29.09.2010

Global scope

Robbie Rix has every confidence we shall make up this month's shortfall

Too many comrades are celebrating the election of Ed Miliband. Testimony, if ever there was, to how far adrift the left has become. Just because the right wing stupidly dubs him ‘Red Ed’, there is no need for us to do the same. Of course, it is good to see the back of Dave Miliband. But if the working class is going to successfully resist the cuts and fight back with its own agenda we must do more than choose the butcher.

On the subject of the Labour Party, comrade PP, who sent us in an excellent donation of £30, commends us for the way the paper is prepared to be quite open about the differences among CPGB members over whether or not to vote for Diane Abbott. “You put the other groups to shame” he comments.

Naturally we will be giving over further space in the coming weeks and months to the Abbott issue - so that the politics behind it can be fully debated. And, it ought to be stressed, we do not regard this as a purely internal debate. Other comrades are more than welcome to take sides or make their own contribution, either in the form of letters or articles.

Anyway, onto our £1,250 monthly fighting fund. Albeit with a couple days of the month to go, it stands at £1,202. Besides comrade PP, thanks are due to SB (£15), DO (£20), TB (£10) and JT (£50). So just under £50 below target, and I have every confidence that we will make up this shortfall next month. Indeed, we have to, if we want to keep on producing the paper.

Nowadays, of course, most of our readers are through the internet. Last week there were 9,062 of them in total. Incidentally, I have been asked where our e-readership comes from. Frankly, I have not the slightest idea. But having an accurate national breakdown would be more than an interesting exercise. From word of mouth I get the strong impression that our readership is truly global in scope.