Daily Mail, Hitler and "safeguarding" Free Speech 1935

The Daily Mail who printed the Zinoviev letter, who supported Hitler and Mosley, who opposed Jewish refugees entering Britain, unsurprisingly throwing its support behind the Coalition Government attempt to defend free speech by stopping alleged "Left wing and subversive" broadcasts by the BBC in April 1935

In other words, anything not sanctioned by the Conservative Party or Adolph Hitler.

Today, the Daily Mail and the Conservative Party just threaten to stop the funding to the BBC.

50,000 protestors marched in September 2013 at Conservative Party conference against Government changes to the NHS, representing the largest march in Manchester since Peterloo - Such is the left wing bias of the BBC that they failed to cover the event.

The First British Football Team To Play In Cuba

 

Grasmere Rovers were an English amateur team from Manchester (later playing in Glossop)  founded in  1961. Grasmere Rovers became "allegedly"  the first British football team to play a competitive football game in Cuba, in front of 25,000 spectators in June 1975

This was as part of the clubs 14 day extensive tour of the Caribbean in June 1975 which included games against the national Jamaican football team in Kingston, the Venezuelan national amateur team in Caracas a team called Violetti from Haiti

In the squad of eighteen was included Roy Huddleson from Great Harwood, Fred Eyre former manager of Stalybridge Celtic and Paul Fitzgerald former Hyde United and Grasmere player

The Grasemere Team circa March 1975 

Keith Jones (Goalkeper), David Charlton, Steve Mooney, Ian Halfpenny, John Dougherty,, John McArdle, Roy Jones, Brian Kellock, Danny Cooney, Eddie Green, Keith Greenhalgh, Norman Higginson

In 1983 Grasmere Rovers FC changed their name to Cheadle Town FC (but have now reverted to playing in Green & white the old Grasmere Rovers colours)

 

Hayes Cottage Hospital Occupation 25th October 1983 - 30th Anniversary

Hayes Cottage Hospital Occupation 25th October 1983

 

30th Anniversary

Hayes Cottage hospital, West London. Occupied 25th October 1983 until late December 1983, when the local health authority backed down and the hospital was saved.


Marge Bayne, Sylvia Tebbenham, Susan Marshall led the Occupation for the staff members of COHSE and NUPE.

Northwood & Pinner Cottage Hospital was also occupied at the same time starting 26th October, led by the Matron Jean Carey COHSE member.

Stjepan Filipovic - Yugoslavia Partisan - SFSN

Executed Today Post

On the 22nd May 1942, this happened:

The young man striking the dramatic pose is Stjepan Filipovic, an anti-fascist partisan hanged in the city of Valjevo by the Serbian State Guard, a collaborationist force working with the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia.

Filipovic is shouting “Death to fascism, freedom to the people!” — a pre-existing Communist slogan that Filipovic’s martyrdom would help to popularize. Smrt fašizmu, sloboda narodu! … or you can just abbreviate it SFSN!

In the city where Filipovic died, which is in present-day Serbia, there’s a monumental statue in his honor replicating that Y-shaped pose — an artistically classic look just like our favorite Goya painting, poised between death and victory.

(cc) image from Maduixa.

Since the break up of Yougoslavia he has been claimed by all sides - Valjevo monument — it’s in Serbia, remember — calls him Stevan Filipovic, which is the Serbian variant of his given name. But as Serbia is the heir to Yugoslavia, he at least remains there a legitimate subject for a public memorial.

Filipovic himself was Croatian, but his legacy in that present-day state is a bit more problematic: in his native town outside Dubrovnik, a statue that once commemorated Filipovic was torn down in 1991 by Croat nationalists; its vacant plinth still stands sadly in Opuzen. (Opuzen’s film festival, however, awards its honorees a statuette replicating the destroyed monument.)

