reality John Palmer, Red Pepper
• University paper Concrete reports on a public meeting with SWP CC member Judith Orr.
• The SWP as a perfect democracy Paul Scott
• New Zealand ex-sister organsation the Workers’ Party respond to the SWP.
• SWP, no return to normal Ben Lewis, Weekly Worker
• What are the politics of the SWP opposition? Paul Demarty, Weekly Worker
• Anonymous letter to the national secretary International Socialism
• LSE SWSS and Birkbeck SWSS issue statements on the crisis
• Kings College SWSS, Leeds SWSS, Sussex SWSS, Brighton SWSS, Manchester SWSS, Queens SWSS, Portsmouth SWSS, Brunel SWSS, Kent SWSS, UEA SWSS, Liverpool SWSS, Essex SWSS, East London SWSS, FE SWSS

Yet more updates (from Monday 28th onwards)

• From the SWP tradition;
  • Tom Walker on The SWP: where did  it all go wrong * recommended
  • China Mieville on where is the line in the sand?
  • Richard Seymour on the SWP opposition is growing
  • Can I get a conference lists branches that have passed motions for a recall conference.
  • A message of support from Ireland
  • Anonymous letter to the national secretary
  • Warmly recieved? on a meeting in UEA (also letter on same subject)
  • Goldsmiths SWSS statement (facebook)
  • An open letter from some SWP allies
  • Alex Callinicos replies to the critics in Socialist Review. * bizarre, must read
  • Resignation in song? Why not indeed. Jack Brindelli
  • Kevin Crane responds with Is interventionism finished?
  • Is Zinovievism finished ask the International Socialists
  • Reflections on the 2011 conference (backstory)
  • The International Socialist Organisation in the US has issued a statement in their Socialist Worker.
  • And have a follow up article Leninism is unfinished.
  • Advice for comrades feeling the heat International Socialism
  • Justin Constinanou in the pages of Weekly Worker (half way down)
  • Open letter from Germany * highly recommended
  • Can the SWP deal with rape allegations? Linda Rodgers * highly recommended
• Louis Proyect replies to Callinicos.
• The Northern Star says Callinicos has mangled the issues.
• Max Dunbar on Nice Guys of the SWP
• Andy Newman on Sexism, Feminism and the SWP
• And again on The SWP, the Empire strikes back
• Derek Wall argues for a non-sectarian solution in the Morning Star
• I’m not a great fan of Downfall parodies – but this is very well done.
• Tony Greenstein takes apart Gilad Atzmon’s defense of “Delta”.
• Screenshot of a story in The Times on this (jpg)
• Socialist Resistance ask Is the left coming together or falling apart?
• Jon Rogers has a message for his SWP friends.
• Andy Carling on Comrade Rohypnol.
• Norman Geras Leninism forever?
• Digital Journal: The Tortskyist view of rape
• Callinicos and the “dark side” Weekly Worker
• Open letter from trade unionists.
• Counter Punch Is the party over?

Even more updates (from Saturday 2nd Feb onwards)

