Meetings in Scotland: "The Lenin I Knew" (1977)

Party News from the November 1977 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Note:

With regards to him doing a series of meetings on "The Lenin I Knew", Harry Young's credentials were that he was a founder member of the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1920, serving on its Executive Committee in his capacity as the national organiser of the Young Communist League. Later on in the 1920s he spent several years in the Soviet Union working for the Young Communist International. He also provides some background information on his time as a Communist Party member in an article from the February 1976 issue of the Socialist Standard.

Andrew Whitehead's excellent website has more details on Harry Young's political life and journey. It's well worth checking out.

Branch News (1963)

Party News from the November 1963 issue of the Socialist Standard

Seven Days for Socialism Week in Belfast opened on Sunday, September 22nd with an open air meeting in Blitz Square, Belfast and an indoor meeting in the Bakers Hall. Then there was the Wednesday night “Any Questions” at party Head Office; on Saturday a social where local members gathered to meet comrades from Glasgow, London and Dublin. On Sunday, 29th September there was an open air meeting at Customs House Square (one of the best meetings held by the Party for many years, a good collection and Literature sales and visiting speakers at their best). A further indoor meeting was held in the Bakers Hall and special drive for the SOCIALIST STANDARD resulted in 244 sales plus 30 Party pamphlets and over 1,000 back numbers of the SOCIALIST STANDARD, Western Socialists were distributed free and 2,000 leaflets. A very good week of activity and Belfast Branch is agreed that a similar week should be held at least once a year. The week showed the unity of the international Socialist movement with members coming to help from Glasgow, London, Armagh and Dublin. The meeting at the Customs House was the first ever held by the Party at this spot and the result was so good that the Branch is now holding regular meetings there.

Many propaganda activities are arranged for the end of October in London, and Glasgow, and outdoor and indoor meetings are planned by other Branches, including debates, and discussions. It will be too late to report them as we go to press, but it is heartening that so much continual activity is taking place in the Party. Glasgow and Bromley (group) and Lewisham in particular are canvassing and holding meetings in preparation for likely election campaigns. All these activities cost money and it is hoped that readers will not hesitate to send their contributions to E. Lake, the Treasurer at Head Office.

As last year, our team of literature sellers went to the Labour Party Conference at Scarborough, held meetings on the way, and sold 137 SOCIALIST STANDARDS and 90 pamphlets, realising £6 13s.

Several times this year the SOCIALIST STANDARD has been sold out by the end of the month—a good indication that our hope of a 10,000 monthly circulation are within the realms of possibility.

Phyllis Howard

Blogger's Note:

I knew that the 7 Days for Socialism campaign was something that the World Socialist Movement undertook in the late 1960s, but I did not know that there was an earlier pilot version of this campaign that dates from 1963. From this report, it looks like the idea of the campaign was initiated by comrades in Belfast.  

If you click on this link, you will see a series of reports from later 7 Days for Socialism campaigns.

SPGB Meetings and Rally (1963)

Party News from the November 1963 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings and Educational Visits (1936)

Party News from the November 1936 issue of the Socialist Standard 

Blogger's Notes:

• 'L. Otway' was the husband of May Otway. Both Otways joined Walthamstow Branch of the SPGB in October 1924. Whilst May Otway resigned her membership of the Party in April 1940, L. Otway was lapsed from Party membership in May 1942.
• Thirty years before debating the SPGB in Glasgow in November 1936, Guy Aldred was in correspondence with the SPGB about possibly joining the Party. He never did. Twenty-six years after that debate at the Clarion Scouts' Hall against John Higgins of the SPGB, Aldred stood against a SPGB candidate at the November 1962 Glasgow Woodside bye-election. What's interesting about the debate with Aldred is that there is no mention of the fact that in 1936 he would have been a leading member of the United Socialist Movement. I wonder if he spoke as their representative in the debate, or was he just speaking in an individual capacity?
• 'Robertus' was Robert Reynolds.
• 'G. Clifford' was Clifford Groves.
• 'H. Russell' was Henry Russell. He joined the Southwark Branch of the SPGB in September 1933 and he was a member of the Party until his membership was lapsed in November 1952.

