My first expression of interest in December 2002:

Hi R…[C],
Very pleased to hear from you and about the World in Common initiative. I liked especially this bit from the web site:

It requires that we organise consciously and democratically to establish an alternative society ourselves from the bottom up, without the intervention of leaders or politicians and that we critically support practical attempts in the present to empower ordinary people and strengthen their resistance to the global market and state.

And the links page looks really useful.

I love the beginnings of things and I found SPGB dreary when I dipped back in a couple of years ago. I remember S…[C] talking years ago about how many people had passed through SPGB, receiving Marxist education on the way; they could all end up in WiC.

Best wishes, Chris

Reply from R…[C], 12 Dec 2002:

Hi Chris,
Good to hear from you and glad to hear you liked the World in Common initiative. Things are moving quite rapidly in that department and we are trying to develop the website ahead of the publicity launch which should be pretty soon. Already, more and more people are expressing interest including some members of the SPGB, and it maybe that this could be the breakthrough that is needed in terms of a new approach to socialist politics today. Certainly the stale old 1904 formula does not seemed to have worked and to be honest, but for the growth of membership in Africa (where there are now 6 or 7 groups) the SPGB would be very much smaller than it already is. When we were both in Guildford Branch I think the membership was around 600; today it is about 400 and falling and, what’s more, the activist core of the party has shrunken alarmingly. T…[B] – do you remember her? – who is also involved in World in Common and on the point of resigning from the party herself went along to ADM at HO this year and was quite shocked at the extent to which matters have deteriorated. The party is a pale shadow of what it used to be; the buzz has quite gone out of the window. Such a shame but I think it is the inevitable outcome of its dogged adherence to a sectarian mode of thinking

Anyway nuff about the Party. I just wondered how you felt about possibly getting involved in world in common. I remembered something of the views you expressed when you were in the SPGB the first time – I still remember that excellent article on the Socialist breakfast and the stuff you wrote on computers – and I thought to myself that you might well be someone who would be interested. Other ex-members of the SPGB I have approached include J…[C] who co-authored the book on Non-Market Socialism in the Twentieth Century and he is interested in getting involved. At the moment as things stand with World in Common we have agreed the core statement and the name and to go ahead and set up a website; beyond that it is very much a blank slate although I think a kind of consensus about the way ahead is beginning to emerge from our email discussions. The new group is going to be a lot more relaxed and innovative in its approach to promoting radical socialist ideas than would ever be possible in the SPGB. I like that very much and I like also the sense of camaraderie and enthusiasm that is developing as the thing starts to take on flesh before our eyes. At the moment we have 18 “founding members”, 5 or 6 of whom have elected to be passive supporters. This figure will be rising soon and once we start on publicity, well, its anyone’s guess where we will end up. You are more than welcome to join if you feel so inclined by simply contacting J…[P] by email (from the temporary website).