LM network

The LM network or LM group is a superficially loose network of individuals and organisations sharing a libertarian and anti-environmentalist ideology. It is led and largely comprises individuals associated with the now defunct Revolutionary Communist Party and its principal publication, also defunct, Living Marxism. The network itself has no public presence or acknowleged existence. The strongest link is between the largest and longest established entities, Spiked and the Institute of Ideas, which were established in 2000 by close associates and still operate from the same address. However, associated entities generally have overlapping personnel, themes, views and techniques and promote one other.

Many of the techniques used are characteristic of the RCP, including: the creation of a range of organisations without apparent formal links; the launching of multiple campaigns; the preference for extensive and extended debate; the adoption of contrarian and controversial positions; the use of martial terminology; and the early adoption of leading edge communication techniques.

A defining characteristic of the network is the positioning of its entities as catalysts for debate or irreverent challenging of established orthodoxy. In practice, this enables the promotion of the views of the network and its sponsors on almost any topic, under the guise of free enquiry. The principal underlying themes of economic development and freedom from regulation benefit corporate interests and the larger and more established organisations explicitly seek sponsorship, either directly or via PR companies or free enterprise think tanks. Several of the entities target young people while others are sector or issue led. The network's components are increasingly seeking partners overseas.

Higher education is the most common occupational sector, followed by the media. Many of those involved have past or current links with the Universities of Kent, Sussex and East London. Some of those associated with the LM network are listed via LM network at the bottom of this page.

Associated Entities

• Academics for Academic Freedom - Unqualified free speech
• Audacity - Construction
• Big Potatoes - Innovation
• Future Cities Project (together with ManTownHuman) - Planning/ architecture
• The Great Debate - Debating forum
• Institute of Ideas (together with Battle of Ideas, Culture Wars and Debating Matters) - Debating fora
• Manifesto Club - Anti-regulation
• Novo Argumente - German online magazine
• Salons (Regional) - Debating fora
• Spiked (together with Young Journalists Academy) - online magazine
• Trasna An Domhain Go Leir - International analysis
• Voltaire - Swedish online magazine
• WORLDwrite (together with WORLDbytes) - International analysis

The LM network appears to have some influence with the Genetic Interest Group, Progress, the Science Media Centre and Sense About Science.

Defunct Associated Entities

• Africa Direct
• Campaign Against Militarism
• Campaign for Internet Freedom
• Channel Cyberia
• Families for Freedom
• Feminists for Justice
• Freedom & Law
• Global Futures (dormant)
• Internet Freedom
• Irish Freedom Movement
• Libero
• London International Research Exchange
• Modern Movement
• Transport Research Group
• Workers Against Racism

Any information on The Litigious Society, Parents Against the Charter, or other past or present LM/ RCP operations would be gratefully received.

Resources

• Andy Beckett, 'Licence to rile', The Guardian, 15 May 1999.
• Chris Bunting, 'What's a nice Trot doing in a place like this', Times Higher Education Supplement", 28 January 2005 (log-in required).
• James Heartfield 'Dave Hallsworth' Obituary, Guardian, 20 December 2007
• John McVicar, The Scoop that Folded a Magazine Punch, 29 May 2000.
• Don Milligan, Radical Amnesia and the RCP, Reflections of a Renegade, January 8, 2008.
• George Monbiot, 'Invasion of the Entryists', Guardian (UK), Tuesday December 9, 2003.*David Pallister, John Vidal and Kevin Maguire, 'Life after Living Marxism: Fighting for freedom - to offend, outrage and question everything", Guardian (UK), Saturday July 8, 2000.
• Dave Renton Living Marxism, spiked online and the RCP Temporary Hoarding, 4/8 March 2006.
• Andy Rowell, "LobbyWatch: SMC complaint", April 2007. (This is an edited version of a submission made by Andy Rowell to the board of the Science Media Centre).
• Andy Rowell and Bob Burton, “Rising Rhetoric on Genetically Modified Crops, PR Watch, Volume 10 No 1, First quarter 2003.
• Andy Rowell and Jonathan Matthews, "Strange Bedfellows", The Ecologist, May 2003
• Mike Small, 'The Faction That Fools the World' Variant Issue 24, Winter 2005, version placed in web archive 20 April 2007
• George Monbiot, "Freedom for whom?" Times Higher Education Supplement, 11 February 2005.
• Usenet Discussion of RCP/LM front groups, from usenet, April 1998.
• Dave Walker Libertarian Humanism or Critical Utopianism? The Demise of the Revolutionary Communist Party New Interventions, Vol.8 No.3, 1998
• Martin J Walker, "Brave New World of Zero Risk: Covert Strategy in British Science Policy" (book), Slingshot Publications, 2006.
• David Webb, 'Liberalism - Let's Spike It!", Part 2, Thread started on: Apr 16th, 2005, 4:58pm Originally published in the Salisbury Review Vol 21 No 4, June 2003, pp.25-28.
• David Webb, 'Liberalism - Let's Spike It!", Part 2, Thread started on: Apr 16th, 2005, 4:59pm Originally published in the Salisbury Review Vol 21 No 4, June 2003, pp.25-28.
• David Webb, 'Liberalism - Let's Spike It!", Part 3, Thread started on: Apr 16th, 2005, 5:00pm Originally published in the Salisbury Review Vol 21 No 4, June 2003, pp.25-28.