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British Socialist Party | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Abbreviation | BSP |
| Founded | 1911 |
| Dissolved | 1920 |
| Preceded by | Social Democratic Federation |
| Succeeded by | |
| Newspaper | Justice;The Call |
| Youth wing | Young Socialist League |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Left-wing After 1916: Far-left |
TheBritish Socialist Party (BSP) was aMarxist political organisation established inGreat Britain in 1911. Following a protracted period offactional struggle, in 1916 the party'santi-war forces gained decisive control of the party and saw the defection of its pro-war right wing. After the victory of theBolshevik Revolution inRussia at the end of 1917 and the termination of theFirst World War the following year, the BSP emerged as an explicitlyrevolutionary socialist organisation. It negotiated with otherradical groups in an effort to establish a unifiedcommunist organisation, an effort which culminated in August 1920 with the establishment of theCommunist Party of Great Britain. The youth organisation theYoung Socialist League was affiliated with the party.[1]
The founding conference which established the British Socialist Party was called by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a group best remembered to history by its pre-1908 moniker, theSocial Democratic Federation (SDF). The old SDF had long sought the unity of the BritishLeft, having originally begun negotiations on the topic with theIndependent Labour Party (ILP) not long after the formation of the latter in 1893.[2] The ILP had long been unwilling to merge forces with adoctrinaireMarxist organization such as the SDF, however, and unity negotiations had reached an impasse. Finally, as the decade of the 1910s dawned, there seemed to be some interest in the topic among therank and file of the ILP, and the 1910 Annual Conference of the SDF/SDP had decided to try again in earnest.[3]
The gathering, held inSalford also drew some Independent Labour Party branches and groups adhering to theClarion newspaper, alongside individuals and representatives of smaller socialist groups. It continued to publish the SDF's newspaper,Justice. The resulting organisation, the BSP, contained a multiplicity of views and was organized as a loosefederation of clubs and branches rather than as acentralised and disciplined party.[4]
Leading members of the former SDF, led by the party's patriarch,H. M. Hyndman, rapidly took control of the new organisation. This leading group advocated that the BSP place an emphasis on electoral politics and the effort to capture the state through the ballot box rather than through labour agitation, the formation oftrade unions, and pursuit of an extra-parliamentary route to power via thestrike movement.
This cautious, electoral orientation of Hyndman and the early BSP leadership put the party at odds with the tumultuous situation in workplaces around the country. The five years before the eruption of theFirst World War in August 1914 were a period of mass labour turmoil. As one historian has noted:
"The mass strike wave of 1910 to 1914 remains unique in British history. A wild, elemental, pent-up force seemed suddenly let loose, disregarding precedents and agreements, impatient of compromise, shaking the old complacent trade unionism by the ears, sometimes, as in therail strike of 1911, forcingconservative leaders ahead of it like fallen leaves driven before an autumn wind. The trade union leaders, almost to a man, deplored it, the government viewed it with alarm... yet disregarding everything, encouraged only by a small minority ofsyndicalist leaders, the great strike wave rolled on, threatening to sweep away everything before it."[5]
The 2nd Conference of the BSP was held from 10 to 12 May 1913 at the seaside town ofBlackpool. It was attended by about 100 delegates, the majority of whom stood in opposition to the standing Executive Committee of the party. This executive was headed byHenry Hyndman one of the founders of the SDF, an individual who had grown steadily morenationalistic in viewpoint, coming to advocate for the increase of Britain'smilitary budget to oppose potentialGerman aggression. This proved increasingly controversial within the BSP, and opposition tomilitarism among the party'srank and file came to a head at the 2nd Conference.
The events of the 1913 Blackpool Conference were described by aradicalRussian émigré named Vladimir Ulyanov, better known to history by his pen name,N. Lenin:
"[Hyndman] has been acting for a number of years without any attention to the party, and even against the party, on the important question of armaments and war. Hyndman has got it into his head that Germany is threatening to crush and enslave Britain and that socialists should, therefore, support the demand for a 'proper' (i.e., strong) navy for the defence of Britain! * * *
"Understandably, this fancy idea of Hyndman's pleased the Britishbourgeoisie (theConservatives and theLiberals). It can also be understood that British Social-Democrats — be it said to their credit — would not tolerate this disgrace and shame and heatedly opposed it."The struggle was a long and stubborn one; attempts at a compromise were made, but Hyndman was incorrigible. It is greatly to the advantage of British Socialism that Hyndman was forced to leave the executive at this Conference and the composition of the executive was, in general, changed by 75 percent (of its eight members only two were reelected — Quelch and Irving)."[6]
Further turnover of the executive soon followed, withHarry Quelch dying in London on 17 September 1913.
The party was hampered by a steady attrition of members and branches due to poor organization. A significant percentage of the membership had no clear conception ofMarxist theory and were unwilling to dedicate time and effort to advancing the mission of the organization.[7]
On 13 April 1914 a meeting was convened by theInternational Socialist Bureau between representatives of three of Britain's leading socialist organisations — the BSP, theIndependent Labour Party, and theFabian Society. The body recommended the formation of a United Socialist Council for the three groups, if the BSP would affiliate with theLabour Party. In line with this recommendation, the party's 1914 Annual Conference decided to take a membership referendum on the question.[8]
The 2nd Conference of the BSP of May 1913 did not resolve the fundamental question facing the party — the decision as to whether it should pursue a policy of anti-militaristinternationalism, come what may, or whether it should rally around the flag in the event of military conflict with foreign enemies. The nationalist Hyndman faction had been dealt a defeat at Blackpool, but they remained in the organisation and licked their wounds, preparing for the next battle in the factional war.
