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News and Comment October 2022

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1 October (Part 2) - The preferred weapons are demos and strikes, definitely not nukes

Crisis meetingThe day that electricity prices go up by 20% and gas by 40 may be a good one to put on the record what happened at last week’s ‘Fightback’ meeting in Abbey Wood. Any thought that it might be housewives suggesting that tumble dryers should be abandoned in favour of washing lines and that one big washing up session per day will save a lot of hot water were dispelled when I sat in the back row five minutes before the meeting was due to start. Next to me were two gentlemen who had worked out exactly why prices generally and energy costs in particular had gone through the roof pretty much world-wide.

The cause was “Western Imperialism” which had provoked Vladimir Putin into starting “an entirely justifiable war” and if the West behaved more like Putin the world would be a happier place. Fortunately they were interrupted by the start of the meeting chaired by former Bexley Councillor Dave Putson. He introduced himself and his principal speaker Councillor Larry Ferguson (Labour, Thamesmead East).

I had not heard Larry Ferguson speak before but I was quite impressed. Whilst his politics are no doubt some way to the left of mine he said nothing with which I could seriously disagree. The emphasis being on seriously!

Larry said that inflation and the associated cost of living crisis was primarily due to the pandemic lockdowns, with Brexit being a factor and the Russian invasion not helping. I am inclined to agree. How much did Test and Trace cost? (Some 200 times as much as reducing the 45% tax rate to what it was just over a decade ago.)

This comment caused the gentleman to my left to leap to his feet with a defence of Putin’s murdering spree. An audience member put him firmly back in his box.

Councillor Ferguson continued to make his more reasonable points. Many of us will be reduced to “heat or eat” and “the Government is not on your side”, lifting the cap on bankers’ bonuses being the proof. “The Conservative party is the political wing of the super rich.”

The first speaker from the floor was critical of the lack of support from Abena Oppong-Asare MP. He wanted to see practical help provided locally but there was no sign of it coming. It was alleged that MP Abena Oppong-Asare was still fiddling around wondering what she might write in a leaflet.

Other speakers reminded everyone that the problems we are seeing in the UK were being repeated in lots of countries. A small number were concerned about climate change and one made it clear that he thought anarchy and superglue was the answer to all the country’s ills. There was yet more criticism of the Erith and Thamesmead MP.

The Putin supporter jumped to his feet again. Vladimir has all the answers and the discussion here is “bollocks and bullshit”. After suffering another put down the enthusiast for blowing civilians to bits and attacking nuclear power stations said he was going to find the toilet. He was never seen again.

I noted that every time someone in the audience indicated a wish to speak, Chairman Dave Putson made his invitation by name. This meeting of 25 men and five women (approximately, there were some comings and goings) was very much a closed shop of union activists and officials.

Their line was that the only way forward was demonstrations, “a priority”, leading eventually to a General Strike. “A powerful weapon”.

“Get on to the streets and do something” was the message and to that end as many as 50 groups planned to meet at King’s Cross today and march to Parliament Square. Presumably no one had told them about the rail strike.

I didn’t agree with everything I heard but the obvious dislike of the present government was not balanced by any confidence in Keir Starmer and his crew; at one time someone said “there is no opposition”.

Dave and his friends clearly want to bring the Conservative government down and the Poll Tax riots inevitably got a nostalgic mention but right of centre as I am, I could not honestly label them extremists. Except perhaps the man who got lost in the bog and the guy who buys superglue in bulk.

 

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