Hayes Labour 1971

Labour candidates Hillingdon 1971

Belmore Ward
Mrs D "Beryl". Bell Labour
  Mrs E "Maggie"  Broughton (Labour)
Mr Paul Harmsworth (Labour)
Martin Craxton (Labour)

John Mansfield (Communist)

Hayes Ward
Robert Came (Labour)
Ossie Garvin (Labour)
Mr J. Walters (Labour

Jim Ford (Communist)

Yeading Ward
Mr Stanley Chilton (Labour)
Mr G. Edwards (Labour)
Mr Robert Willams (Labour)

Peter Pink (Communist)

Frogmore Ward
Ken Gigg (Labour)
Alan Madge (Labour)
E "Ted" Harris (Labour)

Steve Panayl (Communist)


Uxbridge Labour party Officers 1971
Percy W. Bush (Secretary)
Peter Smith (Chairman)
Ald Mrs W. Pomeroy (Vice Chairman)
George Pringle (Vice Chairman)
A. J. Potts (Treasurer)
Dave Heppenstall (Youth Officer)
A. Collins (social secretary)

President of Hillingdon Trades Council
Arthur R Groves called for maximum support for the demonstration against the Industrial relations Act on 21st February at Hyde Park at 1 pm 
"I dont believe this will stop the Industrial Relations Bill- only general action will do it, not a days strike but a general strike...I would prefer to strike for five weeks than have to put up with five years under the Tories"

Peter Pink Perspective Communist Party candidate


Vishnu Sharma spoke on the New Immigration Bill at a meeting organsied by Hayes Communist Party April 1971 He stated the new Act "would create insecurity in the lives of coloured immigrants and help the racialists to persuade Britons that black people were undesirable".

Arthur Skeffington MP had died causing a by election, John Ryan former Labour MP for Uxbridge decided not to stand


New Oxfam shop to open at 44 Coldharbour Lane, Hayes in March 1971 run by a Mrs Davis

March 1971 an Anti Apartheid demonstration on Botwell green was held in Hayes under the auspices of the Anti-Apartheid Movement. marched from Botwell green to a field in North Hyde Road

Patrick "Pat" Lyons addressed the demonstration also in attendance John Gaestewe (one time President and the General Secretary of SACTU ) Bob Hughes Labour MP for Aberdeen, Ernie Roberts (engineering union later MP Hackney) and Maggie Broughton, Alan Madge,Peter Pink, - Ealing Technology College banner was present.

Housing Estate for BA Workers


A new housing estate for British Airways staff was opened April 1971 at Manor Court, Monument Hill, Weybridge for BOAC workers. The scheme comprises of 75 two bedroom flats in three blocks built by the British Airways Staff Housing Society Limited. The BA Housing Society had now provided 1,650 houses. One of the first residents was Mr & Mrs E. A Ryan a British airways loader/driver employed by BEA having been notice to quit furnished rooms in Chiswick.

Workers Olympic's 1936 - Barcelona

Barcelona Workers Olympics 1936 (Cancelled)

Apartheid backed cricket tour 1970

Apartheid backed cricket tour 1970 was canceled when the Cricket Council reversed a decision to allow South African cricketers to tour England in summer of 1970.


The move follows strong pressure from the Home Secretary, James Callaghan and campaigns by the Anti Apartheid movement

Frank Stanley

Frank Stanley Frank Stanley (pictured above addressing the 1967 Communist Party Congress at Camden Town hall and left in one of his election addresses)   Frank Stanley was born in 1920 in Acton. His father was an active trade unionist and steward.  At the end of life in his junior school, Frank won a scholarship to the local Grammar School. But, because his father was unemployed at the time and unable to afford the loss of wage to the family, or the cost of a uniform, he was unable to take his place and eventually left school at the age of 14. In 1937 he joined the Young Communist League and in 1940 became a full member of the Communist Party, in the same year he married his wife Joan who he met through the YCL and with whom he would have two daughters. From 1942-1946 he served in the REME (14th Army) for three and a half years in Burma and became a Warrant Officer. An instrument maker by trade, he started work at EMI Hayes in 1950 and became an Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) steward the following year. From 1959 he was AEU convenor and Secretary of the Joint Stewards Committee, negotiating on behalf of 6,000 workers at EMI.  In February 1962 a one day strike took place at EMI at which a number of scuffles with police broke out. The local MP was to state that, in Blythe Road, Hayes, the police "appeared to encourage them to drive at the pickets".  That March 700 AEU members marched from Hayes to Southall protesting at the Government imposed a "Pay Pause". They were addressed by Mr Sheeny convenor at Alladin's factory. The local paper refers to a Wally Hannington, a retired Jarrow engineer being present on the march. This must be Wal Hannington (1896-1966), former AEU and National Unemployed Workers Movement organiser (See entry for Hannington). Stanley was Chairman of West Middlesex District Committee of the Communist Party and national chair of the Communist Party’s Central Committee and was a pallbearer at Willie Gallacher’s funeral in 1965. Frank Stanley lived in Hayes and was the Communist Party candidate for Hayes & Harlington constituency on a number of occasions. In his first attempt in the General Election of October 1964, he stood on a platform of:  1) Put yourself before the Monopolies and land speculators 2) Vote to abolish nuclear weapons 3) Break the American grip on our country  He also featured a campaign for a branch line linking Hayes with the Central or Piccadilly Underground line). Frank and the local Communists canvassed over 16,000 houses in Hayes during this election and John Gollan, Communist Party general secretary, spoke at his adoption meeting on Monday 14th September at the Civic Restaurant, Coldharbour Lane. He was one of 36 Communist parliamentary candidates at the 1964 election and took part in the Communist Party Election rally at Hyde Park and march to the BBC to demand air time on Sunday, September 13th. He also appeared in the Communist Party’s election broadcast in the following General election. Frank Stanley was also active in  the promotion of the Trades Union Congress inspired Centre 42 arts programme in 1962 (named after the arts resolution number on the agenda at TUC Congress), Centre 42 "aimed to provide an outlet for cultural ambitions and entertainment of the ordinary person" The public face of which was Arnold Wesker and toured Britain visiting Hayes and Southall November 19th - 24th, 1962, this stop included the first presentation of "Enter Solly Gold" by Bernard Cops, a Youth Theatre production of "Hamlet", Music Theatre presented "The Soldiers Tale” and the "Nottingham Captain", a Jazz band, poetry reading, photograph exhibition, drawings, folk singing including Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Ill-health forced Stanley to retire to Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Hayes Trades Union Council

