SPGB Meetings (1966)

Party News from the November 1966 issue of the Socialist Standard

Party News Briefs (1956)

Party News from the October 1956 issue of the Socialist Standard

The Autumn Delegate Meeting will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 6th and 7th, at Head Office (52, Clapham High Street). The Saturday session commences at 2 p.m, and on Sunday at 11 o’clock.

Meeting on Suez. At short notice, owing to the topicality of the subject, another successful Sunday evening meeting was held at Denison House, Victoria, on September 16th. The audience numbered over 200 and many non-Party members were present. Comrade Wilmott was the speaker and Comrade Fahy was in the chair.

Swansea Branch have had some good meetings this summer. Comrade Young went down from London and addressed two meetings. The members are very pleased with the result and no doubt will continue their good work of getting letters in the local Press regarding the Party and Socialism.

Sunday Evenings at Head Office, October 14th is the starting date for lectures at Head Office, illustrated with films. For full details see elsewhere in this issue.

The Literature Circulating Committee are planning an October Sales Drive of the Socialist Standard, and details are given in this issue of meeting places for canvassing. If Comrades rally to these sales drives and increase the Standard sales, they are propagating Socialism and reducing the loss we now sustain on literature.

Phyllis Howard

SPGB Meetings (1965)

Party News from the May 1965 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Notes:

Sam Orner and Len Fenton were both longstanding members of the World Socialist Party of the United States, who were obviously paying a fraternal visit to the comrades in Britain. For more background on them both, their obituaries give some flavour of their contribution to the cause:

• Sam Orner (October 1973 Socialist Standard)
• Len Fenton (World Socialist Review #21)

SPGB Meetings (1962)

Party News from the December 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

SPGB Meetings (1961)

Party News from the December 1961 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Notes: 

The content of Gilbert McClatchie's talk to Hackney Branch about his North American Journey probably overlapped with his American Tour article in this issue of the Socialist Standard.

Interesting to see Ealing Branch doing a meeting on Sergei Eisenstein's 1925 classic film  Strike. 

SPGB Meetings (1956)

Party News from the November 1956 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Noted:

'R. Coster' was the Party name for Robert Barltrop during his first stint of membership of the SPGB. The ILPer debating Coster/Barltrop, Frank Maitland, was an interesting political figure. It's worth checking out his obituary from the Revolutionary History website.

SPGB Meetings (1957)

Party News from the October 1957 issue of the Socialist Standard

Blogger's Note:

The Union Movement's 'E. J. Ham' mentioned above was Jeffrey Hamm, who eventually succeeded Oswald Mosley as leader of the Union Movement. There's a very brief mention of the debate in the December 1957 issue of the Socialist Standard. I'm presuming the debate passed without too much incident. There were 150 people in attendance.

Party News Briefs (1949)

Party News from the October 1949 issue of the Socialist Standard

Glasgow Branch is getting into its pre-election stride. Vote catching has been commenced by the Parliamentary hopefuls, and Glasgovians are feeling the urge to attend political meetings. Glasgow Branch is catering for this urge in a big way. There are two outdoor platforms on the go, and literature sales are steadily increasing. A speakers’ class, held during the winter months, has borne fruit and the branch now has another half dozen young and enthusiastic speakers who are more than able to deal with any opposition. Plans are well advanced for what appears will be the most active winter season that Glasgow has yet experienced. These plans include a venture to prove that Socialists are indeed sociable. Details will be published in The Socialist Standard at a later date. The branch meetings are well attended and a high standard of discussion is maintained. A discussion is held, after routine branch business, to which all workers are invited. Any reader of The Socialist Standard in Glasgow should pay a visit to the Workers’ Open Forum in Renfrew Street any Wednesday evening. Glasgow members extend a cordial invitation to all to visit their meetings.

A Dance Band must be hired whenever we hold an evening social and dance. Although our social affairs are never a financial loss these days, we might still save a few pounds for other projects if we could produce our own music. There must be quite a number of members and friends who are capable instrumentalists. If we can only get them together, there is no reason why a good dance band for our own use should not be formed. The Social Committee will welcome information on this matter. If you can play any instrument please write to Head Office to let the committee know.

Motor Cyclists also take note. We have received suggestions that we should form a motor cyclists’ group with the object of arranging day or week-end runs to provincial towns where propaganda meetings can be held. The rationing of petrol will prevent any ambitious schemes at the moment, but it may be useful if members who have motor cycles get together to talk over the proposition with a view to setting up some sort of organisation before next spring. Will those who are interested send their name and address to W. Waters at Head Office.

