Peter Taaffe is a Trotskyist political figure and general secretary of the Socialist Party of England and Wales. Taaffe is also a member of the International Executive Committee of the Committee for a Workers International (CWI) which has members in 40 countries around the world. Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... The term General Secretary (alternatively First Secretary) denotes a leader of various unions, parties or associations. ... The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist political party active in England and Wales and part of the Committee for a Workers International. ... The Committee for a Workers International (CWI) is an international association of Trotskyist Parties. ...

Taaffe joined what was then the Revolutionary Socialist League, led by Ted Grant, in the early 1960s and became the second editor (after Roger Protz) of its publication, Militant when it was launched in 1964. Eventually, the group became known by the name of the paper and was either referred to as Militant or the Militant Tendency. The Militant Tendency was, for a time in the 1980s, the largest Trotskyist organisation in Britain and, because of its practice of entryism in the Labour Party by far the best known. The Revolutionary Socialist League was the name of two Trotskyist political parties in the United Kingdom, one in the 1930s and 1940s and a second one which was founded in the 1950s and existed into the 1960s. ... Edward (Ted) Grant (born July 9, 1913) is a Trotskyist politician. ... Roger Protz is a British writer and campaigner. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... It has been suggested that Militant (Britain) be merged into this article or section. ... Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... Entryism (or entrism or enterism) is a political tactic by which an organisation encourages members to infiltrate another organisation in an attempt to gain recruits, or take over entirely. ... The Labour Party has been, since its founding in the early 20th century, the main democratic socialist[1] political party in the United Kingdom. ...

The Labour Party under Michael Foot and especially Neil Kinnock moved to purge Militant from the party and the 'editorial board' (in fact the tendency's executive committee) of Militant, including Taaffe and Ted Grant were expelled. Grant had been the leading figure in the group since its inception but in the face of changed conditions in the Labour Party a dispute broke out within Militant on whether the group should take an "open turn" and found an independent political party outside of and in competition with Labour or whether it should continue with entryism. The dispute arose specifically around the status of the group in Scotland where it had become very prominent due to its leadership role in the struggle against the Poll Tax and where electoral prospects looked promising. Taaffe and the majority in Militant supported the Scottish turn and the creation of Scottish Militant Labour whilst Grant and the minority opposed it.[1] Scottish Militant Labour eventually became the Scottish Socialist Party which has several MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. However, in 2003 the leadership of the SSP broke away from the CWI leading to a major crisis in the Taaffe-led group. Michael Foot For other people named Michael Foot, see Michael Foot (disambiguation). ... Rt. ... Edward (Ted) Grant (born July 9, 1913) is a Trotskyist politician. ... Motto: , traditionally rendered in Scots as Wha daur meddle wi me?[1] and in English as No one provokes me with impunity. ... A poll tax, soul tax, or capitation is a tax of a uniform, fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income). ... Scottish Militant Labour (SML) were a minor political party operating in Scotland in the 1990s. ... The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) is a left-wing Scottish political party which campaigns for a socialist economic platform and Scottish independence. ... Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) (Ball Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (BPA) in Gaelic) is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament. ... The Scottish Parliaments logo in English and Gaelic. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The dispute between the Taaffe-led majority and the Grant-led minority continued within Militant for some time until the majority leadership published documents that it claimed made it clear that the minority was intending to split from Militant. Grant and his leading supporters were expelled and have reconstituted themselves as the Socialist Appeal tendency, after its paper. While the Taaffe-led majority left the Labour Party, the Grant-led Socialist Appeal continues to work within the Labour Party and the trade unions opposing the Labour leadership's embrace of the Third Way under Tony Blair. Taaffe had majority support in the British section of the CWI and also in the international organisation CWI: the opposers of the turn walked out and founded the Committee for a Marxist International and its In Defence of Marxism webpage. Socialist Appeal is the publication of a minor British Trotskyist organisation founded by Ted Grant after he left the Militant Tendency. ... Third way can refer to: The Third Way, an economic and political idea that positions itself between democratic socialism and laissez-faire capitalism, combining the ordoliberal social market with neo-liberalism. ... Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953)[1] is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, Leader of the UK Labour Party, and Member of the UK Parliament for the constituency of Sedgefield in North East England. ... The Committee for a Marxist International (also known as the International Marxist Tendency) is a Trotskyist tendency based on the ideas of Ted Grant and Alan Woods. ...

Throughout the 90's, the international sections of the CWI were able to maintain their bases and develop new areas of support. Viable and active groups remain in Ireland (with Joe Higgins as an MP in the parliament), Britain, Germany (where CWI members carry out entryist work in the WASG), Sweden, Greece and Belgium. The biggest national sections in the colonial world are: the Nigerian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan groups. A small group subsists in France (in Rouen). There are CWI groups in 35 countries at present. Joe Higgins speaking at a rally against George W. Bushs visit to Ireland on 25th June 2004. ... Entryism (or entrism or enterism) is a political tactic by which an organisation encourages members to infiltrate another organisation in an attempt to gain recruits, or take over entirely. ... The Labor and Social Justice Party (German: Arbeit & soziale Gerechtigkeit – Die Wahlalternative or WASG) is a German political party founded in 2005 by activists disenchanted with the Social Democratic-Green government. ...

Militant went on to become Militant Labour and then the Socialist Party with Taaffe as general secretary. The Socialist Party currently holds several council seats, particularly in Coventry and London (the abandonment of work in the Labour Party led to the expulsion of the Marxist MPs elected through Militant's influence in the Labour Party). The group has suffered several splits, particularly in Scotland and Liverpool, and like all Marxist groups in Britain suffered from a decline in membership in the 1990s, despite the "open turn". Today it claims a recent growth to a membership of about 1500 people. The Socialist Party is a Trotskyist political party active in England and Wales and part of the Committee for a Workers International. ... The Precinct in Coventry city centre. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ...

Taaffe has written several books including:

• Empire Defeated: Vietnam War - The Lessons For Today (2003)
• Cuba: Socialism and Democracy - Debates on the Revolution and Cuba Today (2000)
• The Rise of Militant: Militant's 30 years (1995)
• The Masses Arise: The Great French Revolution, 1789-1815 (1989)
• Liverpool - A city that Dared to Fight with Tony Mulhearn (1988)

External links

• Socialist Party (England & Wales) website
• Committee for a Workers' International website
• Militant's Real History: In reply to Ted Grant and Rob Sewell by Peter Taaffe (this is a reply to Ted Grant's History of British Trotskyism and Rob Sewell's Poscript to it)