Hayes Trades Union Council 

circa 1960

Hayes Trades Union Council was an organisation that represented all the local branches of unions active locally in the Hayes area (including Heathrow)

centre 

Arthur Skeffington MP for Hayes & Harlington

Elsie "Maggie" Broughton

100th Anniversary - Kilbirnie Women Workers Strike 1913

Women workers in the numerous fishing net factories of Kilbirnie (Ayrshie, Scotland) entered into a battle to secure improved pay and union recognition.

Led by Kate McLean organiser of the National Union of Women Workers who had established a local branch in 1912, 

The dispute amongst the women working in the fishing net factories was fought for 22 weeks, there were frequent skirmishes with the police, but with the help of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, who raised £1,300 in financial support, the strike was finally settled in September 1913 with an agreement which included union recognition and non-victimisation of strikers. 

However, the dispute continued to flare up in factories were the women refused to work alongside non union workers.

Kilbirnie Women workers strike picnic 9th June 1913

NOTE

Banners in top photo of Kilbrinie women workers include National Federation of Women Workers - Kilbirnie branch banner (centre) and a local Kilbrinie banner  (right) can make out words top line Kilbrinie xxxx Strike and second United and Firm We Stand. Back left Daily Citizen (newspaper) banner

Mr Chairman by Wal Hannington

Mr Chairman by Wal Hannington  - Farleigh press (1950)

"Some years ago I was asked to draft a small handbook for (trade union) Branch Presidents. it was printed and issued, and many times in the course of my visits to branches, i have heard unsolicited expressions of appreciations for the usefulness of that booklet"

No doubt also published as an alternative to right wing TUC General Secretary, Walter MacLennan Citrine's "A. B. C. of Chairmanship" (1939).

What the Labour movement can say is that conduct at our meetings while boring and sometimes stifling is usually democratic and structured, unlike many others outside the movement

Engineering union members at Grunwick 1977

Engineering Union members picketing Grunwick,February 1977 with AUEW Engineering Union banners. Notably Acton and London north District

Kevin Halpin Chairman of the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions (second from left) and fifth from Left, George Anthony president of London North District Committee

The Grunwick dispute was now in its 25th week

Women from the Trico equal pay dispute marched in support of Grunwick workers fight for recognition (Southall engineering Workers union banner)

Hillingdon Dinner Ladies Dispute 1985

1985 Campaign by Hillingdon school meals staff to defend term and conditions (The Conservative controlled Council wanted to stop retainer payments during holidays which would have forced many into poverty).

In 1986 The Conservatives lost power and Labour with Liberal support reversed the decision and to its credit retrospectively, such was the feeling of injustice felt that even the Conservative Councillors on the relevant committee did not oppose the move.

Unions involved NUPE, GMB and TGWU, with NUPE full time officer Eddie Coulson and well respected local branch secretary TGWU's Pete Denman taking the lead.

