Spartacus League

The Spartacus League was a group founded in 1970 as the youth section of the International Marxist Group (IMG), a Trotskyist organisation originating from the British delegation to the Fourth International in 1964. International Marxist Group (IMG) The International Marxist Group (IMG) was a Trotskyist group in Britain in 1968-1982. It was the British Section of the Fourth International and a vital part of the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign. At its peak, in the 1970s, the IMG had around 1,000 members and supporters. The IMG was spied on by HN336 'Dick Epps', HN340 'Andy Bailey' and HN353 'Gary Roberts' during the 1960s and 1970s; several other SDS officers reported on it. Full page: International Marxist Group (IMG)  The Spartacus League merged with the IMG in 1972, but it continued to use the Spartacus League name afterwards.

Disambiguation: There is also another, entirely separate organisation with a similar name, the Spartacist League of Britain (1979-). Spartacist League of Britain (SLB) The Spartacist League of Britain (SLB) was a small Trotskyist Party founded in 1979. It produced a newspaper: ' Spartacist Britain' (later 'The Workers Hammer') and organised public meetings. It was infiltrated by HN106 'Barry Tompkins' but he never became a formal member. It had associated groups in the United States and Australia which were also spied-upon by their respective domestic intelligence agencies. Full page: Spartacist League of Britain (SLB)

Two spycops directly infiltrated the Spartacus League. HN298 ‘Michael Scott’ HN298 'Michael Scott' ‘Michael Scott’ is the assumed name of a former SDS undercover officer who infiltrated the Putney branch of the Young Liberals, Croydon anarchist group Commitment, the Little Ilford branch of the Workers Revolutionary Party and the central London branch of the Anti-Internment League between 1972 and 1976. In 1972, he did not reveal his true identity to the court when convicted alongside three anti-apartheid activists, leading to their convictions being overturned in 2023. The reliability of his testimony about the Young Liberals was challenged in the Inquiry by core participant Peter Hain.  infiltrated the south-west (London) branch from at least July until September 1971, and HN299/342 ‘David Hughes’ HN299/HN342 'David Hughes' HN299/342 'David Hughes' joined the SDS in 1971. He was deployed into the International Marxist Group, north London Claimants Union and Anti-Internment League between 1971 and 1975. He left the SDS in 1976, having heard lots of revolutionary talk but not witnessed any public disorder or subversion.   infiltrated another branch (probably Brixton) from at least November 1971, primarily during his infiltration of the IMG, which lasted until 1975. 

Due to overlap between the Spartacus League and the IMG, spycops who infiltrated the IMG often ended up reporting on the Spartacus League as well. As former member Piers Corbyn put it, members of the Spartacus League could join the IMG if they ‘proved their worth’. First Witness Statement of Piers Corbyn, given in the UCPI, Tranche 1, Phase 2, 22 Apr 2020.View Document  Spycops HN340 ‘Andy Bailey’ HN340 ‘Andy Bailey’ HN340 is the nominal given to the former undercover officer with the Special Demonstration Squad ‘Andy Bailey’. He infiltrated the North London Red Circle and spied on the Irish Civil Rights Solidarity Campaign, later known as the Irish Solidarity Campaign, between July 1970 and June 1972. One of the first two SDS officers to travel overseas while undercover, to the Red Europe conference in Brussels in November 1970, he was also the first undercover to be withdrawn because of a possible risk to his safety, in mid-1972 after the landlady of his cover accommodation reported overhearing a threat to him. Full page: HN340 ‘Andy Bailey’ , and HN338 HN338  HN338 was an undercover officer in the SDS between at least April 1970 and December 1973. He initially spied on Agitprop and then the International Marxist Group, plus several related organisations, notably the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign and Anti-Internment League. He is dead, his cover name has been lost and his real name is restricted. Full page: HN338  , reported on the Spartacus League during their infiltration of the IMG.

Primarily based in universities, the Spartacus League had branches across the country. From disclosures in the inquiry, the coverage in London reveals infiltration or reporting on the branch in Imperial College London in Notting Hill, the south-west branch in Clapham, and the south branch in Brixton. 

HN299/342’s infiltration of the South-west branch included attending private meetings at activists’ homes. On one occasion, he decided it was important to include the shocking detail that the bedroom where a meeting of young Trotskyists was taking place included ‘several left-wing posters, including a large one of Leon TROTSKY.’ Report on a private meeting of the Spartacus League and IMG discussing Marxist theory, held on 7 Nov 1971 at redacted private address, inc minute sheet, 11 Nov 1971, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0732356.View Document

Through the IMG, the Notting Hill Spartacus League branch had links to the North London Red Circle Red Circle Red Circle was a socialist discussion group with links to the International Marxist Group. It was infiltrated by HN340 'Andy Bailey' and HN299/342 'Michael Hughes'. , a reading group that also served as a street recruiting tool for the IMG, and sold Red Mole, a Trotskyist weekly. Red Mole Rising (website), Red Mole, An online history of the International Marxist Group that contains many scanned original documents..  HN340 and HN299/342 also infiltrated Red Circle. 

While infiltrating the IMG, HN338 attended a meeting of the Notting Hill Spartacus League branch in 1972. This meeting was held at the home of Piers Corbyn, then a member of both groups and now a core participant in the inquiry. Report on a private meeting of the Spartacus League and IMG discussing Marxist theory, held on 7 Nov 1971 at redacted private address, inc minute sheet, 11 Nov 1971, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0732356.View Document

The IMG and Spartacus League merged in May 1972 to form the International Communist League (ICL), though due to this sharing the acronym of a computer company, the national executive later decided not to adopt the new name, and the group continued to be known as the IMG, being the larger partner of the merger. Report on a joint debate held by the IMG and the International Communist League on ’Building a Trotskyist International', held at Conway Hall on 25 June 1976, 14 Jul 1976, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, UCPI0000010676.View Document

Post-merger, the IMG had a tense relationship with another Trotskyist organisation, also called the ICL International Communist League (ICL) The International Communist League may refer to more than one organisation; the Inquiry published a few documents relating to one or more groups with that name. The 1975 Special Branch annual report states that former IMG and IS members had formed the ICL that year. However, another organisation using this name was part of the international Trotskyist Forth International. Full page: International Communist League (ICL) , from which it was wholly separate. HN353 ‘Gary Roberts’ attended a joint debate between the two in 1976. Report on a joint debate held by the IMG and the International Communist League on ’Building a Trotskyist International', held at Conway Hall on 25 June 1976, 14 Jul 1976, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, UCPI0000010676.View Document

Sources

First witness statement of Piers Richard Corbyn. First Witness Statement of Piers Corbyn, given in the UCPI, Tranche 1, Phase 2, 22 Apr 2020.View Document