SPGB Meetings (1961)

Party News from the November 1961 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Notes:

• Socialist Current were a small orthodox Trotskyist group based mainly in East London. Members included Sam Levy and Ted Crawford. (The latter spoke at the Westminster Branch of the SPGB in 1968, when he was a member of the International Socialists.) There is an extensive archive of Socialist Current material over at the excellent Splits and Fusions blog.
• The German Story was a 1956 East German documentary film by Andrew and Annelie Thorndike.
• R. Donnelly' of Glasgow Branch was Dick Donnelly. His obituary appeared in  the April 2015 issue of the Socialist Standard.
• 'R. Reid' of Glasgow Branch was Robin Reid. His obituary appeared in  the January 2013 issue of the Socialist Standard.
• R. Russell' of Glasgow Branch was Robert Russell. His obituary appeared in  the June 2008 issue of the Socialist Standard.
• H. Weaver was Harold Weaver. His obituary appeared in the February 1974 issue of the Socialist Standard.

Socialist Party to stand five candidates (1996)

Party News from the September 1996 issue of the Socialist Standard

In the coming General Election the Socialist Party will be putting up five candidates, the highest number yet in a parliamentary election. Two will be standing in Scotland, two in the North East and one in London.

The seats and candidates are

Glasgow Kelvin:      Vic Vanni.

Livingston:               Matt Culbert.

Jarrow:                     John Bissett.

Easington:                Steve Colborn.

London Vauxhall:    Richard Headicar.

Around 40,000 election addresses will be distributed by the Post Office in each of the five constituencies, but this will only be during the election which must take place sometime before May next year.

In the meantime preparatory work has started, with meetings, literature stalls and leaflet distribution in the constituencies. If you want to help with this, or want further information about the socialist campaign, the contact persons for the constituencies are:

• Glasgow: Vic Vanni, Flat A, 26 Baker Street, Glasgow G41 3YE. Phone:0141-xxx xxxx.
• Livingston: Matt Culbert, 53 Falcon Brae, Ladywell, West Lothian, EH54 6UW. Phone: 01506-xxx xxx.
• Jarrow and Easington: John Bissett, 10 Scarborough Parade, Hebbum, Tyne & Wear NE31 2AL. Phone: 0191-xxx xxxx, or Harland Wear, Telephone 0191 xxx xxxx 
• London: Gareth Thomas, 185c Northcote Road, London SW11 6QF. Phone: 0171-xxx xxxx.

If you are not living in any of these areas but still want to help the Socialist election campaign one way to do so is to make a contribution to the Election Fund. The amount in the fund at the moment is £4,656, not much compared to what the pro-capitalist parties will have to spend. The more money we have the more effectively can we make the voice of socialism heard.

Cheques (made payable to “The Socialist Party of Great Britain”) should be sent to: Election Fund, 52 Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UN.

SPGB Meetings (1985)

Party News from the September 1985 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (1976)

Party News from the October 1976 issue of the Socialist Standard

Branch News (1963)

Party News from the October 1963 issue of the Socialist Standard

In perfect weather, the warmest, sunniest day for many weeks the party held its first meeting in Trafalgar Square. Some had reservations as to the wisdom of such a meeting with our limited resources, but doubts were dispelled emphatically. Hundreds of people were in the well of the square listening to our speakers and many asked questions. Hundreds more were listening through the amplifiers which were at the National Gallery end of the Square. On the plinth of Nelson’s Column our platform was set , gaily decorated with banners (one—a really professional affair, large, bold, colourful—made for the occasion by our comrade Helen Rose).

Party members—old, young, new, long standing—were selling literature and fund collecting. The meeting was excellently conducted with a most attentive audience. Good questions were put to the speakers.

