Saturday 20 January 2018

Each and All

Last night seems to have been busy on the streets, and today would seem to be busy on Twitter. This afternoon, the world would appear to divide between, on one side, those who expect a General Election and who are determined to stop me from being elected at it, and, on the other side, Sunderland season ticket holders.

Two posters have been seen around this constituency of North West Durham, and they have both been posted Twitter. One has been seen up around Consett, where I have not been since the day of the last General Election, when I happened to have a hospital appointment at Shotley Bridge. The other has been seen up around Tow Law, where I last attended a Fabian lunch 15 years ago, if not longer; around Crook, where the last thing that I can ever recall doing was arguing with Hilary Armstrong over what was then the imminent war against Iraq, also 15 years ago; and around Willington, where I have spent one afternoon in my life, at least as long ago and also in relation to the Fabian Society.

Until the ongoing persecution of me through the criminal justice system has ceased and desisted, then I do not have any device capable of taking photographs, nor do I have a printer. In any case, I was most certainly not out in the bitter cold and the snow last night.

This is the first poster:


A General Election Is Coming 

Vote Laura Pidcock
Vote Against David Lindsay

We Will Campaign For Laura Pidcock
We Will Defeat David Lindsay

Alliance for Green Socialism, Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, Anarchist Federation, Class War, Communist League, Communist Party of Britain, Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee), Communist Party of Ireland, Communist Party of Scotland, Communist Workers Organisation, Economic and Philosophic Science Review, Éirígí, Independent Working Class Association, Industrial Workers of the World, International Socialist League, Irish Republican Socialist Party, Left Unity, Lewisham People Before Profit, London Black Revolutionaries, New Communist Party of Britain, Old Swan Against the Cuts, People Before Profit Alliance, Republican Communist Network, Republican Network for Unity, Republican Sinn Féin, Revolutionary Communist Group, Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), RISE – Scotland’s Left Alliance, Scottish Republican Socialist Movement, Scottish Socialist Party, Socialist Action, Socialist Appeal, Socialist Equality Party, Socialist Labour Party, Socialist Party (England and Wales), Socialist Party of Great Britain, Socialist Party Scotland, Socialist Resistance, Socialist Studies, Socialist Workers Party, Solidarity, Solidarity Federation, Spartacist League of Britain, Stalin Society, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, West Dunbartonshire Community Party, Workers’ Fight, Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International, Workers’ Party of Ireland, Workers Revolutionary Party, World Revolution.

Support Laura Pidcock MP
1 Gledstone House, 26 Newmarket Street, Consett, County Durham, DH8 5LQ
01207 501 782

And this is the second poster:

BRITAIN FIRST

A General Election could easily come in 2018.
David Lindsay is preparing to stand here in North West Durham: the REAL THREAT of a MIXED-BLOOD MP for this WHITE AREA.
Jayda Fransen, Deputy Leader of Britain First, and famously retweeted by Donald Trump, will stand in North West Durham against David Lindsay.

Jayda will be actively supported by Britain First, the British National Party, the National Front, National Action, the Britannica Party, the British Democratic Party, Ulster Resistance, the Orange Volunteers, the Red Hand Defenders, the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Springbok Club, the London Swinton Circle, the Conservative Monday Club, the League of St George, Candour, Spearhead, Redwatch, Black House Publishing and Focal Point Publications.
Steve Bannon and Judge Roy Moore will travel from America to speak for Jayda against David Lindsay. So will Marine Le Pen from France, Geert Wilders from Holland and the new Vice-Chancellor (Deputy Prime Minister) of Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache. 

Contact: Britain First, PO Box 119, Swanley, Kent, BRB 9DY 
0208 914 8212 or 020 3409 6216

In response to the first poster, who has been tweeted by someone who informs us that “The whole Left is coming [to North West Durham, and especially to the Consett area] for the next Election,” Ms Pidcock now has three options.

First, she could accept the endorsement of each and all of the Alliance for Green Socialism, the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, the Anarchist Federation, Class War, the Communist League, the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee), the Communist Party of Ireland, the Communist Party of Scotland, the Communist Workers Organisation, the Economic and Philosophic Science Review, Éirígí, the Independent Working Class Association, the Industrial Workers of the World, the International Socialist League, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, Left Unity, Lewisham People Before Profit, London Black Revolutionaries, the New Communist Party of Britain, Old Swan Against the Cuts, the People Before Profit Alliance, the Republican Communist Network, the Republican Network for Unity, Republican Sinn Féin, the Revolutionary Communist Group, the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), RISE – Scotland’s Left Alliance, the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement, the Scottish Socialist Party, Socialist Action, Socialist Appeal, the Socialist Equality Party, the Socialist Labour Party, the Socialist Party (England and Wales), the Socialist Party of Great Britain, the Socialist Party Scotland, Socialist Resistance, Socialist Studies, the Socialist Workers Party, Solidarity, the Solidarity Federation, the Spartacist League of Britain, the Stalin Society, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, the West Dunbartonshire Community Party, Workers’ Fight, the Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International, the Workers’ Party of Ireland, the Workers Revolutionary Party, and World Revolution.

