In Defence of Trotskyism – the documents

Since the banking collapse and financial crisis of 2007-08, many different movements have developed against oppression, austerity, neoliberalism and capitalism – with mixed success. In a complicated situation, Marxists must take stock, analyse what is going on and why, and present a way forward.

In 2018-19, a dispute broke out within the Committee for a Workers’ International (the CWI) over exactly these questions. This section of our website brings together key documents produced to defend a working-class, Trotskyist CWI; a process which culminated in the CWI’s re-foundation.

The main focus of this debate included the questions of socialism and identity politics; the role of the trade unions and the working-class movement; and under what programme and how should Marxists organise internationally and domestically.

We have also produced a book, In Defence of Trotskyism, which brings together many more of the key documents. These were selected from approximately 156 documents exchanged during the debate. Internationalist in form and content, In Defence of Trotskyism collects contributions from across the world, bringing together the collective experience of working-class fighters to discuss these important questions.

Our website and our book, In Defence of Trotskyism, provides much more than a record of an internal debate. It is a re­statement of Marxist principles and a living example of their application in today s world. It will be invaluable to all those fighting for socialism.

The documents on this section of our website:

In Defence of Trotskyism

These are the key documents of the In Defence of Trotskyism faction, supporting the International Secretariat (IS) majority.

The opposition to the International Secretariat majority – known as the Non-Faction Faction (NFF)

These are the key responses of the opposition, which did not declare a faction.

The debate was concluded in mid 2019.

Balance sheet of the debate

Writing in the March 2020 edition of Socialism Today, Socialist Party General Secretary Hannah Sell drew up a balance sheet of the debate,  in the wake of the electoral defeats suffered by the Irish Socialist Party in the February 2020 general election. The article was published on the CWI website here:

Socialists debate identity politics