• In The Press
  • The Daily Mail goes for the throat in what is actually a very fair article. A show of hands! That’s how the Socialist Workers Party cleared a comrade of rape.
  • Nick Cohen in the Observer has a right  old pop at both sides. (The Third Estate respond to his piece, as do Deeva’s Corner)
  • Owen Hatherley on Comment is Free.
  • Oliver Kamm in the Times (paywall)
• Debate
  • Turkish organisation AntiKapitalist Eylem on the crisis. (in Turkish but google translate is your friend here).
  • Sean Thompson writes more in sorrow than in anger, and thinks Lenin deserves some sympathy.
  • But Anna Chen is pretty angry about it all.
  • Mum’s Net are discussing the crisis. Really.
  • Workers Power reports from the UtR exec meeting on how the crisis is effected the SWP’s industrial work.
  • Soviet Goon Boy reflects on the SWP crisis. A thorough overview.
  • First Central Committee member to resign Socialist Unity. * breaking
  • The Weekly Worker still thinks the SWP is a dead end, they have been given a green light to expel the opposition, but are puzzled that the left aren’t really talking about the crisis.
  • Grumpy old trot describes the battle for the SWP.
  • AVPS says the end is nigh.
  • Mike Gonzales and the ideological priesthood from Louis Proyect.
  • The Weekly Worker records the twilight of the idols, the cc’s fear of the internet and have a transcript (!) of an internal meeting of the International Socialism Journal.
• From the IS tradition
  • Tom Walker writes a thoughtful appraisal of what it means to reclaim Lenin or the IS tradition.
  • Behind the iron curtain Red Rants looks at the crisis in the UK and Ireland.
  • The motions to National Committee on the crisis are at Socialist Unity. * useful documents
  • International Socialism has a response to the CC proposals.
  • The US Socialist Worker has a little discussion with CC loyalists.
  • On accusations of heresy International Socialism.
  • Mark Bergfield’s letter of resignation from the Central Committee.
  • Two factions launched – one within the other. In defense of the party (pdf), and Democratic Renewal Platform.
  • A special conference has been called for March 10th. International Socialism, the Central Committee explains their reasoning for it – apparently the opposition are behaving “bureaucratically” by acting on their constitutional rights. Tut.
  • Seasoned SWP leader and general good egg Pat Stack writes to party members.
  • From the US Paul D’Amato is concerned that the case for the CC is full of over-theorised holes.
  • From International Socialism: Defending the SWP, and When is a conference not a conference?
  • The Central Committee has issued a list of supporters which has marginally more names than the IDOOP grouping.

Next batch of updates: from Sunday 17th Feb.

• Socialist Unity has the SWP’s leaflet from Unision’s women’s conference
• The story of Billy Delta, the sorry tale told as a very disrespectful cartoon. (Black humour warning, don’t go without strong stomach)
• Gregor Gall on what the crisis means for the left and democracy.
• Weekly Worker looks at the SPEW’s non-response to the crisis, reports on IDOOP’s caucus and says the CC is fighting dirty.
• Tom Walker takes to task the top down culture that helped create the SWP crisis.
• SWP meltdown: blogging “filth” spoiling our game by Madam Miaow.
• Soviet Goon Boy says that the age difference matters.
• Cath Elliot reports from UNISON women’s conference and the SWP’s reception there.
• Nick Cohen on further rape allegations about to break (and the same at SU).
• Why does the “bourgeois media” want to cover the SWP crisis? Socialist Action “explains”.
• HarpyMarx on the SWP and women’s liberation.
• Howie’s corner comments on the attitude to students in the CC faction. He also looks at a bizarre SWP weekend.
• Captain Jack revisits what the IS tradition actually is in the light of everyone trying to reclaim/represent it.
• Soviet Goon Boy looks at the uses of paranoia in a faction fight.
• Sadly Weekly Worker has only two articles on the crisis: first it criticises IDOOP for not being aggressive enough, second it writes on how the CC are using theory in a self-serving way.
• Resources;
  • The Central committee motion to the special conference.
  • IDOOP faction documents and agendas.
  • IDOOP concerns about attacks on SWSS.
  • IDOOP reports on their strategy to organise.

