THE Troops Out Movement emerged from its half-yearly conference, held in Edinburgh on Saturday, more united and with more determination to push the 'troops out now' case than at any previous time in its history.
It was fitting that the conference coincided with the publication of No British Solution*, the first national TOM pamphlet for five years, and an eltective answer to the Tory proposals for the North of Ireland.
Opposition to these proposals will be the focus of a demonstration on 8 November. in London, which the conference overwhelmingly agreed to support. This initiative has been called by the Ireland, which is pushing the demands for an ending of partition, Irish unity.
The TOM conference agreed to organise a specific "Troops Out Now demonstration.
Other initiatives agreed at the conference included:
* A series of local actions on 11 July around the release from Armagh prison of Liz Lagrua. LAs one or me "Armach 11' demonstrating in support of women political prisoners in Armagh;
* A TOM demonstration in Glasgow on the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, next January;
" Support for the Labour Committee on Labour Party conference in Blackpool; -* A possible delegation to visit Long Kesh prison later in the year.
The conference also gave its full support to Charter 80, the campaign recently established in support of the five demands of the political prisoners in Armagh and Long Kesh.
Although there was dissension on a number of these questions, and differences of emphasis on others, the overwhelming mood of the conference was to unify demands -for the Irish movement so that it is capable of taking the opportunities which are now present to raise the Irish issue in British politics In this context the conference agreed to appoint a full-time workers, a step which should sort out many of the organisational problems SWP, has in the MACHOC throughout Committee for Withdrawal from British withdrawal and contingent on the wrangles. arrested wrong to the forthcoming membership.
paign.
TOM around its two Troops out now, and self determination demonstration people and to organise the against TOM has faced in the past. A new national office is also to be set up.
It was also encouraging that this was the first TOM conference which saw a substantial attendance from the Socialist Workers Party. The while active in some TOM branches, past been wary weight behind TOM.
The evidence at the conference was that this attitude has now changed, and this can only help the growth of TOM. The SWP and the International Marxist Group, consulted the conference. were minor differences on one or two points, substantial agreement was achieved.
The conference also benefitted from being held in Edinburgh. This possibly restricted the number attending, about 130 in all, but it did give TOM members in London a broader view of the movement than might otherwise have been achieved.
Thus when a small minority at the conference sought to raise various internal, nitpicking complaints, citing squabbles that had taken place in this or that committee or branch in London, those from outside London made it. plain Inal lney were not interested The conference also rejected an attempt to restrict the basis of TOM to those who, in addition to the other two demands, supported the political prisoners. While TOM does back this demand the feeling of the meeting was that it would be make this a The consequences of these decisions should firmly establish TOM movement with a national presence, similar in this respect to the National What is now required is a commitment from all those involved for realising this potential. Most specifically this means building a massive 'troops out now' contingent on the 8 November demonstration and ensuring will be the largest British presence in Ireland that this country has seen for years.
* No British Solution' costs 50p and will soon be available from left-wing bookshops. It can be ordered directly from TOM, 2a St Paul's Rd, London NI. Add 25p p&p:
of throwing its which had 35 and Delore Although there in such Miriam condition of TOM as a well-organised ple.
Abortion Camthat this of teaching. protest except for linen THE bestial murder of Miriam Daly in Belfast last Thursday is not only a terrible loss for the people of Belfast struggling for their rights, it is a great loss for the Marxist movement in Britain.
was history lecturer Southampton University in the 1960s and was a decisive influence in bringing myself ana owner studenis o look at tae world rou a Marxist standpoint. Most of my class became involved in socialist politics and the trade unions when we left university, in great part through her influence and examShe taught us to think for ourselves and to try to make sense of historical processes, alwavs stressing the need for theoretical coherence in trying to explain events. Her honesty, compete lack or dogmalisi, alt her openness to the ideas of her students were in striking contrast to the general run She was doing research at that time on a crucial period of Irish history, the years between 1780 and 1820. It was the time of the destruction of indigenous Irish industry and North — by the British bourgeoisie; a time revolutionary instrument by the British. She was at time. in Belfast during the 1970s.
tried to died in the struggle against perialism.
to her work and her students. in the British are doing in Northern Ireland. of the national resistance to this drive by the United Irishmen, of their defeat and of the fostering of the Orange Order as a counter.
culling inrough the myths of both the British Ascendency historians and course of the intense class struggle in the towns and countryside in Ireland at that Until the news of her death, I hadn't realised what a central role she had been playing in the struggle in the North during the 1970s. But it is now clear why she made such an impact on us students in the mid1960s. The passionate intensity of her search for historical truth and theoretical clarity at that time was a preparation for her struggle In her historical research, Miriam Daly on the brilliant historical essays of James Connolly. And like him she bnush im All who knew Miriam Daly in Britain in the 1960s, whatever their political outlook, could not forget her qualities as a human being, her modesty and integrity and devotion Her foul murder should make them face what the