Secondly, she could accept the endorsements of some of those, but not of others, specifying which fell into each category and why. Or thirdly, she could reject the endorsement of each and all of them. Which is it to be? Of course, any of them might also withdraw its endorsement of her, in which case it would be honour bound to field or support a candidate against both her and me. In any event, George Galloway needs to consider his recent decision to transfer his support from me to Ms Pidcock. He would be more than welcome to resume his role, which he has never formally resigned, as my Campaign Patron.

In response to the second poster, tweeted by someone who informs us that “Keeping [me] out is the number one priority for Nationalists at the next General Election,” I say bring it on. I can scarcely wait to take the fight to Jayda Fransen, Britain First, the British National Party, the National Front, National Action, the Britannica Party, the British Democratic Party, Ulster Resistance, the Orange Volunteers, the Red Hand Defenders, the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Springbok Club, the London Swinton Circle, the Conservative Monday Club, the League of St George, Candour, Spearhead, Redwatch, Black House Publishing, Focal Point Publications (which is David Irving’s global nerve centre of Holocaust denial), Steve Bannon, Roy Moore, Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and Heinz-Christian Strache.

A proper parliamentary campaign, which is the only kind worth fighting, would cost £10,000. I can be contacted on davidaslindsay@hotmail.com, which accepts PayPal. I am already on Patreon, in search of a regular income to support my work as a journalist and as an activist. A campaign fund with trustees would be set up as soon as it was demonstrably worthwhile to do so; bluntly, as soon as people had pledged serious money. We need only to be the First Past the Post. As Editor of The Lanchester Review, I have given a rare platform to the National Health Action Party and to the Pirate Party, and I would therefore hope for their support. The Women’s Equality Party might endorse Laura Pidcock, or it might endorse Jayda Fransen, or it might stand its own candidate against all three of us, but it would have to do one of those things if it wished to retain any credibility. The same is true of the Cannabis Law Reform Party.

I warmly invite each and all of the many Independent County and Parish Councillors in North West Durham, among whom Councillor Alex Watson OBE is already my Campaign Patron, to sign my nomination papers and to campaign for me, as well as to join me in identifying in each ward of the former Districts of Derwentside and Wear Valley a number of projects equal to the former number of District Councillors, so as to campaign in support of those projects.

The necessary support for each and all of those projects, together with justice for the 472 of Durham County Council’s Teaching Assistants who have now lost 23 per cent of their pay, and together with bringing Volkswagen’s production for the British market to County Durham after Brexit, would be the price of my support for any Government in the hung Parliament that would be the most likely outcome of a General Election in the early part of 2018.

My Westminster office would be a national and international centre for the formulation, the articulation and, where possible, the implementation of the alternative to neoliberal economic policy and  to neoconservative foreign policy. My own preference is strongly for economic equality and international peace through the democratic control of the means to those ends, recognising the leading roles of the principal victims of inequality and war, namely the working class and the youth. I am the first to say that Jeremy Corbyn is the most culturally significant British politician in living memory, the most agenda-setting Leader of the Opposition ever, and the global leader of the opposition to neoliberal economic policy and to neoconservative foreign policy. There is an urgent need to co-ordinate that critique at home and abroad, in preparation for the Corbyn Government that will lead Britain and the world out of politically chosen austerity, and away from wars of political choice. In short, I am firmly a man of the Left. But I would provide a national and international platform for a wide variety of perspectives opposed to neoliberal economic policy and to neoconservative foreign policy, to politically chosen austerity and to wars of political choice. Many of the strongest influences on my own thinking have come, and continue to come, from what would at first sight appear to be the opposite end of the political spectrum.

In the same spirit, my constituency staff would include members or supporters of each and all of the Labour Party, the Conservative Party, the Liberal Democrats, and any other Groups on Durham County Council that had representation at either County or Parish level here in North West Durham. The ideal would be a Labour, a Conservative, a Liberal Democrat and an Independent figure in each of the County Wards, including a person in each of the former District Wards, all conveying the concerns of local people to me as the Member of Parliament, and all working with them and with me in order to address those concerns.

Obviously, and entirely correctly, normal party political activity would continue. These figures would be free to contest elections, even against each other, and to support their own candidates. It would seem a bit much for any of them to be candidates against me at an election at which only one could be elected, but let’s not run ahead of ourselves, so to speak. No one who was currently employed by Laura Pidcock need necessarily fear for his or her livelihood. Those staff would be free to stay, and they would be free to go. Those who went, would go of their own free will. County Durham Labour, meanwhile, needs to decide with whom it sides by continuing its forlorn persecution of me.

