(Militant No. 577, 13 November 1981, p. 3)
In a prominent editorial on 26th October, the Daily Mirror, so-called ‘Labour’ paper, published a vicious editorial against the Militant, suggesting that the Left was “costing the party the votes of thousands of its ordinary, decent supporters”, and calling for the expulsion of Militant supporters.
In the editorial the Mirror also repeated some of the bitter innuendo of the ultra-right. We reprint below a letter sent by the editor of Militant to the editor of the Mirror. Needless to say, that democratic paper has not printed it, or even acknowledged it.
26 October 1981
Dear Editor,
The Daily Mirror, (Comment, 26 October) repeats the lies and slanders of the rest of the Tory press when it alleges that Militant is “financed by large anonymous loans (the biggest interest free) and the ‘donations’ of its members.”
We do not have “members”, “Militant” is a newspaper, not an organisation. Our supporters are all individual members of the Labour Party. Nor are we part of “revolutionary international groups.”
Moreover, there are no “large anonymous loans” made to “Militant”. Your editorial tries, through innuendo to give the completely false impression that “Militant” is financially backed by some sinister force. Our funds, come from our supporters. We do not receive a penny from the CIA, the KGB, Colonel Gaddafi, or from big business.
As you are well aware, the loans to “Militant” come from WIR Publications Ltd., which in effect acts as a “collecting box” for our supporters’ donations. This was fully explained in our statement to the Labour Party last year, which was accepted by the National Executive.
Details of donations are printed every week in our paper, and our accounts are open to public inspection at Companies House. Why does not the “Daily Mirror” publish details of amounts it has “anonymously” paid to right wing Labour MPs and leaders for articles in the Mirror?
In attacking “Militant” you remain true to form in defending the “mixed economy” (ie capitalism) and Labour’s right wing who defended a system which has put 3 million working people on the dole.
Labour’s right wing, backed by “Mirror” writers like Joe Haines who was Harold Wilson’s right-hand man, supported policies under the 1974-79 Labour government which led to the catastrophe of Thatcher coming to power. It was the rejection of these discredited policies, as well as those of the Tories, which led to the victory of the Liberals at Croydon.
Socialist policies are the way to defeat the Tories and their cousins, the SDP/Liberal Alliance. The policies of Joe Haines, the Daily Mirror, and the Labour Party’s right wing are grist to the mill of Labour’s enemies.
Labour Party members understand this, and that is why they are turning to the policies of “Militant”. For the same reason, the Daily Mirror’s call for a witch-hunt against “Militant” and its supporters will receive as little support now as they did in your previous campaign against us.
Yours faithfully
Peter Taaffe
Editor, Militant
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