HISTORY

POLICY ROOTS

The Socialist Labour Party was first founded in 1902 by the legendary James Connolly. The Party played a leading role in the Socialist Movement both nationally and internationally until it ceased to operate in 1923 following the foundation of the Federal Labour Representation Committee in 1900 and its' successor, the Labour Party in 1910. The Socialist Labour Party warned that the federal Labour Party was not only a party of Social Democracy but a party which would move to the right and embrace capitalism. How prophetic the words of the Socialist Labour Party leadership have proved to be!

Following the ditching of the Labour Party's constitution and in particular its' "commitment" to common ownership and its' open embrace of capitalism and the free market in 1995, it led to the re-establishment of the Socialist Labour Party in 1996 with Arthur Scargill, the Miner's President as its' Leader.

People from the Communist Party, the Labour Party, and many in the trade union movement, completely disillusioned with what had become of New Labour welcomed the establishment of the Socialist Labour Party. The constitution of the Party was drawn up after months of consultation and won massive support apart from those individuals and groups who still cling to the short-sighted, divisive policy of federalism and who argued for the right to remain in their own parties, or in an "alliance" and at the same time be members of the Socialist Labour Party. The vast majority of comrades involved in the consultation process supported the SLP and saw it - quite correctly - as a party which could win support amongst the Labour and Trade Union Movement and also, eventually, amongst the people as a whole.