Over one hundred and thirty five
people attended the UCLU Marxist Society last night to watch “Days of
Hope: General Strike” by Ken Loach. Present at the discussion held
afterwards was the veteran socialist film director himself, as well as
John Dunn from the “Justice for Miners” Campaign.
Over one-hundred-and-thirty-five
people attended the UCLU Marxist Society last night to watch “Days of
Hope: General Strike” by Ken Loach. Present at the discussion held
afterwards was the veteran socialist film director himself, as well as
John Dunn from the “Justice for Miners” Campaign.
More
than 130 people filled the auditorium where the meeting was being held.
The audience was predominantly young people, not just from University
College London (UCL) but also other London Universities, including
members of the society’s sister groups: University of the Arts,
University of London and Queen Mary’s University Marxist Societies, and
also members of the School Student Union.
This was a landmark achievement for the fledgling UCLU Marxists, who
are a society that have just become established this academic year.
Despite only being active for a number of weeks, they have made a very
successful start.
In
the Freshers Fayre the Marxists had a great response, collecting 250
contact details from students interested in finding out more about the
ideas of Marxism. They had their article (UCLU: Join the Marxists!) published in the university newspaper,Pi, for the Freshers Fayre edition to promote the society.
They
meet every Thursday evening at 6pm and have held two meetings so far,
one on the introductory question: “What is Marxism?” with Hamid Alizeh,
editor of the Iranian Marxist newspaper “Mobarezeye Tabagathi”,
the second being a debate between the UCLU Labour and Tory societies on
the question: “Is there an alternative to austerity?” Each meeting had
over 30 in attendance, filling out the small room they have on campus.
In addition, the UCLU Marxists have been holding regular fortnightly film showings, the first being Michael Moore’s “Capitalism: A Love Story” and the second, showing this Friday, is “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”. The students have initiated a Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital reading
group, and have also been holding regular stalls on campus as part of
their campaign to get students out for the TUC March for a Better Future
this October 20th.
last night’s excellent turn out really saw the Marxists make their mark
at University College London. A large queue formed well before the
beginning of the meeting and people were still entering after the film
had begun. People were forced to sit in the aisle and on the floor
around the speakers feet. In the end the meeting resembled more of an
occupation than a film showing!
Stella Christou, Marxist Society President, introduced everyone to
the meeting and said a few words about the speakers and what the Marxist
society has been doing on campus. After which she handed over to Ken
Loach to say a few introductory words.
Ken began by saying how impressed he was to see so many Marxists at
the university. Although he added that there are probably twice as many
in the university who weren’t present! He gave some explanatory notes
about the film for the audience, as “General Strike” is the last
installment in a series of 4 films that begins in the middle of the
First World War. He explained the development of the three main
characters; Ben, who originally joined up with enthusiasm to the army
under-age, but later became disillusioned as his company was sent not to
France but to Ireland to put down the movement for Home Rule. He later
deserted the army and travelled to London where he joined the Communist
Party; Phillip, Ben’s brother-in-law and originally the most political
of the three, who, from being a conscientious objector in the war later
runs for parliament as a Labour MP but ends up in the camp of reformism
as a naive cog in the parliamentary machine; and Sarah, Ben’s sister and
Phillip’s wife, who eventually overtakes her husband politically. As
the General Strike commences she rolls up her sleeves and becomes a
leader of one the “Committees of Action”, set-up to coordinate the
General Strike at the rank-and-file level, much to the consternation of
her Labour MP husband.
After the film there was time for questions and discussion. The first
question from the audience was from a student who asked, in light of
the recent talks by the TUC about considering a new General Strike and
the upcoming TUC demo on October 20th, what relevance does the film have
for workers and youth today?
Ken Loach’s reply was to say that this was the key question. What the
film portrays most well is the grubby backroom deals and machinations
of the TUC leadership, who were determined to bring the strike to the
end. That the TUC leaders were forced to call the strike in the first
place, in solidarity with the miners, shows the enormous strength and
solidarity of the working class and their readiness to fight. In fact,
more workers were out on strike on the day it was called off than on any
of the previous days.
the question of a successful struggle also involves the question of
leadership. As Ken said “…you can’t just march your troops up to the
top of the hill and back down again… if you call the troops out and
there isn’t the leadership in place to actually lead, then you play a
very dangerous game.”
What
is shown in the film is that, consciously perhaps, the reformist
leadership of the TUC of 1926 understood that the question of a General
Strike is not an “ordinary industrial dispute”, but raises the question
of who runs society: the bosses or the workers? Ultimately they had no
faith in working people to run society, and preferred to doff their caps
to their social betters and sell the workers out.
In a much clearer manner the Tory government of Stanley Baldwin
understand that in reality the General Strike is the beginning of
workers’ power. However, they also understand the cringing and spineless
role of the reformists inside the Labour movement who could be relied
upon to shrink away as they “stared into the abyss.”
John Dunn, of the “Justice for Miners” campaign, spoke about his
experience in three miners’ strikes including the Great Strike of
1984-85, and how there were so many similarities he could see in the
film from his own experience.
He pointed out the hypocrisy with which the government of 1926 used
the refusal by print workers at the Daily Mail to print an editorial
attacking the strikers as “an attack on the freedom of the press”, which
is contrasted later in the film when the Prime Minister is seen
complaining that Winston Churchill is an extremist because “he wants to
nationalise the BBC to use against the strike. Doesn’t he understand
that we already control the BBC, but to formally take it into the hands
of the government would be too provocative?” Says one of Baldwin’s
advisers. So-called “freedom of the press” indeed. He compared this to
his own experience where the BBC manipulated the news footage of “the
Battle of Orgreave” to make it appear like the miners were the
aggressors against the Police.
contributions came from the floor about the relevance of 1926 to the
situation today. The question of leadership remains in the Labour Party
and Trade Unions today, as well as in the National Union of Students. A
strong Marxist alternative is what many people said must be built as the
task for today, so that the mistakes of 1926 are not repeated.
This led to one of the most striking differences with the period of
the General Strike and the situation today: the role of the students.
Whereas in 1926 the students were right-wing reactionary strike-breakers
and “Hooray Henry!” thugs who were used against the workers, today is
quite different. The student movement is very definitely to the left as
the struggle against tuition fees in 2010 proved. But the real power
remains in the hands of the working class.
In this spirit the Marxist society has taken up the task of building
bridges between the students and the working class, the only real ally
of the student movement. They are doing this by campaigning on campus to
get as many students on the TUC demo as possible on October 20th. This
Thursday, October 18th, they will be holding a preparation meeting for
the TUC demo, talking over the political issues involved and preparing
organisationally. They have invited representatives of the 3 main unions
on campus, the University and College Lecturers Union (UCU), Unite and
UNISON, to speak to the students.
in a very concrete manner students showed their solidarity – a
collection was held for the 28 workers and 2 shop stewards who have been
sacked at the EIS Electrical – Crossrail dispute at Westbourne Park in
London for being members of a trade union. A total of £72.15 was
collected for the workers hardship fund, to keep those workers going
whilst they fight to be reinstated.
The meeting finished by both John Dunn and Ken Loach insisting that
it was the young people in this room who were the future, and it is up
to them to learn the lessons of 1926 in order to fight all the better
for a decent future, today.
Afterwards many in the audience went to the pub to carry on the
political discussions over a pint. Present were many new members of the
UCLU Marxists who were enthused by the meeting and eager to build the
forces of Marxism at UCL, as part of the overall fight for socialism.
Contact London UCL Marxists:
stella.christou.10@ucl.ac.uk Tel: Stella 07787551505
