From Les Raphael A comment on Garrick Alder’s reference in Lobster 43 to the Zinoviev letter story. It’s a myth that the letter cost Labour the 1924 election, loaded with false implications, such as: that Labour had a majority to begin with (they only won 191 seats in 1923 – and only contested 427 out … Read more
In March of this year, there was a major scandal over party funding in the United Kingdom. To some of us, this was an accident waiting to happen. In a country with many millions of voters who are allowed to exercise that vote only once every four or five years, relatively small numbers of people … Read more
All four of Tony Blair’s new political appointees at the Ministry of Defence are part of Labour’s Atlanticist network. Three of them, George Robertson, Lord John Gilbert and John Speller, are members of two interrelated bodies, the Atlantic Council and its labour movement wing, the Trades Union Committee for European and Transatlantic Understanding (TUCETU). The … Read more
By Peter Dale Scott (18,734 words) 10/29/05 See also A Ballad of Drugs and 9/11 (I wish to acknowledge the invaluable assistance in the preparation of this essay from N, a Russian who for the time being prefers to remain anonymous.) Tajik authorities have claimed repeatedly that neither the US nor NATO exerts any … Read more
McKinney/Africa/covert action Democratic Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney sponsored a forum, ‘Covert Action in Africa: A Smoking Gun in Washington, D.C.’ And this isn’t just cold war history; this is names, people and companies doing it today. The text of the meeting is at www.copvcia.comand Red spiels The Cold War International History Project (CWIHP) has now posted … Read more
‘The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it and ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.’ – Winston Churchill On July 17, 1996, 230 people boarded TWA Flight 800 at Kennedy airport, New York. About twelve minutes after take-off, 8.31 pm, the plane exploded and crashed into the waters off Long … Read more
Maggie, Maggie, Maggie Giles Scott-Smith,(1) who wrote about the Congress for Cultural Freedom in Lobster 36 and 38, has written a very interesting study of Margaret Thatcher’s first visit to America in 1967.(2) Scott-Smith shows that Thatcher, then a junior shadow spokesperson in the Tory Party, was talent-spotted by the State Department’s man in the … Read more
Jane Affleck Here are a few more websites, focusing chiefly on the issue of electronic privacy which is currently being debated both in the U.S. and Europe. Thanks to those who have sent comments, and thanks for contributions to: Terry Hanstock, Ian Tresman and Tony Hollick. Comments and contributions are welcome: I can be contacted … Read more
1: The Investigatory Powers Tribunal Malcolm Kennedy (1) complained to the recently established Investigatory Powers Tribunal because he believes his telecommunications are being monitored and interfered with, and his persistent attempts to seek answers have led to brick walls and confusion. His case is currently proceeding. (2) But concerns have already been raised about the … Read more
Timothy Evans Oxford and Providence (USA): Berghahn Books, 1996, £10, h/b Why review a book published in 1996? Well, I received this recently, assumed it was current and didn’t notice the publication date until I began to write this. In the early 1980s it began to dawn on people on the left of British politics … Read more
