Marcher's diary: North West leg One Joe Stalin said to me: '1 thought you were going to start some trouble today with that megaphone: 'Maggie out'

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NORTHERN REGION ON THEM IRCA 14.5.83 Wythenshaw. Nothing much happened in the morning. Stopped at the Forum in Altrincham. Saw a few bands but due to bad-awful organisation we had to leave before John CooperClarke played. Then the fun Everyone who wanted to chant 'political' slogans marched behind the NorthWest banner. We started chanting as soon as we set off.

Not a minute later the marshals stopped the march and wouldn't let it move until we promised not to chant.

We stood there for a while arguing against the marshals and CPers calling us 'wreckers' and 'splitters' . We were also told we weren't going to be allowed to continue on the They then manoeuvred the march so that the North West contingent ended up at the back. As soon as we set off we continved our chanting all the way to the end.

15.5.83 Got on the bus to go to the starting point. The marshals were holding a meeting. Peter Lenaham came up to us, acting very nice, and asked Peter Cashman and Kevin Coyne to go outside.

They came back and said they'd been expelled, along with another person from the North West and a Militant supporter from Scotland.

We were given a spiel about how if we supported the march we should leave the bus and the expelled people should stay on.

A lot of people left the bus and we decided to also leave and continue the march until the people were chucked off.

The four expelled marchers stayed on the march until we arrived at Winsford where they had a meeting with the marshals when they were again told to leave.

They all decided to leave and take as many people from Liverpool back with them. One of the marchers, Paul Davis, was reinstated - but this is not that clear yet.

Another of the marchers, Ali from Scotland, a Militant supporter, 1s continuing the march and we're going to try to help him out with food, money etc., although he seeems sure his contacts can sort all that out.

During the march today I had the megaphone and as I was coming up to the South East banner our marshal said to me - "Go away; we don't want you with that around here. People have been coming and saying to me you no longer represent them; so go and march somewhere else. JOHN HARRIS Later in the evening I got a lift in a car with a couple of Joe Stalins. One said to me 'I thought you were going to start some trouble today with that megaphone. Maggie out and all that. Don't you think your mates were leading you on a bit?"

Due to them being very big, all I said was no. I kept quiet. John Cooper Clarke sent a signed book to a marcher who had complained about missing him.

16.5.83 Winsford to Crewe. The march was one of the most boring yet, all countryside and virtually no population to be seen. We made some serious attempts to get the support of the grass, birds and frogs we passed, but apathy rules.

NEST ON THE MARCY We arrived at the Rolls Royce factory at about 1.40 pm. There were only 300-400 workers waiting for us. They clapped us in but nothing happened, so most of the workers arifted back in.

We set off for the town centre, passing by British Rail's Crewe engineering works, where there were about a dozen to 20 workers outside clapping us by. There was a short rally and then that was it.

Later in the evening we saw Pete Cashman who'd come back to the march with the rest of the people from Liverpool.

He said how the TGWU No. 6 region had sent out telex's everywhere and that Ron Todd was going to come down tomorrow to get them reinstated.

He asked us to get a resolu'83 tion through our Labour Party GMC condemning the apolitical nature of the march and calling for the reinstatement of the expelled.

When Peter asked to be given some food he was told We'd rather throw it away than give it to you."

17.5.83 Countryside, sheep and grass. But John and I did get a bed and blankets at the unemployed centre.

18.5.83 Paul. Davis, TGWU official expelled from march for driving the expelled around in his car, still marched.

A very hard slog for about the second or third day running, covered about 20 miles from Stoke to Stafford.

There should 'be a full marchers' meeting tonight but at 7pm there's still no sight of it. Beer is 36p a pint but we've got no money.

Began our chanting again, only a handful of people unfortunately, but received no warnings and no sign of expulsions.

For a couple of days it has seemed that the march is past the point of being changed. The opportunity, the people and the money is being totally wasted.

20.5.83 Wolverhampton to Sandwell/ West Bromwich. Set off from the Poly. As we passed by a hospital all along and outside there were nurses clapping us.

People were coming out of shops and leaning out of windows to see us and a lot clapped. Then after a while we came to some factories where again workers were outside clapping.

As we walked past they joined on to the end of the march.

This continued, lots of workers had come out and they too clapped us by and then joined the march.

All in all there were probably around 500 people there and we heard the local MP, a well known shop steward spoke to us and of course there was a vicar (groan).

Then we were presented with a coffin to carry to No: 10 and as a marshal who lived in the town went to collect the coffin, a group of us chanted take him back, take him back...

Then we marched to lunch in Walsall where we were treated to fish and chips and free drinks. with tea and some other food laid on by the Indian Workers Association.

A YOUNG woman marcher has been thrown off the eastern leg of the People's March on the grounds that she is pregnant.

The marcher herself felt fi: and wanted to continue. But the marshals insisted that she be removed for 'health reasons' They got their verdict endorsed by a male doctor with no relevan: experience, and then a marchers meeting which heard only the marshals' side of the case.

Leicester Trades Council, whe sponsored the marcher, supported her wish to stay on the march. and Hull Trades Council has passed a resolution demanding an explanation from the marshals.

It was a very enjoyable lunch. We set off again for Sandwell. stopping for a break at the border into West Bromwich. We arrived at the town soaked after heavy rain. Here we were welcomed by the mayor (no vicars this time).

Then we were treated to an Indian busman singing a poem in his own language. His son also did an Indian folk dance. And that was the end of the day.

Earlier on a steward spotting 'Solidarity' type Socialist Action headings said "Hor can any socialist paper have that symbol on it? They support private enterprise."

21.5.83 Breakfast at 6.30!! Set off to Birmingham which was only about five miles from Sandwell.

As we came near to Birmingham city centre the police came up and formed a chain to scop the support marchers from marching in with us.

The support march consisted of local Labour Party banners. a prospective Labour MP, some union banners and a WRP banner. Reception in Birmingham was very poor.

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Socialist Organiser no.133 May 26 1983 Page