When I was 16 I was a part time Vernons Football pools collector. Vernons also use to run a very poplar “Spot the Ball” competition.
Let’s now all play “Spot the Difference” between these two remarkably similar communications sent out by Hannah and Roger to various branches this month. Both of whom are Socialist Party England & Wales (aka SPEW) NEC members of UNISON.
Amazingly Hannah seems to think that Stockton branch is in North West region not Northern region. This will no doubt come as a bit of a shock to the branch!
I can only assume that the SPEW Executive Committee has decreed that all its democratic centralists must for some obscure dialectic reason believe that the Tees flows west into the sea. Winston Smith would understand.
Apart from this the similarities in these faux “personal” letters are striking. While I am sure that the forces of light and the reason in the union may well have been tempted down a similar path in the past. I am certain that there would have of course been good reasons in their case.
Now, of course a possible innocent explanation for all this could be a well known theory about certain advanced primates, typewriters and Shakespeare.
But... I better not go down that road.
For now (double click picture to bring up detail).
Hat tip thingy An Bannour
11 comments:
I'm genuinely interested in the point you're trying to make here John.
Apart from the geographical mistake, are you highlighting the fact that both letters have the same wording?
I recall the 2001 General Election (I was Jim Fitzpatrick's agent). Jim, Stephen and Tony Banks had Labour Party generated Leaflets that had the same wording on them (each was presented as a "personal" appeal to the voters).
I think you’ll find that, if you compare the “Lead Members’” comments on the in focus leaflets that come with the Newham Mag they often have the same wording in what is supposed to be a personal message.
All political organisations do it; what's the problem?
Members of the unions leading body offering to go and speak to members, the bastards.
Hi Mike
As I said I am sure the forces of light and reason have done similar things. I assume that you are a member of GMB? (together with Brother Pearce?) in the Newham Tory trade union Gang of 2.
So in the nicest fraternal possible way keep out of internal UNISON family feuding since you won’t “get it”. As other’s outside of Newham won’t get the Brother Pearce reference.
Hi Paul
Nothing wrong with that at all! (suppose to be a smiley here but don't know how to do it on blogger!)
You do assume a lot of things. I’m not a GMB member – as it happens, I’m not Tory either.
I’m not interested in your union’s internal politics, I’m just interested in the point you’re trying to make. It’s not about not “getting it”; are you stating that it’s okay for organisations, political groups and individuals you support to distribute generic communiqués passed off as personalised messages, but if a group, organisation or person that you don’t agree with does it, they are evil personified?
Wouldn’t be a good idea for you to put a note on your union blogposts alerting non-Unison readers not to comment on the post as they’ll not “get it”?
Hi Mike
You sometimes have to make assumptions in life. I would have thought that you being a Tory was a fair one to make in the circumstances. Glad to hear that you are no longer. What Union are you a member of then? You commented that you were on that post I did about Thompson’s E-training?
Funny enough yesterday someone did point out to me how “New Labour” such passed off personalised messages are and wondered if SPEW are secret admirers of Peter Mandelson? I suppose they are. If you read their rag or look at their website (I wouldn’t recommend either) you would see the usual ultra left cant and bile.
I think it is a fair point to demonstrate SPEW are copying such “marketing” techniques that they pretend to despise and is suppose to be contrary to the type of politics they claim to believe in.
Anyone is welcome (within reason of course) to comment on anything I post. However, you don’t get certain things. For example you better not imply that the cult SPEW is “evil”....
Hi John,
must say this piece raised a smile for me. Also in response to Mike Law: whilst other partys might indulge in mass produced personalised messages to the masses, for the likes of SPEW the connection is about their politics not the technique.A small
(very,very small) group of tightly organised 'indiviiduals' where the only thinking done is by the central committee.
As for being prepared to speak to the members: great but the agenda is 'build the party'(in this case SPEW)and the interests of working people isn't even on the agenda. And yes I Know such an attitude occurs elsewhere on the political spectrum but nowhere with the level of concentration and vitriol as on the far left.
Dave Draycott
I’m not a union member at the moment; I wrote:
“Nice posting John.
This seems like a really useful site.
Thanks.”
I have friends who are union members and I passed the info on to them.
I’m not questioning the validity of the point you make, I was just looking for clarification regarding what that point is.
I don’t necessarily agree that just because someone isn’t a Unison member they will not “get” the nuances of the union’s internecine spats.
Of course the “cult of SPEW” isn’t evil… isn’t that the Tories on this blog?
Hi Dave
Why don’t they declare their “democratic centralism” at elections and point out that they will have to do what they are told by their central committees not what is in the best interests of their members?
Hi Mike
Apologies for getting that wrong then. However, why aren’t you a union member? I thought you worked for a large “retail” chain?
Again, I am more than happy for people to contribute but what you may not realise is if you accuse SPEW of being evil they may try and sue you under religious discrimination laws because they claim to be a “cult”.
No, the Tories aren’t evil. But some of their policies in the past have resulted in it.
They might try John but the breaking news is,,,,,, they will not succeed! They did not succeed!
Ultra left 'revolutionaries' seeking redress from a bourgeois court - you couldn't make it up. But they did and the big lie has blown up in their faces.
If they had any principles or self respect they would now resign from the union.
TC
No, I work as a manager in the gaming industry... no union recognition there - have tried to get Labour MPs interested in supporting the acceptance of union membership, funnily enough, not one has responded to my queries.
Hi Mike
I thought so. But you can still join a trade union even if it isn’t currently recognised? Thanks to Labour we do have least at a legally binding (but I admit flawed) mechanism to get union recognition by an employer. More than willing as Chair of Newham TULO to help out with a campaign for your employer. I do appreciate it is often dodgy to stick your neck out but it’s got to be done.
Any employer that refuses to recognise trade unions frankly doesn’t believe in basic human rights or international ILO conventions and should be treated as pariahs in exactly the same way as those who don’t believe in racial or sexual equality.
BTW I “bet” my pension fund owns shares in your employer.
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