Kmflett's Blog

From Peterloo to Gaza: the authorities wish to point out that protesting is bad for you

The author Michael Rosen commented on social media in 2018 that when it comes to protests where the authorities injure or kill protesters they invariably claim that the protesters are to blame. Certainly that is likely to be the official reaction to the latest deaths and injuries of Palestinians in Gaza.

According to Israeli PM Netanyahu the Israel Defence Force is dealing with ‘rioters’ numbers of them children it appears.

We should be cautious about historical comparisons because we can’t be sure we are really comparing like with like. Each situation has its own specificity

Even so the general point that when the authorities injure or kill protesters they invariably find way to blame them for it is valid. At Peterloo for example the claim was that those who gathered to demand the vote were armed in some way. They were not.

The problem the Government in 1819 had was that although Britain was nominally a democracy, in reality it was not, and the only way they could deal with protests was through official violence. It took many years starting with the 1832 Reform Act for the Government to come terms with the need to deal with matters by democratic dialogue. The point has to be continually renewed.

When the Manchester Yeomanry cut down and killed and injured protesters for the vote at Peterloo in central Manchester on 16th August 1819, the authorities did blame this on fleeing protesters.

Still that was a long time ago.

Interestingly on the 150th anniversary of Peterloo in 1969 the Sunday Telegraph repeated the point. Even at that distance the reality of the massacre had to be denied.

The Mandrake column (20th July 1969) was headed ‘the massacre that never was’. Reviewing a new book Robert Walmsley’s Peterloo: the case reopened (MUP) it noted ‘most of the day’s comparatively few casualties were caused were caused by a trampling panic amongst the crowd’.

That is a reassuring explanation, and even if not a factual one, a reminder about how to spin unfortunate events in the present day perhaps….

200 years of Guardian errors- including wrongly naming myself as Editor, Living Marxism

The Guardian which is marking its 200^th anniversary this month has published a brief summary of one of the things it is best known for- errors.

Unaccountably missing is a reference to the edition in December 1989 when I was wrongly named as Editor of Living Marxism. I have indeed spent a life on the political left but NOT that specific left. They did print a correction the following day…

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/may/12/guardian-200-typo-negative-best-worst-grauniad-mistakes

London Socialist Historians Group

Press release

12^th May

Contact: Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266

Historians say new Universities ‘Freedom of Speech’ Bill should protect academic jobs not obsess on ‘cancel culture’

The London Socialist Historians Group, which convenes the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, has criticised Government plans for a new Higher Education Freedom of Speech Bill.

The historians say that the measures proposed are not necessary and are very wide of the mark in addressing freedom of speech issues in Universities.

The University and College Union (UCU) which represents academics and other higher education professionals is right to say that a key issue is that many, faced with precarious working arrangements, limited employment contracts and potential redundancies, is a concern that saying anything that annoys their employer may find them displaced and ultimately dismissed.

LSHG Convenor Dr Keith Flett said, the Government’s obsession with what is sees as ‘cancel culture’ is continuing. Most often this seems to be focused on academics who say things unpopular in certain areas of the media, in defence of Palestinians, or questioning Government policies on a range of issues. By contrast Gavin Williamson’s apparent concern that right-wing views of various kinds are muffled in the academy is not something that accords with realty

BBC report

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-57076093

London Socialist Historians Group

11^th May

Contact Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266

Summer & Autumn term update on seminars and newsletter

Dear Comrades,

Many of you will have joined our first seminar of the Summer Term on 26^th April, when Stella Dadze spoke to a large gathering on her book A Kick In The Belly, on women, resistance and slavery.

We have one more seminar this term on Monday 24^th May at 5.30pm when Simon Hannah will speak on the Labour Parliament of 1854. Zoom details can be accessed at this link(click the Book Now link):

https://www.history.ac.uk/node/5666

There are a number of speakers pencilled in for the Autumn Term but we await dates from the IHR and a decision on whether these will be virtual, in person at the IHR or a hybrid of the two.

If you are interested in giving a seminar paper please get in touch.

Our Spring newsletter and much else is on the website:

http://londonsocialisthistorians.blogspot.com/

The process of putting together a newsletter for the summer term is in hand. Contributions, criticisms, letters, comments and notices of events are all welcome. Please send these ASAP or agree a date when you are able to do so!

With Tory Culture Wars both on historical research in general and funding for history to be taught at newer Universities still very much a feature there is much to be done.

Rgds

Keith Flett

May traditions: mostly harmless

You’d hardly know it from the media in 2024 (but then the media is notoriously poor at history) but May Day and early May is one of those parts of the year which has a large number of ‘traditions’, mostly not currently celebrated, associated with it.

Perhaps the most well known is dancing around the Maypole, which some have suggested was a phallic symbol (highly doubtful) and was disliked by hard line Protestants and Puritans for being a bit pagan.

Early May is also time to mark new growth and that traditionally includes liaisons between young men and women. This supposedly led to an increased birth rate nine months later except that fairly recent research has underlined that it didn’t. In fact heading off into the woods or grassland to make love was not all that popular because, as is still the case in 2024, outside was all a bit cold and wet.

