Revolutionary Workers League (in Manitoba)
Encyclopedia
The Revolutionary Workers League
was a Canadian
Trotskyist group, formed in 1977 by a merger of four other organizations.
The RWL had a number of members active in the New Democratic Party
(NDP), while also maintaining a separate public organization and newspaper (therefore they did not consider themselves to be entrists
). The party generally endorsed NDP candidates in elections, but ran their own on some occasions, generally in ridings which the NDP did not contest, or had very little chance of winning.
Larry Johnston was the sole candidate of the Manitoba
branch of the Revolutionary Workers League in the 1977 provincial election
, campaigning in the Winnipeg riding of Osborne. He received 47 votes.
This appears to have been the only time that the Manitoba RWL endorsed one of its own candidates in a provincial election. It is not clear how long Johnston remained in the RWL after this.
During the 1980s, the RWL became divided between Trotskyist supporters of permanent revolution
and followers of the American Socialist Workers Party, which after 1982 supported Fidel Castro
's Cuba
as the vanguard of world revolution. It is unclear if the Manitoba RWL still existed by the time of this division.
Revolutionary Workers League/Ligue Ouvrière Révolutionnaire
The Revolutionary Workers League/Ligue Ouvrière Révolutionnaire was a Canadian Trostkyist party formed on August 8, 1977 by the fusion of the Revolutionary Marxist Group and its Quebec counterpart, the Groupe Marxiste Revolutionnarie with the League for Socialist Action/Ligue Socialiste Ouvrière...
was a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Trotskyist group, formed in 1977 by a merger of four other organizations.
The RWL had a number of members active in the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP), while also maintaining a separate public organization and newspaper (therefore they did not consider themselves to be entrists
Entryism
Entryism is a political tactic by which an organisation or state encourages its members or agents to infiltrate another organisation in an attempt to gain recruits, or take over entirely...
). The party generally endorsed NDP candidates in elections, but ran their own on some occasions, generally in ridings which the NDP did not contest, or had very little chance of winning.
Larry Johnston was the sole candidate of the Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
branch of the Revolutionary Workers League in the 1977 provincial election
Manitoba general election, 1977
The Manitoba general election of October 11, 1977 was held to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Manitoba, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative Party, which took 33 seats out of 57...
, campaigning in the Winnipeg riding of Osborne. He received 47 votes.
This appears to have been the only time that the Manitoba RWL endorsed one of its own candidates in a provincial election. It is not clear how long Johnston remained in the RWL after this.
During the 1980s, the RWL became divided between Trotskyist supporters of permanent revolution
Permanent Revolution
Permanent revolution is a term within Marxist theory, established in usage by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels by at least 1850 but which has since become most closely associated with Leon Trotsky. The use of the term by different theorists is not identical...
and followers of the American Socialist Workers Party, which after 1982 supported Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
's Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
as the vanguard of world revolution. It is unclear if the Manitoba RWL still existed by the time of this division.