What was your first political organisation?

[DaveCinzano]

did you pay any subscriptions outside of magazines?

nope (in terms of 'cw').

rcp it is then

 

[sihhi]

a rather unlikable fellow with a fondness for leather-patched corduroy

Was that "respected film critic" Mark Kermode by any chance?

 

[DaveCinzano]

Was that "respected film critic" Mark Kermode by any chance?

nope, and the gentleman in question has evaded my many subsequent google searches (though i have 'fond' memories of a rather clueless and mardy claire fox ).

 

[sihhi]

nope, and the gentleman in question has evaded my many subsequent google searches (though i have 'fond' memories of a rather clueless and mardy claire fox ).

Really? Did she have that voice when she was upset?

 

[DaveCinzano]

she had that voice all the bloody time

her finest moment was 'organising' a protest of the rcp's school student front organisation outside the ministry of defence, with a view to launching an invasion of the place. on a saturday. when the entire front of the building was covered in a bomb-proof screen.

my mum had said "won't it be shut on a saturday?"

i said, "i'm sure she knows what she's doing, mum!"

and yet

 

[gawkrodger]

No pansying about with liberals and trots for me! Straight into the AF for me when i was 15. Still here

edit: i can't spell!

 

[HST]

Just remembered! I joined the Schools Action Union in 1970 or 1971. Right after I joined there was a Maoist coup which took over the SAU. Being my school's only member, and being distrustful of Maoists, I remained a paper tiger - ie I was never active.

 

[Nigel Irritable]

I've been in a few organisations, but only ever made one political shift, the rest were down to geography. Started out by joining SWSS in my first week in University (there must be a fair few people who did that). Was a sort of semi-detached member for a while before joining the Socialist Party. Lived in Glasgow briefly where I was in the SSP (and the CWI platform). Then was in the English Socialist Party when I lived in London. Now back in the Irish Socialist Party. International political organisations can be very convenient - I recommend them highly to the travelling activist.

 

[sipriano]

The london workers group, introduced into it by Joe Thomas.

 

[sevenstars]

I signed up to the LPYSYTURC (Labour Party Young Socialists Youth Trade Union Rights Campaign) around 1984/85, but i suppose thats classed as a single issue campaign? What a name though

 

[bluestreak]

none, i've never been a member of any organisations and i wouldn't want to be. i don't mind doing stuff with groups though, fif it's stuff i agree with.

 

[HarrisonSlade]

The SWP I'm afraid.

 

[haggy]

labour party, but re sihhi's Q, only for about a year - i let my sub lapse

i was a member in the midlands and active for a only a few months - but they called me up at my home address in essex in 1989 (no idea how they traced me), and i had to let them know i'd joined the swp

 

[belboid]

Labour in 83, in time to vote for Eric Heffer & Denzil Davies for leader/deputy after Michael Foots resignation.

I had tried to join the CPGB, but they didn`t reply for six months! Turned out they had received two applications frm young people at the same time, and thought we must be taking the piss!

I was a member for about two years (until shortly after the miners strike), achieving the dizzying height of Chair of the constituency LPYS.

 

[Taxamo Welf]

Was that "respected film critic" Mark Kermode by any chance?

Mark kermode IS a respected film critic, no need for the quotes. He also did some acting.

Is he or was he a trotskyist though?

 

[james_walsh]

I formed my own group with may mates , when i was 8. the AAA( anti adult association), i think our 'program' consisted of , adults should stop making stupid rules, stop being hypocrites, and generally stop being a real pain in the arse, and let us have some fun! Not a bad program ,now that i think about it! It was a secret society , so extra parliamentry- hardcore or what!!!

If that counts as single issue, its the YCL.

 

[D]

www.naral.org

I think...at around the same time as I joined the "Women's Issues" club at my school.

We were so second wave, even though we were really third wave.

At one point we changed the name of the club to "Gender Issues", which wasn't much better...sort of like, "Wow, check out that person of indeterminate gender...I wonder if they have gender issues...Like, don't we all?"

 

[D]

oh, I inadvertently ignored the "no single issue" caveat

I suppose the next one was the National Organization for Women (or is that "single issue" too )

 

[WasGeri]

I was a member for about two years (until shortly after the miners strike), achieving the dizzying height of Chair of the constituency LPYS.

I was the secretary of mine until they reduced the age limit and I was suddenly 'too old' at 22!

 

[Sorry.]

have only been in local anarchist groups really.

 

[catch]

green for me, for about a year when I was 15. Because there weren't any local anarchist groups

 

[Herbert Read]

What political organisation did you first actually sign up to?

No single-issue stuff here, we are talking about political parties, anarchist groups, that sort of thing.

My first political group was trade union the GMB, i was once a member of the SWP...... (very short time around 4 months) shudders hangs head in shame.

I left bitter and twisted and got involved with anarchist politic and eventually the Anarchist Federation

 

[Stevil]

I joined the DAM (Direct Action Movement) that was the forerunner of SolFed.

I nearly joined the WRP when I was young, they offered to send me to some place in Derbyshire after I attended a couple of meetings but I fucked them off, patronising gits.

 

[fanta]

The Boy Scouts.

But I got dishonourably discharged for pinching the cash I made for their fucking silly Bob-Job-Week.

The shame will always be with me.

 

[kropotkin]

Anarchist Federation for me, although I did make the mistake of going to a SWSS meeting when I was at uni once (was hassled afterwards with things through the door and phone calls for about 6 months).

 

[sovietpop]

None. Don't plan to either.

would you if you found an organization that matched your political persuasion?

 

[chegrimandi]

none.

 

[treelover]

DD, Tory, eh, rebelling against your dad?

 

[parallelepipete]

shh - young conservatives

Double-plus

I have absolutely no excuse... well, except that my parents were/are life-long Tories

(Lasted about a week until I realised what I'd got myself into)

 

[DownwardDog]

DD, Tory, eh, rebelling against your dad?

Yes, I am honest enough to admit that this was probably partially due to a Freudian attempt to define myself in opposition to my parents. However, I was worried (this is ludicrous looking back at, but one thinks ludicrous things at age 18) that the fact that my whole family (father, mother and two uncles) were red-in-tooth-and-claw communists would hinder my military career. So I joined the FCS to demonstrate my non-communist sympathies.

Over the years I have found membership very useful both professionally and socially. The Conservative party is a wonderful institution whose members are totally dedicated to the acquisition of wealth and satiation of libertine sexual desires.

However, because of my parents I've always been very interested in far left politics and some forms of anarchist thought which is why I hang out in U75.

My father won't be posting here any time soon. Until the North Korean laptop industry gears up he'll stick to his East German typewriter.