West London Branch Street Stalls
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Four members and a sympathiser were out in Chiswick High Road yesterday (4 June) mainly to distribute our leaflet on the EU referendum, EU referendum: An irrelevant sideshow. As anticipated, the Remain and Leave campaigns were out leafleting there too though not at the same time. Judging by the number of passers-by prepared to take and display an IN sticker, in this part of London there would seem to be more support for Remain.
We discussed with two Leave campaigners and were surprised to find that they were not UKIP supporters nor xenophobic bigots. One argued Tony Benn's position that leaving would increase democratic control in Britain. The other was a "libertarian" follower of Ayn Rand who favoured full free trade (presumably also in labour but we forgot to press him on the point). Both were atheists (one bought our pamphlet How The Gods Were Made) and both were republicans. The "libertarian" was an immigrant from New Zealand (people from the old colonies can vote in the referendum, but not people from the EU). The other told us that the Leave campaign was financed by the Thatcherite thinktank, the Bruges Group.
Next week West London branch will be doing a stall in Hounslow.
http://www.worldsocialism.org/spgb/event/west-london-street-stall-hownslow-12noon
Three members and a sympathisers were out for a couple of hours this afternoon in Hounslow mainly to distribute our EU referendum leaflet. Hard-going in this area where most of those passing by were not speaking English but either a language of the Indian sub-continent or of Eastern Europe but we gave out the same number if leafletts as usual. We did manage to engage in some conversations on socialism as well as the referendum. One of our opening gambits — that it was a vote to decide which Old Etonian should be Prime Minister — didn't work as we got the reply "I don't object to our leader being an Old Etonian. We need to be led by intelligent and educated people". Back to the Ragged Trousered Philanthropists !On the referendum most were in favour of Remain on the ground that "we are in and it's not worth the trouble or risk of coming out". Someone on the Islamic stand giving out free korans also expressed this view. Further down the street was a Leave stall run by UKIP including their candidate for the area in last year's general election when he over 6000 votes and 12.6%. The silent minority, then. No sign of Remain leafletters.Next and last weekend before the vote: Kingston.
Two of us went to a meeting at Acton Trade Union Club of the Unite retired members section but open to all to listen to two trade union speakers putting the Remain and Leave case. Except for some still on autopilot since the last referendum in 1975 (when the trade unions and many in the Labour Party were for coming out), the others were either for remain (most) or for abstention. We joined in the discussion afterwards and gave out some leaflets.On leaving Acton Central station when coming, we noticed that there was another referendum debate in a church at the other end of Acton High Street at the same time. The line-up looked interesting (and incongruous): a representative of the FBU and the Bruges Group for leave and a Tory and Kate Hudson (chairman of CND and leader of Left Unity, but in a "personal capacity") for Remain. Yes, Left Unity still exists. There were a couple at the meeting we went to, who were veerying towards abstaining (rather than leave).
Interesting couuple of hours in Kingston earlier today. Despite the announced suspension of campaigning until Monday, the Leave people were out leafletting as "Veterans for Britain" defending the British Army from being incorporated into a European one. The Remain people were about but not leafletting. The Leave people told us that the Remainers had threatened to take photos of them and send them to the Guardian (I'm sure that had them trembling in their boots). Those who discussed the referendum with us were evenly divided between Remain and Leave. Those for Remain argued that as "we" were in, "we" might as well stay, though one made the point that if the Brexiters were right and the economy boomed after Brexit more workers would be needed, from abroad of course. Those for Leave were divided. One said she was against the EU because it was "Marxist" (a new one on us). Another was a leftist who told us that Boris and Farage were "wankers". He was still going to vote with them though. Some people had already voted by post.We also discussed socialism with others and even sold three pamphlets.In the Druid's Head pub after we overheard a discussion about whether booze cruises to Calais to buy beer, cigarettes and wine would continue (the answer is no, unless Britain stays in the single market; otherwise it would be back to the old duty-free limits). Actually, this discussion was of more relevance to the working class than the other stuff the media and the politicians have been going on about.We are going to have to distribute the remaining few hundred leaflets door to door in some of the areas we distributed our GLA election leaflets.
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