Marxists and miners
Sir: Your comments on Mr McGahey and his allies in your leading article of February 2, 'Irresponsibly to disaster' were both timely and realistic.
It should be perfectly clear by now that the NUM's resistance to the Coal Board's pay offer is nothing more than a smokescreen for the revolutionary aims of a handful of Marxist fanatics on the Union's executive. Such men have as much regard for democratic procedures as had their Bolshevik mentors in 1917. Both Mr McGahey, with his scarcely veiled appeal to the troops to mutiny in the event of their being called upon to move coal stocks, and Mr Scargill, the organiser of violent and intimidating pickets in the 1972 strike, have demonstrated their contempt for legality. Furthermore Dick Taverne, who had the bravery to recognise that Marxists and Social Democrats are quite unsuitable bedfellows, has provided a clear account of how such extremists work their way into positions of power inside some trades unions and constituency Labour parties. From this account it would seem that the moderates are no match for the extremists at the business of seizing power.
So what is to be done? It is time for the moderates of all political parties who believe in parliamentary democracy to harden and fight the Marxists as ruthlessly as the law permits. For if they don't the initiative might be lost to the fascist right. They must be prepared to join together in a movement that is as passionate in • its commitments to parliamentary democracy as the Marxists are to their creed.
In a rough word freedom must arm itself and it is only a hollow sham if it is not worth fighting for.
C. J. Arthur
The Coach House, Windlesham Court, Windlesham, Surrey.
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