March updates

• The excellent Soviet Goon Boy has two new pieces. “Once Tiberius is dead I, Sejanus, will rule as Emperor in Rome” and Lord Acton and the guillotine: our Tendency after Cliff
• Feminism and the SWP at the Northern Star
• Andrew Coates looks at the experience of permanent factions in the IMG (it has come up).
• The Guardian’s Suzanne Moore references the SWP, and not in a good way.
• Durriti says the crisis is about power.
• This week’s Weekly Worker has two articles CC tactics of divide and rule, and Alex Callinicos is haunted by Lenin at the student day school. Late additions include; pre-conference aggregates report back and Richard Seymour looks to the future.
• HarpyMarx takes a look at a weak piece on feminism in Socialist Worker. (Also a barrel of sewage)
• Cathy Nugent looks at the same piece.
• SWP member Roobin is not happy, understandably.
• The Socialist Party of Great Britain have an open letter to SWP members.
• The Guardian has a distressing piece by Shiv Malek and Nick Cohen on SWP rape allegations past and present.
• The BBC reports the crisis with an extended news piece. * I wonder if attacking Owen Jones was a good idea?
• Video: Tom Walker gives good summary of the basic problems, Radio Free Utah has an extended talking head on the crisis and forms of organisation.
• BBC report and then crushing debate Daily Politics from 36 mins
• Camilla Power – what would Marx and Engels think?
• The problem with next door’s party – Gonseaux Journal
• Resources;
  • Socialist Worker has a pop at feminists
  • The papers for this coming weekend’s conference – pdf. * Essential extensive discussion doc
  • Opposition After Sunday document
• Reports from/on the special conference;
  • The Red Needle – opposition smashed.
  • Red Bed Head on the bureaucracies fangs, (plus more general notes on bureaucracy)
  • Weekly Workers’ initial assessment.
  • Resignation letter of Andy Lawson (creeping feminist), Jennifer Marks, Jules Alford, Richard Seymour, Dave Marsh and a mass (123+) resignation letter, Brighton and Sussex SWSS, Leeds SWSS resign.
  • Soviet Goon Boy Order prevails in Vauxhall.
  • The Times Left-wing party split as secret ‘rape trial’ clears top comrade (paywall for full story)
  • Harry’s Place are delighted.
  • Workers Liberty and Weekly Worker on the conference and the aftermath.
  • Party Notes has the vote at 483 for the CC, 133 against, 13 abstentions.
  • Socialist Worker has a report that gives no indication what any of it was about.
  • More to come I’m sure – preliminary chat with delegate been told CC won votes roughly 400 to 140 (tbc)
• Phil BC - the SWP, an obituary.
• HarpyMarx: the SWP and the fear of feminism.
• Brendan O’Neill blames feminism for the SWP crisis.
• Louis Proyect on a tale of two SWPs.
• A new network – international socialism.
• Why Laurie Penny cares about the crisis, Norm however does not.
• Mark Perryman wonders if this is a turning point for the left as a whole, as does Hatful of History.
• Resonance FM (audio) debate with Laurie Penny and Zoe Stavvery (?)
• The loneliest jukebox says fury is trumping thinking among the CC’s critics.
• Lenin’s Tomb: The crisis in the SWP part one, part two.
• Statement: Our movement must be a safe place for women.
• Workers’ Power thinks no one should have resigned.
• Ravotr sums up the story so far and asks how did the cc allow it to go so far?
• To the victor goes the toils gives us a brief history of the SWP and women’s oppression.
• A shower of bastards. The long awaited Game of Thrones ‘spoof’.
• Liberal Conspiracy says the scandal has wider implications.
• Red Bed Head on how the bureaucracy and the international grouping (and part two).
• Weekly Worker has two articles this week: Rape is not the problem and the errors of opposition.
• Mark Steel thinks it shouldn’t matter what happens in the SWP, but it does. * highly recommended
• michael Rosen writes a crucial piece from an often uncritical friend. * highly recommended

