First meeting of the Northern Anarchist Alliance

ACTIVISTS FROM SOUTH SHEILDS and Sunderland in the North East to Llandudno in North Wales, across to Cumbria in the North West down to Sheffield in Yorkshire and Macclesfield in the Peak District, Telford in Shropshire, as well as Manchester and Salford came together on Saturday the 14th, December to give support for the founding of a new Northern Alliance of Anarchists at the Town Hall Tavern in Manchester.  The original initiative had been rooted in the approach of new group New Offensive, with backing from elements of the old Northern Anarchist Network [NAN]*, but has since been boosted by the support of women associated with the Manchester Feminist Network and the 'MAKE MORE NOISE' network, which made a remarkable debut leafleting at the Manchester Anarchist Bookfair at the Manchester People's History Museum on the previous Saturday (7th, Dec.).

Initially the Northern Anarchist Alliance had been conceived by a few veterans of militant struggle who found themselves in general agreement about the slide of left wing politics in this country into an intellectual and moral ghetto.  Now there is a coming together of distinct forces with roots in libertarian politics, and the trade unions, as well as from a number of social causes concerned about issues of freedom of speech and expression, feminism, and climate issues.  People who are determined to found their politics in the spirit of common decency, openness to debate, and keen to build a culture of ideas based on rigorous empirical analysis rather vulgar dogma.

Discussion at this first Northern Anarchist Alliance event focused on the experiences of the participants in past struggles like the campaigns against asbestos; Olgreave; the Miner's Strikes; Blacklisting in the British building trade; the peace movement; feminism; gender politics; extinction rebellion; bookfairs.  

Practical matters were discussed; such as establishing a  Bank Account and a P.O. Box for better communication.  It was considered vital that we should be in a position to bulk purchase and review literature. 

Consideration was given as to how we should approach bookfairs in future.   It was thought that we ought to question the policy of future bookfair organisers to their ideas on open presentation; free expression; feminism; and openness to debate and controversial ideas.  What about a stall for free expression, or una 'Lucha de contrarios' in the spirit of classical anarchism?  Or a 'DOWN WITH CENSORSHIP CAMPAIGN' drawing on Orwell and Chomsky?

Again the trans-gender row flared up.  We were urged to read the booklet 'Shit, Wigs & Steroids' reviewed on this Blog as 'Bookfairs & Bullshit'.  It details the problems northern anarchists and others have had in recent years at bookfairs,

The event had been publicised as featuring three speakers two, Dave Douglass and Brian Bamford, being formerly associated with the Anarchist newspaper Freedom; in Bamford's case as an editor and with Douglass, until recently as a director on Friends of Freedom Press. Yet, although questions were raised about divisions in Liverpool at the News from Nowhere Bookshop about the distribution of critical literature such as the 'Shit, Wigs & Steroids' booklet, there was little mention of Freedom Press at this event.

We had a working lunch in the Tavern and the food was well received and the ale was very good, as was the service.  Some debate was had about the nature of the Newcastle Bookfair, but it was not thought that it was being based on the spirit of classical anarchism.

The Manchester Bookfair at the Manchester People's History Museum [7/12/2019], had been considered a vast improvement on many of the  bookfairs in the city in recent years: see the N.V. reviews.  This may have been owing to the influence of PM Press which may well have acted as a go-between guarantor to reassure the People's History Museum management that there would be no 'hanky panky' owing to previous history of discrimination by the old local stand-by organising group.   However, it would be very wrong for people associated with the NAN to now pull the ladder up simply because they have gained entry to this event.  The NAN which in the past has been banned ought to show solidarity with other persecuted groups because they above all having criticised others for playing Pontius Pilate in the past, should now stick-up for others.

It was agreed that the next gathering of the NORTHERN ALLIANCE would be in the Springtime of 2020.

 Again the Trans-gender row flared up again.

We were recommended to read “Shit Wigs and Steroids: Book Fairs and Bullshit”. It details the problems northern anarchists and our supporters have had at book fairs. Also it covers the Trans-gender row, both complex subjects but written in a very concise style. Send for your free copy to <brandonacab@hotmail.com>. 

*  http://northernvoicesmag.blogspot.com/p/northern-anarchist-network.html

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Manchester Anarchist Bookfair Review 2019

 by Christopher Draper

AFTER years of uncomradely bans and exclusions that led to the organisers themselves being banished from this favoured venue it is good to see the Bookfair back at Manchester’s Pumphouse Museum.  Saturday December 7th’s 2019’s fair was efficiently organised with a good range of books, associated literature as well as music, tee-shirts, badges etc on offer.  Admission was free and with a café on site a good time was had by all, or nearly all (more of that later).


Six hour-long talks were advertised:  “Anarchism and Education”; “An Introduction to IWW”;  “What is the Anarchist Party?”; “Marie Louise Berneri’s - Journey Through Utopia”;  “The Government of No One” and “Chav Solidarity” respectively.


