Party News from the April 1984 issue of the Socialist Standard
Belfast Branch of the WSPI is maintaining the high level of activity commenced in June of last year. The Branch meets on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month at the Ulster People's College, 30 Adelaide Park, Belfast.
In order to ensure the interest of visitors, a short public meeting on a pre-arranged subject takes place between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. and is followed by a Branch Business Meeting. Additionally, the Branch organises at least one Sunday meeting in the College each month. These meetings are advertised by leaflets, 3,000 of which are distributed door-to-door.
The Party has been trying to organise public debates—especially with organisations which mis-use the word “socialist”. All such groups and organisations have been challenged but, unfortunately, our opponents fight shy of this excellent opportunity to state their case! The latest refusal came from the Communist Party. Our secretary had written to the CP requesting a debate, and after many weeks we got our answer, verbally— through a CP member: the Communist Party was too busy! The thought occurs that maybe they are busy “boring from within"—a task they must be performing very quietly, especially since there is no “mass party” of Labour fakirs here. Beneath the political cowardice of the CP's response is the comforting thought that even their leaders must know that their record and policies arc indefensible.
Next month, the Party is putting on one of the special weeks of socialist activity that have now become a feature of our propaganda strategy. Comrade Coleman of Islington Branch of the SPGB will be our working guest and speak at meetings in Belfast and Derry—or Londonderry. if you like. By either name it is an area of the grossest deprivation and a fitting monument to the obscene system that creates the material conditions in which prisoners of poverty quarrel over the name of their prison.
Press Secretary, WSPI
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