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Keith Narey

Bradford North

Tory vandals at work

(June 1987)


From Militant, 4 June 1987, p. 3.
Transcribed by Iain Dalton.
Marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).



JUST AS the Tory government has vandalised Bradford’s industry, so the Bradford North Tories have resorted to vandalism against a graphic illustration of their party’s record.

An 8 ft by 12 ft cartoon by Alan Hardman, depicting Thatcher’s demolition of industry in Bradford North was fixed onto the side of a Labour member’s house.

It was put up at 7 p.m.; the Tory agent drive past at 7.15 p.m. The occupants returned home at 11 p.m. to find the cartoon vandalised, with oil, paint and eggs and margarine splashed all over it.

The culprits were obviously the local Tories. So great is their fear of socialist ideas that this one sharp cartoon had to be immediately destroyed before workers could see it. They have posters all round Bradford North, yet not one been vandalised.

The Tories claim to stand for law and order and private property. What they mean is their law, their order and their property.

Their actions, while outraging many Labour Party members in Bradford North, will only strengthen their resolve to work for the return of a socialist candidate.

“We will not be set back” says cartoonist Alan Hardman “We’ve got the energy and enthusiasm and we’ll come straight back and do another one.”

By returning Pat Wall, Bradford North socialists will be implementing the message inscribed on the cartoon: “Keep the Tory extremists out – vote Labour for the return of a Labour government”.


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