Having practiced anarchist education within and without the state system for 50 years I was especially interested in the first talk.  The speaker, Dr. Nick Stevenson, a sociology lecturer at Nottingham University, promised to discuss “more humanistic alternatives” but confined most of his speech to elucidating the ideas of Ivan Illich.  He seemed a nice bloke but this was woefully inadequate as even a basic introduction to “Anarchism and Education”.  Nick seemed blissfully unaware of the numerous practical anarchist educational initiatives that have taken place in Britain since Louis Michel founded her “International School” in London in 1891.  Instead of ivory-towered philosophising about Illich we would have been much better occupied analysing the rise and fall of the dozens of living and breathing free schools that flourished all over Britain in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, never mind the continuing libertarian education on offer at Summerhill.  When I met Nick afterwards he spoke movingly of how his own children had suffered at the hands of the state system and it struck me that this would have provided a better starting point for discussion of real life anarchist alternatives, past, present and future.


My fears of abstract philosophising only increased after attending Dr. Matthew S Adams, Loughborough University lecturer’s talk on Utopias and then Dr. Ruth Kinna’s (another Loughborough lecturer) talk about her book, “The Government of No One”.  I wasn’t reassured when I googled Mr Adams and discovered he’s just published a “Handbook of Anarchism” (Palgrave-MacMillan 2019) that costs £199.99!


Unfortunately the “International Workers of the World” couldn’t even manage to organise themselves so their talk never happened and consequently for the second hour the valuable discussion space remained empty and unused.  I took the opportunity to walk around the hall and chat to stallholders. Despite my lack of affection for Marxism I found the “International Brigade” stallholder most comradely and appreciated our discussion about the decline of politicised working class culture and the collapse of the Clarion movement.   I similarly enjoyed comradely conversations at the Hunt Sabs, PM Press, and West Yorkshire Communist Anarchist stalls and was particularly impressed by the latter’s newsletter that wittily describes Hebden Bridge as, “A nice little drug-town with an unwelcome tourist problem.” 


I’d only half completed my circuit of stallholders by 12.30 so missed “The Anarchist Party’s” talk but as I later learned they advocate voting Labour it’s just as well I didn’t attend.  Unfortunately I had to leave before the last talk to catch a train back to Wales so can’t comment on the “Chavs” although that might well have proved the most useful event of the day (perhaps someone could enlighten us?).

Overall the Bookfair was a great achievement by the organisers. In today’s political climate it’s easier to sit back and do nothing, they dared to bring anarchism back into a venue that is precious but fraught with problems (more of that in a forthcoming article).  They had to steer a difficult course between providing lively debate but avoiding the destructive antagonisms that have so blighted recent anarchist bookfairs.  Unfortunately I learned afterwards that even this event wasn’t free from censorship.  When a group of women from “Make More Noise” attempted to distribute leaflets on gender politics they were asked to leave on the basis that only approved stallholders could distribute literature (there’s more of this on Twitter).  Apparently there was no consequent violence or blacklisting but neither was this an entirely satisfactory conclusion.  Couldn’t the leaflets have been left on a stallholders table or perhaps a table provided for non-stallholders to leave “non-authorised” leaflets?

The organisers must be congratulated but anarchism requires more than sycophancy and the “Freedom” website regrettably treated the “Make More Noise” women and their Twitter supporters with contempt.  My main concern is that the predominance of academic philosophising in the discussion space (3 out of the 5 talks delivered). In the 1960’s Feminism was a revolutionary, libertarian movement (I was there when Germaine Greer spoke at the Warwick University occupation in 1970!) but it spawned “Women’s Studies”, provided safe academic careers, was increasingly commodified and now “Women’s Hour” compiles an annual list “Women’s Powerlist”!  Is anarchism going the same way, with ever more academic chiefs and fewer activist Indians? We mustn’t let professors define our politics or encourage the emergence of an academic “Priest-Class”.  These ivory-towered experts share their musings in the journal “Philosophical Studies” (available at the Bookfair), but how many working class activists are going to read it, let alone write for it, at £14 an issue?   I’m not anti-intellectual but Kropotkin, Russell and Chomsky were also activists and theory must surely be constantly refreshed and informed by struggle to be useful. Anarchist theory and anarchist activism cannot flourish if conducted by separate groups with the former leading the latter – we are not Marxists.


The problem is wider than the Bookfair and I don’t doubt that the academics and the organisers are all nice people but that doesn’t preclude constructive criticism.  I would suggest two modifications for next years Manchester Bookfair.  Firstly no more than one philosophical talk with five more practical workshops led by everyday, down-to-earth anarchists and secondly an open-to-all “Free Speech” stall including material that may well shock and offend, perhaps supported by a “Free Speech” workshop?

For Peace, Love & Anarchy……………………Christopher Draper, Llandudno

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