Does County Durham Labour side with each and all of the Alliance for Green Socialism, the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, the Anarchist Federation, Class War, the Communist League, the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee), the Communist Party of Ireland, the Communist Party of Scotland, the Communist Workers Organisation, the Economic and Philosophic Science Review, Éirígí, the Independent Working Class Association, the Industrial Workers of the World, the International Socialist League, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, Left Unity, Lewisham People Before Profit, London Black Revolutionaries, the New Communist Party of Britain, Old Swan Against the Cuts, the People Before Profit Alliance, the Republican Communist Network, the Republican Network for Unity, Republican Sinn Féin, the Revolutionary Communist Group, the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), RISE – Scotland’s Left Alliance, the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement, the Scottish Socialist Party, Socialist Action, Socialist Appeal, the Socialist Equality Party, the Socialist Labour Party, the Socialist Party (England and Wales), the Socialist Party of Great Britain, the Socialist Party Scotland, Socialist Resistance, Socialist Studies, the Socialist Workers Party, Solidarity, the Solidarity Federation, the Spartacist League of Britain, the Stalin Society, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, the West Dunbartonshire Community Party, Workers’ Fight, the Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International, the Workers’ Party of Ireland, the Workers Revolutionary Party, World Revolution, Jayda Fransen, Britain First, the British National Party, the National Front, National Action, the Britannica Party, the British Democratic Party, Ulster Resistance, the Orange Volunteers, the Red Hand Defenders, the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Springbok Club, the London Swinton Circle, the Conservative Monday Club, the League of St George, Candour, Spearhead, Redwatch, Black House Publishing, Focal Point Publications, Steve Bannon, Roy Moore, Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and Heinz-Christian Strache?

If not, then it will let the matter against me drop. If County Durham Labour does not let the matter against me drop, then it sides explicitly with each and all of those, as therefore does Simon Henig personally.

Does Durham County Council side with each and all of the Alliance for Green Socialism, the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, the Anarchist Federation, Class War, the Communist League, the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee), the Communist Party of Ireland, the Communist Party of Scotland, the Communist Workers Organisation, the Economic and Philosophic Science Review, Éirígí, the Independent Working Class Association, the Industrial Workers of the World, the International Socialist League, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, Left Unity, Lewisham People Before Profit, London Black Revolutionaries, the New Communist Party of Britain, Old Swan Against the Cuts, the People Before Profit Alliance, the Republican Communist Network, the Republican Network for Unity, Republican Sinn Féin, the Revolutionary Communist Group, the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), RISE – Scotland’s Left Alliance, the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement, the Scottish Socialist Party, Socialist Action, Socialist Appeal, the Socialist Equality Party, the Socialist Labour Party, the Socialist Party (England and Wales), the Socialist Party of Great Britain, the Socialist Party Scotland, Socialist Resistance, Socialist Studies, the Socialist Workers Party, Solidarity, the Solidarity Federation, the Spartacist League of Britain, the Stalin Society, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, the West Dunbartonshire Community Party, Workers’ Fight, the Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International, the Workers’ Party of Ireland, the Workers Revolutionary Party, World Revolution, Jayda Fransen, Britain First, the British National Party, the National Front, National Action, the Britannica Party, the British Democratic Party, Ulster Resistance, the Orange Volunteers, the Red Hand Defenders, the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Springbok Club, the London Swinton Circle, the Conservative Monday Club, the League of St George, Candour, Spearhead, Redwatch, Black House Publishing, Focal Point Publications, Steve Bannon, Roy Moore, Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and Heinz-Christian Strache?

If not, then it will let the matter against me drop. If Durham County Council does not let the matter against me drop, then it sides explicitly with each and all of those, as therefore does Simon Henig personally.

