A Memory of Julie Waterson

The Socialist Workers Party's Julie Waterson died on Friday, at the very young age of 54. 

For those of us involved in anti-fascism in the 1990s, Waterson was a permanent feature on our horizon, as she headed a series of SWP front groups and initiatives in that period. My abiding memory of her however comes from a demonstration that was starting out at Hyde Park, probably in 1994 or so.

Trevor from Class War had hit upon the idea of bringing Class War posters - I think against the Criminal Justice Bill - and stapling them over the ubiqutious SWP placards. As a few of this did this, I heard a guttural roar and saw the hefty Waterson physically throw her bulk at Trev, sending some of the placards flying. Having wrestled one, she withdrew, before turning to a comrade and pointing at me:

"Thanks for coming over, he was about to punch me, but he changed his mind when he saw you".

The thought had never entered my mind. As irritating, damaging and politically flawed* as Waterson was, I had no desire to thump her. That she was willing to invent such a claim though, is how I will remember her. And I suspect at this time many anti-fascists will have similar, equally critical thoughts. 

* Julie Waterson's most notorious comment was to blame the BNP's electoral success on 'scum off housing estates'. See the second letter in Weekly Worker 15 May 2003 on this.

Comments

[whitevanmanlondon]

What has to be remembered is that she was a loyal SWP member to the end always obeying the party line even after she was dumped as ANL full timer when Unite Against Fascism was formed.

In order to get Livingstone and Londoner's money from the GLA the SWP agreed to sack Waterson as a part of the deal when the Livigstone front the National Assembly Against Racism demanded black leadership of the anti fascist movement.

Years of loyal service meant nothing when Livingstone's cash was needed and don't even mention friendship when it comes to Trotskyists. In spite of this she remained a loyal member as far as I know until her death.

What a waste of a life but you could say that about all of them.

[whitevanmanlondon]

Thanks for keeping this up. It seems Urban 75 have deleted the post with the same information.

[John Mullen]

So Trotskyists don't have friends? What a staggeringly bizarre claim.

[romanticanarchist]

I think that what white van man is, er...driving at, is that in his experience, many card-carrying Trotskyists' political ambitions tend to be routinely placed ahead of their friendships or personal relationships. This may be a tacit condition of their continued membership of the cult , I don't know. But if white van man is saying in his staggeringly bizarre way, that Ideology is just fucking waste of human life, then I tend to agree with him.

[Larry O'Hara]

would whitevanman be Terry Fitzpatrick by any chance? If so, for some strange reason the Beatles' song 'Hello Mr Taxman' comes into my head. Why would that be?

[whitevanmanlondon]

Romantic anarchist. Yes you have more or less got what I am saying although I can't agree that it was a staggeringly bizarre way of saying it.

I have always looked at people who spend their lives in strange political cults like the SWP as having wasted their lives especially when the world has rejected what they have been flogging. I am trying to get hold of a personal memoir of a man called Darke who was in Hackney Communist Party during the forties and left the party in about 1952 and wrote a booklet called " The Communist Method" or something similar.

Basically what he described in the extracts I have read about the CP could be the SWP or any of the other miniscule groups gathered around a central committee who decide what the party line is. The CP at the time in full Stalinist mode actually banned members from relationships which the leaders didn't approve of.

Family members who weren't party members as well were to treated with suspicion including wives. Whether the various Trot groups actually got that far I don't know.

The praise being showered on Waterson by people who sacked her from her job so as to get funding from Livingstone is sickening but only to be expected from people who revere mass murderers Like Lenin and Trotsky.

I don't agree with everything that Nick Cohen writes but he sums up the far left perfectly in " What's Left" as people who have wasted their lives in sects that, apart from the ideology, are scarcely distinguishable from some of those run by fraudulent gurus peddling some fake eastern cure for all ills.

Friendship comes before the salaries of SWP central committee members who have taken up causes, bled them dry of money and the efforts of the gullible and well meaning and then dropped them to move onto the next financial scam.

No Mr O'Hara I am not the gentleman you have named although he was featured on the last programme in the fascinating BBC 2 series " The Secret History of Our Streets" about East London and the Bangladeshi squatting movement. He seems like a leftist who actually achieved something.

