Reluctant Griffiths forced to debate

The Communist Party of Britain held a rare public meeting on March 5. According to district secretary, Anita Halpin, it was the CPB's first in London "for a very long time." Despite its title, 'How to stop New Labour,' it in fact served as a rally to support one side in the factional war in progress in the CPB - and a pitiful mobilisation it was, given that "the very survival of the Morning Star" (Griffiths), on which the future of the CPB depends, is at stake. Attendance rose gradually throughout the evening from an initial 28 to, eventually, just over 50, with the Hicks-Rosser-Corry faction not showing a single face, let alone raising a voice.

Perhaps I should remind Weekly Worker readers that public meetings are, in general, dangerous for the CPB. There is a risk of real debate, of comrades thinking for themselves and challenging the unreal, and nowadays ridiculous, dogmas of 'revolutionary' reformism. The fragile unity of the CPB, protected from uncomfortable truths by the soothing hand of the Morning Star editor, may be easily shattered. Therefore the CPB only risks public meetings when the differences endemic to such an opportunist organisation inevitably erupt into open conflict. Then public discussion becomes unavoidable. Suddenly, we are offered the rare opportunity of at least a glimpse at what CPB comrades really think - an opportunity not to be missed!

Instead of turning the meeting over to a political discussion on how the Star came to be in danger of extinction and how to save it, as would be logical, general secretary Griffiths pretended he was addressing a routine meeting criticising the New Labour government. Only after a turgid hour of this did he reluctantly raise the Morning Star dispute, because "there may well be some discussion comrades want to have on that question." In other words, CPB members wanting to confront the schism in their organisation is a bit of a nuisance.

At question time the proposal was made that, since the Morning Star portrayed itself as "the paper of the left", its columns should be opened up to "all shades of opinion on the left". In this way the whole of the left could be mobilised in support of the Star. Unfortunately, the proposal did not meet with the approval of the platform. Claiming the Star's letters page under Haylett's editorship "stands in stark contrast to the Chater regime," Griffiths doubted whether the features pages should be opened up to the kind of "views which sow disunity and confusion, to absurd, inaccurate gossip." The foolish example, our verbatim report of Ken Livingstone's early day motion against John Haylett and the Morning Star strike (March 5 1998). We believe this sort of factual information is needed by workers, not least in order to help them identify Livingstone as an opportunist and careerist. Patronisingly, Griffiths thinks this sort of information, freely available to journalists and 'leaders' of all kinds, will divide and confuse his rank and file. Perhaps he is right.

Far from seeking discussion, Griffiths tried to dampen it down. "I shall continue to do everything I can do - not necessarily things that can be discussed in a public meeting - but everything possible to help to bring a principled solution to this dispute which will ensure that the Morning Star comes out again." The role of CPB members, in his mind, is that of an unthinking rank and file, to be mobilised as voting fodder when called upon - nothing more.

Not able to identify the political causes of the conflict in the CPB, Griffiths merely complained that the suspension and sacking of editor John Haylett, a member of the CPB political committee, was carried out, not only "in a disgraceful fashion, tearing up trade union agreements," but also "in an almost clandestine way, with none of the consultation that should take place between communists and comrades before taking such a drastic decision which anyone could have foreseen would place the existence of the Morning Star in jeopardy."

Whereas the overriding duty of the management committee of the Peoples Press Printing Society, the cooperative which owns the Morning Star, is "to ensure that the paper comes out every day", the striking journalists, on the other hand, "are carrying out their duty to defend their rights and to defend the rights of working people everywhere."

Mother of the Morning Star NUJ chapel Amanda Kendal waxed eloquent about the change which has come over the CPB, which has "altered out of all recognition" since Rob Griffiths replaced Mike Hicks as general secretary. "We are now seeing leadership where we did not see it before," she says. Paradoxically, she also praises the CPB for "not interfering," for "not trying to take over the dispute" from the NUJ. The CPB's "solidarity and support has been magnificent."

Leadership of a kind has, of course, been given to the Star strikers. But it has been trade unionist, not communist, leadership. Treating the conflict as a mere industrial dispute, holding the paper to its disastrous pro-New Labour path, even if Haylett wins his reinstatement, means, sooner rather than later, condemning it to death.

Ian Farrell

Open letters

The CPGB PCC has written to the NUJ Morning Star chapel and the CPB executive committee, declaring its support for the strike aims:

NUJ Morning Star Chapel
Wednesday March 11 1998

Dear Comrades

The Communist Party of Great Britain fully supports the current strike action by Morning Star journalists for the immediate reinstatement of sacked editor John Haylett and in defence of their rights as workers.

We recognise the self sacrifice of comrades who choose to work for a pittance at the Morning Star as their personal contribution to the workers' movement. If Morning Star journalists and employees failed to stand up for their own rights as workers, they would be incapable of fighting for workers' rights elsewhere, and their self sacrifice would be rendered meaningless.

In solidarity, we wish to offer the NUJ Morning Star Chapel space in the Weekly Worker, for the duration of the strike, to report developments, argue their case, and mobilise support for their action.

Yours in solidarity

Ian Farrell
for the Provisional Central Committee

Communist Party of Britain Executive Committee
Wednesday March 11 1998

Dear Comrades

The Communist Party of Great Britain welcomes the replacement of Mike Hicks by Robert Griffiths as general secretary of the CPB, in the hope that this signifies a step away from the bureaucratic suppression of differences of opinion, towards a more open regime in both the CPB and the Morning Star.

The sacking of editor John Haylett has placed in jeopardy the very existence of the Morning Star, established and sustained by the hard work and self sacrifice of generations of communists. We call upon the CPB executive committee to recognise the need to open the columns of the Morning Star to all shades of opinion on the left, so that it can truly become "the daily paper of the left". On this basis, all sections of the left could be drawn into the immediate struggle to save the paper from extinction, and then to sustain and develop it as a weapon in the class struggle.

As a gesture of comradeship, and as an encouragement to pursue the path of openness, we offer the CPB executive committee space in the Weekly Worker to make use of as it sees fit, for so long as the Morning Star is not available to it.

Yours in comradeship

Ian Farrell
for the Provisional Central Committee

Strike social

Cuban music from Club Clandestino on Friday March 13 at 8.00pm Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London WC1 £5/£3. Holborn tube

Mass picket and lobby

Morning Star management committee hear the appeal of sacked editor John Haylett
10.30am Saturday March 14 at 1-3, Ardleigh Road, Islington, London N1 4HS
Highbury tube (plus 20 minutes walk)

Strike HQ

Donations, support and info:
NUJ Morning Star Chapel, 422, Kingsland road, London E8 4AA Tel: 0171 254 5000 (Fax: 5151)