Ted Grant British Trotskyist and Marxist theorist Date of Birth: 09.07.1913 Country: Great Britain

1. Early Life and Trotskism
2. The Militant Group and Labour Party Entryism
3. The Revolutionary Communist Party
4. The International Socialist Group and Labour Party Entryism
5. The Militant Tendency
6. Growth and Influence
7. Expulsion from Labour Party and Split Within Militant
8. Committee for a Marxist International (CMI)
9. Theoretical Contributions
10. Legacy

Early Life and Trotskism

Ted Grant was born Edward Isaac Blanck in 1913 in Germiston, South Africa, to Russian émigré Max Blank and French-born Adele. His parents divorced, leaving Isaac to live with his mother, who rented rooms to supplement her income. One lodger, Ralph Lee, a communist expelled from the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA) during its purge of Trotskyists, introduced Isaac to Trotskyism. Lee regularly discussed Trotskyism with Isaac and provided him with literature from the Communist League of America. Together, they founded the Bolshevik-Leninist League of South Africa (BLLSA) in 1932, a small Trotskyist group that later merged with other organizations to form the Workers Party of South Africa (WPSA). However, the party's lack of support in South Africa led them to relocate to England. Here, Isaac Blanck changed his name to Edward (Ted) Grant.

Upon a brief stop in France, Grant met Léon Sedov, a member of the International Secretariat of the International Communist League (ICL). Grant and Lee traveled to Britain and joined the Marxist Group (MG), which worked within the Independent Labour Party. Grant played an active role in the fight against fascism in England during the mid-1930s, including participation in the famous Battle of Cable Street in 1936.

The Militant Group and Labour Party Entryism

Trotsky advised the MG to shift their focus and work within the Labour Party, but the MG leadership rejected this position. A minority of the organization led by Ted Grant broke away and formed the Bolshevik-Leninist Group (BLG), later known as the Militant Group. The BLG operated within the Labour Party's youth organization, the Labour League of Youth. The group grew steadily, but a split occurred in 1937 over organizational issues, leading Grant and several others to form the Workers International League (WIL) in December 1937.

The Revolutionary Communist Party

After Ralph Lee returned to South Africa, Grant and Jock Haston became the de facto leaders of the WIL. In 1941, Grant became the editor of the WIL's newspaper, "Youth for Socialism," which was renamed "Socialist Appeal" the same year. In 1944, several Trotskyist groups in Britain merged to form the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) in accordance with a resolution passed by the Fourth International in 1940.

The International Socialist Group and Labour Party Entryism

In 1947, a split occurred in the RCP over entryism into the Labour Party. According to the Fourth International, capitalism was on the verge of a deep crisis, making entryism into reformist organizations essential. The Fourth International supported the RCP minority led by Gerry Healy, while Grant and Haston led the majority. In 1949-1950, the RCP dissolved, and Healy's supporters formed "The Club" in 1950, becoming the recognized section of the Fourth International. Former RCP leaders Grant, Haston, and others were expelled from the organization.

In May 1951, Grant and his supporters held a conference in London and decided to entrist into the Labour Party due to their weakness and small numbers. They called themselves the International Socialist Group (ISG) and established a bimonthly journal, "The International Socialist." After a split in 1953, the ISG joined the Fourth International. Grant became a full-time worker and edited the journal "Workers International Review." In 1957, the ISG renamed itself the Revolutionary Socialist League (RSL) and positioned itself as an independent open organization. In 1958, the RSL became the official section of the Fourth International.

The Militant Tendency

From 1958 to 1963, the RSL published the newspaper "Socialist Fight," but its publication was irregular due to financial constraints. In 1964, the newspaper "Militant" was launched. The RSL leadership also diverged from the United Secretariat of the Fourth International on several issues and established their own tendency. In 1974, supporters of the Militant tendency from Britain, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Greece, India, and Sri Lanka formed the Committee for a Workers' International (CWI).

Growth and Influence

The Militant tendency operated openly within the Labour Party's youth organization, the Young Socialists, and published its own newspaper. The organization grew slowly until the 1980s, when it became a prominent force in British politics under Margaret Thatcher's government. During the 1983-1984 miners' strike, the Militant tendency had significant influence among miners, elected John McCredie to the General Council of the Trades Union Congress, and had three MPs in Parliament. Its members also led the Liverpool City Council.

Expulsion from Labour Party and Split Within Militant

In 1983, the Labour Party's National Executive Committee expelled the editorial board of "Militant," which included Ted Grant, Peter Taaffe, Kate Dickinson, Lynn Walsh, and Claire Doyle. In the early 1990s, dissatisfaction emerged within Militant over its ongoing work within the Labour Party. A majority of the organization led by Peter Taaffe believed in building open mass organizations. Grant opposed this approach, and a minority around him, Alan Woods, and Rob Sewell was expelled from the CWI in 1992.

Committee for a Marxist International (CMI)

Grant and his supporters formed the Committee for a Marxist International (CMI) in 1992. In the same year, Grant and Woods launched the journal "Socialist Appeal."

Theoretical Contributions

Ted Grant's theoretical contributions are centered on several key points:

Deformed Workers' States:Grant categorized the "socialist" states established after World War II as deformed workers' states, essentially "proletarian Bonapartist regimes." He maintained that the regimes in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union were similar in nature.

Entryism:Grant advocated for Trotskyist groups to join mass reformist political parties and trade unions to practice a united front with the working class, a tactic he refined from Trotsky's original concept.

Legacy

Ted Grant died in 2006. His legacy continues through the CMI and the journal "Socialist Appeal." His theoretical ideas on deformed workers' states and entryism remain influential among his followers.