couple ex-libertarians in finnish greens as well, one went all the way to the european parliament.
She rocks though 
How many ex-anarchist MPs are there?
Skraeling wrote:
hey, putting aside my anarcho-cynicism, i'm curious. how many ex-anarchist MPs are there in the world?In NZ, there is Meteria Turei and Nandor Tanzcos. Met used to be in an anarcha-feminist theatre troupe. Nandor is a world first in that he was a rastafarian anarchist. now he is just plain rasta. Rod Donald died recently, he was co-leader of the Green Party, so maybe the first ex-anarchist leader of a political party?
In France, there is Dany Cohn-Bendit in the European Parliament i believe. (tho not sure).
in Germany, J. Fischer.
Any others?
Was Cohn-Bendit an anrchist? always thought of him as som sort of autonomi type, and Fisher was a trot if i'm not mistaken
Oddly enough I cannot a single british MP who had earlier been an anarchist.
I think the weirdest behaviour from an ex anarchist I can recall is the 1980s Islamic mentalist Dr Dr Kalim Siddiqui, who came to prominence during the row about Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses.
if I recall correctly when he had first come to Britain Saddiqui had first been on the left, and had some associations with Freedom.
K-TownBootboy wrote:
Fisher was a trot if i'm not mistaken
I believe so yes, or militant leftie anyway.
Peter Hain used to call himself a libertarian socialist, maybe he still does. Quite a few reformist labourites did though.
Don't know about any MPs, but I've seen lots of old Lib Dem party materials, and in 1970 one guy was running for president of the young liberals on the ticket of being against "trendy libertarian socialists and anarcho-syndicalists".
Some one told me that a bunch of anarchists entered the liberal party at some point, is this true? Which seems very stupid cos they were far more reactionary than Labour...
John. wrote:
Don't know about any MPs, but I've seen lots of old Lib Dem party materials, and in 1970 one guy was running for president of the young liberals on the ticket of being against "trendy libertarian socialists and anarcho-syndicalists".
You've got material of theirs from 15 years before they founded?
John. wrote:
Don't know about any MPs, but I've seen lots of old Lib Dem party materials, and in 1970 one guy was running for president of the young liberals on the ticket of being against "trendy libertarian socialists and anarcho-syndicalists".
I believe in the early 70s the Young Liberals discussed anarcho-syndicalism at one of their conferences.
John. wrote:
Some one told me that a bunch of anarchists entered the liberal party at some point, is this true? Which seems very stupid cos they were far more reactionary than Labour...
While it was undoubtedly a mistake (if it happened) I don't think you can say that without a knowledge of just how reactionary old Labour politics were. In the post 68 period when issues like womens', black and gay lib came onto the agenda, Labour weren't that hot (like they are now 
) and individual freedom was something that the Liberals were into. So, if you are prioritising those issues, you'd more likely find yourself working with Young Liberals than the YS/LPYS (different story... ). Liberals in the 70s are probably closer to Greens today than LibDems.
Bear in mind that Hain moved to the right when he joined Labour - a lot of the post 68ers did in the late 70s early 80s and were responsible for such idiocies as "municipal socialism". But at least in doing so it meant that womens', gay and black issues started to move up Labour's agenda.
regards
Martin
John. wrote:
Gwen wrote:
Not sure, but Tommy Sheridan of the SSP maybe? I know he got nicked during the polltax but I'm not sure what his politics were?No he didn't - he in Militant said that people should grass on the traf square Poll Tax rioters so they could be jailed
Are you SURE?
I am pretty positive that he spent time in jail at some point...? That's why he had so much street cred wasn't it?
Gwen wrote:
Are you SURE?
Sheridan was a complete twat after the Trafalgar Square job. Him and Steve Nally said, "we're going to name names" - in other words grass up anyone involved in the riot. They backtracked on this later.
Militant were generally really awful.
Gwen wrote:
John. wrote:
Gwen wrote:
Not sure, but Tommy Sheridan of the SSP maybe? I know he got nicked during the polltax but I'm not sure what his politics were?No he didn't - he in Militant said that people should grass on the traf square Poll Tax rioters so they could be jailed
Are you SURE?
