Wednesday, March 16, 2011

"Battle of Cable Street" Veteran Urges Support for TUC March on 26th

Max Levitas who marched against the fascists in Cable Street in 1936 joined our Labour Party and Trade Union stall in Stratford on Saturday to pledge support for the TUC March for an Alternative on the 26th.

Max (picture) is now 95 and was a Communist Party Councillor in Whitechapel from 1945 to 1958. At Cable Street he marched alongside Phil Piratin (on of the first Communist MP's and father of one of my former UNISON branch secretaries).

He still comes shopping to Stratford twice a month and takes the 25 bus here and back.

I have seen Max speak at events in the past and once even knocked on his door while canvassing for Labour.  He is still proud to be a Communist but says he would usually vote for Labour if there was not a real Communist standing and is pleased to see the Labour Party out campaigning.  He will be there on the TUC March on the 26th.

Max warned us about the threat to the Labour Movement from those who have their own agenda and will try their best to wreck and split us.  Of course, I haven't a clue who he means?

6 comments:

Damien McKee said...

Did you see the Come Dine With Me Election night special where Derek Hatton and Edwina Currie were on it? Would you agree that while they had different politics they are examples of what turns people off their political parties and what was your view on them?

John Gray said...

Hi Damien

I don't like either of their politics but I am not sure that they did put "people" off? Rightly or wrongly people are interested in such "personalities" and egotists.

Hatton did put people off Militant. Nothing wrong with that at least.

Both of them would put me off my dinner.

Damien McKee said...

I take it you would have supported Betty Boothroyd and Gwyneth Dunwoody in their attempts to get rid of Hatton's sort?

John Gray said...

Hi Damien

Yep!

Anonymous said...

Once their was a CLP called Newham North East which
1) deselected a Cabinet Minister
2) still holds the record for the number of "Militant" supporters expelled without intervention of the NEC.
Some of the same people did both and are still around in East Ham.

Anonymous said...

I am sure that Max would approve of 2)

(He would have probably perferred them to be s...).