disappear from the electoral map.
really Brixion, writes RICHARD CARVER.
Briston people are fiercely proud of where they live. Few would choose to move far away. But still "up and down the country Brixton has a stigma', a Jocal black told me.
For fascists, Tories, Labour, the stigma attaches to those who live there. Briston, more than anywhere, is synonymous with the West Indian community.
For local people the stigma belongs cisewhere: the administrators all leveis. property speculators and capitalists squalid ghetto almost without parallel.
The area stall betrays its origins as a late-Victorian middle elegance in the tall houses and wide streets manw still tree lined, Central Brixton is a knot of narrow streets and alleys, CULTESINN the shopping centre and market.
HUMILIATION Spend five minutes in Brixton and you can't help but motice the two most obvious symptoms of inner city decay taken to the nth degree: unemployment The jobless figures speak volumes. Since 1974 national unemployment has risen 50 per cent. In the same period borough has gone up of blaci Icavers are jobless, and unemployed school leavers in Lambeth make un 30 blacks. The only growth industry in Britton is the labour exchange where they built a new extension a couple of vers back to accom odate the crowds Young blacks spend their days on strect corners of outside the fengac and soul shops in the covered market, listerung to the records they can Deve afford.
CUTS The causes are obvious: in the last ten years 169 firms have left Lambeth and only 61 moved in, a net reduction of 25 per cent in faciory space. largest caployer, the public sector, it's the saune.
Older West Indians remember with tired amusement the Loodon Transport recruiting campaigo in the Caribbean and the visit of a Tory bealth minister lo recruit hospital workers. The minister's name was Enoch Powell.
Recession and the cuts have changed all that. Local bospitals have been chopped: the Weir and South London Women's Hospital have Kings faces closure of its department. London Transport operates with a staff shortage of more than 10 per cent, and has faced savage cuts in Hs revenue support grant from the SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 13 April 1978 page 8 The bureaucrats who draw up electoral boundaries are masters of understatement. Britain's most depressed inner city areas simply The Gorbals becomes Glasgow Queens Park; Splott becomes Cardiff South. And the anonymously genteel Lambeth Central is Department_ services? and even had a satisfactory answer.
LAUGHTER government class in the gulters.
Down the ok schooi cent.
With the estate.
outside gone and casualty Speciul Patrol Group.
Environment.
Local people can only scratch their heads: if fares rise and jobs are lost why sot take on more workers to restore continue ECt pay compensation to the former owners of the transport services? They haven't yet Anti-immigration propaganda doesn't cut much loc among the white population of Brixton. Transparently it jobs. Blacks are taking no jobs at all.
group of blacks that the National Front in central Brixton. When the laughter they sold me how the blood would run But it's not just that. It in't liberal multi-racial. Whites don't share the enorance on which racism is based Broad in middle class Streatham the NF recruits heavily, but in Brixton it is regarded as a big joke.
What is not a joke is the fortress on of Ches FASCIST canvassing was discupied on 6 April when the Anti-Nazi Leugue got www of Ne members touring a Hal sight SWP and Socialist Unity supporters followed the NF, who gort horribly lost - thev'd wl been shipped in from wandered through the covered market to leers und saouuns and dook refuge in a Wimpy Bar.
When anti-fascisis told the munager who his customers were he refused to wave the NF. win were only rescwed hy the arrival of three vunloads of AMSEINE DEENITION OF Chit AS SOON AS PEOPL THEY ARE TOLD VILLA ROAD the corner of Canterbury Road and its blue uniformed inhabitants. They sec their job like an army of occupation but after the dramatie fallure of the black police recruitment campaign they don't even have quislings to help them.
Like all such forces they motivated by fear. A quick glance in the Canterbury station will reveal the largest, most backward and bigoted representatives a force known blacks on street corners still scare them witless.
Police knowledge of black poople doesn't extend far beyond Lord Pitt Learie Constantine and the Black and White Minstrels. But these blacks aren't smiling and stupid. They don't play cricket because there's nowhere to play. And their ausic is the music of the ghetto, sings Hob Marley. music is like them: it is young, black and very angry'SUB-CULTURE' As a white it's not casy to build up g Jear picture bur in Briston there i whar sociologists disparagingly call a young, have reacted to depression by Store bacas parabians to recreating the Caribbean society their parents consciously abandoned when arnived on Enoch Powell's invitation.
