Party News Briefs (1947)

Party News from the November 1947 issue of the Socialist Standard

The Autumn Delegate Meeting was held at the Trade Union Club, London, and not at the Conway Hall as originally arranged. The change was caused by factors beyond the control of the party. The question of increasing the number of pamphlets published by the party was discussed at length by delegates, and the whole of the party’s literature came under review. Methods of increasing sales were also discussed. The other organised activities of the party were dealt with under their various headings. These items included propaganda, publicity, internal education, finances, contact with companion parties, abroad, etc. There was a good attendance of delegates from London and the provinces who gave an excellent illustration of socialist democracy in action.

Edinburgh Group (Secretary—D. Lamond) have been running outdoor meetings at the Mound throughout the summer, and have planned to recommence indoor study and discussion meetings in the Melbourne Hall, Edinburgh every Sunday from the beginning of October, at 6.30 p.m. They are looking forward to some Glasgow speakers coming over, and there appear to be good prospects of an Edinburgh branch being formed soon. The Melbourne Hall is at George IV Bridge.

Kingston-on-Thames Branch have arranged a debate with the Trotskyists at the Co-operative Hall, Hampton Wick, for November 19th (Wednesday) at 8 p.m. The General Secretary is representing the party, but we have not yet been given the name of our opponents’ speaker. A number of Kingston members went to Brighton on Sunday, 21st, and arranged with the comrades living there to hold a meeting on the front. The beach authorities called in the police to stop the meeting after a very successful start had been made and a large, and rapidly increasing audience, gathered together. Another meeting was held later in the day at “The Level” with moderate success. The Kingston members, had an enjoyable day and the Brighton comrades were enthused by the effort. Friends and members living in the Brighton district who are interested in the formation of a group in or near Brighton can communicate with W. Craske, Green Road, Wivelsfield Green, Sussex.

Islington Branch held two very encouraging indoor meetings during the recent by-election in their area. The Central Library was filled on Sunday, September 21st, and the West Library provided a very interested audience on September 23rd. There were good collections and literature sales at both meetings.

Paddington Branch are firing away consistently with propaganda in their area. There were two indoor meetings in September, one at the Paddington Town Hall, and the other at Harvist Road School, Kensal Rise, N.W. Both were excellently attended and the speakers had to deal with keen questions and discussion. The branch mean to continue with meetings in the Willesden area with a view to laying the foundations for a branch there. Paddington now have their own amplifier which they use on a car for publicity purposes. They are convinced that this method is more effective than posters. There have been weekly outdoor meetings at the “Prince of Wales,” Harrow Road, but the police are shutting our meetings down early because of the rowdy meetings run by other organisations at the same place. The branch also report small, but good, outdoor propaganda meetings at Pennard Road, Shepherd’s Bush, which they describe as a political wilderness. These meetings have been run in conjunction with Ealing branch.

Croydon Branch has now been formed with the sanction of the Executive Committee. Many months of activity as a discussion group has thus borne fruit.

The Metropolitan Theatre, Edgware Road, London, is being booked for a concerted propaganda effort by Paddington branch and the central Propaganda Committee on Sunday, December 7th. Confirmation of the booking has not been received at the time of writing, but no difficulties are anticipated. Paddington branch are putting everything they have into the preparations for the meeting, and intend to engage in wide loud-speaker advertising, posters, handbills, etc. Will members and sympathisers please leave this day free so that this Sunday evening meeting will have the success it deserves.

Hackney Branch’s first meeting in the winter indoor campaign at the Bethnal Green Central Library justified the branch’s initiative in arranging the series. An attentive audience listened to the party’s views on “The Jewish Question”—a particularly appropriate subject as a large meeting of an anti-semitic political organisation was being held at the same time on a street corner a few yards away.

Ealing Branch have two big items in their programme for November. On Monday, November 10th, they are responsible for a debate at the Kensington Town Hall where our A. Turner will oppose Mr. A. Raven Thompson of an organisation called the Union of British Freedom. This party has views which are very much the same as those put forward by a number of other organisations which have been attempting to get in to the political limelight lately by holding large (and generally noisy) outdoor meetings in various parts of London. However much we disagree with the policies of our opponents we are always prepared to subject them to socialist analysis in public, and in doing this we do the only thing that can prevent the spread of false and dangerous ideas in the ranks of the working-class. The second Ealing branch effort is at Baling Town Hall, Ealing Broadway, on Wednesday, November 26th, where C. May and the General Secretary will be speaking. The branch are putting a considerable amount of work into both of these meetings, and expect success.

Clifford Groves, 

General Secretary.