London Socialist Historians Group
August 30th
Contact Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266
As TUC calls for Autumn Public Holiday Historians say anniversary of Cable St is favourite
The London Socialist Historians Group, which organises the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London has welcomed the call by the TUC for four more public holidays a year
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58379875
This includes a new holiday between September and Xmas.
The historians suggested four possible dates- convention dictates that the holiday would be on the nearest Monday
4th October 1936 The Battle of Cable St. Mosley’s fascists stopped from marching through London’s East End
4th November 1839 Chartist Rising in Newport. An attempt at armed revolution for the vote, peaceful means having failed at that point back to Peterloo. It failed, but only just
22nd November 1990. The resignation of Margaret Thatcher
28th November 1820. Birth of Friedrich Engels Manchester businessman and co-thinker with Marx.
A social media poll has so far indicated that marking the anniversary of Cable St was by far the most well supported option, with the date of Margaret Thatcher’s resignation in 1990 second. There were also many other ideas aside from the four poll options.
LSHG Convenor Dr Keith Flett said, the Battle of Cable St deserves to be marked with a public holiday. When ordinary Londoners came together to make a decisive stand against Mosley’s anti-Semitism and racism they made a point that resonates down the decade.
The poll is still open:
I suggest the Battle of Cable st date should be used for a public holiday, 4th October 1936.