Kingston Branch has continued the meetings at Castle Street, Kingston, with the same success as during the previous season. The Communist Party, which attempted a series of opposition meetings during the 1948 season, has not put in an appearance this year. The most noticeable opposition has come from young Conservatives, but it has been of very poor calibre. With the approach of the shorter and colder evenings, those who have attended the meetings at Castle Street are invited to come and sit by the fire in the Kingston Branch room at 9, Vicarage Road, Kingston, to continue the discussions that have been held from the outdoor platform. The entrance to the branch room is in Wood Street, opposite Bentall’s store, and meetings are on Thursday evenings at 8 o’clock.

Dublin Branch of the Socialist Party of Ireland is meeting with many difficulties and much hostile opposition from various quarters. We reported in the August issue of The Socialist Standard how the Dublin comrades’ meeting on July 3rd had to be discontinued owing to a hostile dement in the audience and to the failure of the police to intervene until a serious breach of the peace was threatened. The following extracts are from The Irish Democrat, published in London by the Connolly Association, and which is obviously Communist controlled. (August, 1949, issue.) “Belts and knuckledusters were used by bands of organised hooligans who marched six abreast to break up the Irish Workers’ League weekly meeting in O’Connell Street on the 17th July.” (Page 1.) “On Sunday, July 24th, a crowd some thousands strong gathered in Abbey Street hoping to see a repeat performance, but no meeting was held . . . ” “Little known aspect of the pogrom background is the work of a handful of Dublin Trotskyites who held a meeting at Abbey Street on July 3rd, which was broken up.” "It is believed that the reactionary elements which attacked the Workers’ League would not have been successful in drawing together their forces if it had not been for the precedent set by these obscure but pernicious political elements.”

The Irish Workers’ League is the organisation in which the Irish communists work, it is, in fact, a Communist organisation, although this is frequently denied. The “Trotskyites” referred to are, of course, our Dublin Comrades. This accusation by The Irish Democrat fails to take into account that the Irish Communists have been attacked in a similar manner before July 17th of this year, before there was a Dublin Branch of the S.P.I., before there was even a Dublin Socialist Group. The Dublin Headquarters of the Irish C.P. were once burned down in one of these disturbances. The argument presupposes that if the Dublin Socialists had not held their meeting on July 3rd, then the future Workers’ League meetings would have been peaceful. Which is nonsense. A Dublin comrade writes: —

“Actually, what is grieving them (the Communists) is the fact that we stole whatever thunder they may have possessed. We came out as revolutionaries, with the red lettering on a white background of our platform reading ‘ Socialist Party of Ireland.’ That’s what got them. They—the Marxists, the dialecticians, the tacticians!! Tactics! Trying to hide under an alias—and sending condolences to the Bulgarian C.P. on the death of Dimitrov! With known Communists like Nolan, O’Riordan, etc., in their ranks, yet trying to maintain that they are not the Communist Party! Why, these people were smelt out long ago, before we held our outdoor meeting, long before.”

As for the “obscure but pernicious political elements.” It’s amusing. Our Comrade Cullen has been propagating Socialism in Ireland for 40 years and is known to everybody who has political connections with the Irish Workers. And “pernicious.” On at least three occasions, the secretary of the Dublin Branch S.P.I. and other members went to see J. Nolan, secretary of the Workers' League, at bis bookshop in Pearce Street to try to arrange an amicable agreement re the allocation of dates for the meetings of each organisation at what appears to be the only official meeting spot in Dublin. But no! They were going to lead the revolution. They were the only revolutionaries. So they have only themselves to blame. The tragedy is that there is now much talk in official circles, including Dail Eireann, about banning public meetings. In the Sunday Independent (Ireland) a printer asks the editor to publicise a statement that no more Communist literature will be printed at his works, “in response to numerous requests.” That will probably raise another problem for our Irish comrades when their manifesto, which is almost completed, is ready for print. Anyway, they are getting ready for a winter campaign. They have arranged a series of lectures the first four of which will be addressed by Comrades Walsh, Fahy, Lynch and Courtney in that order. Further details will appear in the Dublin Mail, editor permitting.

The Week-end Summer School and the Autumn Delegate Meeting will be reported in the next issue.

Our General Secretary, Comrade C. C. Groves has given notice of his intention to resign from that post on the grounds of ill-health. Comrade Groves has held the post of General Secretary for seven years. We are sorry to lose his services, and hope he will soon be well enough to resume them.

