Socialist Worker Paper/Vile Comments

feetlebaum you were just a minion - but aren't we supposed to all be equal

@rosequartz - yes, I remember Corin Redgrave t one of the WRP fund-raisers at the Lyceum. He thanked me for contributing to 'the cause' - I said I had no idea what the cause was when I was booked for the gig, and pointed out that the musicians were self-employed and therefore capitalists... Tom Stoppard was there as well now I think about it.

Standing off-stage I was chatting with a sweet little old lady, when we heard the announcement of "Rachel Kempson" from the stage. My little old lady grew about a foot in height, handed me her cardigan as though I was her dresser and sailed onto the stage! I thought that was funny...

It's a vile thing to do, but typical of the SWP. I just hope this young man's poor parents/family haven't read this bile, as someone said it is amazing how many of these creatures are from the upper middle classes, something they can do absolutely nothing about and something that must be a continuous thorn in their sides!! Ho! Ho! No, It's not a hate crime, just horrible and pathetic and best if possible, IGNORED!

Quite likely POGS. DH worked in a London Borough where the President of the NUT locally was also SWP, as were a lot of the other union officials. Their agenda was primarily political, not to support their members at all.

feetle, I think Corin Redgrave was a leading member of the Workers' Revolutionary Party. Another one of the luvvie members of the Redgrave family, those 'hardworking sons and daughters of toil'.

Interestingly, the National Secretary of the SWP is himself an old Etonian.

Well I have to say I have not had any connection to them but the comments I have read on here makes me wonder if they were in the mix of the Union activity I suffered from in my younger years.

I am not going to surprise anybody by saying I lean more to the right of politics but I do totally accept that they are not reflective of the majority of Socialists but sadly there will be some who agree.

It's just a sad state of affairs that the likes of this outfit and the BNP exist but at the same time it is good to remember that they are the minority and whilst they shout loudly their type of abuse is seen by those from both the left and right of politics as not worth listening to.

feetle I think it was the Workers Revolutionary Party - another lot who would have failed the 'show us your callouses' test

Weren't the SWP also known as 'Vanessa's Loonies' at one time? Or was that another bunch?

I would echo henetha's comments apart from I've never heard of the SWP - doesn't seem like I've missed out.

Such a spiteful, mean, unnecessary and cruel thing to say regarding the untimely death of a young man.

How disgusting and vile the SWP are. I have long disliked them and their tactics. And now this article which shows the level of their taste and so-called intelligence. Any world which they wish to create would not be attractive to decent minded people.
My heart goes out to the family of Horatio Chapple. Posh or not, it is completely irrelevant. They have lost their son in horrible circumstances, and now they have to endure this nastiness too.

Iam64 When I remember that all too well in the late 70s and 80s!

In the very lefty inner London authority where I worked, social work was rife with SWP members, they were very disruptive and in terms of any socialist cause they were very liable to try to pressure people into their views.

They actively encouraged social unrest in pursuit of their own revolutionary agendas. Schools and social work suffered from these influences.

I cannot bring myself to read the article, but from what you are (all) saying, does it not constitute a hate crime?

Hate crime or incident - definition. Hate incident - the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) defines a hate incident as: 'any incident, which may or may not constitute a criminal offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by prejudice or hate.'

Oh, Whenim, I've been there too. Not in a situation as nasty as that, but after challenging them as entyists and so on in GC meetings. I remember being cornered by three heavies in the street after one meeting and in the end I had to call the police to get them to move. That, of course, was colluding with the oppressor.

I've had a few verbal kickings from SWP bods whose hypocrisy defies belief. In the 80s, their activity in deprived neighbourhoods where I worked was unwanted and complained about, because they have a distinct lack of compassion as a political/activist body claiming to be on the side of the downtrodden. I walked into a client's house one day, to find a Socialist Worker member prepping a disabled man to go on a demonstration that weekend. He wasn't well enough to get to the local shop, let alone the city centre, but SWP wanted to get more disabled recruits out there in sight of cameras. This person waited for me to leave and started to lay into me for selling out and working for my oppressors! Given that he also worked in the public sector, he had a bloody cheek!

I spent a lot of energy fighting the entryism from them throughout the 80s. They have formed alliances with various dodgy groups - the Respect Party with the ghastly George Galloway, Tommy Sheridan's outfit and others. They also form organisations which are a front to disguise themselves. All have split over the years. The Wiki entry gives an overview.

My own view too, Iam !

Describing IS/SWP as socialists is a bit like describing the BNP as tories. Humourless bullies was my experience of IS/SWP in the 70's and early 80's when they did try to get ordinary left leaners like myself to play out with them. Well, we females were expected to make the tea of course, so it became very much a male preserve, very quickly

I think the remarks are shocking. A young man died a horrible, unnecessary death and if the writer of the article thinks there's anything remotely funny about that, then I think he would be better described as a psychopath than a socialist.

There is not a lot I can add, except to say they are people full of hate. They are not socialists, they are bigots.

That crew. They used to be the International Socialsts. Rigid, bullying, doctrinaire and a total pain to any decent left of centre party which they tried to influence. The numbers are very small, but they are all pretty poisonous.

Counter productive as well, as anyone with socialist leanings may well think twice about ever buying this paper again.It's pathetic and vile.

Appalling! Just appalling, shocking and nasty.

Whenim

Thank you for putting up a link, I really must learn.

It is a pathetic article isn't it.

Sorry should have written from upper middle class families.