The eruption of theFirst World War in August 1914 made the question of unification of the British socialist movement largely moot. Many socialist organisations internationally split over the question to greater or lesser degree (an exception must be made for most anarchist and syndicalist groups, which were anti-war), into left-wing "internationalist" factions, which continued to seek the united action of the working class against worldwidecapitalism without regard to territorial boundaries, and right-wing "defencists", who rallied to their national colors to defend their country in time of military conflict.
This tension between internationalism and national defence was particularly acute in the BSP, as the bitter disagreement had already shown itself in the factional politics of the organisation before the start of the war. Henry Hyndman was the unquestioned leader of the pro-nationalist BSP right, whileZelda Kahan (later Zelda Coates) andWilliam Coates were among the leaders of the BSP's internationalist wing.[9]
Early in 1915 came the inevitable split, with the conservative Hyndman wing of the party leaving to form theSocialist National Defence League, while the leadership was defeated in elections in 1916 by aninternationalist group, essentiallypacifist, supporting the programme of theZimmerwald Conference. Hyndman and his followers established theNational Socialist Party.
John Maclean, the party's leader inScotland, was arevolutionary defeatist[10] who played a leading role in theRed Clydeside strikes during the First World War.
The party's new leadership, around SecretaryAlbert Inkpin, TreasurerAlf Watts, and key labour movement leaderJohn Maclean maintained the desire to join theSecond International. The BSP was finally accepted into theLabour Party later in 1916.
By 1918, a large percentage of the party, including Inkpin and Maclean, were inspired by the lead of theBolsheviks in theRussian Revolution and determined to establish a British Communist Party on the model ofLenin's organization inRussia. From this time forward the BSP, devoid of its right wing since 1916, emerged as a de facto Communist party.
Negotiations about unity began with theSocialist Labour Party, a group centred inScotland espousing a vision ofrevolutionary industrial unionism not far removed from the Russiansoviets, but no agreement could be reached on various organizational details, including the question of whether the new party should affiliate to the Labour Party. An interlude in which the British political landscape was sprinkled with an array of small radical grouplets followed.
The BSP remained the largest of the proto-Communist radical organizations, however, claiming a membership of about 6,000 in 1920.[11] The BSP also gained the cachet ofparliamentary representation when it was joined by formerLiberal Party MPCecil L'Estrange Malone.
The BSP remained patient and persistent in its efforts to establish a new Communist Party in Great Britain.[12] During the weekend of 31 July to 1 August 1920, a founding convention was held in London at which theCommunist Party of Great Britain was established. The new organization included some dissident members of the SLP and representatives of several other small radical groups, such as theSouth Wales Communist Council (SWCC), individuals affiliated with the radicalshop steward's movement, and adherents of apro-Cominternfaction of theIndependent Labour Party.[13]
A Joint Provisional Committee was chosen to organise the foundation convention of the new party. Representatives of the BSP wereJ. F. Hodgson,A.A. "Alf" Watts, andFred Willis, joined byTom Bell,Arthur MacManus, andWilliam Paul of the "Communist Unity Group" faction formerly associated with the SLP, as well asW. J. Hewlett of the SWCC. Secretary wasAlbert Inkpin of the BSP. The group agreed in advance that a Provisional Executive Committee should be established by the forthcoming Communist Party of Great Britain by the Convention electing six more to add to this list.[14]
Effective with the merger, the BSP and its newspaper,The Call, was terminated, replaced by the new party with its new weekly publication published in London titledThe Communist.
The former office of the BSP, located at 21aMaiden Lane, Strand, London, WC2, was made the first office of the newly formed CPGB, which moved to new accommodations within a year.
| Year | Name | Location | Dates | Chair | Delegates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | Socialist Unity Conference | Salford | 30 Sept – 1 Oct | H. M. Hyndman | 219 |
| 1912 | 1st Annual Conference | Manchester | 25–27 March | H. M. Hyndman | 250 |
| 1913 | 2nd Annual Conference | Blackpool | 10–12 March | Dan Irving | 106 |
| 1914 | 3rd Annual Conference | London | 12–14 April | John Stokes | 140 |
| 1915 | No Conference Held. | ||||
| 1916 | 5th Annual Conference | Salford | 23–24 April | Arthur Seabury | 108 |
| 1917 | 6th Annual Conference | Salford | 8–9 April | Sam Farrow | 77 |
| 1918 | 7th Annual Conference | Leeds | 31 March – 1 April | Fred Shaw | 70 |
| 1919 | 8th Annual Conference | Sheffield | 20–21 April | Alf Barton | 118 |
| 1920 | 9th Annual Conference | London | 4–5 April | Joe Vaughan | 78 |
Data from Kendall,The Revolutionary Movement in Britain, pg. 311.
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