Wobblies defend driver sacked for swearing - press release
- Thread starter Red Leicester
- Start date
cockneyrebel
New Member
The Morning Star and its predecessor have a whole history of lies and to be honest they have blood on their hands. Their coverage of the Spanish Civil War was totally shameful, as was various other apologist articles for stalinist butchery.
While many people who supported the old CPGB and the Morning Star were undoubtedly good people (my grandparents included), sadly they were duped by an organisation which was affiliated to one of the most anti-working class movements in history. Stalinism has probably done as much damage to the name and practice of socialism/communism as anything, and that legacy still hangs heavy with us today.
While the CPB is now tiny in number the ideology of stalinism stays at their core.
While many people who supported the old CPGB and the Morning Star were undoubtedly good people (my grandparents included), sadly they were duped by an organisation which was affiliated to one of the most anti-working class movements in history. Stalinism has probably done as much damage to the name and practice of socialism/communism as anything, and that legacy still hangs heavy with us today.
While the CPB is now tiny in number the ideology of stalinism stays at their core.
glenquagmire
Rightwing NuLab apologist
The Morning Star line is basically just a left Labour one these days. I'd be surprised if many of those who are left are real Stalinists. There are smaller parties who reject Khruschev's speech and denounce the CPB et al as revisionist sell-outs.
cockneyrebel
New Member
I don't think thats true. They might have moved away from the hard line stalin society approach, but the ideology of stalinism is still at the heart of their politics.
glenquagmire
Rightwing NuLab apologist
Depends on what you mean by stalinism. If you mean democratic centralism, an entirely centrally controlled economy and a lingering defence of the Soviet Union then probably you're right. If you mean they'd still actually defend all of Stalin's programme then that doesn't apply to the CPBers I know (they're mostly in the CPGB M-L I think).
cockneyrebel
New Member
I meant the politics installed in the "Parliamentary Road to Socialism". But the stalinist culture of lies and distortions also remains as this case seems to show.
Red Leicester said:
The Morning Star, and its predecessor, spent decades publishing lies about the Stalinist "Soviet Union" and felt no need to apologise so I suppose its no surprise that they won't apologise to Pat Spackman for the lies they've published about him.
Suppose we'll have to wait for the employment tribunal for all the details - presumably then the identity and role of the "respected senior lay union representative" will become apparent.
Should be interesting.
newbie
undisambiguated
Call me naive but I am surprised. The ideological underpinning of the Star is pretty apparent, and always has been, and Big Politics stories have to be read with that in mind. The same is true of the Daily Mail or the Guardian.
However any newspaper has a fundamental duty to their readers to present basic fact-checked personal information about named individuals. Especially, one might think, in a dispute which is likely to end in a tribunal where evidence is properly presented, and any misleading or inaccurate statements will be found out.
Printing the intial WWW statement without basic checking was sloppy, but to compound that with their subsequent statement, (unattributed, anonymous, quite possibly libellous) was well beyond anything that the mainstream press would get up to.
I had previously thought that the Star was fundamentally a newspaper, with the regard for accuracy that implies. It's clearly not.
This raises the question of the other left press: do papers like SW or The Socialist operate within the PPC CoP?
However any newspaper has a fundamental duty to their readers to present basic fact-checked personal information about named individuals. Especially, one might think, in a dispute which is likely to end in a tribunal where evidence is properly presented, and any misleading or inaccurate statements will be found out.
Printing the intial WWW statement without basic checking was sloppy, but to compound that with their subsequent statement, (unattributed, anonymous, quite possibly libellous) was well beyond anything that the mainstream press would get up to.
I had previously thought that the Star was fundamentally a newspaper, with the regard for accuracy that implies. It's clearly not.
This raises the question of the other left press: do papers like SW or The Socialist operate within the PPC CoP?
newbie said:
I think the difference is that the Morning Star used (at least) to be a normal newspaper: distributed and sold through conventional outlets rather than being sold on the street by activists; covering sport as well as news; being invited to major press conferences.
As such, it really should come under the PCC.
newbie
undisambiguated
That's what exists. Is there some ideological reason why the editors of Aberdeen Press & Journal or Dog World can sign up to self-regulation of fundamental standards of journalism but not a single publication from the left (that I can see on the pulldown here?
The Commission can formally consider complaints about most (around 97%) commercially available UK newspapers and magazines. On the rare occasions that a newspaper or magazine does not fall under the PCC’s jurisdiction, the Commission will still seek – where possible – informally to resolve complaints against it.
Have the MS refused to let the PCC mediate?
The Commission can formally consider complaints about most (around 97%) commercially available UK newspapers and magazines. On the rare occasions that a newspaper or magazine does not fall under the PCC’s jurisdiction, the Commission will still seek – where possible – informally to resolve complaints against it.
Have the MS refused to let the PCC mediate?
Red Leicester
Active Member
This is from the PCC letter to Pat Spackman:
audiotech
wav, aiff, mp3, ogg, flac
wobbly said:
Yes, money plays a part. Wonder where Frank Chapple, the then leader of the electricians union, the EETPU, got his when he sued Socialist Worker?
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=3119
Red Leicester
Active Member
First Great Western sacked Pat on 16 April but he has still not received his P45!
Are these people fit to run a rail franchise?!
Is First Group fit to run anything?
Are these people fit to run a rail franchise?!
Is First Group fit to run anything?
oneflewover
Following "The Tigers"
Red Leicester said:
Do companies send them out if there is an appeal? Has it been asked for? Is the sacked driver looking for work?
Let's have balance
Red Leicester
Active Member
oneflewover said:
Maybe you don't have much employment experience, but it's not normal for an ex-employee to have to ask for their P45!
butchersapron
Bring back hanging
oneflewover said:
What sort of balance? Howe does your question equal balance then?
Red Leicester
Active Member
Although the Morning Star has not signed up to the Press Complaints Commission's Code of Practice, the PCC have agreed to take up Pat's complaint with the paper.
Red Leicester
Active Member
Claim for unfair dismissal now lodged with Employment Tribunal.
cockneyrebel
New Member
Cheers for the updates RL.
Red Leicester
Active Member
Exactly a year to the day since Pat swore at what the Morning Star describes as a "a respected senior lay union representative"!
FellowWorkerX
New Member
Just like to express solidarity with Pat. This whole thing is pretty awful and here's hoping some support for Pat will get results. What's the next move?
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