Debates between the Socialist Party of Great Britain and other groups were of particular importance in bringing the party case to an outside audience without the sometimes off-putting rhetoric of platform speaking, or the one-sidedness of educational talks. A prime instance of this importance for the party is the case of Richard Headicar, a former Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament speaker, won over after debating with the party. Of rather wider hi...
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Debates between the Socialist Party of Great Britain and other groups were of particular importance in bringing the party case to an outside audience without the sometimes off-putting rhetoric of platform speaking, or the one-sidedness of educational talks. A prime instance of this importance for the party is the case of Richard Headicar, a former Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament speaker, won over after debating with the party. Of rather wider historical importance were the debates with the Revolutionary Communist Party in the late 1940s. In the course of these Sammy Cash persuaded the RCP’s Jock Haston of the state capitalist nature of the Soviet Union. The idea was then relayed to Tony Cliff, whence (rather distortedly) it formed the genesis of today's Socialist Workers Party.
Debates were not a major part of Socialist Party of Great Britain propaganda until the 1930s, reliance being instead put on outdoor speaking, particularly at established street corner venues (as can be seen,...
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