Small is beautiful?

Only just over 20 years ago Militant was a power in the land. It had 2 Labour MPs, 5000+ members, control of the Labour Party Young Socialists, and control of Liverpool City Council.

It's successor organisation - SPEW (yes they really chose that acronym) is part of the rump Socialist Alliance - the bits of that organisation which didn't follow the SWP into RESPECT.

The Socialist Alliance operates on a slightly smaller scale to Militant. Quite how small is revealed by the NEC minutes (NEC members include such blasts from the past as Dave Nellist and Lesley Mahmood - defeated by the then Labour rightwinger Peter Kilfoyle in the Walton by-election) it helpfully publishes on the internet.

As of 17 Feb this mighty challenger to be the voice of Britain's toiling masses stated: "Membership – 11 members had paid nationally so far for 2007." (despite it being cheaper to join than Labour is at 24 quid a year).

Still, if they go out and do a recruitment drive they might achieve last September's figure, when there were "27 paid up SA members nationally".

If 11 members is true, then 50% of their entire individual membership stand outside Stoke Newington Post Office on a Saturday morning waving collecting buckets (if they get the pitch before the SWP who seem to be late risers).