Leyton Branch lectures held each second and fourth Monday each month continue to go well, with increasing attendance of members and visitors. The new station opened at “ Elms,” Leytonstone, early this season, is now established, and meetings have been held every Saturday during the propaganda season.

W. Waters

Branch News (1962)

Party News from the June 1962 issue of the Socialist Standard

Branch news usually means what it says, but this month we are happy to include so much news of Socialist activity throughout April and May concerning England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, New Zealand and Canada that to give the full reports of activities the whole of the Standard could well be used. Nevertheless, although it is greatly condensed. it is with pleasure that we report on the splendid work done by comrades during the past two months.

Glasgow. Municipal Election results. 

• Pre-election outdoor and indoor meetings to audiences of from 20 to 100:
• Literature sales—30s.
• Collections. £2 10s. 0d. (at April 30th meeting at Woodside Halls).
• Literature canvassing—Over 700 Socialist Standards (February. March and April). Pamphlets—6s. 8d. 
• Total sales—£17 18s. 2d.
• 8.000 Election Manifestos distributed also 1.500 “Introducing the S.P.G.B.’’ leaflets.

Publicity: the most spectacular effort in this direction was Comrade Mulheron's appearance on the Scottish Television programme:— “Here and Now”. This was a programme which dealt with the North Kelvin Election and interviews with all six parties. Regretfully the interview was brief, but our spokesman crammed as much as possible into the few seconds allowed him. Although the propaganda value of this very brief appearance was perhaps not very great, it at least sets the precedent for future appearances.

There was very little Press publicity apart from many mentions that the SPGB was one of the six contesting parties. But the Scottish Daily Express did consider that they considered the Party a “far left group”.

Polling: 76 votes were registered. Members of the Glasgow Branch summed up as follows: “We consider this, our first effort at a Municipal Election in Glasgow, a success from two standpoints:—

1. The experience gained of organising meetings in the area, distributing Manifestos and literature, and of the legal set-up at election time.
2. The amount of literature sold, the valuable opportunity of getting our case over to the workers, and the prestige gained for the Party in Glasgow.

We see no reason why we should not contest more and more elections in Glasgow in the future, with, we are sure, greater success in the light of this experience.

World Socialist Party of Ireland. Much activity is afoot in Belfast where for the first time the Party is contesting the forthcoming National election in the Pottinger constituency of Belfast. Like the Glasgow comrades (except that as yet there are not so many of them), the Belfast comrades are extremely energetic and enterprising and they are planning their election campaign with vigour and foresight. We all wish them every success. Whatever help can be given from London certainly will be forthcoming.

May Day Rallies. The first to be reported is the London meeting held on Tuesday, May 1st at Caxton Hall. Westminster. An audience of over 150 listened with interest to Comrades D’Arcy and Fahy who spoke on the implications of May Day and Socialism and answered questions followed by discussion for the second half of the meeting. A collection of £26 15s. 0d. was taken and literature sales were particularly good. It was pleasing that the Party, for the first time for many years, was able to hold a meeting on May 1st. It is hoped that this will be a precedent for future years.

Glasgow. Comrades Fahy and Corry travelled to Glasgow on Saturday. May 5th fully able and willing to assist the Glasgow Comrades in their May Day propaganda meetings. They joined the Glasgow comrades in Exchange Square (first meeting at this station this year) and by 3 pm they were well away with the meeting, which lasted until 5.30 pm. Many comrades travelled long distances to give support to the meeting.

The terminus for the May Day procession on the Sunday was at Queen's Park, but only the “official” Labour Party meeting was permitted there. The SPGB outdoor meeting was held in the Recreation Ground. The ILP with loud speaker and lorry etc, had little support and after half an hour they succumbed and the SPGB carried on until 5.30 pm. Literature figures for this outdoor meeting are not available at the moment, but a 30s. collection was taken. All this was a prelude to the indoor meeting at the Cosmo Cinema. The audience numbered 170. and £18 was collected. Comrade Fahy was somewhat abashed, after speaking for some time, when he suggested that questions from the audience were in order, only to find a couple of minutes go by without a question. He need not have worried. Before he could dwell much on the situation (wondering whether he had converted them to Socialism or whether he had failed to make the case dear) he was asked question upon question and found himself racing against time to clarify all points that were raised before the meeting had to end.

To quote Comrade Fahy. “For us this was a memorable occasion. The enthusiasm, drive and energy of the Glasgow comrades, not to mention their hospitality have to be seen and experienced to he fully appreciated. For their meetings they produce all their own posters, and chose their sites carefully; in fact we saw many posters advertising Gilmac’s meeting of some months ago still intact and legible. In conclusion, to any London comrades feeling dispirited with the struggle, we would say ’Go North Young man for the week-end.’” Comrade Corry spoke at both the outdoor meetings.

