January 2016 – Radical Lambeth

Video: London rates rebels – The London Programme (1986)

Video from The London Programme, made on the eve of the Lambeth councillors verdict in the High Court where they were surcharged.

Photo Gallery: Rate capping dispute 1984-86

Many of these photos are taken from the pamphlet “He was only the District Auditor, but…” which was published in 1986 to raise money to pay for the fines imposed on 31 Lambeth councillors who defied rate capping the year before.

The photos from the pamphlet were taken by NALGO member Dave Stewart.

Demonstration by the Lambeth Workers Joint Trade Unions

Ted Knight, Leader of the council from 1978-1986

Tony Mulhearn (l) Ted Knight (c) and Derek Hatton (r). Mulhearn and Hatton were surcharged councillors in Liverpool and supporters of Militant Tendency

The Lambeth surcharged councillors, photo courtesy of Noel Hannon

During the Miners Strike many miners came to Lambeth to speak at meetings and raise money. They joined the protests against rate capping in 1985.

Ted Knight marching with trade unionists, 1985

Anna Tapsell from Lambeth NALGO, behind her Ken Livingstone and Ted Knight

As other councils set rates, demonstrations of workers and local residents outside vent their anger

Support for the rate capping struggle, Oval Cricket ground, 1985

Dennis Skinner speaking in Lambeth Town Hall, 1985

Trade Unionists unveil a banner outside the Town Hall when it is occupied in support of the Labour councillors

Janet Boateng, Lambeth Councillor who fought rate capping

Kathy Connelly, Labour councillor who opposed the setting a rate

Lambeth and Liverpool councillors outside the High Court

Black Sections in the Labour Party

Linda Bellos (l) speaking at a Black Section meeting

“The Labour Party has always quietly congratulated itself as being, almost by definition, the anti-racist party. It may be true that very few Black comrades take up positions as Party activists, that fewer still are elected in the name of the Labour Party to public office and that a Black delegate to Annual Conference is still a rarity, but the reasons for this, whatever they may be, cannot be the racism of the Labour Party structures themselves. Just how true is this myth ?”

Continue reading “Black Sections in the Labour Party”

Video: Councils for the Defence – 1986

This 20 minute long documentary was made by Yvette Vanson, director of the Battle of Orgreave, in 1986. It explains why Lambeth Council resisted the moves by the Thatcher government to cap their local rates which would have meant millions of pounds worth of cuts in service provision.

Features interviews with local people, councillors and trade union activists.