10.04.2014

Like it is

Robbie Rix is pleased to hear from some online readers in this week's Fighting Fund

“Congratulations on your coverage of the Left Unity conference,” writes JH. While she takes issue with the overall assessment of the new party, that does not stop her from adding: “Keep telling it like it is!”

And that’s the whole point of the Weekly Worker. We’re not aiming to be diplomatic, or to ‘make friends and influence’ people in high places. We ‘tell it like it is’ for a particular reason. It’s only by ruthlessly identifying and analysing the left’s shortcomings that we can hope to overcome them. How is it we are still divided into competing sects? Why don’t those who say they are Marxists unapologetically argue for Marxist truths in every sphere of activity?

JH may not agree with all our conclusions, but she appreciates what we are trying to do. Which is why she adds a “token” £10 to our fighting fund. But all those tokens add up. Her PayPal donation was one of three (out of 12,297 online readers) this week - thanks also to NW (£20) and MD (£15). Then there was the total of £135 received in seven standing order contributions (from JA, CG, FK, GD, RK, SM and DV) and finally two very handy cheques from TG (£50) and RB (£40).

All that comes to £260 and takes our running total up to £446 for April. But it isn’t quite enough. We need £1,500 a month (and last week’s rise in postal charges has added to our costs), but we seem always to be lagging just a bit behind. A third of the month has gone already.

We could do with a lot more of those “token” donations.

Robbie Rix