Hyde Park. Although the weather was certainly not at its best, London comrades rallied to Hyde Park for the May 6th meeting. This was well supported and good literature sales were made. As there was no evening indoor meeting (one having been held on May 1st) the meeting carried on longer than usual.

Nottingham. Meetings were held throughout the day at Slab Square. The audiences were not large, although in the evening after the noise of bands and singing by other factions had ended, the comrades were able to hold an interesting meeting. Throughout the day. members of the Branch and from London were selling literature. As this was the first propaganda meeting this season it is hoped that it has sparked off the outdoor meetings. If comrades from London and elsewhere can make occasional trips to support the Nottingham members, it should help them carry on the good work previously done in this town. Apart from the London members, others came quite long distances to support the May Day Rally.

At Bristol (Durdham Downs) and Swansea, as well as Belfast, meetings were also held and the Party members in these towns, although few in number, are working very hard to spread the Socialist message.

Coventry Group were unable to hold a May Day Rally, but its members, determined to make some extra protest against capitalism, decided to "cover" the Labour Party meeting. Quite a bit of heckling took place and the comrades sold 20 copies of the May Socialist Standard in addition to some pamphlets. As the secretary of the Group commented: “A pleasing evening's Socialist propaganda work.” More good news about Coventry activities next month.

The Annual Conference got off to a good start on Friday. April 20th and by Sunday afternoon the Agenda had been completed and many good debates had taken place. The Social on Saturday was well attended. The Sunday evening Party Rally was also successful, on the platform Comrades Montague (Ireland). Donnelly (Scotland) and Joyce Millen (London).

Also at Easter week-end, the Paddington Branch organised their literature sales drive in connection with the Aldermaston March. Forty comrades supported the venture including Party members from Ireland, one from South Africa, together with provincial comrades. 9.500 leaflets were distributed 426 Socialist Standards, 125 war pamphlets, and other literature was sold despite the fact that it was more difficult this year as the march did not go to Trafalgar Square and all the work had to be done whilst the March was in progress.

Rather than shorten two stimulating reports one from British Columbia on activities there, and another from New Zealand, where Party members are having success with tape recordings of lectures--it is hoped to give full details in next month’s Socialist Standard.

By and large, it is obvious that the work of comrades over the years, throughout the SPGB and Companion Parties, is bearing fruit and it cannot fail to stimulate greater efforts and thereby bring Socialism nearer fruition.

A pleasing postscript. We have received the sum of £100 from a comrade who wishes to remain anonymous. Whilst respecting his wish, we feel that this generous donation should at least be recorded with our appreciation.

Phyllis Howard

Party News Briefs (1956)

Party News from the May 1956 issue of the Socialist Standard

May Day, 1956 (May 6th). Plans have been made well in advance to ensure a successful May Day propaganda drive, by meetings and increased Socialist Standard sales. This is just a last minute reminder to members to make every effort. Meetings are being held in Hyde Park, Conway Hall, London, Glasgow, Queen's Park and St. Andrews Halls, Nottingham; Market Square. 

• • •

Conference went off very well indeed, with good attendances each day and the work was completed by 6 p.m. on the Sunday in time for the propaganda meeting held in Conway Hall.

• • •

Meeting on Russia. Conference recommended that a propaganda meeting should be held within a week or so to deal with events in Russia and to coincide with the visit to England of the Russian leaders. The E.C. agreed that we should go ahead and with the help of a few enthusiastic members. Denison House was booked for Sunday evening, April 15th (two weeks after Conference), the subject being "The New Retreat from Moscow"). Comrades D'Arcy and Young are the speakers and Comrade Fahy in the chair. We hope to give a good report of this meeting in the next issue of the Standard. 

• • •

Support of Outdoor Propaganda Meetings. We have stressed from time to time the need for active support of Party members at all outdoor meetings, active support being to arrive early, and if necessary put questions to the speakers in order to encourage the audience, and to be available to sell literature where possible and to back up the speaker should there be unruly elements in the audience. Speakers have reported to the Propaganda Committee that they need this support if meetings are to be run efficiently.

• • •

Fulham and Chelsea Branch report that their outdoor propaganda meetings at Gloucester Road Station on Wednesday evenings and at Earls Court Station on Friday evenings are continuing successfully. All members and sympathisers are welcome.

In response to Ealing Branch's appeal, the Branch intends to increase Socialist Standard sales by four dozen copies in May.

Phyllis Howard