An attractive literature stand was well placed for all to see, and apart from sales members were in attendance to answer queries. A number of enquiries were made. Names and addresses were left for forwarding literature etc.

The collection amounted to £18, literature sales totalled over £13.

The success of the meeting was stimulating beyond measure. Not for a long time have so many members been seen together in such a happy and enthusiastic mood. The Committees and Party officials who were responsible for the arrangements must be well pleased with their work and are to be congratulated on one of the most exhilarating displays of Party propaganda.

This, the first rally of its kind held in London by the Party certainly won’t be the last.

October 5th and 6th (Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday) is the date of the 1963 Delegate Meeting which is being held at Head Office, 52, Clapham High Street, SW4. Monday October 21st at 8 pm Hampstead Town Hall. Please make a note of the date and come along with as many visitors as possible. Fuller details of the meeting elsewhere in this issue.

Glasgow Branch are keeping up their good work. Having rented a Branch room which is available all the week, members are busy decorating it in order that they can make the most of it, especially as they want to be well prepared for the next General Election campaign.

The EC had a gay post card from our comrade Grant (only just now back from America) who said at the time he was just off to the WSP Conference, had had 1½ hours tape recording for radio and had attended the Washington March (where he regretted that for this first time ever he was at a demonstration without Party literature). It is hoped that a full report of his trip will be ready for the next issue of the Socialist Standard.

Phyllis Howard

SPGB Meetings: Glasgow and Lewisham (1963)

Party News from the October 1963 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Note:

Interesting to note that one of the Glasgow Branch meetings featured a young Vic Vanni speaking on why he left the Labour Party.  I wonder if this was his first official speaking engagement for the SPGB? 

I wrote the following as a blogger's note back in 2018:

"Vic Vanni, prior to joining the SPGB, was the secretary of the Woodside constituency Labour Party. In choosing to leave the Labour Party for the SPGB, he passed up a potential fast tracked path into a career as a Labour Party politician. The secretary of a CLP was a big deal in those days.

. . . Woodside was a parliamentary constituency in Glasgow, Scotland, and the constituency Labour Party in Woodside was known as a left-wing stronghold in the 50s and 60s. Tony Cliff's International Socialists' - forerunners of the British SWP - gained a foothold in Woodside Labour Party Young Socialists (the late Paul Foot was recruited to the IS tradition in Glasgow at this time), and Young Guard newspaper at the time this article was published was a joint initiative by the IS and the RSL - forerunners of the Militant Tendency - who were both practising 'entryism' into the Labour Party." [From here.]

For more background on Vic, his obituary appeared in the February 2017 issue of the Socialist Standard.

SPGB Glasgow Branch (1962)

 Party News from the October 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Note:

The October 1962 issue also carried the following notice:

Election Appeal

Glasgow Branch intend to contest a bye-election in Woodside ward. They need financial support. Please send contributions to the Election Fund to SPGB, 52 Clapham High St., London SW4

I thought  a separate post was necessary for Glasgow Branch's activities in October 1962 because it was self-evident that the branch was going through a period of growth and increased activity. In the early 1960s, the Party didn't have branches in either Edinburgh or Hamilton but they did have longstanding members in both locales. Glasgow Branch holding meetings in both areas was obviously their attempt to aid and assist local comrades. And, by the late 60s, there was a very active branch in Edinburgh.

For more background on some of Glasgow Branch members listed as speakers, click on the following links:

• Richard Donnelly
• Tony Mulheron
• Alex Shaw
• Ian McDougall

SPGB Meetings (1961)

Party News from the October 1961 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Notes:

As advertised above, Jack Law spoke at the Hackney Branch of the SPGB this month on the subject of Jehovah's Witnesses. Earlier in the year, Jack Law had written an article on the same subject for the Socialist Standard.

