''Socialist Standard'' is a monthly

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

magazine published without interruption since September 1904 by the Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB). The magazine is written in a simple, direct style and focuses mainly on socialist advocacy and Marxian analysis of current events, particularly those affecting the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

. Some articles have been published in party pamphlets.

History

Socialist Standard October 1904 Editorial The Futility of Reform

The first editor was Robert Elrick. The ''Socialist Standard'' has also carried translations of continental writers. Under the Defence of the Realm Act 1914, it was placed on a secret list of papers and magazines banned for export during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

for its call for workers to refuse to fight for their countries and instead join the class war. In 1915, it published an article written by a member of the

Bolshevik party " Hymn of the Bolshevik Party" , headquarters = 4 Staraya Square, Moscow , general_secretary = Vladimir Lenin (first)Mikhail Gorbachev (last) , founded = , banned = , founder = Vladimir Lenin , newspaper ...

calling for a socialist solution to the war. In 1918, the paper voiced the first doubts of the SPGB regarding the

Bolshevik Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mom ...

in Russia. Edgar Hardcastle began a long period of contributions in the 1920s leading eventually to an over thirty-year editorship of the ''Socialist Standard''. In the 1930s, it drew on the reports from

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

to produce articles on the looming menace of aerial warfare. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the magazine evaded the censor largely by producing a series of articles on the Peloponnesian and similar ancient wars as a cover for the SPGB's opposition to the current one.

Centenary

To celebrate the party's centenary in 2004, seventy articles were selected from over ten thousand from its history were compiled and published in May in a book called ''Socialism or Your Money Back''. June 2004 issue of the ''Socialist Standard'' was a special issue to commemorate the party centenary and detail the party history. September 2004 issue of the ''Socialist Standard'' was a special issue to commemorate the publication centenary of the ''Socialist Standard''.

Present

The SPGB maintains that it is not a

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

organisation nor the ''Socialist Standard'' a left-wing journal. "Left-wing", it contends, has simply become an umbrella designation for protest groups and organisations demanding amendments and reforms to

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, private ...

. The SPGB and the World Socialist Movement (with which the SPGB is associated), contrary to the views and aspirations of these myriad groups and organisations that would claim to be left-wing, affirms that capitalism is incapable of meaningful reform and that quintessentially the basis of the exploitation of the

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

is the wages/money system. According to Richard Montague: :The SPGB holds that the limping democracy extant in most countries today, and certainly, in the developed countries, can be used as a weapon of social revolution; if the majority desired a socialist society, a wageless, classless, moneyless condition wherein goods and services were produced solely for need, there is no power capable of resisting its demand.

Former editors

* Robert Elrick *

Jack Fitzgerald Jack Fitzgerald ( 1873 – 16 April 1929) was a founder member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain. Fitzgerald was an Irishman who had settled in London, and had joined the socialist movement after becoming a secularist, embracing socialism ...

* Albert E. Jacomb * Adolph Kohn * Edgar Hardcastle * Gilbert McLatchie (Gilmac) * Harry Waite * Ralph Critchfield * Stan Hampson * Eddie Critchfield * John Crump * Robert Barltrop * Gwynn Thomas * Alan D'Arcy * Pat Deutz * Melvin Tenner * Janie Percy-Smith * Judith Skinner * Paul Bennett

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Current Issues

Historical articles archive

Socialist Standard Past & Present Blog
{{World Socialist Movement 1904 establishments in the United Kingdom Monthly magazines published in the United Kingdom Political magazines published in the United Kingdom Magazines published in London Magazines established in 1904 Marxist magazines Socialist magazines Socialist Party of Great Britain