Photo: JEFF BIGGIN SUPPORT GROUP YORK SHIRE CO OT CHER The mass women's rally in support of the NUM on 8 the backing of the THE Piccadilly Theatre in London's west end resounded on Sunday the singing chants of hundreds of women. The occasion was a benefit organised by London Women (the regional women's committee for the Greater London for Women Against Pit Closures.
After strange (and occasionally dubious) acts the event got off to a swinging start with the An. nie some traditional Irish VI HOW NOS Gibb.
Betweel the performers, various personalities Walters presented facts and figures about the testimonials from miners and women in mining communities about police brutality, tire strike.
how she saw Labour's role in the strike.
On Wednesday November, at o'clock at night, Norman Fowler attempted to make a statement, which leaders demanded, about the upgrading of sup plementary benefit which should have meant the miners got ar extra t The purpose of asking for that slalciiicill publicise the fact that the government weren't going to let them have it.
This was the bitter end another example of the government on the one hand trying to starve the miners back real Scrooge effort immediately before Christmas on the other trving to bribe them back with their own money, that due to them. had to make a stand About 30 of us stood in front of the mace, a procedure which effectively put an end to the sitting We refused to go away. si in the end the Speaker hac to adjourn the House We wanted to highlight just what the Tories prepared to do I ney were all there to relish the fact that their government wa: going to take another f off the miners This struggle of the miners is the most important struggle going on in today. Since NACODS settled it has been much more difficult Tor le miners. Inis is the time when all 'good men anu truc really must put their money where their mouth is.
We need particularly industrial other workers in suppor of the miners. We need ti stop the power stations.
hostility and their determination to fight to the finish.
This spirit was summed up by Betty Heathfield in s stirring speech which she appealed for renewed efforts in fundraising to counteract the bribes of the bosses.
Unfortunately, the first half of the benefit overran by 40 minutes, so many of the best per. formers including Peggy Seeger, Robyn Ar. cher and Carol Grimes d Iguanas — were squeezed for time.
about women Women Against Pit Closures join. ed with all the performers in a final song, and were greeted with a standing ovation while the theatre rang with the now famous 'Here we go chant.
The benefit was an unqualified success, with £3,500 raised in the collec tion £5,500 ticket Sales advertisin! and so on — a grand tota of £9,000!
Bedles shut up!
LAST WEEK national press headlines were grabbed by protests by Labour MPs in the House of Commons over the government's fl a week supplementary benefit cut for striking miners. It was one of the most effective actions by Labour MPs during the enSocialist Action asked JOAN MAYNARD, one of the MPs involved, to explain what happened and There must be a real campaign to reach them -by leafletting the factories and by speaking to them irrespective what leadership those unions are saying in order to persuade the power workers that if the miners get beaten we're all going to be in very, very Just at the time when the crunch is on we have the spectacle of the 'leader' the Labour Party, Neil Kinnock, saying he can't find time to go to even one o the major rallies which the NUM recently held. I just don't believe that.
He found time to go to India, he's Moscow. I don't oppose him going, but it is an ab solute disgrace, just when need stand together behind our party and behind the miners who are conducting the struggle on behalf of all of us Then we had Eccles chairperson of the TUC saying the miners win unionist: snould say to him: 'If that's the best you can do remove TUC The tragedy of Willis' speech on violence, similar statements by Kinnock, is that instead of ex posing who is creating the violence society natche goverriment, thei the the police - they attack the miners. Just go have look Yorkshire and North Der ovshire. were we've got virtual police occupation and a police state
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