The Redskins Split

from Socialist Worker 10th Jan, 1987

Venceremos

This poem comes from Venceremos vol 1, number 1. This was put out by the Patsy O’Hara Youth Movement, which was the youth wing of the Irish Republican Socialist Party. It is from the height of the hunger strikes, Patsy O’Hara was one of the hunger strikers. He was a member of the Irish National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the IRSP.
There’s also a look at the rioting that was sweeping England that summer.

Angry Brigade

Documentary about the Angry Brigade and the Persons Unknown conspiracy trial.

Swells Rock Against Racism

On 22 February, 1986 the NME ran a series of articles in a Punk – the Final Chapter feature. Steven Wells, who himself had the Anti Nazi League arrow tattooed on his forearm, gave his thoughts on Rock Against Racism.

The Guerilla Fighter

This poem is from the first issue of The People’s Voice, November, 1968. The magazine is from Cork and published by Saor Eire, launched by Irish Revolutionary Forces, who were former IRA members who wanted a more left wing and activist approach.

Poets For Peace

The Images Of War pamphlet as reported in the NME, 21 August, 1982.

Word War
A group calling themselves Poets for Peace have also just issued an anthology in pamphlet form, called ‘Images of War’. There are 18 writers involved, from Jeff Branin who served in the Vietnam War as a combat engineer, through John Elsberg, a US editor of a new poets’ anthology, through lyricists like David Morgan. The press which issues ‘Images of War’ is Kawabata Press, and you can obtain a copy of their booklet for 50p (plus postage if mail ordering) from Knill Cross House, Hr Andarton Road, Millbrook, nr Torpoint, Cornwall. NAM – which was praised by Paul Foot, amongst others – is also still available from Kawabata Press for £1.25.
Cynthia Rose

No Poll Tax

This is taken from a 1992 pamphlet of anti-poll tax poems from Nottingham.

Don’t Let It Happen Here

Charlie Mingus inspired by Pastor Martin Niemöller’s poem “First they came…” on a BBC documentary Mingus: Charlie Mingus 1968.

My Teddy-Bear’s A Socialist

THis poem appeared in the letters page of Spare Rib, number 89, December, 1979.

Dear Spare Rib,
Sorting through my mother’s papers (she dies a months ago) I found a volume of poems written for her in 1911, when she was age 6. I thought the poem overleaf might interest and amuse you. My mother’s family were politically minded and I’m sure Socialism and Suffragettes were not just words to her; she would have had a real, though childish, understanding. Anyway, the poem shows that some questions of the moment were being asked then, even if the answers were over simple.

Yours sincerely,
Danny Cohen,
London

A Poem Written In 1911 For A Girl Age 6

My Teddy-bear’sa Socialist,
My doll’s a Suffragette,
He waves a little dumpy fist
In arguments one can’t resist;
But she cannot forget
That though he is a Socialist
She is a Suffragette.

At night, when I have gone to bed,
They talk about their views.
And once he begged, “Ah! wear the red!”
But ‘Women must be free!’ she said;
Though she could scarce refuse,
One night when I had gone to bed,
To listen to his views.

My teddy-bear, the Socialist,
My doll, the Suffragette,
Since one the other can’t resist,
Have plighted troth and gravely kissed.
And now their lips have met,
My dolly is a Socialist
And Ted’s a Suffragette.

Punk V Ted

One time Tory PM Ted Heath in Sounds gossip column, Jaws, 10 September, 1977.

Motorhead’s Lemmy and Edward Heath (repeat Edward Heath!) among those who have seen XTC in action during past 7 days. No Ted didn’t pop in to the Nashville, Hope & Anchor or the Red Cow. He was in an adjoining studio at EMI’s Abbey Road making a Christmas record. He called on XTC while they were mixing their first release for Virgin, a 12″ EP due for release on September 30. The former PM even admitted to XTC that he had listened to the Sex Pistols’ God Save The Queen: “You can’t hear the words”, he complained, “Yet part of the significance of punk is the words”.