Socialist Alternatives

Socialist Alternatives was the British section of the International Revolutionary Marxist Tendency (IRMT), a formerly Trotskyist Pabloite group based in Paris.^[1]

Being a small group in the UK, it was best known for the Marxist magazine of the same name partially edited by Keir Starmer from 1986 to 1987.^[2] The magazine is believed to have been produced by the Pabloist International Revolutionary Marxist Tendency (IRMT)^[3] and advertised its events and publications, although one of the authors identified it as being an outgrowth of the Socialist Society connected with Ralph Miliband and Hilary Wainwright.^[4] Paul Mason has called it a "Trotskyite front magazine",^[5] although this is disputed.^[4] The French Trotskyist journalist Maurice Najman was also cited as a key supporter.^[4]

Its politics were defined by one of its later authors Andrew Coates as being "aligned to the European ‘alternative’ movements of the time which stood for ecology, feminism and self-management. These were forerunners of later radical green-left groups, Los Indignados, Podemos, the left of Labour and similar currents within social democratic parties."^[6]

It was described by the left wing magazine Chartist as "the human face of the hard left".^[7] Peter Hitchens described Socialist Alternative's "preoccupation with sexual politics and green issues" as presaging the politics of all today's major British politicians.^[8]

The magazine included articles by Michalis Raptis,^[9][10][11] the leader of the International Revolutionary Marxist Tendency and the left wing Labour MP Eric Heffer, Peter Tatchell^[6] as well as an interview with Tony Benn.^[12][13] There were also advertisements for Michael Raptis's "Self Management Lectures"^[14] and IRMT publications.^[15] Keir Starmer wrote articles on the Wapping strike,^[16][17] the 1986 TUC conference,^[18] criticising Labour leader Neil Kinnock's moves towards the market economy,^[19] a book review of Eric Heffer's Labour's Future,^[20] Trade Unions and pluralism,^[21] an interview with Tony Benn^[12] and left wing approaches to local government.^[22]

The magazine was still publishing in 1989^[23] and 1994.^[24]

References

1. Barberis, Peter; McHugh, John; Tyldesley, Mike (1 January 2000). Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations: Parties, Groups and Movements of the 20th Century. A&C Black. ISBN 9780826458148. Retrieved 14 March 2021 – via Google Books.
2. "Keir Starmer: Radical who attacked Kinnock in Marxist journal," 2 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine The Times, 18/1/20.
3. An archive of Socialist Alternatives is here 2 July 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
4. "Comrade Paul Mason Backs Keir Starmer; on Starmer's 'Socialist Alternatives' background". 8 January 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
5. "Clive Lewis and Keir Starmer are the candidates who understand how Labour must change". www.newstatesman.com. 8 January 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
6. "Europe, Internationalism, Socialist Alternatives (Pabloism), and…Keir Starmer". 29 August 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
7. "Starmer's Socialist Alternatives". 28 May 2020. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
8. "Letters: Labour's left vs left struggle | the Spectator". 3 December 2020.
9. Socialist Alternatives v1 no1 July August 1986, pages 26 to 30
10. Socialist Alternatives v1 no2 October November 1986, pages 31 to 33
11. Socialist Alternatives v2 no1 April May 1987, pages 25 to 27
12. Socialist Alternatives v2 no1 April May 1987, pages 21 to 23
13. Interview with Keir Starmer talking about the Benn interview on Nick Robinson's Talking politics, linked here
14. Socialist Alternatives v1 no1 July August 1986, page 30
15. Socialist Alternatives v1 no1 July August 1986, back page
16. Socialist Alternatives v1 no1 July August 1986, pages 19 & 20
17. Socialist Alternatives v2 no1 April May 1987, pages 7 and 8
18. Socialist Alternatives v1 no2 October November 1986, page 3, written with Alex Harvey
19. Socialist Alternatives v1 no1 July August 1986, page 31
20. Socialist Alternatives v1 no2 October November 1986, page 41
21. Socialist Alternatives v1 no3 December 1986 January 1987, pages 25 to 27
22. Socialist Alternatives v2 no2 August September 1987, pages 15 and 16
23. Europe, Internationalism, Socialist Alternatives (Pabloism), and… Keir Starmer, posted on the blog of Andrew Coates an author featured in that edition
24. "Google Scholar". scholar.google.com. Retrieved 14 March 2021.