Cyril May was the listed party speaker for the Wembley Branch meeting on the subject of "Introducing the Socialist Party of Great Britain".

As mentioned in a previous post, it's always worthwhile, where one can, to provide some background on the Socialist Party speakers from back in the day that populated the back pages of the Socialist Standard. And, again, it's a bit grim, but sometimes the best source of information for those members is their Socialist Standard obituaries. Linked to below are the obituaries for some of the speakers listed above in the October 1961 issue of the Standard.

• Richard Donnelly
• Robert Russell
• John Higgins
• Joe Richmond
• Alex Shaw
• Robin Reid
• Jack Law
• Cyril May

Branch News (1962)

Party News from the September 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

The Autumn Delegate Meeting is being held on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, October 6th and 7th at Head Office, 52 Clapham High Street, SW4. More details will be given next month, but meanwhile it is hoped that Comrades will note the date and Branch Secretaries will contact Head Office regarding Provincial Delegates in order that arrangements can be made if necessary for their accommodation.

Outdoor Propaganda generally has been good, despite the very bad weather, Birmingham with Coventry have been teaming well and their programme should be further stimulated by visits from London members. Glasgow are keeping up the good work and no doubt will have a lively Autumn-Winter programme for indoor meetings, more details in October.

The Propaganda Committee is planning at least one large indoor meeting to start off the Winter session and on going to press, they have not quite fixed up the date and venue, but certainly Comrades will be well informed in order that they can give their full support to the meeting. The Films Committee is also very busy with their winter programme and will have a goodly list of films for showing in October.

Regretfully, the changed meeting place of Coventry Group was not given in the last two issues of the Standard and members and sympathisers are asked to note that the Group meets at 60 Alma Street, (off Lower Ford Street) Coventry on the first and third Mondays in each month. Enquiries should be made to the Secretary at that address.

Wembley Branch members were unfortunately unable to canvass in Portsmouth on June 17th as planned, but managed to hold the scheduled open-air meeting on the sea front. This was successful, and the comrades have arranged another for August 19th. Results of this in our next issue.

Stevenage is due for a visit from Wembley on August 26th when a canvass will be tried, this to follow Paddington’s meeting there on on the previous day. It is hoped that the newly formed Mid-Herts group will get some help from this effort.

Posters advertising our meetings have now been sent to British Railways and should be appearing shortly on station hoardings in our area. We plan to keep our local press advertising going at the same time, of course, and it will be interesting to see what sort of results we get. Other branches might like to try the poster idea. It is comparatively cheap.

Having run several successful indoor public meetings, we are busy planning another for the late autumn. Members and friends are asked to watch tor details, and to give all the help they can.

Glasgow Branch are following up their most successful series of indoor lectures with an enlarged outdoor series of meetings. They hold regular Sunday evening meetings in West, Regent Street and on Saturday afternoons speak at Royal Exchange Square. In addition they hold meetings at the Mound in Edinburgh every Sunday, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. They have also opened a new outdoor speaking stance at Rose Street, off Sauchiehall Street on Thursday evenings.

They have prepared an ambitious series of lectures for the indoor season in St. Andrews Halls this winter from October till April and those interested will find the details elsewhere in this issue. The Branch also intend to run this series in Hamilton and Edinburgh—and those interested in the Hamilton meetings should contact T. Jones, 56 Buchanan Crescent, Laighstonehall, Hamilton, and those residing in the Edinburgh area should contact the Glasgow Branch organiser, A. Thomson, Shirva, Twechar, Glasgow. The success of this, the most ambitious series of lectures depends upon the support of sympathisers and Party contacts. We make a special appeal to all those interested in Socialism in the Hamilton and Edinburgh areas to support this venture.

Phyllis Howard

SPGB Meetings (1962)

Party News from the September 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (1952)

Party News from the April 1952 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Notes:

• Fulham Branch's meeting on "Sex and Sin", with Tony Turner as the featured speaker, apparently generated a lot of interest.
• The June 1952 Socialist Standard carried reports of the SPGB May Day rallies which took place in London and Glasgow.

