Committee for a Workers’ International
www.socialistworld.net
PO Box 3688, London E11 1YE, Britain
E-Mail: cwi@worldsoc.co.uk
Tel: ++ 44 20 8988 8760
Fax: ++ 44 20 8988 8793
Statement by the IS and SPS Executive Committee on Bruce Wallace 25/6/13
Bruce Wallace, a member of the Socialist Party Scotland, a section of the Committee For
a Workers’ International, has over the past number of months raised some fundamental
differences with the analysis of the CWI.
Bruce, who dropped out of activity for ten years or so, has recently returned to some
political work over the last year.
The differences Bruce Wallace has raised centre on the role, as he sees it, of the Law of
the Tendency of the Rate of Profit to Fall (LTRPF) which he cites as being the key driver
for the world economic crisis in 2007.
He has accused the leadership of adopting an”underconsumptionist” analysis of the crisis,
of pandering to “Keynesianism” and abandoning the centrality of the LTRPF. He has
levelled the charge against the CWI of concluding that the crisis is caused by a lack of
demand and thereby departing from the fundamental ideas of Marx, in particular those
expressed in the Third Volume of Capital.
He has also raised criticisms of the transitional programme that the Socialist Party has put
forward for the crisis. He says he has differences on issues including the application of
democratic centralism and the economic analysis of the CWI since the early 1990’s.
In keeping with the record that the Socialist Party Scotland, Socialist Party England and
Wales and the CWI has of democratic discussion and debate, Bruce has had three critical
letters printed in Socialism Today, the theoretical magazine of the Socialist Party
England and Wales. These were in the editions 159, June 2012, 163, November 2012 and
167, May 2013 in which he takes up points of difference with the CWI’s analysis. Two of
these letters were replied to by members of the International Secretariat (IS) of the CWI.
(Issue 159 http://www.socialismtoday.org/159/profit.html
Issue 163 http://www.socialismtoday.org/163/capital.html
Issue 164 http://www.socialismtoday.org/164/capital.html
Issue 168 http://www.socialismtoday.org/168/profits.html)
Insulting approach
In March 2013 Bruce Wallace, without any discussion with the party in Scotland, began
to produce a public blog, a large proportion of which is dedicated to attacking the
position of the CWI and individual comrades – at times in an insulting and derogatory
manner.
On the Socialist Party leadership “They’re all hiding in their offices in the national centre
ignoring or censoring (letters and articles) to the theoretical journal that rip their
underconsumptionist arguments to shreds.” June 21st 2013
On the academic Marxist Andrew Kliman “In effect they [SP/CWI leadership] are
misleading and miss-educating the ranks and slandering a renowned Marxist
economist…Condemned by people who have forgotten how the law of value operates.”
Jume 7th 2013
On Iain Dalton a young Socialist Party (E and W) comrade who wrote to Bruce Wallace
via Facebook challenging his analysis,“ Feel free to comment on what else I’ve got
“wrong” after you have done a little more reading and definitely developed a little more
understanding then perhaps I may consider your other spurious erroneous criticism based
on a totally impressionistic and ungrounded “understanding” of what Marx actually
meant.” June 3rd 2013
On the CWI’s analysis; “Comrades have a bourgeois conception of the crisis and it isn’t
Marxist at all… it just shows they haven’t got a clue about Marx’s critique or what the
method of Marxism actually is” June 1st 2013
On SPS national secretary Philip Stott, ‘You see Philip you only perceive the phenomenal
form of appearance of things because you are bound by Aristolean logic. I, on the other
hand, can see more than you because I understand the dialectical method, but you are
blinkered by the constraints of formal thought, thus having a lower cultural level.”
Via email 13th June 2013
These haughty and arrogant methods of debate are being used to browbeat and harangue
those who don’t follow Bruce’s views. If you disagree with him you are “not a Marxist or
a Trotskyist”. As such, this method of debate is a barrier to raising the level of
understanding in our ranks. However, it is typical of the tone used on the blogs by the
cottage industry of academic Marxist economists who regularly abuse each other for
deviating from the true path.
Bruce Wallace is aligning himself politically with opponents of the CWI, including some
of those who broke with us in 1991 as part of the Grantite grouping and who still cling to
the idea that the Labour Party can be won for the working class. He also regularly cites,
Andrew Kliman, one of a number of academic “Marxists”, who “defend” the LTRPF in a
completely one-sided way, and who is also a supporter of the theory of state capitalism,
similar to that of the SWP. Kliman even dedicates his book, The Failure of Capitalist
Production, to the now deceased SWP theoretician Chris Harman.
Structured debate
Despite the publication of his blog, (which strictly speaking is a breach of the democratic
norms of our organisation), in March 2013 the Socialist Party Scotland National
Secretary, Philip Stott, proposed a structured discussion to allow Bruce to air his points of
difference through the democratic structures of the party.
The SPS National Committee agreed to circulate two written contributions on the issues
one from Bruce Wallace and one from the IS. This would be followed by debate at a
members meeting and the publication of the written contributions on the party website.
The involvement of the party in the anti-bedroom tax campaign in Scotland and the
intense workload of the IS has pushed the timetable back somewhat. However, it was our
intention to proceed with this after the summer.
However, in June 2013 Bruce announced his intention to attend the CWI Summer School
at which he said he would raise his differences with the CWI leadership. He demanded
the right to put his case to the school.
The Scottish leadership have raised concerns with Bruce about his physical health after a
period of serious illness. Such a debate at the Summer School would inevitably be
stressful, as would the travel involved to and from Belgium. Bruce has dismissed these
concerns and insisted on attending the school.
The IS discussed (see attached letter) this and proposed that Bruce Wallace make a
contribution in the discussion on World Perspectives and that there would be a
commission on the “causes of the capitalist crisis.” This would have allowed both Bruce
and the IS to outline their respective positions. This was done in good faith and the belief
that we were engaging with a loyal member of the party in Scotland, who of course has a
right to raise differences in a comradely manner through the agreed structures.
However, since this agreement was reached further evidence has emerged indicating that
Bruce Wallace is not seeking to pursue this discussion in a genuine attempt to clarify
ideas and analysis.
The CWI and its sections have a strong tradition of democratic discussion and debate
conducted through the structures of the sections and the international. Following a period
of democratic discussion members have the right to form a faction and/or tendency to
continue the discussion. However, Bruce Wallace is not doing this. He is operating as
part of an as yet undeclared faction. Moreover, he has also gone outside the ranks of our
organisation and is seeking to make common cause with opponents of the CWI and those
who have left our organisation.
On the way out ?
We were shocked to see the following comments on the Facebook page of a former
member of the Socialist Party (E and W ), SM, that Bruce Wallace was in discussion
with. “Our main front is the LTRPF. Pity you’ve resigned cos you could have joined us.
Our aim is not just winning the argument over the LTRPF but also revolutionising the
internal regime and restoring proper democratic centralism to its rightful place. If I die in
the attempt it will have been worth it.”
He goes on to say:“ Our present discussion is can the CWI be reformed. If not we will
need to build an alternative.” This is clearly a reference to his intention to break from the
CWI and set-up a rival grouping should he prove unable to win a majority for his
position.
Moreover, Bruce Wallace also went on to make a completely unwarranted attack on a
member of the National Committee of the Scottish section; “I would question the class
basis of the organisation on winning working class women. In my branch is Sinead Daly
who works for Womens Aid. I have to sit through presentations on domestic violence
against women that I think are skewed petty bourgeois distortions of the question.”
Not once has Bruce Wallace ever raised any criticisms on any of these issues in the
branch he is a member off. He has never been denied his democratic rights as a member
of the party in Scotland. Despite his long period of inactivity he was welcomed back by
the comrades in his local branch.
Withdrawal of invitation
Under these circumstances the IS cannot proceed with the proposals that were made in
good faith for the CWI Summer School. The IS, with the support of the SPS EC, are
therefore withdrawing the invitation for Bruce Wallace to attend the school and the
proposals for a discussion at it on the issues that he is raising. Instead we propose the
following:

