At the Stop the War Coalition's National Council meeting in Leeds on Saturday 13 November the SWP leadership forced through a remarkable decision.
It voted down a motion which would have committed the Stop the War campaign to an immediate end of the occupation of Iraq. Yes, you did read that correctly. We now have a "Stop the War" campaign that refuses to support an immediate withdrawal of the occupying troops. This is a stunning betrayal of the thousands involved in StW and the millions whom have supported it.
Anyone opposing the platform (i.e. SWP) position — or even voicing mild criticism of it — was reviled (often directly from the chair) as childish, a liar, disruptive or a tiny revolutionary group on the left.
There must be some principle, somewhere, that the SWP are not willing to betray. I just haven't found one yet.
Mike Davies