And does the Crown Prosecution Service side with each and all of the Alliance for Green Socialism, the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, the Anarchist Federation, Class War, the Communist League, the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee), the Communist Party of Ireland, the Communist Party of Scotland, the Communist Workers Organisation, the Economic and Philosophic Science Review, Éirígí, the Independent Working Class Association, the Industrial Workers of the World, the International Socialist League, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, Left Unity, Lewisham People Before Profit, London Black Revolutionaries, the New Communist Party of Britain, Old Swan Against the Cuts, the People Before Profit Alliance, the Republican Communist Network, the Republican Network for Unity, Republican Sinn Féin, the Revolutionary Communist Group, the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), RISE – Scotland’s Left Alliance, the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement, the Scottish Socialist Party, Socialist Action, Socialist Appeal, the Socialist Equality Party, the Socialist Labour Party, the Socialist Party (England and Wales), the Socialist Party of Great Britain, the Socialist Party Scotland, Socialist Resistance, Socialist Studies, the Socialist Workers Party, Solidarity, the Solidarity Federation, the Spartacist League of Britain, the Stalin Society, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, the West Dunbartonshire Community Party, Workers’ Fight, the Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International, the Workers’ Party of Ireland, the Workers Revolutionary Party, World Revolution, Jayda Fransen, Britain First, the British National Party, the National Front, National Action, the Britannica Party, the British Democratic Party, Ulster Resistance, the Orange Volunteers, the Red Hand Defenders, the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Springbok Club, the London Swinton Circle, the Conservative Monday Club, the League of St George, Candour, Spearhead, Redwatch, Black House Publishing, Focal Point Publications, Steve Bannon, Roy Moore, Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and Heinz-Christian Strache?

If not, then it will let the matter against me drop. If the Crown Prosecution Service does not let the matter against me drop, then it sides explicitly with each and all of those, as does Alison Saunders personally.

Under those circumstances, and indeed under any and all circumstances, I greatly look forward to confronting both Simon Henig and Alison Saunders on the stump during the battle for this parliamentary seat of North West Durham. Labour Councillors within this constituency, however, are a different matter. They all know me to some extent, and several of them know me very well indeed. None of them has been involved in persecuting me. All of them would wish to participate in identifying in each ward of the former Districts of Derwentside and Wear Valley a number of projects equal to the former number of District Councillors, so as to campaign in support of those projects. All of them would wish to participate in ensuring that there was a Labour, a Conservative, a Liberal Democrat and an Independent figure in each of the County Wards, including a person in each of the former District Wards, to convey the concerns of local people to me as the Member of Parliament, and to work with them and with me in order to address those concerns. None of them had any role in selecting Laura Pidcock in 2017. They were all most recently elected on the day that she lost her own seat on Northumberland County Council, an event that she did not condescend to attend.

And none of them has anything in common with any candidate of the Alliance for Green Socialism, the Alliance for Workers’ Liberty, the Anarchist Federation, Class War, the Communist League, the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist-Leninist), the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee), the Communist Party of Ireland, the Communist Party of Scotland, the Communist Workers Organisation, the Economic and Philosophic Science Review, Éirígí, the Independent Working Class Association, the Industrial Workers of the World, the International Socialist League, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, Left Unity, Lewisham People Before Profit, London Black Revolutionaries, the New Communist Party of Britain, Old Swan Against the Cuts, the People Before Profit Alliance, the Republican Communist Network, the Republican Network for Unity, Republican Sinn Féin, the Revolutionary Communist Group, the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), RISE – Scotland’s Left Alliance, the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement, the Scottish Socialist Party, Socialist Action, Socialist Appeal, the Socialist Equality Party, the Socialist Labour Party, the Socialist Party (England and Wales), the Socialist Party of Great Britain, the Socialist Party Scotland, Socialist Resistance, Socialist Studies, the Socialist Workers Party, Solidarity, the Solidarity Federation, the Spartacist League of Britain, the Stalin Society, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, the West Dunbartonshire Community Party, Workers’ Fight, the Workers International to Rebuild the Fourth International, the Workers’ Party of Ireland, the Workers Revolutionary Party, or World Revolution.

Likewise, most or all of the other County Councillors in this constituency know me to some extent, as do many non-Labour Parish Councillors, including all of them in Lanchester, where I voted for 12 of the 15 serving Parish Councillors, including all of the Independent, Conservative and Liberal Democrat ones. Several of them know me very well indeed. All of them would wish to participate in identifying in each ward of the former Districts of Derwentside and Wear Valley a number of projects equal to the former number of District Councillors, so as to campaign in support of those projects. All of them would wish to participate in ensuring that there was a Labour, a Conservative, a Liberal Democrat and an Independent figure in each of the County Wards, including a person in each of the former District Wards, to convey the concerns of local people to me as the Member of Parliament, and to work with them and with me in order to address those concerns. They were all most recently elected on the day that Laura Pidcock lost her own seat on Northumberland County Council, an event that she did not condescend to attend.

And none of them has anything in common with Jayda Fransen, or with any candidate of Britain First, the British National Party, the National Front, National Action, the Britannica Party, the British Democratic Party, Ulster Resistance, the Orange Volunteers, the Red Hand Defenders, the Real Ulster Freedom Fighters, the Springbok Club, the London Swinton Circle, the Conservative Monday Club, the League of St George, CandourSpearheadRedwatch, Black House Publishing, Focal Point Publications, Steve Bannon, Roy Moore, Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders, or Heinz-Christian Strache.

They all know where I am. Everyone knows where I am. The question now is where, together, we are all going.

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