Communism In Britain

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29189, 27 April 1960, Page 9

Communism In Britain

Sir, —Mr Pollitt’s statement in a press interview that “Communism was making progress in England,” would appear to be a magnificent example of wishful thinking. To anyone anxious to verify it may I suggest a study of the party membership over the last five years together with circulation figures of the “Daily Worker” over the same period. Tune was when a fair number of Communists stood for Parliament but now any apostle of the party creed who has an itch to expound it on the hustings knows from bitter experience that he will have to pay £l5O for the privilege of a forfeited deposit. In the trades unions a well-developed technique has brought the Communists greater success, but of the recent election of officers to the Electrical Trades Union the “Spectator” (January 29) has this to say of its ex-president:—“Mr Haxell . . . was reported to have been beaten in the presidency . . . though whether his friends (who after all were in charge of the ballot-boxes) would let a mere defeat stand in the way of his being pronounced elected, remained to be seen.”—Yours, etc., I.S.T. April 25, 1960.