07.07.2010

Outstanding

Howard Roak reports on another cracking week for our annual fundraising campaign

Comrades working on the CPGB stall at this year’s Marxism reported sunny days and (relatively) sunny dispositions of the people who approached. Paper and books sales were brisk and many comrades were eager to stop and engage in animated, but friendly discussions.

Of course, the darker side of Marxism was unfortunately also on show. So we had the attack on one of our comrades for the ‘crime’ of distributing leaflets, the boringly familiar surly hostility of the SWP’s apparatchiks and hacks, and the idiotic antagonism inculcated into the members of the ‘Marxism team’ - the mostly young comrades responsible for the nuts-and-bolts running of the whole show.

That notwithstanding, well over £150 was raised on our stall over the two and a half days of our attendance. In fact, I’m feeling pretty chipper about this year’s campaign in general. What with the Marxism fun-in-the-sun, new badge orders and some party supporters stepping up to the mark, our Summer Offensive has jumped from the £6,101 I reported in last week’s column to a superb £8,530 - a £2,370 jump in just one week. Outstanding work, comrades!

In the days that follow the appearance of this column, our centre will be sending out thousands of SO appeals to party supporters, plus leaflets for our annual school, Communist University (all welcome, by the way, comrades! Come along and distribute your materials without fear of having your head - or any other important appendages - “ripped off”). So I’m hoping that this heroic pace can be at least maintained - perhaps built upon? - over the coming seven days.

Special mention this week to comrades JB (£170), SM (£100), TB (£200), TR (£60) and AM (£150). The comrades who contributed smaller amounts this week know who they are and also know they are greatly appreciated by our organisation. And there are hundreds of others who recognise the role of the Weekly Worker. Comrades who have sympathy for the politics of the CPGB, particularly our support for and central involvement in principled initiatives such as Hands Off the People of Iran and Communist Students. Comrades who should really not be shy about contributing a fiver, tenner or whatever they can afford.

Remember, comrades, there are thousands of you!