Afterthoughts by Rehan*

Over the past 16 months, I have repeatedly been asked by various non-SWP people on the Birmingham left two related questions: first, why the party leadership did nothing to tackle the problems in Brum, including the refusal to investigate why two long-standing members had resigned, and why they allowed the organiser and other "leading" members to behave in just the same way as if nothing had happened; and second, why ordinary members in Birmingham have quietly tolerated the anti-democratic antics of their fellow party members.

In regard to the first question, my reply has been to acknowledge that the lack of democracy and accountability in the party (on this, read my and Sue's piece "absence of democracy") provides a key explanation, but I have also attempted to provide a political understanding for what has happened. In regard to the latter, it is my view that the SWP CC felt that a major breakthrough had occurred in the anti-war movement with the involvement of large numbers of Muslims. Brum was thought to be at the centre of this. The decision seemed to be have been made that this constituency must not be alienated or "frightened off" and, therefore, those critical of the reactionary aspects of Muslim involvement must be marginalised, castigated as "Islamophobic", and, preferably, removed from BSTWC committee. Hence, in Brum, no criticism was to be tolerated in particular of Salma Yaqoob, the Chair of BSTWC (and who, evidence conclusively shows, does not possess an ounce of democracy): it would not be an exaggeration to think that the party in Brum has become the "Salma Yaqoob Defence Front". And, in cahoots with their allies in Socialist Action (resulting in a truly "unholy alliance"), a coup was engineered in BSTWC. - which, we should never forget, was supported by the SWP leadership. It is the same logic that explains current attempts to railroad through the "Peace and Justice Coalition" with Muslim groups.

With respect to the second question, there were a few of us (in retrospect, far too few) who had fought for almost 2 months between 5th February and end of March 2002 to undo the damage done to the BSTWC and the party (see the e-exchanges). But we failed. For myself and Sue, our failure meant that the only principled thing to do was to resign. Staying on would have meant rubber-stamping what had happened - an intolerable and corrupting thing to do. Most members had in any case cast a blind eye as to what had been happening (even if they had private concerns) and so were not about to ask awkward questions. Alas, for those members who had been part of the attempt to undo the damage, but then decided to stay in the party, it meant keeping the head down, and quietly carrying on. For outsiders, all this of course reflects very badly on the party - and only confirms to them its undemocratic nature, why they never joined it, and which they now hold in absolute contempt. In fact, outside the cabal running BSTWC (see forthcoming Open Letter), the party has managed, on the Brum left, to achieve something of a pariah status. It will be a very long time before this status is altered and trust restored.

Rehan Hafeez*
August 2003

* Rehan Hafeez is a pseudonym: I have replaced his real name at his own request.

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