Number 221

Thursday January 7 1999

Three men, 3,000 votes
Alan Fox reports on shenanigans at the Socialist Labour Party's 2nd congress

Message to SLP members
Agreed statement of 57 congress delegates and observers

Party notes - For a revolution in the SLP!
"... certain SLP comrades now agitating for a split display a contempt for politics" writes Mark Fischer

Letters
Political inventions; No substitute

Ireland's peace process - Settlement in sight
Jim Blackstock reports on latest developments

Simon Harvey of the SLP - A delegate's view
Comrade Harvey assesses the impact of Scargill's congress stitch-up

Fight on all fronts
Martin Blum calls for caution from those contemplating splitting from the SLP

Tatchell outraged at homophobia in SLP
Frank Lore reports on the OutRage! activist's contribution to SLP democracy

Royston's day fails to dawn
Royston Bull came close to being the stuff of history. Andy Hannah reports on his failure

Black section uproar
Peter Manson looks at the SLP congress

Breathtaking hypocrisy
"For Scargill the politics of Brar are a positive recommendation and his leadership of the shadowy Association of Communists can safely be ignored"

Jesus: man and myth
Jesus was no christian but an apocalyptic revolutionary whose message was universal human liberation, writes Jack Conrad

SLP balance of forces
Martin Blum looks at the relative strengths of the contending forces

Around the left - No alternative
Don Preston looks at the impatience of Socialist Labour Action

SLP Democratic Platform
Statement issued prior to the congress

From witch hunt to block vote
Dave Craig believes the SLP left has no cause for despair

Scargill constitution enshrined
John Pearson reports

Capitalism and slavery
Text of Robin Blackburn's speech made at Communist University '97

Scottish Tories try to limp back
Conservatives north of the border are looking to a change of image to revive their fortunes. Nick Clarke reports

It can only get better?
Paul Green reports on a backbench rebellion by a handful of Labour MPs