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)

SPGB Meetings (1966)

Party News from the March 1966 issue of the Socialist Standard

Our General Election Campaign (1964)

Party News from the March 1964 issue of the Socialist Standard

Readers of the February issue of the Socialist Standard will be aware of the Party's preliminary activities for the General Election. Progress has been made and in Bromley and Glasgow comrades are concentrating their work so that they will reap maximum results when the time arrives.

In Bromley, which is the constituency near to Lewisham, it it the Lewisham Branch which is doing the spade work in preparation. The representative of the Party to stand as the Parliamentary candidate is Comrade E. Grant and the Election agent is Comrade I. Robertson. Much canvassing has been done and meetings held. On Thursday, March 20th at Bromley Library Lecture room, High Street. Bromley at 8 p.m. a public meeting is being held the title being “Wages and Inflation ".

In Glasgow, the Branch members are well prepared for the General Election, no matter when it occurs. Since October they have been canvassing the Socialist Standard around the working class in the Woodside constituency. At the moment they are concentrating their literature selling in the North Kelvin Ward (which forms a part of the Woodside constituency) in preparation for Glasgow Municipal elections in May. 

This year will be the first time that the Socialist Party has ever contested two wards in a local Glasgow election. North Kelvin Ward (for the third time) and for the first time the Knightswood Ward. Literature sales in both wards have been encouraging and the intensified effort of four nights each week devoted to selling the Standard in these two wards should make the case for Socialism extremely well known.

Indoor meetings have continued since October in the Woodside Halls and will carry on until April. The Glasgow Branch urges all members and sympathisers to assist them. There is plenty of work to be done. Your assistance, both physical and financial is needed. How about it Comrades? The Party representative for the Woodside constituency is Comrade R. Vallar and the Election Agent is Comrade A. Webster.

Two of the essentials to help our campaigns: all party members available are urgently required to work with the local branches in the two areas now, and as much money as can be spared by members and sympathisers should be sent at once to the Parliamentary Fund. Without the money the necessary work will be seriously handicapped. So please help all you can.