From 16th march

• Lenin’s Tomb on the crisis part three, part four.
• LibCom takes a look at the crisis. “ These people have been in hell, fought toward the exit, and are bearing the scars.”
• International Socialism (the opposition who have left the SWP) is organising its first meeting,
• The International Socialist League says there is a crisis of revolutionary morality.
• Socialist Resistance says let’s get some good out of this comrades. * recommended
• Through the Scary Door gets to the nub of the question and has a poll on which was your favourite crisis “meme”. (results)
• The Chair Leg of Truth (great name) attacks the fools on the hill.
• Statement from York Anarchists.
• Phil at AVPS has a first hand account of sexism in the SWP. *recommended
• Resignation from Richard Atkinson.
• People’s Plain Dealer says we need to talk – more revelations. *required reading
• Soviet Goon Boy takes on how the center of the party becomes immune to both criticism and the “real world”.
• The Canadian section of the SWP is hit with high profile resignations.
• Jews sans frontieres says “Nobody who cares about the future of radical politics should cheer such a sad end to over 60 years of left-wing organizing”
• Weekly Worker has two articles in this edition; on ostriches and feminists are not “our” allies. Harpymarx responds.
• Red Bed Head wonders whether the party is really over.
• To the victor goes the toils says it can be like fresh air leaving an organisation.
• Tony Greenstein says that alleged harassment and rape were the symptoms, lack of democracy the case.
• First Draft, looks at how “one issue soon leads to another”.
• Liberal England mocks the SWP CC.
• A Canadian SWP member writes that we just embrace the gains of women’s liberation.
• jerry Hicks responds to those who seek to associate him with allegations against the SWP.
• The Scottish RCN write on Red Bait and Slurs and the failure of recruit, recruit, recruit.
• After the SWP crisis from the Degenerate Lefty.
• The Delhi Historical materialism conference distances itself from the SWP. Callinicos replies (facebook).
• 

  The SW cartoon this week

  In the press;

  • The Daily Mail is working its magic again. Nine rapes? Well at least one more as it uncovers more accusations.
  • Hugh Muir in the Guardian Diary notes twitter spats between the Goves and Michael Rosen.
  • The FLR (spoof left paper) is actually quite good on  this. Issue 12.
  • The journal. Revolution on the rocks and we quit over sexist culture.
  • The SWP responds at the Guardian - Challenging sexism is at the heart of the SWP and the ISN pass judgement (plus Roobin) and Richard Seymour in the Guardian.
  • SW cartoon of the week (right) original (pdf). Page nine also has a letter on feminism.

From 28th March

• International Socialism has been posting some very thoughtful pieces on the IS tradition. Also specifically on the crisis their response to SWSS notes.
• Canadian socialists debate the crisis.
• Sheffield SWP have a mass resignation.
• Freedom Socialist Party on the crisis.
• B Smeaton writes is the SWP finished?
• Harpymarx says that loyalty is part of the problem.
• STOP PRESS: No articles in this week’s Weekly Worker on the SWP crisis. What are they hiding? Well, there is this one on Ken Loach which goes over it a fair bit.
• Report from Glasgow bedroom tax protest which turned nasty A thosand flowers (with video) (and Howie’s Corner)
• Red Scriblings says the SWP are hypocrites one rule for Assange and one for themselves.
• Andy Lawson discusses the SWP’s dangerous past and future (audio).
• Eve unbound sets out to “sketch out different ways of thinking about sexual harrasment”.
• Student national conference did not go well for the SWP because of the crisis.
• China Meiville writes a very interesting piece “on cult-like behavior”.
• In the press;
  • The Guardian diary spots the fact Alex Callinicos was disinvited from the Delhi HM conference.
  • Telegraph blogs uses Comrade Delta as an example of why lad cultre is ok.
  • Telegraph blogs again bringing p the rape case to attack SW’s Thatcher coverage

From May 2013

• Manchester SWSS resignation letter.
• Open letter to Sydney Historical Materialism conference.
• International Socialist Network; Safe Spaces and the Revolutionary Party
• Weekly Worker; no platform a self-inflicted injury, dealing with sex assault cases, SWP opposition – signs of life. Thick skins and think skulls.
• Grumpy Old Trot wonders who will be attending this years Marxism.
• Launching Fault Lines a blog by SWP members. First, A letter to those who are passionate, rape culture and mythology.
• The IS Network welcome the new blog / initiative.
• Who will teach the teachers? Mike Gonzalez.

If I’ve missed anything useful please do let me know, and many thanks to those who’ve emailed in.