Workers League (UK)
Encyclopedia
The Workers League was a small Trotskyist group in Britain.
It began as the IS Opposition, formed in 1975 within the International Socialists (now the Socialist Workers Party
), and containing many prominent IS members, including Roger Protz
and Jim Higgins
. They had several major disagreements with the IS leadership, including what they perceived as an increasingly ultra left stance, refusing to work with other socialist groups, and a reduction in internal democracy.
In December 1975 after campaigning for a Special Conference of IS, the faction's leaders were expelled. Following this a considerable number of IS members left the group including the influential engineering fraction in Birmingham.
A large number of former IS members, but crucially not all the ISO's leaders including Roger Protz and John Palmer, then regrouped around Jim Higgins to form the Workers' League basing themselves on what they described as the IS tradition with an orientation on rank and file work in the workplaces and unions which they alleged IS had abandoned. They published a newspaper, Workers News but membership swiftly eroded, for example a fraction based in West London declared itself for Labour Party entry and when their thesis was rejected decamped to that party.
In 1978, they seem to have dissolved themselves into the International Socialist Alliance and changed their publication into a magazine called Socialist Voice. Having lost Higgins and other leading cadre, sections of the group were increasingly attracted by the International Marxist Group
's Socialist Unity
campaign. A conference on Revolutionary Unity and the International Socialist tradition was organised by Martin Shaw, who was not a member of the WL, after which the group seems to have dissolved itself. The remaining members joined various groups including Big Flame
and the IMG or simply dropped out of organised revolutionary politics.
It began as the IS Opposition, formed in 1975 within the International Socialists (now the Socialist Workers Party
Socialist Workers Party (Britain)
The Socialist Workers Party is a far left party in Britain founded by Tony Cliff. The SWP's student section has groups at a number of universities...
), and containing many prominent IS members, including Roger Protz
Roger Protz
Roger Protz is a British writer, journalist and campaigner. He was an early member of the Campaign for Real Ale in 1971, and has written several books on beer and pubs...
and Jim Higgins
Jim Higgins (British politician)
Jim Higgins was a British revolutionary socialist and leading member of the International Socialists.-Biography:Born into a working-class family in Harrow, Higgins joined the Young Communist League at 14...
. They had several major disagreements with the IS leadership, including what they perceived as an increasingly ultra left stance, refusing to work with other socialist groups, and a reduction in internal democracy.
In December 1975 after campaigning for a Special Conference of IS, the faction's leaders were expelled. Following this a considerable number of IS members left the group including the influential engineering fraction in Birmingham.
A large number of former IS members, but crucially not all the ISO's leaders including Roger Protz and John Palmer, then regrouped around Jim Higgins to form the Workers' League basing themselves on what they described as the IS tradition with an orientation on rank and file work in the workplaces and unions which they alleged IS had abandoned. They published a newspaper, Workers News but membership swiftly eroded, for example a fraction based in West London declared itself for Labour Party entry and when their thesis was rejected decamped to that party.
In 1978, they seem to have dissolved themselves into the International Socialist Alliance and changed their publication into a magazine called Socialist Voice. Having lost Higgins and other leading cadre, sections of the group were increasingly attracted by the International Marxist Group
International Marxist Group
The International Marxist Group was a Trotskyist group in Britain between 1968 and 1982. It was the British Section of the Fourth International. It and its youth organisation had had around 1,000 members and supporters in the late 1970s...
's Socialist Unity
Socialist Unity (UK)
Socialist Unity was a small socialist electoral coalition in the United Kingdom. It was formed by the International Marxist Group as a response to the Socialist Workers Party standing candidates in elections....
campaign. A conference on Revolutionary Unity and the International Socialist tradition was organised by Martin Shaw, who was not a member of the WL, after which the group seems to have dissolved itself. The remaining members joined various groups including Big Flame
Big Flame (political group)
Big Flame was "a revolutionary socialist feminist organisation with a working-class orientation" in the United Kingdom. Founded in Liverpool in 1970, the group initially grew rapidly, with branches appearing in some other cities. Its publications emphasised that "a revolutionary party is necessary...
and the IMG or simply dropped out of organised revolutionary politics.