Are you still publishing your conspiracy theories in "Notes From The Borderland" or whatever it's called? Does Stuart Home still think you are mad?

[romanticanarchist]

Thanks WVM, I didn't think it was staggeringly bizarre either. I should have put that bit in inverted commas.

Larry O'Hara...mad? Shurely shum mishtake...?

[whitevanmanlondon]

I now realise the Paul Stott is involved with NFTB. He seems to normal to be involved with O'Hara.

[romanticanarchist]

Well, I suppose we all have our little vices. I have for example have just spent the morning chasing pigs around a muddy field. Every time I fall face down in the shit I just think of George Orwell and everything's ok. But don't tell anyone...

[Chuck Wilson]

whitevanmanlondon - didn't 'the leftist who actually achieved something' end up being convicted for racially aggravated harassment by sending emails to Lee jasper that contained statements like " Always thick you black cunt are you not? Why don't you shut your, actually not very black, thick gob? I gave you advice before you nigger, I flatter you, the last time you took me on.

Back on line you fucking nigger? What about you and the crack dealers and the gun renters in All Saints Rd you fucking nigger.

Come on you fucking nigger. Let's have a fight."

or is this a different Terry Fitzpatrick?

[Grim and Dim]

whitevanmanlondon

The book you're looking for is:
(british Library catalogue)

Title: The Communist Technique in Britain.
Author: Bob DARKE pseud. [i.e. Charles Henry Darke.]
Publication Details: London : Collins, 1953.
Language: English
Identifier: System number 000866257
Physical Description: 160 p. ; 8º.
Shelfmark(s): General Reference Collection 8140.aaa.59.
Document Supply W14/9101
Document Supply W53/2407
UIN: BLL01000866257

Darke actually left the CP because he backed the US in Korea.

[Larry O'Hara]

I notice witrh slight amusement the non-entities above questioning my sanity, and even bringing scum like Home into it (slogan 'Truth is the Enemy').

Notice no reference by WVM to the taxman: don't worry, that secret's safe for a while.

But, Mr Fitzpatrick

1) How is using racist abuse against Jasper 'leftist'? Do tell me

2) Who are you backing in the HNH: Searchlight split? NFB's account of it has been accepted as factually correct by the one faction that did comment. Meanwhile the other was so worried they had the CST in to 'investigate' (to no avail :)). Neither would be the case were it a conspiracy theory magazine.

[whitevanmanlondon]

Mr O'Hara. I still don't understand this tax man thing. You have always been a bit coy about what you actually mean. I have only ever read a few copies of NFTB and found them virtually unreadable and worthy of David Icke.

Chuck Wilson. If you are as conversant with the Fitzpatrick saga as you claim to be you will have also seen on the internet, as I have, that Fitzpatrick claims that Jasper called his mother a prostitute. If Jasper had called my mother a prostitute I would have killed him so I suppose he should think himself lucky to be walking around.

I don't think you can see the BBC2 programme an more on you tube but it was quite clear that he is highly respected by the Bangladeshi community in East London. Did you see the episode?

Grim and Dim. Thanks for that. I,m actually a member of the Library so I will foray into Kings Cross the next time I am in London.

[romanticanarchist]

Terry, you know you love it - just like your mother does. I would love to give you a call - but you sound like a homicidal fucking psychopath. No offence, mate.

Larry, you're doing an incredible job of convincing us all you're not radio rental too. What do you do for an encore?

[Chuck Wilson]

Terry whitemanlondon Fitzpatrick- I don't think you have quite got the John Terry defence of to a 'T' yet.

I have never abused your mother and to be honest I am not surprised that all these 'niggers' and Trots have bottled it if you keep giving the wrong number out pal.

[Terry Fitzpatick]

Google Swadhinata Trust and put my name into the top right hand corner for enquiries. Read, enjoy and say sorry.

[Nick Ullmann]

So sad to see Julie go - let us all follow her example and fight for fairness and humanity. Socialism will be all the more poorer if we don't.

[Larry O'Hara]

romantic anarchist: you are clearly an oxygen thief. Do one.

Fitzpatrick: you claim not to understand NFB. That is probably because it contains little swearing, no racism, and logical argument supported by evidence. All very alien to you.

As to the taxman reference: wait and see: we disclose at a time of our choosing, not those of enemies, especially racist ones.