Jerry Healy British Trotskyist Date of Birth: 03.12.1913 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Gerry Healy
2. Early Life and Political Activism
3. Long-Term Entrism in the Labour Party
4. Formation of Socialist Labour League and Workers Revolutionary Party
5. Controversies and Exclusion from the Fourth International
6. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Gerry Healy

Gerry Healy was a British Trotskyist and the leader of the International Committee of the Fourth International from 1953 to 1985.

Early Life and Political Activism

Gerry Healy was born in Ballybayne, County Galway, in Western Ireland. His parents were Michael Healy, a small Catholic farmer, and Margaret Mary. After leaving school, he went to England and worked as a ship's radio operator at the age of 14.

In 1931, he joined the Young Communist League, the youth organization of the Communist Party of Great Britain. He later joined the party and became known for his organizing, speaking, and agitating skills. However, in 1937, Healy left the Communist Party and joined the Trotskyist group, "The Militant". After the split in the group, he left and, along with Ralph Lee, Jock Haston, and Ted Grant, founded the Workers' International League (WIL).

Work with Revolutionary Communist League and Revolutionary Communist Party

Healy's work within the WIL faced difficulties and tensions with other leaders, leading to his expulsion from the organization in 1943. He then joined the Revolutionary Communist League (RCL), the official section of the Fourth International in Britain. In 1944, the RCL and WIL merged to form the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP).

In the post-war years, Healy emerged as one of the leaders of the RCP and worked closely with Sam Gordon, the European representative of the Socialist Workers Party (USA) at the International Secretariat of the Fourth International.

Long-Term Entrism in the Labour Party

In the late 1940s, Healy became a supporter of the long-term entryism tactic proposed by Michel Pablo, the leader of the Fourth International. He advocated for working within the British Labour Party, which was approved by the International Secretariat. However, many leaders of the RCP, including Ted Grant, opposed entryism into the Labour Party at that time. Despite this opposition, Healy and his supporters joined the Labour Party, leading to the disintegration of the RCP. In 1950, Healy formed "The Club" with his followers.

Formation of Socialist Labour League and Workers Revolutionary Party

In 1959, after Healy and his supporters were expelled from the Labour Party and the youth organization was abolished, "The Club" was renamed the Socialist Labour League (SLL). They also launched a new weekly newspaper called "The Newsletter". In 1973, the SLL transformed into the Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP), which became one of the strongest far-left organizations in the 1970s.

Controversies and Exclusion from the Fourth International

In the mid-1970s, allegations of Healy's cult of personality, financial support from political regimes like Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein, and the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Trotsky's assassination by the International Committee of the Fourth International caused a scandal within the WRP. In 1985, the leadership of the International Committee excluded Gerry Healy from the party and the International.

Later Years and Legacy

Despite his exclusion, Gerry Healy formed the Marxist Party in 1987 with a few remaining supporters, including the renowned English actress Vanessa Redgrave. In his later years, Healy believed that Mikhail Gorbachev was leading a political revolution in the Soviet Union. He and Vanessa Redgrave visited the Soviet Union several times during 1987-1989. Healy's legacy is marked by his long-lasting leadership in various Trotskyist organizations and his controversial role within the international left movement.