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{{Distinguish|Movement for a Socialist Future}}
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{{distinguish|Movement for a Socialist Future|Workers' Revolutionary Party (UK)}}


The '''Movement for Socialism''' is an occasional grouping of socialists in the [[United Kingdom]], meeting infrequently and operating as a highly discreet, almost invisible, email list of about 20 to 30 subscribers without any noticeable presence on the internet. It exists as an occasional discussion circle with contributors coming from various backgrounds but mainly ex-WRP members, some of whom were prominent or known to the WRP's national membership under the Healy regime. It originated as one half of the major split in the [[Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)|Workers Revolutionary Party]] of 1985, following allegations about [[Gerry Healy]]'s sexual activities. Initially, both halves continued under the WRP name and both published a newspaper named ''[[News Line]]'', but [[Cliff Slaughter]]'s group later renamed the publication ''Workers Press''.
The '''Movement for Socialism''' is an occasional grouping of socialists in the [[United Kingdom]]. It originated as one half of the major split in the [[Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)|Workers Revolutionary Party]] of 1985. Initially, both halves continued under the WRP name and both published a newspaper named ''[[The News Line]]'', originally named ''Workers Press''.


==Workers' Revolutionary Party (Workers Press)==
==Workers' Revolutionary Party (Workers Press)==
The group was initially led by Clff Slaughter and [[Michael Banda]], but Banda left in 1986 to form the [[Communist Forum]].<ref>''Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations parties, groups'' By Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, p.170</ref> Another early split was the International Communist Party, which later became the [[Socialist Equality Party (UK)|Socialist Equality Party]] (SEP) which was led by David Hyland in Britain.<ref>''Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations parties, groups'' By Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, p.171</ref> Hyland died in 2013 <ref>http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/12/20/dave-d20.html</ref>
The group was initially led by [[Cliff Slaughter]] and [[Michael Banda]],<ref>[http://forum.permanent-revolution.org/2014/09/the-death-of-mike-banda.html "The death of Mike Banda", ''Permanent Revolution'']. Retrieved 26 October 2015</ref> but Banda left in 1986 to form the Communist Forum.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=qps14mSlghcC&q=Movement+for+Socialism ''Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations parties, groups'' By Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley], p.170</ref> A further split occurred when the group's Bolshevik Faction left to form the International Socialist League in 1988. Following the transformation of the remaining group into Movement for Socialism, another split occurred with the departure of a group of supporters of the [[Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International]].

The post-Healy WRP (Workers Press) group entered into a period in which its press became the focus of debate on the history of the WRP/[[ICFI]] for the members of the WRP and other [[Trotskyist]]s in Britain and abroad. It was also active in the [[Workers' Aid for Bosnia]] movement<ref>''Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations parties, groups'' By Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, p.171</ref><ref>Charlie Pottins [http://randompottins.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-links-and-old-acquaintances.html "New links and old acquaintances"]</ref> and had close links with Searchlight South Africa <ref>https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/revhist/otherstu/srchlght.htm</ref> founded by [[Baruch Hirson]] and [[Paul Trewhela]]

Moves were made to organise an Open Conference of Trotskyists throughout the world, but this miscarried and in the end a minority of the WRP around veteran [[Bill Hunter (Trotskyist)|Bill Hunter]] and Martin Ralph formed the 'Bolshevik Faction' in August 1987. This splintered away from the WRP (Workers Press) in February 1988 to form the [[International Socialist League (UK)|International Socialist League]] as a section of the [[International Workers League]] (LIT) led by Argentinian Trotskyist leader [[Nahuel Moreno]].

In 1990, the WRP (WP), along with a few other Trotskyist groups, including the Group of Opposition and Continuity of the Fourth International (GOCFI), led by [[Michel Varga]],(aka Balazs Nagy) formed the [[Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International]].

==Movement for Socialism==
In 1996 the decision was taken to abandon the name WRP, and the group renamed itself the Movement for Socialism. This later split again, with Cliff Slaughter's moiety continuing to use the name 'Movement For Socialism' (MFS) and the Bob Archer/Dot Gibson fragment adopting the name of the Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International (WIRFI). [[Dot Gibson]] is the current General Secretary of the [[National Pensioners Convention]] in the UK <ref>http://npcuk.org/about-us/npc-officers</ref>

The Movement for Socialism (MFS) should not be confused with the similarly named groups Movements for Socialism or [[Movement for a Socialist Future]]. The latter is influenced by the thoughts of the late leader of the Workers Revolutionary Party, [[Gerry Healy]]. Healy led the party up to its implosion and fragmentation in 1985. The MFS has no regular internal bulletin or 'external' publication for the perusal of non-associates of the grouping. Transcriptions of proceedings are produced subsequent to, and reporting the content of, any discussions at rarely convened meetings. They are then circulated internally to the MFS list for discussion via email. An ambient (and rather mysterious) element of 'security' exists around the grouping in regard to who can be included (or not as the case may be) on the email list. Applications to subscribe to the list or to attend occasional meetings are 'by invitation only'. Such applications are considered in email interchange/discussion by members and admittance/refusal is by general consent of those already subscribed to the list. The most prominent ex-WRP subscribers to the list deny that the MFS is a "sect" but rather prefer to refer to it as "a loose association".


== See also ==
* [[Trotskyist Fraction – Fourth International]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}



{{WRP}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Political parties established in 1985]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1985]]
[[Category:Trotskyist organisations in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Trotskyist organisations in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)]]
[[Category:Workers Revolutionary Party (UK)]]
[[Category:Socialist parties in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1985 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1985 establishments in the United Kingdom]]

Latest revision as of 11:16, 3 November 2024

Not to be confused with Movement for a Socialist Future.

The Movement for Socialism is an occasional grouping of socialists in the United Kingdom. It originated as one half of the major split in the Workers Revolutionary Party of 1985. Initially, both halves continued under the WRP name and both published a newspaper named The News Line, originally named Workers Press.

Workers' Revolutionary Party (Workers Press)

[edit]

The group was initially led by Cliff Slaughter and Michael Banda,[1] but Banda left in 1986 to form the Communist Forum.[2] A further split occurred when the group's Bolshevik Faction left to form the International Socialist League in 1988. Following the transformation of the remaining group into Movement for Socialism, another split occurred with the departure of a group of supporters of the Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The death of Mike Banda", Permanent Revolution. Retrieved 26 October 2015
  2. ^ Encyclopedia of British and Irish political organizations parties, groups By Peter Barberis, John McHugh, Mike Tyldesley, p.170
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