KEN LOACH CONDEMNS CONDEMS

[John Doh]

Ricky Tomlinson chaired the latest meeting on the Cuts at his Green Room in Duke Street last night. Nice place, with friendly, helpful staff - and no excessive mark-up on wine. Top quality bubbly is also available for Champagne Socialists!
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Ricky Tomlinson, Tony Mulhearn and Ken Loach chat together before the start of the meeting

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17 year-old student Lizzy O’Rourke told us that the present government want to put the clock back and deny opportunities to working class kids


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Tony Mulhearn reminded us of the 47 councillors who stood up to Thatcher last time and said we must reject Joe Anderson’s view that there is no alternative to the Cuts. We should make it clear to the council that any cuts are unacceptable

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Ken Loach expressed his concern that the Cuts will hit the poor and the vulnerable and made an impassioned plea that we all support the action planned for March 26th.

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[Spike]

Do what they do in Egypt

[John Doh]

I think it's on the cards, the way people were talking last night... And talking about Liverpool showing the way again... Shades of 1911, never mind standing up to Thatcher!

[Spike]

We will see.

[John Doh]

Here's the resolution that was presented to the meeting. I'm afraid I couldn't stay right to the end, so can't actually say whether it was adopted. Judging by the general mood though, I doubt if there were many dissenters... But maybe someone who was present will confirm that... Ronnie?
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[RonnieW]

John, you must have been sitting right behind me and my son. That's the back of his head just in front of Ken Loach and my left ear in front of Darren Ireland.
A very good meeting I thought. Nice to see people realising the Labour Party aren't "worth a carrot" as one contributor put it.

[John Doh]

Well, well, I wish I'd known! I'd have asked you to shift your head so I could have got a decent shot!

What interested me was the fact that, although a number of speakers, Ken Loach included, emphasised the need to avoid diviseness and sectarianism in our future campaigns, there was such a strong animosity towards Joe Anderson and the present group of councillors. Personally, I can't believe that it is right to denounce them because they're not prepared to martyr themselves, like the previous 47... This lot weren't elected on the basis that they would take on a Militant-style war with the Government... So, to me it doesn't seem fair to accuse them of betraying socialism... And it's not as if the lesson of history is a very positive one... Or have I got it wrong?

[anonymouse]

Couldn't Derek make it? :cry:

[John Doh]

Oh, come on! Whatever else is unclear, I would hope that most of us wouldn't be anguishing too much over the question as to whether Derek had sold out or not...

[Ged]

Couldn't Derek make it? :cry:

He's busy making his millions as a property developer/salesman in Cyprus.

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[Oudeis]

[I might be getting the hand of Liverpool's local politics]

In the meantime here's a song...

"The sun has got it's Hatton..."

[RonnieW]

He was made mention of during the meeting. Hatton was always an opportunist. That's why he joined the Labour Party in the first place.

[John Doh]

Now who's got fond memories of this?

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In the foreground, John Hamilton, someone who definitely was not an opportunist...

But remember what happened to him?

[RonnieW]

I met John Hamilton a couple of times. A very likable man. In the 70s the Labour Party never stood a candidate in Netherley because they knew they didn't stand a chance while Gateacre was included in the ward. As soon as the boundaries changed and the ward became overwhelmingly working class, along comes Degsy. The CPGB always stood a candidate in Netherley (they held their meetings in Netherley Comp) because their branch was quite active. When Degsy decided to stand, he turns up at the CP candidates house and asked him not to stand so as CP voters would vote Labour. The CP candidate told him to go away. Not only thatm but the Anti-Nazi League in Netherley, along with Kirkby, had the most active branches in Merseyside. Militant woud not join the ANL because their hero Trotsky said such movements were 'popular fronts'. In 1979, Degsy started turning up at ANL meetings because having thirty or forty people willing to push leaflets through doors could not be ignored. Degsy could write a book on opportunism.