Whites, especially .cups, terrified by all night music, clubs chick with ganja smoke, and, above all, the of salvaging enjoyment from their surroundings. Brixton when the cope tell you to turn dowa your record player it isn't a polite clubs monotobous regularity. You know it's coming when they drop Junior Murvin on the turntable:
*Police und thieres In the street...
he polic have special weapons eserved for the young: "sus" ar conspiracy laws. The most celebrated use of the conspiracy laws was schien 18 voule blacks picked up on confessions* extracted them in theft at the 1936 Notting Hill Carnival.
LUDICROUS The charges conspiring with persous unknown to scal property trom persons unknown. But then the law says you don't even nie to meer your An Old Bailey jury rejected most of these charges, police to tone down use of conspiracy, but any young black will tell you le or she isn't sufe while the laws are still on And there are plenty of other police Their suspected person loitering with intent lo commit a criminal offence".
There is an arsenal of further laws giving the earch: the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971 the Metropolitan Police Act 1879, and a range of local statules. And they are all used.
The law establishes the right of police to stop, search and arrest simply on the pretext that the suspect might have been going to commit an offence. Since magistrates minds are well artuned to seen police thinking, the cops get away with it cvery time.
The atmospitere terrifying attack on human righis can take place is fed by media hysterin on "mugging. No paper has ever seriously challenged unverified police assertions technically non-existent ofTence.
One example: about 18 months ago South London police survey on mugging on Peckham Kye PLEASE DONT "sus", beaten up, and implicating were ludicrous:
co-conspirator which has forced the 1824 for being police power to stop and robbing in which this produced RALLY FOR A SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE with Brixton Socialist Unity JOHN CHASE, BSU by-ele ction candidate, and loca unemployment, health, educa.
plus anti-racist sounds and much, much more...
SUNDAY 16 APRIL, 8.00 pm Anne's Hall, Venn near Clapham Common Tube ORDERS The NF arrives In Brixton - escorted t Common at night. As all good NFers know, this was mainly young blacks ladies. Local residents were puzzled.
The section of the common referred to was surrounded by a high spiked fence with gates that closed al duss Only the most athletic old people night! The police report made the front Sunday paper picked up on the truch and in an arca like Brixton those responsible will be mainly black. It may eliche but bad nousing aD
friends.
racism are the major causes.
because deprivation, but real material poverty. DISADVANTAGE Local revolutionanes Croydon and Brixton Collective point CAnBE-E element; system puls black children disadvantage from the start. The most glaring example is the Educational LEVUCTEHCCSARE BHTE per cent black intake.
ESN is based on the educational theories of Sir Cyril Burt, who brisanled most drEvenck's ident an the racial inferiority of Negroes, When This is spiritual of his experiments!
like the ESN schools curry education ability becomes self-fulfilling.
acadentic solution B HOUSING nausing Lambeth DIging grammes.
clecled Tom E81113 So nencicssness.
Department CYCLUSS CRICE white Photo: MARK RUSHEH (FL)
Burt died last year it was discovered thai he had rigged the results of many Burt is academically discredited, the liberal establishment tut-totted...and On 94 netorE Less dramatic but just as serious is the straming system in comprehensive schools. Most blacks are in the lower streams. Since there is almost no change in streaming from year to year this low estimate of their educational The criteria used in streaming are less Action?
than i linguistic, White teachers ollen cannot understand West T Indian dialect fand the children cannot answer. Brixton's squatlers are highly understand the leacher). The most convenient administrative description for this lack of communication is stupidity. From there to the dole queu it'sa straight line.
Here apain local poople are struck by the ensanity of high teacher unemp lyment, growing class sizes culbacks in ducationa spending. The obreious, but no-one MODUL LO TEUNENII IL.
