The union journal extolled official union policy, revered the CP officials, and read like a party house-journal.
For those standing for office in the union lust a party card was worth a few thousand votes.
Like all bureaucrats, the Stalinists used the union funds as a means of buying and selling people.
When Cannon got out of line he found he did not get on committees and nis lcome from union expenses took a sharp dive. was Dack in favour he was offered the plum turing at the ETU college at Esher.
There he taught lay officials how correct union policy was, and how wise and virtuous was comrade Stalin.
In 1956 everything blew up. Kruscher spilled the neans or all. rioted at Poznan. heroic davs ine Hungarlan masses stored the heavens, only to be crushed by RusFi he cracked and splintered.
Les Cannon and others in the ETU left the party.
His job at the college disapneared. Battle was joined between the dissidents and the Haxell-Foulkes leadership.
At first Cannon flirted with a small group or leis wne had been fighting the and Cannon stayed with me n Liverpool. We talked int the early hours, about Stalinism, Trotskyism, the When he kind of opposition that was needed in the union, job of lec- whether the Labour Party could be won to did not remain with the left for long. ( not have much power and ly with such the right-wing and even Catholic Action.
The Poles For a few school of Stalinism, nanoeuvring comes easily and it did not take long to these ETU officials to come British CP to terms win inel new allies
Very often such should be up for election