February 8-9, 1986

The 8th Congress of the WRP, meeting in Hammersmith on the 8th and 9th of February 1986, repudiates the two CC resolutions of January 26, 1986 which state that “The IC is neither the world party nor even the nucleus of the World Party” and which call for a regroupment of all renegades from Trotskyism and which further state that “The IC cannot claim political authority as the international leadership.”

These resolutions bureaucratically and opportunistically violated the decisions of the Special Congress to reregister the membership on the basis of the subordination of the WRP to the ICFI and were a declaration of split with the ICFI.

By preventing the internationalists in the Party from entering the Congress to fight for their positions before the membership, these political cowards transformed their bogus congress into nothing more than a revisionist swamp.

This duly-constituted congress, based on the decisions of the Special Congress of October 26-27, 1985, declares that the renegades’ resolutions represent a break from all the historic gains and theoretical conquests of Trotskyism which are embodied in the ICFI and an attempt to liquidate the Trotskyist cadre.

The decision of the CC renegades, led by M. Banda and C. Slaughter, to use the state forces (the police) to bar the membership from gaining entry to the congress, was a clear declaration of class position, of total hostility to the working class and its revolutionary vanguard.

Congress, in repudiating these resolutions, declares that the only basis for membership of the WRP is acceptance of the Special Congress resolution of the ICFI dated October 25, 1985.

Congress affirms that the struggle carried out for over 10 years on Security and the Fourth International and continued by the Workers League with the Gelfand case represents an historic gain in the fight against Stalinism, revisionism, and for the training of a cadre against state attack.

Vigilance against attack by the agencies of Stalinism and imperialism in this period of enormous class struggle internationally is an absolute necessity.

We pledge to bring to the notice of the international working class the organic link between the renegade attack by the Banda-Slaughter group on Security and the Fourth International, and their use of the state against the members of their own party.

Congress hereby expels M. Banda, C. Slaughter, their renegade Central Committee supporters, and all their followers, from the WRP and requests that the ICFI expel those renegades and lift the suspension of our section.

Congress declares that the frantic efforts of the Banda-Slaughter-Healy groups to liquidate the Trotskyist cadre in Britain and internationally have failed, and calls on all members of the WRP to rally to the banner of the ICFI and to reregister on the basis of this resolution.

Resolution on Security and the Fourth International

The 8th Congress of the WRP, held in Hammersmith, 8th and 9th of February 1986, reaffirms its support for the ICFI investigation, Security and the Fourth International.

We reject the attacks by the Banda-Slaughter group, who no longer represent the British section of the Fourth International, and who are attacking Security and the Fourth International, as part of their continuing attack on the ICFI.

We call on the ICFI to continue the fight to expose the role of state agents in the workers movement throughout the world as a central task in the building of the revolutionary leadership internationally.

This congress sends its warmest fraternal greetings and support to Alan Gelfand for his struggle to expose the state agents within the SWP in America.

In this struggle, he doesn’t act as an individual, but represents the struggle of all workers for their democratic rights.