Party News (1998)

Party News from the December 1998 issue of the Socialist Standard

Denmark

On 21 October our comrade Graham Taylor represented the World Socialist f Movement in a debate in Aarhus against the “Internationale Socialister”, the Danish equivalent of the British SWP. The debate, in Danish, was mainly about why we did not regard the Russian revolution as a socialist revolution. On 4 November a lecture on Marxism in the same city attended by 90 people provided an opportunity for the case for socialism to be presented from the floor. A number of new contacts have been made and the local press has expressed an interest.

North East

Despite the shadow boxing between Labour and the Tory Lords over the election system for next June's Euro-elections, the North East branch is going ahead with plans to present a 4 person list for the North East regional constituency.

To date, on two separate occasions, a branch member has been a panellist on BBC Radio Tyneside's discussion and phone in programme "The Zoo" (their title) where they were able to put and answer questions on the socialist case.

Meanwhile, another vacancy has arisen on South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council, in Quay ward, Hebburn. The by-election is taking place on 17 December. The Socialist Party candidate is John Bissett. A meeting challenging the other candidates—Labour, Lib-Dem and Tory—has been organised at the Community Centre, Hebburn, at 8pm on Tuesday 15 December.