The Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International (WIRFI) is a

Trotskyist Trotskyism is the political ideology and branch of Marxism developed by Ukrainian-Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky and some other members of the Left Opposition and Fourth International. Trotsky self-identified as an orthodox Marxist, a rev ...

international organisation. It was formed and based in 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 North ...

and originally consisted of a remnant of the Workers Revolutionary Party. The organisation was founded in 1990 to regroup the international supporters of the

Workers Revolutionary Party (Workers Press) The Movement for Socialism is an occasional grouping of socialists in the United Kingdom. It originated as one half of the major split in the Workers Revolutionary Party of 1985. Initially, both halves continued under the WRP name and both pub ...

WRP(WP), following the split of some of their

supporters In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the Escutcheon (heraldry), shield and depicted holding it up. Early forms of supporters are found in medieval seals. H ...

to join the

International Workers League (Fourth International) International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

. Led by

Cliff Slaughter Cliff Slaughter (October 1928 – 3 May 2021) was a British socialist activist, sociologist and author. His best-known works are ''Coal is Our Life'' (written with Norman Dennis and Fernando Henriques) and ''Marxism, Ideology and Literature''. I ...

and Dot Gibson, it initially had support in the

Workers Revolutionary Party (Namibia) The Workers Revolutionary Party (WRP, from 2009 to 2014 named the Communist Party of Namibia) is a communist party in Namibia led by Attie Beukes and Harry Boesak. The party was founded by Attie Beukes in May 1989 as the Workers Revolutionary P ...

and a South African section which renamed itself WIRFI and took 5,481 votes in the

1994 South African general election General elections were held in South Africa between 26 and 29 April 1994. The elections were the first in which citizens of all races were allowed to take part, and were therefore also the first held with universal suffrage. The election was c ...

, as well as Michel Varga's Group of Opposition and Continuity of the Fourth International. The majority of the South African section left the international in 1996 and renamed itself the

Workers International Vanguard League The Workers International Vanguard League (WIVL) is a Trotskyist organisation in South Africa. It publishes ''Workers International News''. The group's origins lie in the underground Trotskyist Revolutionaries group, founded in 1985. In 1991, i ...

. Following the WRP(WP)'s dissolution and reconstitution as the

Movement for Socialism (Britain) The Movement for Socialism is an occasional grouping of socialists in the United Kingdom. It originated as one half of the major split in the Workers Revolutionary Party of 1985. Initially, both halves continued under the WRP name and both pub ...

, Gibson and Bob Archer led the remainder of the international in splitting from Slaughter. The organisation retained its British section and has the support of the WRP of Namibia and remnants of the South African group. It publishes the "Workers International Journal". In Britain, the group's supporters were active in the Socialist Alliance and then the Democracy Platform of that grouping. By 2004 they had also become involved with the Liverpool-based Campaign for a Mass Workers Party and its offshoot, the United Socialist Party.

References

External links

* John Sulliva
"Will the real WRP please stand up?"
in ''As Soon As This Pub Closes'' * official websit
WIRFI archives held as part of the Michel Varga (Balazs Nagy) papers at the University of London
{{DEFAULTSORT:Workers International To Rebuild The Fourth International Trotskyist political internationals Trotskyist organisations in the United Kingdom Workers Revolutionary Party (UK) 1990 establishments in the United Kingdom Organizations established in 1990

See also

References

External links