Branch News (1962)

Party News from the January 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

It will be noted from the appeal for funds in this issue that the Party is making an all-out drive to double the circulation of the Socialist Standard—a well worthwhile aim and one that can be achieved by concentrated efforts on the part of Comrades and readers of the Standard. With this in view—if every reader of this month’s issue completed the subscription form for 12 issues and sent the form with 8s. to Head Office —a very big step on the road will be taken. The Literature Committee will be more than happy to report in February that they are overwhelmed with subscription forms.

* * *

Glasgow Branch report well on their November propaganda meetings. The members of the Branch are an enthusiastic group and work well together and achieve first rate results. Apart from the Branch series of lectures, Comrade Donnelly addressed a Trade Union Branch and the Comrades are sending circulars to other Trade Union Branches offering to send a speaker to put the Party case.

* * *

Due to the energy of the W.S.P. of Ireland a visiting speaker, J. D’Arcy, was able to hold a very successful meeting in Belfast on Thursday, December 7th. Despite bad weather conditions sixty people attended the meeting, some Party members travelling many miles to be there. A collection of £5 was taken and 30s. of literature was sold. Approximately one hour before the meeting, the W.S.P. of Ireland had managed to arrange for the speaker to appear on Ulster Television programme and in addition the details of the meeting being broadcast over the T.V. network. It was most useful as it gave us an opportunity to give a definition of Socialism in contrast to the policies of the Labour parties. It was also made clear that Socialism was a wage-less society. A very successful piece of organisation and propaganda carried out by the W.S.P. of Ireland who have in fact made history by getting our case broadcast, however briefly, we hope this will establish a precedent. In addition we were paid £4 4s. 0d. for the privilege. America, Canada television and Radio, now Ulster Television—speed the day when the case for Socialism can be broadcast on National channels at home and abroad.

* * *

Wembley Branch Annual Social was held on December 16th at South Ealing. A goodly collection of members and friends enjoyed an evening of eating, drinking and dancing. “Joe’s Band” provided the music.

The success of their first indoor public meeting has encouraged the branch to plan another for January 22nd, when Comrade Hardy will be the speaker. Full details elsewhere in this issue.

Like other branches, Wembley has a full programme of winter discussions and lectures. All members now regularly get a Newsletter giving all the information. So let’s see you along there to take part. At the time of writing also, a discussion has been arranged with the North Wembley Young Liberals for December 29th. Subject “Immigration”. Should be very interesting.

Wembley has maintained regular S.S. canvasses throughout the year and sales have been climbing gradually. They have now topped twenty dozen per month. Lack of manpower restricts efforts of course. This is where absent comrades can give a hand. Please contact the branch secretary for dates, times, etc, of future canvasses.

Phyllis Howard

Blogger's Note:

I believe "Joe's Band" was a band fronted by the SPGB member, Joe McGuinness. 

SPGB Meetings (1962)

Party News from the January 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (1947)

Party News from the March 1947 issue of the Socialist Standard 

Branch News (1962)

Party News from the March 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

Another of our Central London Rallies has been arranged for Wednesday, March 21st at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, W.C.I. The title SOCIALISM OR CHAOS. Comrades H. Baldwin and M. Harris are the speakers. Doubtless as many Comrades as possible will attend this meeting and if everyone brings at least one non-member or sympathiser and tells as many people as they can about the meeting, there should be a large audience. The more people who can hear the Socialist case, the nearer we arc to Socialism. The Literature Committees will see that, there is a good supply of pamphlets and Socialist Standards so that after the spoken word the written word will be available to ensure that the case for Socialism is more readily understood.

Glasgow Branch has re-arranged their March series of lectures and titles and full details appear on page 48. They have passed the half-way mark in their series—’Problems of the Sixties’. The results show they have been successful. Thirteen different speakers have participated, three from London. Collections £31, and literature sales £8. Audiences have averaged 30, thirteen members attending regularly.