Tony Benn speaking at UCS work-in 1971 (The turning point)

What are the conditions for the growth of Fascism

What wrote R Palme Dutt in his book

"Fascism and social revolution"

are the general conditions for the growth of Fascism ?

He listed them as follows

1) Intensification of the Economic crisis and of the class struggle

2) Widespread disillusionment with parliamentarianism

3) The existence of a wide petty bourgeois inter mediate strata, slum proletariat, and sections of the workers under capitalist influence

4) The absence of independent class conscious leadership of the main body of the working class

Gagging Free Trade Unions and "Gleichschaltung" in 1930's Germany

For the German trade unions of the Weimar Republic the union journal was the primary means of communication; the leadership of the trade unions used them as a platform for organising and political messages.                  

This was particularly the case with the "free" trade unions of the workers.  Gathered under the umbrella of the largest trade union federation the General German Trade Union Federation (Allgemeiner Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund) or ADGB, they subscribed to the slogan: "Knowledge is power - power is knowledge".   Therefore they invested a great deal of money in their press and educational work.   

In the year 1929, for example, the member combined trade unions of the ADGB federation spent 13.2 million Reichsmarks on press and education campaigns, while the cost of all their industrial action that year was only 1000,000 Reichsmark higher.   

The ADGB published 33 union journals, 12 union branch journals and other union magazines, 16 union youth papers and 16 technical journals with a total circulation of 6.1 million copies.

This obviously gave the trade unions an impressive power base and therefore represented a danger for the Nazi'- National Socialists.  Immediately after taking power on 30 January 1933  the Nazi regime began harassing the editors of the trade union journals and ordered a temporary "ban" on publication.

However, the smashing of the free labour trade unions began with the occupation of the union headquarters on 02 May 1933 by Nazi SA and SS raiding squads.   Trade union assets were seized, union leaders arrested, tortured and jailed, later some of the union leaders were brutally murdered.

The Nazis crushed the free trade unions, but retained their press organs for themselves.   The aim of the Nazis was "Gleichschaltung"; to bring the union members as much into line as practical with the ruling Nazis Party as had already been achieved with union journals.

This is why we need unions that educate, unions that are free and unions that fight fascism

Trade Unionist must never forget 2nd May 1933

Southall Socialist Sunday School

Southall Socialist Sunday school was established in 1922. (probably May 1922)

meeting at the Co-operative Hall, King Street, Southall every Sunday at 11:30am

The Secretary was Mrs L Groundsell of 34 Milford Avenue, Southall

Other local London Socialist Sunday Schools included

Willesden (Hamilton Hall, 375-377 High Road ) Sec L.V. Dean Chaplin Road, Cricklewood

Ealing A. V Barrett / J. Sherman Superintendent Sec J. Morey

Hounslow 50 High Street, Hounslow Sunday 3pm Sec: Mrs J. Tierney 75 Barrack road

Hammersmith
Fulham Co-op Room 245 Dawes Road Sec Alf Blackburn 7 Disbrowe Rd

South Norwood

Clapham

Plaistow J. Kebbell ILP Hut Cumberland Road

Woolwich (closed around 1930)

Tottenham A.H. Nancy

Dagenham A.E Brant

South West Ham Established 1898
Barking Labour Hall Ripple Road - Sec Miss Rhoda Bradford 28 Keith Road, Grays

London SSS Summer camp held at Keston (Kent)

South West Ham camp was for two weeks at Hainault forest

Willesden SSS could boast up to 100 members in attendance at its SSS meetings at one point in its history

Crystal Palace Socialist Sunday School met in the old Clarion Club ? and was linked to Penge and Beckenham Socialist Society of which Patman of the builders union (his daughter Rosa Patman was secretary of South London Socialist Sunday School union/federation but died December 29th 1929 aged 28)

October 20th 1930 was a red letter day at Ealing SSS, three babies to be named and welcomed into our movement Saxon May Fairbain, Ivan Godier and Anthony Bishop
all presented with a beautiful certificate designed by F.J. Bourne

Fulham Socialist Sunday School SSS established in 1904evicted from using school premiss by the council. Alex Gossip Superintendent since Fulham SSS opened in 1904

1936 Fulham Jean and Brian Pollitt "named 26th April 1936

Fulham Socialist May Queen

Barking SSS established 1921

South West Ham established 1897

East Bradford established 1909 secretary in 1930 was H. Nichol, in 1930 had its own SSS Choir

