Spycops
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Lindsey German gave evidence at the Spycops inquiry today:
Or, the inquiry’s own page about her
You can watch her testimony on Youtube (if you have 3 hours spare)
EP Thompson thanked police infiltrators for the historical resources they provided, clearly this is a wealth of information of how the SWP operated in the 1970’s – the police went for treasurer roles, and were thus able to get ample evidence of who was organised in the SWP: the question is to what extent they were able to act as provocateurs and saboteurs.
I often wonder if the plod and the spooks were daft enough to infiltrate us. Let’s face it most of the information they would need is in the public domain and if they had infiltrated us they would have had to pay party dues to get information that was freely available.
Also the SWP accusing anyone of using Orwelian tactis is a little bit of the pot calling the kettle dirty arse.
Re the SWP, I’m just re reading Tariq Ali’s book “Redemption”. I would recommend reading it if you can get a copy of it. I think I’m enjoying it more this time around because the expose of the sexual proclivities of their “leaders” are now fully out in the open.
Anyway the SWP have a persecution complex, they’ll be made up that the Spooks were infiltrating them, they would have been distraught if they hadn’t been infiltrated!
Well, they say the police entered 1000’s of organisations, so I think it is close to a certainty that at least one member has been a police infiltrator. I suspect they wouldn’t have put in much effort, but a passive member.
I think it is probable that they have had access to our membership list.
But, overall, our openness is our best defence against infiltrators.
But, if there was a member who was very keen for about 4 years and then vanished altogether (and had a van)….
I used to have a van, but I’m still in the party and I sold the van!
If your suspected infiltrator was a spook, part of me thinks fair play to him. At least he got 4 years of fairly easy wage slavery and a period of four years’ company with interesting and amiable people. He may have actually learned something and in that respect they have more to fear from us than we should fear from them!
Due to our democratic approach the most damage he would have made is one vote in a vote of many.
You’re absolutely right that our openness is a great protection. Our principles, our procedures and our anti authoritarian approaches are also hugely protective. Fact is he could have won the “names in the hat” raffle to win be the “leader” of the party and it wouldn’t have mattered.
A useful resource
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