The tradition of May Day greenery and garlands again to mark the coming of Spring perhaps still has some resonance and it’s worth noting that Eton schoolboys were allowed to get up at 4am to gather such things. There is absolutely no evidence that Boris Johnson ever bothered unless of course he had in fact not yet gone to bed at that time.

Beard Liberation Front

11^th May

Media Release

Contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett 07803 167266

Election photo ID plans will discriminate against beard wearers

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that plans announced in Tuesday’s Queen’s Speech on a requirement to show a form of photo ID to vote in elections in England will discriminate against beard wearers.

Only a limited number of photo IDs will be acceptable, including the passport.

The campaigners say that passport photos showing the bearer with a beard have long been the subject of pogonophobic controversy. In the official mind a passport photo with a beard can suggest three things:

1 The passport holder is hiding something under their beard

2 The beard is in fact false and designed to hide their true identity

3 The passport bearer plans to shave the beard off to avoid being identified in future

The BLF says this represents a perfect storm of pogonophobic prejudice and the campaigners will join with others to try and stop the plans

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, you can almost see what is running through the mind of perpetually clean shaven Boris Johnson here. In his eyes beard wearers are subversive so bringing in a photo ID law opens the chance of the hirsute being refused the chance to vote on the basis of disputed identity.

A tale of two London brewed pale ales. Sarf London wins

I spent a good deal of Monday at the funeral of my brother-in-law Rod Davies who died at the too young age of 60 recently. The High Anglican service was in Wapping (I’m an atheist but I respect the views of others) and there were two wakes.

The rather larger was at the Golden Fleece at Wanstead Flats. Later I was the Tottenham High Cross with Rod’s sister and my partner Megan.

There is an historic connection. In 1848 the State was worried that Chartists gathering on Wanstead Flats would march across what was then open country to the Enfield weapons factory.

Anyway, while it was a trade union sort of wake as the core mourners, as Rod himself, were all veteran union members, politics was not on the agenda. Beer was though.

At Wanstead I drank Camden pale, at 4%. It’s brewed at Camden’s new ABI built brewery at Ponders End. It was in great condition and robustly flavoured for its strength. In short, enjoyable.

At the High Cross I drank Kernel Pale stronger in this particular iteration at 5.1% and brewed in Bermondsey. It was a good deal more-tasty hop wise than Camden pale and it was certainly unfiltered (not clear) as the Camden pale was.

Camden pale was good to drink but Kernel pale was even better (both beers were on keg dispense)

Beard Liberation Front

10^th May 2021

Beard Liberation Front warns Starmer against bringing back Peter Mandelson’s moustache

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has warned Labour leader Keir Starmer against any attempt to bring back Peter Mandelson’s moustache.

Reports suggest that the former Hartlepool MP and New Labour spin doctor is once again advising the Labour leadership

The campaigners say that Mandelson’s moustache was reported missing, presumed lost, in the early New Labour period as one of the first casualties of the rise of clean-shaven revisionist politics

BLF Organiser Keith Flett, Peter Mandelson’s moustache was of its time and that time has passed.

Beard Liberation Front

10^th May

Beard Liberation Front says ‘on no account’ should the hirsute try to hug Michael Gove

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that after Michael Gove said on Sunday that people might soon be able to hug that on no account should the hirsute do this.

The campaigners say that even attempting to hug Gove could cause serious follicle damage as he is believed to have high levels of toxicity.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett, generally we leave the question of hugging up the discretion of individual beard wearers but when it comes to Michael Gove we have to take a much harder line

The Ambridge Socialist

9^th May

Of God & Veganism

We’ve had quite a bit of vicar this week with Alan mouthing the usual platitudes to Alice, or, alternatively words of wisdom and eternal truths depending on how one sees the things.

The Ambridge Socialist would however like to hear some thoughts from Professor Jimbo on christening and its purpose in the world, or at least Ambridge in 2021. 

Things did not turn out well on the day of the Christening as Alice had been imbibing again and Chris suggesting that she was drunk. This provoked Chris’s latest statement that he was leaving Alice. Perhaps the Archers will now leave Alice to seek further professional help while other matters are focused on..

Parish Council Elections

The result of the Parish Council Elections was unknown as the Ambridge Socialist went to press. However the Ambridge Socialist did not put forward a candidate this year. The class struggle in Ambridge remains central to our activities but the proceedings of the Parish Council provide only the most marginal reflection of the battle between capital and labour in the village at the moment.

Veganism

Ruairi has been persuaded by Mia that he should stick to vegan sweets in future. It’s a start but he do well to keep the matter quiet from Brian Aldridge.

Lee did not stand naked

Call Me Russ’s life drawing class on Bank Holiday Monday went off well when Lee declined to pose naked but Joy decided she could and would. Fortunately this was a radio only moment although the Ambridge Socialist does think that a 2022 calendar of naked Ambridge men would be of some interest…