Sid Bidwell

Letters

Making friends and influencing people

From Socialist Worker, No. 103, 4 January 1969, p. 2.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.

YOUR PAPER is not too bad at times and I like to see it (and other Labour MPs to see it) because I think it is important to see what young socialists are saying and doing.

But also (at times) there is much rubbish. For example Mrs. Short. During my short time in Parliament, she has not functioned as a ‘Left-wing Labour MP’ nor has she been associated with group activity.

I think the reasons you make these errors is that you do not thoroughly understand the Parliamentary Labour Party, the Labour Party or the trade union movement on which the former rests.

If you expect to play any lasting and constructive role in the development of British socialism (let alone international socialism) you will need to get to know leading trade union leaders and a number of Labour MPs so that you may get some first-hand knowledge instead of relying on hearsay and capitalist newspapers.

Sid Bidwell
Labour MP for Southall
House of Commons, SW1

Top of page

Main Socialist Worker Index | Main Newspaper Index

Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’ Internet Archive

Last updated on 30 October 2020