The clearest expression of urhan decay, the ane you can't miss, is in grand Victorian Tacades are crumbling and houses stand empsy, their isides gulled by the Council bally bays.
Brixton faces all the usual problems But it has a pranicus poloc The story starts in 1968 when a newly abouta redeveloprient programme. The aim UNU2 TARBO ROH OT CRM building upwards instead of outwards One massive error dogged the plan fron the outsel. Many people in central Brixton were iepal subtenants ar tenants who did not figure on any roord. Mainly black, they tended to live in premises owned by friends or relatives or simply latter-day Rachcouncil redevelopment programmes created a massive unforsecn The Tories responded Megens, ry naying coro cxtra for escouraging landiords emply properties.
EVICTIONS Eventually the policy was stopped as a Lahour council was returned, the Environinent stepped in, and publie spending cuts egan to bite. This CHUECUISH Far from it. There just wasn't the TUNCE TOCHTEN on redevelopment.
Sottine biyie up pop erty ine rehabilitation still encouraged illegal albeit unwitlingly. The demarcation of much of Brixtoo into Housing Action Areas with priority on grants for rehabilitation hasn't belped HAA tenns mean that the grant mus be spent within five years. The usug sauter s to be icted, the bouse usually squatters — to be boarded up...and then nothing. There is no money to do the necessary work Dusi g Anten Ara tast week? A Houxing Action Area week black squatter found himself out on the street dessing. leaving an empty house which will probably stay that Indefinitely The Homeless Families Unit makes insulting offers like accomodation in a hostel for alcoholics and the victim can only look for anther place to squat.
ANL/ALARM thimbeth Aatl-Racist Movement last THE FIRST Joint publie meeting Anti-Nazi League and the wich renteuit le.
enthusiastic crowd heard nationul and locul speakers explain thc importance of resisting the fascists Simen White of ALARM esplained that the central issue in this campuign was Latour attacks on the rights of blacks, through immigrution laws und further restrictions.
iome 200 responded to s call to stoj in Brixton las Local people showed what they fell hy learing up NF leafleds und joining the unti-fascist picket.
In even bigger turn out is planned for 15 April, the last Saferdas of th campaign. Be at Brixton Oval at 10.30 to sfop the fascists.
In this particular instance Brixton's midnight slogan painters arrived in the Housing Action Area. "Where's the they painted on the house. Where's the housing?
At the moment, squatting is the main organised. Streets like Villa Road and St Agnes Place are only the best known examples of a movement which span Nack and white offers a real, if temporary answer.
AGLC estate in Tulse Hill just about sums the Lambeth situation. 200 flats were emptied in preparation programme which never came. 130 are now squatted with apparent sympathy from the tenants on the rest of the estate.
Again the solution is transparent, when building workers queue up at the Tahour exchange properties and empey unworked sites. Again it is only the people who see the insanity. The bureaucrats and property speculators arC happy Racism in housing allocation is hard to pin down, but it is there neverthe less. Until recently Lambeth Council male of 1-5 correspondine to the scale of grading of the estates.
Black people invitahly figured low chl We grading because they were already in the worst housing. Even bow the council interviewer has massive powers tosifl applicants.
CHAOS Lambeth's homeless are disproportionately black because they were the majority in illegal tenancies. And the homeless pet no choice where they BTC HOUSeE Concil house applicants have SALE ACIR VACIAC ORIN council admits to be part of its policy of dispersing black communities. It hasn't got very far because the number o NOCES IS COnduR almost no-one is housed from the formal waiting list.
lt is a picture compounded by the fact that everyone knows that the money is there. Where's it going?
The money paid in interest rates to loan sharks is more than the total Lambeth Council income in reats, and that does't include the m annuaily in fabse claims and inflated The permanent waiting list figures in another of Brixton's many scandals: TUITTECS In 1974 revealed only 2751 oul Brixton under-ss in full time mursery places.
NURSERIES It never increased provision was cut and the ferms of the waiting list narrowed to include only violent homes.
Ian oD tais st sote Was Cal aale Lambeth women might have drawn a little relief from the relative case with which abortions are available in the borougl. But there's a sting in the tail.
