Overview

Almost 80 years after Leon Trotsky founded the Fourth International, there are now Trotskyist organizations in 57 countries, including most of Western Europe and Latin America. Yet no Trotskyist group has ever led a revolution or built an enduring mass, political party. Contemporary Trotskyism looks in detail at the influence, resilience and weaknesses of the British Trotskyist movement, from the 1970s to the present day. The book argues that to understand and explain the development, resilience and influence of Trotskyist groups, we need to analyse them as bodies that comprise elements of three types of organization: the political party, the sect and the social movement. It is the properties of these three facets of organization and the interplay between them that gives rise to the most characteristic features of the Trotskyist movement: frenetic activity, rampant divisions, inter-organizational hostility, authoritarian and charismatic leadership, high membership turnover and ideological rigidity. Trotskyist groups have been involved in a wide range of important social movements including trade unions, student unions, anti-war, anti-racist and anti-fascist groups. While their energy and activity in civil society have had some success, their influence has never been reflected in votes or seats at elections even after the financial crisis. Drawing on extensive archival research, as well as interviews with many of the leading protagonists and activists within the Trotskyist milieu, this is essential reading for students, activists and researchers with an interest in the far left, social movements and contemporary British political history.

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9781138943797

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A fascinating study of a politics that refuses to disappear. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the possibilities and the limits of revolutionary politics. Matthew Worley, Professor of Modern History, Reading University, UK John Kelly has written the definitive guide to contemporary Trotskyism in England and Wales. The analysis is sharp and clear, always taking its subject matter seriously, probing every aspect of the phenomenon. It fulfils the author's intention to explain the structure, influence and ambition of the movement utilising the techniques of political science and a deep knowledge of the history of the far left. John Callaghan, Professor of Politics and Contemporary History, University of Salford, UK Contemporary Trotskyism is a fascinating and well-researched excavation of a much maligned and under-studied social movement. Mocked and feared in almost equal measure, John Kelly's account provides a thorough overview of its highs and lows, its persistence and challenges, as well as those moments Trotskyism influenced the development of British politics as a whole. Dr Phil Burton-Cartledge, Lecturer in Sociology, University of Derby, UK Concentrating on developments after 1970, and covering England and Wales only, Kelly's detailed and thoroughly researched account charts the rise in the number of Trotskyists from 124 in 1950, to 475 in 1960, 4,000 in 1970, nearly 10,000 in 1980, and peaking at over 20,000 in 1985. He calls the 1932-49 period 'The formation', 1950-65 'The bleak years: limited growth inside the Labour Party', and 1966-85 'The golden age'. This is followed by 'Disintegration', with numbers down to 5,900 by 2004, and 'Stasis', with 9,500 counted in 2016 (40-1). Dave Lyddon, Keele University

A fascinating study of a politics that refuses to disappear. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the possibilities and the limits of revolutionary politics. Matthew Worley, Professor of Modern History, Reading University, UK John Kelly has written the definitive guide to contemporary Trotskyism in England and Wales. The analysis is sharp and clear, always taking its subject matter seriously, probing every aspect of the phenomenon. It fulfils the author's intention to explain the structure, influence and ambition of the movement utilising the techniques of political science and a deep knowledge of the history of the far left. John Callaghan, Professor of Politics and Contemporary History, University of Salford, UK

Author Information

John Kelly teaches at the Department of Management, Birkbeck College, University of London. He has published widely on trade unions and the labour movement.

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