The first large indoor meeting was addressed by Comrade H. Baldwin, subject —“Demonstration for Socialism.” and the most recent large meeting was on ‘America —Land of Paradox’, Speaker, Comrade Gilmac. audience 126. Despite fogs! A social was held on Saturday, January 27th whilst Comrade Gilmac was there for the Sunday meeting. A very jolly evening was enjoyed by all.

The meetings are causing the Party to become known to an increasing number of workers. Things seem to be looking up for the Party in Glasgow and the activities of members are increasing. An article appeared in the Glasgow Herald after Comrade Gilmac’s meeting, as follows: —

“SOCIALIST PARTY TO CONTEST NORTH KELVIN. The Socialist Party of Great Britain intend to contest the North Kelvin Ward of Glasgow in the next Municipal Election, and they hope to contest, the Woodside Constituency in the Parliamentary election, an official said yesterday. The Glasgow Branch of the Party has about 40 members.”

also

“The Party must have the necessary members in the Constituency to fill in their candidate’s nomination paper. The Socialist Party enters these elections opposed to all other political parties, whether they are avowedly capitalist, or allegedly labour.”

When similar reports can be made from other towns in Great Britain, it is hoped that not only the British Isles, but many other parts of the world will have become familiar with the ideas of Socialism.

Swansea Branch now hold regular talks. Comrade Rollings recently gave an excellent talk on Crime and Society. Comrade Brain spoke on the ‘Russian Phenomenon’; and a series of talks by Party members have been arranged for the future.

At present the Branch is proceeding with arrangements for a debate with the Liberal Party in Swansea, when this is finalised it is hoped to get as much publicity as possible. Branch members still succeed in getting the Party case published in the Local Press and the Party is becoming well known in the district. A local bookshop has agreed to accept six copies of the SOCIALIST STANDARD for a trial period of three months.

Needless to say the local Labour Party and Communist Party (so called) show their customary opposition to Socialist ideas. It is hoped, when funds allow, to purchase a tape recorder so that talks can be recorded to build up a ‘tape library’ for propaganda purposes.

Phyllis Howard

SPGB Meetings (1962)

Party News from the March 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Notes:

As per usual when posting old meetings from old Standards, I don't have enough space in the label section of the blog to list all the speakers and all the branches, so I have to play favourites. My bad.

It's interesting to note that two of the meetings advertised feature speakers who were not originally from the UK. All too often during this period  - and before and after, to be frank - the SPGB were accused of simply being a British and its Commonwealth/former Empire phenomenon. Lewisham Branch featured a meeting on Tito's Yugoslavia, where the speaker was Remy Starc, who I believe was Slovenian, and Paddington Branch featured a meeting on the Italian working-class movement where the speaker was 'Beppe'. Unfortunately I don't have any further information about this speaker. That meeting would have been especially interesting to me, 'cos it was only a couple of years after Visconti's film, 'Rocco and His Brothers'.

On the subject of films, I notice that both Birth of a Nation and October are listed on the meetings page. I'm guessing this refers to the Griffin and Eisenstein's films. The film, The German Story, which was shown at the SPGB's Wembley Branch was a 1956 East German film which was banned in West Germany because of its subject matter.

Adding some background to some of the SPGB speakers featured in the March 1962 Socialist Standard, listed below are links to a number of their obituaries. Yep, grim I know:

• Aug 1995: Edgar Hardcastle (E. Hardy)
• Jun 1976: Gilbert McClatchie ('Gilmac')
• Nov 2003: Cyril May (C. May)
• Feb 1996: Harry Young (H. Young)
• Apr 1982: Tony Mulheron (T. A. Mulheron)
• Oct 2006: Joe Richmond (J. Richmond)
• Jun 2008: Robert Russell (R. Russell)