This is a black to the National Abortion Campign Tribunal last year: '1 did pet an NHS abortion, but i've since foand out that my doctor thinks his black putients breed too much. He doesn'i give white women abortions or the pill becuuse h wants to keep them in the homne.' Sh also spoke of forced sterilisation of black women after deliveries, a barbarily that many in Brixton experience.
Nurseries, sterilisation, the closure of a maternity hospital coulda t have done better if it bad been waging a conscious campaign against wamen and children.
Or was ic? Local abortion activists are still campaigning for abortion facilities and there are lears that existing facilities may face further culs. You can't win either way.
fourishing arty wallpainters who give the place the feel of a black Anerican ghello or a soutbern European city.
Under a railway Brixion is painted: "Class war, not race war'. Much abused by the fascists this pious sentiment bas stayed put for TOILD The abortion campaign. unemployment and involvement around the lections are beginning to give that abstract desire some reality.
Nowhere is it mote neoded. communities and Chousine for a modernisation amid rotting people choupht. the corresponding to the Socialist Unity. lo CW TELIE the labour of utter chaos, Alliance SA Socialist paid a GLC survey 24,000 supporter, All nursery TEILILITSHILS Still there were too A big woman's evidence the right line Hydraulies: member, abortions And I think Lambeth daycare PCT SOUL Solidarity politica community in with a camera. bridge in central the on increased local the Brixton Campaign Trail BRIXTON Socialist Unity still needs your money. And it still needs you.
The campaign has brough leaflets on immigration and nationality, women, the problems of youns - and more are plassed. Th difficulty ist they don't give themselves out. and they don't come for free.
We need help for blitz canvassine and leafletting of the constituency in hefore 20 April.
Phone 01-274 AS48 ts find out how you can help. And rush that money to Socialist Unity, e/o 182 Upper Streces London NI. Cheques payahle fo Swindon Socialists Unite SOCIALIST Alliaace. hiroad grouping of socialists, is standing 3 candidate in the Thamesdowa Council decietal Morle Ba Chre c sheetmeial worker who did appresticeship at Plesseys in Swindon. writes MOIRA KEI.LEY The Labour Party candidate is Councillor David Hobbs. He has a record of supporting the right wing in movenicnt inchiding apa Comel seina ocala a Coucil meeting Socialist Alliance is challenging him to a public debate during the campaign A teacher and an active member or the Indian Workers Association in the come and speak in support of Socialist emhraces supporters of both Challenge and Socialist Worker (including members of the IMG and the SWP). This is a result of much fruitful and often sharp debate All decisions and positions of any responsibility within the campaign are subject lo voting- For example, Boh, a SWP member was nominaled by his meeting, his candidacy was discussed and put to tie vote A Socialist Challenge PrOPOSE SWP was elected as agent.
The open nature of lhe campaign has also enabled us to reach out to STELLAL contunicy, a number of whow have already indicated anterest Turbout is expected wace Duncan Hallas (SWP) and Tariq Ali (Socialist Challenge editor) will spenk al an eve of election rally on 3 May.
An encouraging sign that S4 is on is a comment of De TGWU seward al Plesseys 1 am a Labour_Parly and have volod Labour all ney life. 1 was very suspicious of SA to begin with bur I am backing this campaigo because not only does it stand tora real socialist alternative but it is also a democratically run broad front where you can argue your point.
Sic could do well.* Loughborough ANL TV ACTRESS Miriam Karlin was the main speaker at the first mocting of ch Anti-Nazi League in Loughborough Well over 200 people abso heard Labour concillors, a member of the AUEW-TASS Executive, the chairof the local Inter-Racia! of me oal Nuś Torine president of the the secretary of the local Socialist Workers Party and & leader of the Asian Stewards kepe out onc of a small group of NF members who tried to get school: harassment of the black community. Mention was made of the harassment of an Asian Family and n. death threat received by one of the platform speakers The ANI will also have to counte probable NF general election candidate through mass leafletting ol estates and a campaign to stop the NF using loca schools for meetings SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 13 April 1978 page 9
concrete barracks. Labour prefers to
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