Detailing my first encounter with the SWP. From posters of perceived provocateurs to the halls of the working class’ most passionate voices.
If, like me, you frequent Manchester’s central hive you may have noticed the various tattered posters which cling, forlorn, to the innumerable street lamps and shuttered shop fronts. You can gaze at one lamp post and learn about the oil crisis, Tory corruption and the modern day relevance of Marx, all in the space of one inch’s worth of advertising space, as always, ingenuity evades all logical confines. Though through this decaying amalgamation of circus posters, nightclub openings and the various unmentionable, nefarious nightlife scene advertisements (you get the picture) I had spied amidst this tattered cloister of events past, a rather poignant poster. It featured Boris Johnson’s face imposed over the letter ‘c’, upon a poster which begged the question, ‘why is fascism on the rise?’. It was first dismissed by myself as nothing but provocative protest material. How wrong I was. Eventually, after further pursuit into discovering who was the mastermind behind these, I was led to the Friends meeting house. It was there that I discovered a movement which has reinvigorated my trust in the power of collectivisation. Needless to say my initial disillusionment with the cause was catalysed by the dismal state of political affairs that the UK is currently mired in. Yet, for me at least, it rekindled a hope that was long lost. In a political landscape where faux promises are the resource for ascending to power the SWP proved that truth and passion contrast the lies and deceit of the ruling party. An opposing necessity that is much needed in this day and age.
I first found out about the SWP (Socialist worker’s party) through these very posters. From there it led me to attend one of their events at Friend’s meeting house (regularly held here, I may add). There, I was astounded to find that it was not a group of ragtag wannabe Banksy edgelords but a gathering of genuinely concerned, impassioned working class people. These varied from doctors, teachers, builders and public speakers to name but a few of the diverse voices present. I sensed immediately that this was a group who truly encompassed all facets of the conscious working and middle class. I left craving more answers, feeling I had but dipped my toe into the ideological discourse on display here. I began to research, delving further into their cause, when I happened across Brian Claffey, the social media handler for the Manchester SWP.
We conversed over instagram, through a series of DM’s, and though I had no face to assign to Brian, I became swiftly aware that he was deeply invested within the cause and eager to share with me its ideas and motivations. Though what I had initially (and wrongfully) assumed to be a movement led me to be corrected, Brian described the party as a “tool for collective action”. A concept which was evident from the second I stepped foot into that hall. Angst, concern and tension hung thick in the air of the meeting. Ashen-faced speakers either rose from the crowd or ascended to the podium to recite their potent speeches. And in response spawned further inquiries and discourse alike. The party is not for everyone though, as may first seem apparent, for Brian assured me that their aim was ‘to find the most class conscious fighters that we can’ and though I can see that many would find their ideas to be border-line revolutionary, what else must occur to inspire such a movement?
I was reminded by Brian through our conversation of the bitter loss that occurred in 2016, “Jeremy Corbyn received nearly 13 million votes in the 2017 general election”. A number that cannot be underestimated, yet still proved futile. Leaving many in my generation who held left wing ideas, both disillusioned by the media treatment of Corbyn and how this event seemed to herald a death of the cause he represented. In response to this lambasting of Corbyn, labour had opted for more right wing views and approaches to resolving the economical issues which still fester, unresolved, leaving many voters like me feeling alienated from their original views as triumphed by Corbyn. Though I was reminded of the figure through the undeterred optimism of Claffey, “That’s a huge amount of people that we can reach out to”, a statement which rings true. Yet one’s left wandering, well, those voters have not faded simply away and political awareness is becoming a more widely addressed topic. I inquired regarding this fact, that many working class families felt wronged by the changes made by an unelected prime minister which seemed only to harm the working class. And though the term ‘socialist’ has long been warped from its original etymology, leaving it stained by the clutches of Mccarthyism and the Tory rhetoric, yet it remains a promising, if at times often too idyllic, mindset. As Brian said regarding Corbyn, ‘he used the word socialism a lot’, so if thirteen million voters were undeterred by its mention and being associated with the term, then perhaps those who are curious enough will also be able to look beyond the sullied label.
The SWP has continued to expand its reach, far beyond Manchester. I was informed of their creation of the Marxism festival by Brian who was keen to remind me that their attendance was twice as big, ‘seeing our highest recruitment levels for over 10 years’. This is a positive indication of a broader acceptance of ideas. Paving the way for such open-mindedness is encouraged by those in the party, with Brian telling me about their weekly open talks which place an emphasis upon discourse and learning. Regarding a mission statement or sole aim proved rather difficult however. As our conversation continued I was brought up on the fact of my continual labelling of the SWP as a movement, with Brian insistent on them being branded a party. “We are a party which engages in different movements to raise the level of struggle”. Comparing the problems that label brings to another controversial, head-line generating group, Extinction Rebellion. Who are known for their various flamboyant acts of protest, which many disregard for their absurdity, yet despite this we all still know of them? Controversy garners headlines and notoriety. Though Brian described it as ‘misleading’ when pertaining to the work of the SWP, despite further going on to clarify that Extinction Rebellion “do great things though”.
Through our conversation via DM’s it did prove hard for Brian to relinquish their guard, yet despite their informative, albeit stoic approach to the interview I did feel that their beliefs emanated from a place of honesty as opposed to a recruitment attempt. “(it’s a) broad range of issues, including the fight against climate change, racism, for LGBT+ rights and so on. It isn’t just about the end goal but the changes we can fight for along the way” was the statement provided by Brian when asked about their descriptor they’d provide to someone interested. In the dismal state that we have found ourselves in with energy bills forever climbing further and further, mortgages and food prices all seeming to helter skelter at will, there seems no way out for many working class people. And even worse, there seems to be no answer in sight nor means of achieving it. Protestors are being clamped down upon with the borderline totalitarian resolve the Tory party have shown, and those willing to speak up are mocked, dismissed and painted out to be crackpot idealists yearning for a future that shall never come to fruition.
Despite this bleak image that may be conjured, I find the cause of the SWP to be a pursuit that seeks to encourage and foster discourse alongside class consciousness amidst the conscious working class. It is all too often we find ourselves divided by the sensationalist media stories and the bile-infused rhetoric that we are meant to accept, leaving us to look past the fact that we are a part of a greater whole. We shall always share something in common with a neighbour, regardless of race or sexuality. I found Brian’s remark “the main division in society isn’t race or sexuality etc but class” to be succinct yet true. Hope may still remain for those feeling alienated in the bleak mire of modern day politics, yet the honesty and passion which fuels the SWP proves that there will always be those willing to encourage diverse thought and unity amidst the working class, when so often we find ourselves to be divided by a government who fears the might of collectivised people working under the power of unified ideological thought.
Sources:
- SWPManchester – on instagram
- Brian Claffey (Interviewee) – @SWPManchester on instagram