An internal bulletin which will carry two contributions on the debate, one from
Bruce Wallace and one from the IS.

The bulletin will be circulated first of all in Scotland, then in England and Wales.

A debate will take place in Scotland open to all members of the Scottish section

Further debates can take place in England and Wales if needed.

If there is a call for it material can also be circulated in the international as well
Democratic debate
The CWI and our sections have an unimpeachable record of encouraging democratic
debate and discussion in our ranks. Even where there are points of disagreement,
provided they are debated in a manner conducive to raising the level of understanding,
free from personal attacks and high-handed and abrasive methods, the overall
understanding of the party and its membership can be raised.
Unlike other organisations on the left we have never resorted to expulsions or
disciplinary measures against any member or grouping of comrades who have genuine
differences.
In the late 1990’s and eagerly part of the 2000’s for example the then leadership of our
Scottish section and the CWI were involved in a lengthy exchange of documents and
debates over the proposal to launch the Scottish Socialist Party, while dissolving our
Marxist forces at the same time. The World Congress of the CWI expressed its
opposition to this, nevertheless no disciplinary action was taken against the Scottish
leadership when they went ahead and implemented their proposals anyway.
The leaders of the SSP resigned from the CWI in 2001, the group that had formed a
faction in opposition to this have gone on to rebuild a significant political force in
Scotland. One that is playing a leading role in the anti-bedroom tax campaign as well as
the trade union movement in Scotland.
We defend the right of groups of comrades to raise differences up to and including the
right to form a faction. This would normally follow at least a period of structured
discussion, in this case, in the Scottish organisation. However, this has not taken place as
yet for genuine reasons. Yet it seems Bruce Wallace has already organised a de-facto
opposition grouping to the CWI leadership and intends to split from the CWI if he cannot
win a majority.
Rights and responsibilities
Despite these disloyal methods we are still prepared to hold a structured and democratic
discussion to give Bruce Wallace the opportunity to put his criticisms to the members in
Scotland, England and Wales, with the written material circulated to the international as
well. We are confident that a calm and thorough debate will show that the political
approach of the CWI leadership is correct on these issues. And that the position of Bruce
Wallace is a one-sided, dogmatic interpretation of Marxism and is therefore false
However, with rights comes responsibility. If this discussion is to go ahead we call on
Bruce Wallace to cease his crass attacks through his blog of the CWI and individual
comrades in order to allow such a debate to take place. He should stop seeking to make
common cause with opponents of the CWI outside of our ranks and instead engage in a
democratic and structured debate that is being offered by the Scottish section and the
CWI leadership.
International Secretariat
Executive Committee of SPS
25/6/13