and Asians in multi-ethnic schools, there is considerable tension between the two groups. Many African Asian children arrived in Britain with a deep loathing and contempt for black africans. which was then often transferred to the West Incians.
We should not underestimate the enormous cultural differences between the two groups.
While many West Indians are deeply cynical of a social and educational system which they correctly perceive as having little to offer them, Asians have tended to Loyalist and Protestant are not and petitioning last Saturday against are 99 per cent likely to be Protestants. offered to sign. Should MARIAN KEOGH, socialist CELIA Pugh ("The Labour left in League in the 1930s when she says that "it saw no need to link up with League speaker Stafford Cripps «earned labour movement...
organisations created out of the necessities of events by the demand inese attempts at united action 'Cripps and friends thought their role was to give Labour a left-wing manifesto for the day it came to Unity Campaign declared, 'Let the Movement not wait for Genera Elections, but now by active demonstration win and organise support' for a series of demands. mass struggles against the National Committee subordinated mass struggle to innerOn the contrary, the Socialist League went to the point of joining January 1937 to launch the National Unity Campaign. At its first public Are we up to it?
unflinching determination to defeat moment in our political history, for presenting a united front within the "There have in the last year or so laws.
of the workers themselves. The time has arrived, we are convinced, when should be crystallised into an orderly and concerted union of forces within It is equally one-sided to say that March.
office'. In fact, the manifesto of the The problem wasn't that the Socialist League saw no need to link Group banner In other words, the Unity Campaign was not prepared to 'quarrel with those practising class collaboration in the name of the labour movement. Just as it was not prepared to break with the capitalist operated. This is the same test facing the Labour Co-ordinating But equally vital is the test facing the revolutionary left outside the Labour Party: not to retrace the sorry role of the Communist Party in 1937, but to pose within the framework of joint action a clear and unified alternative to the vacillations of left social-democracy. TOM MARTIN. London E5 Where were you? YOUR article Manchester fights racism' (28 February) mentioned three cases of Asian people fighting back against the racism of the British state and its immigration The article said: "Although these campaigns centre on individual cases a victory in any one would be a victory for all black people. ' It added: 'If the campaigns are to be successful, anti-racists and the black community will have to stand firm.
The article publicised the demonstration organised by the Anwar Ditta Defence Committee, which was held in Rochdale on 1 This was the opportunity for Socialist Challenge supporters in the North-west and Yorkshire to show Inal tney wete standing min. But there were only a few Socialist Challenge sellers on the demonstration. There was no organised contingent, or Socialist ralenge or mternanonal Marxis even from gooders.
The Anwar Ditta Defence Committee is holding another demonstration in Manchester on 26 April, two days before Anwar's appeal hearing. A large demonstration is vital for the success of his appeal.
This should be the time for a full-scale mobilisation in the North; a time to show that Socialis Challenge is committed to fighting racism not only in Manchester but in the whole of Britain.
LEROY SMITH (Bury)
WHEN Heath was Prime Minister was the chant 'Teddie, Teddie, Teddie - out, out, out!'? Are Callaghan or Wilson colloquially referred to as Jimmy or Harry?
Yet Thatcher is referred to as Maggie. We believe this use of the first name for slogan purposes when the person is a woman is sexist. It is disheartening enough to have to listen to it on a demonstration, without Socialist Challenge screaming it in a banner headline (last week's article on the 9 March TUC demonstration).
Would you not have criticised the use of racist slogans? It not only adds to our humiliation to have Socialist Challenge ignore working class sexism, but is a disservice to the working class itself. We believe that Socialist Challenge has a responsibility to explain how militants should confront and fight sexism wherever it occurs.
JUDY WATSON, London
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'Maggie" sexist?