This article recounts the political evolution of the Socialist Equality League (SEL) in Australia, formerly known as the Socialist Labour League (SLL), focusing on the crucial period surrounding the collapse of the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP) in Britain in 1985. The SEL, initially a loyal section of the WRP, critically examined the events leading to its disintegration, particularly the role of its leader, Gerry Healy.
The article highlights the principled stand taken by key figures within the SLL, including Nick Beams, Peter Symonds, and Terry Wicks, in confronting the political degeneration within the WRP. They challenged Healy’s increasingly subjective methods, violations of inner-party democracy, and abandonment of Trotskyist principles, particularly regarding the perspective of world socialist revolution.
The article emphasizes the SEL’s commitment to a scientific Marxist analysis of the WRP’s collapse, rejecting superficial explanations rooted in personal failings. They undertook a rigorous examination of the WRP’s theoretical and political deviations, linking them to broader pressures from the petty-bourgeoisie and the abandonment of the fight for the political independence of the working class. The SEL correctly oriented to the international working class and defended the gains of the Fourth International.
find the original article here: https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/04/30/jsky-a30.html