SOS
12-01-2003, 06:59 PM
Guardian (http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,1096935,00.html)
Not suprising in the least bit possible.
Marching in their millions: but far left has hijacked peace group, says CND veteran
Campaign rejects claims of Trotskyist takeover
Patrick Wintour and Rebecca Allison
Monday December 1, 2003
The Guardian
The peace movement could be destroyed by the takeover of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Stop the War coalition by Trotskyist groups and the Communist party, according to allegations circulated by a leading campaigner.
The claims have been made by Jimmy Barnes, the veteran leftwing secretary of the trade union CND movement. He has warned in a paper sent to the campaign's national council and the trade union CND executive that "CND itself is now a small divided group with little future, unless there is a change".
It has been well known that the anti-war groups have always been heavily influenced by the far left, but the internal divisions have reached a startling degree of animosity.
Mr Barnes claims that the last CND annual conference saw a bitter fight for the chairmanship, ending with officer positions being captured by the Communist party and Socialist Action faction. He adds that the way CND was taken over in the autumn will "lead to a long-running faction struggle which could neutralise, or possibly destroy the peace movement at a time when it is most needed".
Not suprising in the least bit possible.
Marching in their millions: but far left has hijacked peace group, says CND veteran
Campaign rejects claims of Trotskyist takeover
Patrick Wintour and Rebecca Allison
Monday December 1, 2003
The Guardian
The peace movement could be destroyed by the takeover of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Stop the War coalition by Trotskyist groups and the Communist party, according to allegations circulated by a leading campaigner.
The claims have been made by Jimmy Barnes, the veteran leftwing secretary of the trade union CND movement. He has warned in a paper sent to the campaign's national council and the trade union CND executive that "CND itself is now a small divided group with little future, unless there is a change".
It has been well known that the anti-war groups have always been heavily influenced by the far left, but the internal divisions have reached a startling degree of animosity.
Mr Barnes claims that the last CND annual conference saw a bitter fight for the chairmanship, ending with officer positions being captured by the Communist party and Socialist Action faction. He adds that the way CND was taken over in the autumn will "lead to a long-running faction struggle which could neutralise, or possibly destroy the peace movement at a time when it is most needed".