Further comments on Bert Ramelson and CND
Peter Waterman’s memory is playing tricks. Contrary to the views he expresses in his recent blog even a rudimentary exploration of contemporary (1958-1960) Daily Worker coverage and CP statements plus articles in World News shows that both the paper and the Party gave extensive and supportive coverage to the activities of CND. A few examples will suffice to illustrate this reality.
On the weekend of the first Aldermaston March the Daily Worker (2nd April, 1958) front page mobilised support under the banner headline “All set for Aldermaston”. On 3rd April, again on the front page, the Daily Worker gave extensive details of the march with its route, meeting points etc. and that day’s editorial stated “The next step in the people’s struggle is to support the Aldermaston March this weekend”. The editorial a week later said this “After the brilliant success of the Aldermaston March in which the British Peace Committee were proud to play their part...”
And so it was each year with growing reports of support from rank and file and official trade union bodies for the activities of CND, many from CP strongholds such as Heathrow Airport, Hoovers in West London, Slough and Southall AEU District Commiittees. And in Golland’s speech to the 1959 CP Congress (selectively quoted from by Birchall in previous blogs) he said “...utmost support to be given by the whole progressive movement to the Aldermaston March to London at Easter.
On the broader issue of whether the CP’s strategy was labourist rather than socialist (in the three decades Ramelson was in the leadership) our book (Revolutionary Communist at Work) gives several examples of Ramelson’s insistence that militant trade unionism was a necessary but not sufficient requirement if advances were to be made, consolidated and then transformed into real social change leading to Socialism. The Party’s approach to revolutionary strategy is outlined in the section of our book headed “the Revolutionary Road” (between pages 85-91. Several references are made to Ramelson’s approach and opposition to economism and sectionalism. Internationally, during the “Ramelson years” the CPGB gave support to the initial Prague Spring and to Charter 77.
Tom Sibley
21st October 2012
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On the weekend of the first Aldermaston March the Daily Worker (2nd April, 1958) front page mobilised support under the banner headline “All set for Aldermaston”. On 3rd April, again on the front page, the Daily Worker gave extensive details of the march with its route, meeting points. student accommodation london
ReplyDeleteThere are numerous other testimonies to contradict the assertion that the Communist Party, as distinct from individual members doing their own thing such as Peter Waterman, actively supported CND before 1960.
ReplyDeletePeggy Duff, who was involved at the launch of CND, wrote the following on early support for CND in her book of personal accounts:
"Communists were also there but in the the early days only as individuals. From 1957 to 1960, the Communist Party supported the Bevan Line on nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, from 1958 on, a great many individuals in the party supported the campaign, took part in its marches and were quite unable to reject its militancy. Hundreds of Young Communists worked in the Youth Campaign and many of them were certainly as loyal to CND as to the Party, if not more so. Then in 1960, the Party, and the British Peace Committee, changed its line, though for many years it went on holding its annual conference at Easter so that the high-ups always turned up late. This produced problems because the press was always too ready to label us as 'communist' even when they weren't there. After 1960 the TV cameras would always find the CP banners on the marches." (pages 127-8)
Duff, Peggy (1971), 'Left, Left, Left', Allison & Busby
There is also the testimony of CP member Ruth Frow who was the first vice Chair of Manchester CND:
"The (communist) party was disgraceful about CND. The first Aldermaston march was accorded about a half
column inch at the base of page one. The second Aldermaston march was given full coverage, but
they were very, very slow in waking up to the importance of Aldermaston. I can’t remember if I
went on the first Aldermaston or not. Eddie and I went on two or three. The reason why I became
involved in CND at the beginning was as secretary of the peace committee, nothing to do with the
party. It was just that I was in that public position and naturally got involved. It was formed in the
Methodist Central Hall in Oldham Street. There were twenty-five or thirty people there, just I think
by public announcement, and nobody there, or very few, had had any experience of organisation
whatsoever. So when they talked about raising money, and I gently suggested jumble sales and film
shows so on, they thought: My God, this woman knows all about it; and I was promptly elected
vice-chairman."
Communist History Network Newsletter 22, Spring 2008, University of Manchester.