London
Dec. 28, 1953
Dear Comrades,
Collins, Romney and their four supporters who were suspended from our N.C. for uniting publicly with centrists against the section, have issued a call from what they describe as "a conference of the British Section."
The origin of this "section" is about the most unprincipled organizational sleight of hand trick which has ever been inflicted upon our movement in this country. It is a fraud from beginning to end. Briefly its history is as follows:
1) On Thursday, November 12th, Collins attended a faction meeting called by Pablo in Paris and there agreement was reached to split the British section and recognize the Collins minority as "official."
2) Monday, November 16th, Collins announces at 11:30 a.m. approx. that he will no longer accept the discipline of the section. He is cautioned about the serious implication of this, but he maintains his position.
That afternnon together with Romney they publicly break discipline. They claim that Pablo has given his authority for their action.
3) On Nov. 20th they were charged in writing before a special meeting of the N.C. and offered the opportunity of retracting provided they undertook to accept the discipline, until a special conference of the group was held in 8 weeks from that time.
They refused to do this and were suspended until this conference.
4) The next day, Nov. 21st, Collins and Romney call a meeting in London and announce that Burns is expelled and they are the official section. They again quote Pablo as their authority.
5) They proceed to call a "conference" on Dec. 12th, to which were invited people who had been expelled for inactivity, and others who were financially lapsed.
This absolutely unrepresentative minority then proceeded to elect a "National Committee" on the basis of which they issued a statement explained by G. of Birmingham as follows:
"The decision of the FI was that Mason and Sinclair are suspended, and their expulsion will be moved at the W. Cong. the members of the NC who supported them are suspended from holding office in the section, and the rank and file are free to join the official section which still continues, under the leadership of the loyal supporters of the Int."
Pablo and his "bureau" clique flagrantly violating the Statutes of the movement, provided "official recognition" for this farce.
Comrades may well rub their eyes after reviewing this unprincipled record. In the name of the International, Pablo supported a public attack on the British section, organized a split by instructing his minority to refuse to accept discipline of the section. He then expelled leading members of the majority, and constituted the rump minority as "a section" of the International. After this is done and the "section" is secure for Pablo — all can join individually except those who are expelled.
Such conduct finds a parallel only in the "re-organizing" policies of the Stalinists and Transport House. A provocation is created to justify "official" intervention; the old organization is disbanded — a new one set up which all can join except the leaders of the old.
Pablo next claims he has 58% of the membership. Let us start with the N.C. This body included the leading militants in the group. The voting figures which suspended the Pabloites were: 11 and 2 alternates for, 6 against. The two N.C. members from Merseyside who were unable to be present at this meeting, have since agreed with the decision — so the majority is now 13 and 2 alternates in favor, 6 against. This is the main leadership of the Trotskyist movement in Britain.
It is composed of comrades who come from Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham. The Pabloites had only one N.C. member in the provinces (Birmingham). Leading industrial militants from the docks, engineering, electricians, railways are included in this majority. The Pabloites were completely routed on the docks and in the provincial areas. In the whole of the provinces they represent 6 people (two of these were financially lapsed members before the fight). Out of the Council group, 7 have remained with the majority — only two, including Collins, have gone to Pablo.
The false claim of the Pabloites of 58% is designed for international consumption and is a lie from beginning to end — nobody treats it seriously in England.
That is why we say that the so-called conference was a complete fraud.
Fraternally, Mason