(1935 )Bradford (East Bowling) meet ILP Rooms 29a Paley Terrace -  Sec Gladys Winterbottom 7 Prospect St, Cutler Heights

(1935) Bradford (Great Horton) Paternoster Lane Sec Mr E Stott 9 Galsworthy Ave, Chellow Grange

London sec 1935 Mr F.A. Rogers 9 Moss Road Dagenham

London Federation Camp Mr Jack Allam 92 Oban Road, Barking

Essex Federation Mr E. Kebbell 16 Greenwood Road, Plaistow

West London SSS Federation J. Tierney 75 Barrack Road, Hounslow

Bradford Secretary Mr L. Hammond 370 Moorside Road, Fagley

Leeds Mr F Stork 182 Dewsbury Road

Ayshire Mr R. Crawford 15 Aird Ave, Ellis Park Kilmarnock

Edinburgh Miss J Fisher 6 Boswall Parkway Wardie

Lanarkshire James Hynd 21 Hyndford St Douglas Water by Lanark

National Press Secretary Mr J. Simmons 41 Salisbury Road, Davyhulme

National Hon President Mrs Clarice McNab Shaw 1 Portland Terrace Troon Ayrshire

National secretary Mr D.D. Hopkinson 8 Springwood Avenue, Shipley Yorksire

International secretary Miss Nancie Dean, 45 Chaplin Road, Cricklewood

Young Socialist education Bureau Mr G Malton 300 Moorside Eccleshill, Bradford

Dramatic and Ents Bureau Cllr Ada Wilson 50 Chapel House Nelson Lancs

National Needlecraft sec Miss L. Fogg 18 Bowman Terrace, Hanson Lane, Halifax

Ashington ILP (Independent Labour Party) Rooms Bolsover Street

Ayr ILP (Independent labour Party) Rooms 26 Sandgate
Barking Labour Hall


Sweedish SSS Unga ornar (Young Eagles also Sagostunder

Placing of the flag for which the assembly stood singing of the welcome song and singing. After the singing of England Arise and Lift up the peoples banner" other The Proletariat and the Internationale

The First Labour Party 1869 TUC/Labour Representation League

The Labour Representation League

(Left Alexander MacDonald (Stafford) - Right Thomas Burt (Morpeth)

It can be argued that The Labour Representation League is Britain’s first working class party. 

The LRL was essentially a product or off shoot of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and its main proponent was John Stuart Mill.

The Labour Representation League was established in 1869 and at the 1874 secured the election of Britain's first two Labour Members of Parliament (both miners union representatives) Alexander MacDonald (Stafford) and Thomas Burt (Morpeth)

 They were later joined by Henry Broadhurst MP for Stoke in 1880, at its peak the LRL could claim fifteen MP’s.

The LRL lacked direction and a coherent programme beyond that of securing the election of working class and trade union MP’s and was crippled by the trade union leader’s historic reluctance to break with the Liberal Party.

In 1893 the Labour Representation League ceased to exist as a separate organisation, many of its MP’s by this time having being integrated into the Liberal Party.

In August 1871 The Labour Representation League officers were

President: R. Marsden Latham

Treasurer: William Allen

Secretary: Lloyd Jones

The Labour Representation League headquarters were based at 21 Cockspur Street, London

100 years ago, in an inspiring and relevant even to day, call to arms, the Labour Representation League issued the following statement in August 1872

“We call on you to again engage in your old fight with men in power.

Gather yourselves together in every constituency. Disregard meaningless party cries and as a first necessary step for vindication of your claims, punish by exclusion from Parliament the men who by their political treachery, cowardice and vulgar worship of wealth have decreed that you shall not cause to have branded on you the degrading stigma of political inferiority”

NOTES 

On Britain's first Labour MP's elected in 1874

Alexander MacDonald  - Stafford (27 June 1821 – 31 October 1881) son of an agricultural worker from New Monkland, Lanarkshire, Scotland

Thomas Burt - Morpeth  (12th November 1837 - 12th  April 1922)  son of a miner from Murton Row in Northumberland

Parti Communiste Guadeloupeen

The Communiast Party of Guadeloupe has always been historically strong on the islands, it was founded in 1958 and has been historically one of the strongest parties on the islands. In the 1968 elections to the French National Assembly, the GCP received 37.3 percent of the vote; one of the three deputies elected from Guadeloupe in the French Parliament was a Communist. 

In 1971 the GCP occupied a significant role in ten of the 34 municipalities of Guadeloupe; it headed eight of them.