I am pretty positive that he spent time in jail at some point...? That's why he had so much street cred wasn't it?
I've shared a cell with him in Scotland briefly after a faslane nuclear base protest. But no he wasn't jailed in the Poll Tax, though he threatened to grass on others. He did get 6 months in 92 for a demo against a warrant sale though.
Hi
Serge wrote:
Didn't Andrew Puddephat (ex-leader of Hackney Council) have some connection with the anarchist scene/angry brigade, etc?
I remember something along those lines. He got a good crack on the end of his nose for his trouble though. I have a vague memory of a chat with one the AB’s sons during Hackney’s squatter evictions that tend to confirm your deliciously obscure assertion. Wasn’t you was it?
Serge wrote:
Sheridan was a complete twat after the Trafalgar Square job.
I think my Mrs had a thing with Tommy Sheridan. Anyway, the notion he was ever on our side surprises me. I’m really suspicious of the ex-Trotskyite influx/sympathy in “the anarchist movement”, I’m not very happy about what it’s done to the politics.
K-TownBootboy wrote:
Was Cohn-Bendit an anrchist? always thought of him as som sort of autonomi type
I’d like to think that various flavours of autonomists count as anarchists, I can’t see any of the anarchist organisations in this country turning them away. Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
John. wrote:
Some one told me that a bunch of anarchists entered the liberal party at some point, is this true? Which seems very stupid cos they were far more reactionary than Labour...
Are you playing devil’s advocate again John.? They’re as reactionary as each other, both marginally less reactionary than more “left wing” currents…
knightrose wrote:
I remember in the late 70s going leafletting with Solidarity and East London Libertairains. It was an anti-elction leaflet. ELL were mostly Young Liberals.
Doesn’t surprise me in the least. Insightful post again knightrose, thanks. I notice the IWCA pride itself on the number of ex-LibDems they recruit to the cause.
Love
LR
Lazy Riser wrote:
John. wrote:
Some one told me that a bunch of anarchists entered the liberal party at some point, is this true? Which seems very stupid cos they were far more reactionary than Labour...Are you playing devil’s advocate again John.? They’re as reactionary as each other, both marginally less reactionary than more “left wing” currents…
Nah - at least Labour used to verbally support strikes, and workers against bosses, whereas Liberals were proudly on the side of neither, finding the "third way"
Hi
Really? Now I'm deliberately going to hand this to you on a plate John.. What strikes did Labour as a party "support"? I can't even remember it supporting the Miners with particular enthusiasm. Indeed, I can remember haranguing a local labour candidate on his party’s undermining of the Miners in ’84.
Love
LR
Red ('n' Black) Mayor Ken Livingdeath;
Quote:
Your absolute dedication to politics and socialism involves an almost religious belief in what you're doing?Well, although I'm an agnostic my sort of politics is very similar to other people's idea of religion. I am not one of those people, though, who believes in scientific Marxism. I'm a left winger not because it can be proved correct. I just think there are different ways of running society, and think that socialism is a fairer and better way. Of course it requires an act of faith. There are too many bits and pieces of thought in me to find a convenient label, but I suppose, I'm an anarcho-syndicalist.
Ken Livingstone,
in The Face, 1984
Left-wing-of-capital Livingstone was head of that well known organ of collectivist self-management, the soon to be abolished Greater London Council, when he said this.
hey, putting aside my anarcho-cynicism, i'm curious. how many ex-anarchist MPs are there in the world?
In NZ, there is Meteria Turei and Nandor Tanzcos. Met used to be in an anarcha-feminist theatre troupe. Nandor is a world first in that he was a rastafarian anarchist. now he is just plain rasta. Rod Donald died recently, he was co-leader of the Green Party, so maybe the first ex-anarchist leader of a political party?
In France, there is Dany Cohn-Bendit in the European Parliament i believe. (tho not sure).
in Germany, J. Fischer.
Any others?