Mapping the English left through film: Twenty-five uneasy pieces - Ian Parker (Folrose/£9.45)
Every so often someone tries to produce a guide to the far-left's various organisations , splits and personalities. The most famous of course was As Soon As This Pub Closes by John Sullivan back in the seventies which covers the "golden age" of the left at the time I was active in the milieu. (You can find the text here: www.marxists.org/history) I even produced one myself back in the noughties albeit orientated to the far-left inside the PCS union.
It is time for a new one since there's been so many changes on the far left in recent years and the variety of choices may bewilder the casual observer. When I heard of this particular project i eagerly ordered a copy though amazon with high expectations. What I got however.....
This is a very small paperback which at least has larger print for us older inveterate sectarians but the content is another matter. Written by an activist from the Fourth International In Manchester group which even he admits is a small organisation (not kidding one man and a dog come to mind) that I admit was new to me but then I've only just discovered a group called Mutiny (don't ask).
The author attempts to illustrate a selection of the left through film analogy which frankly didn't work for me and seems in retrospect rather pretentious but then unlike most of the comrades I'm actually a down to earth working class fellow, well mostly certainly demographically.
It is time for a new one since there's been so many changes on the far left in recent years and the variety of choices may bewilder the casual observer. When I heard of this particular project i eagerly ordered a copy though amazon with high expectations. What I got however.....
This is a very small paperback which at least has larger print for us older inveterate sectarians but the content is another matter. Written by an activist from the Fourth International In Manchester group which even he admits is a small organisation (not kidding one man and a dog come to mind) that I admit was new to me but then I've only just discovered a group called Mutiny (don't ask).
The author attempts to illustrate a selection of the left through film analogy which frankly didn't work for me and seems in retrospect rather pretentious but then unlike most of the comrades I'm actually a down to earth working class fellow, well mostly certainly demographically.
Half the book is wasted with descriptions of the films more than half of which I have not seen, heard of or have any intention of watching. This leaves little time to actually give any detailed information about the various organisations.
Leaving aside his entry on the Labour Party the descriptions of the left begin with Momentum in a short chapter that has nothing new to offer as does his in insufficient look at the Socialist Workers Party. Of amusement to the reader will be a reminder of the futility of Ken Loache's Left Unity party which once had a discussion on whether people had the right to masturbate at work. One word obviously comes to mind here.
Leaving aside his entry on the Labour Party the descriptions of the left begin with Momentum in a short chapter that has nothing new to offer as does his in insufficient look at the Socialist Workers Party. Of amusement to the reader will be a reminder of the futility of Ken Loache's Left Unity party which once had a discussion on whether people had the right to masturbate at work. One word obviously comes to mind here.
There is very little that was new here except in the section about the Communist League (a tiny breakaway from the now defunct IMG that doesn't even have it's own newspaper) Parker mentions that when the US SWP (no relation to the British one) sold it's HQ in New York they received a whopping $20 Million!
There are chapters on the remaining fragments of the old Workers Revolutionary Party and a disturbing note that during the lock-down their members were trying to sell their daily newspaper The News Line door to door. Irresponsible.
It is time to write a new guide to the far-left and one that perhaps includes George Galloway's Workers Party built in alliance with the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist Leninist) an odd amalgam of Maoists and the followers of the gorgeous one himself.
Andy Brookes will be disappointed that his New Communist Party wasn't included either nor was the remnants of Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party which unlike the rest of the swamp actually has elected councillors in Hartlepool.
Sadly I cannot recommend this book. As teachers used to say (at least in my day) "could do better". Avoid.
Sadly I cannot recommend this book. As teachers used to say (at least in my day) "could do better". Avoid.
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