This year marks the centenary of what has become known as the First World War (1914-1918), the global conflict in which it is estimated over 16 million lost their lives and a further 20 million were wounded. It has already been announced that to mark the centenary five government departments, led by the Department of Culture Media and Sport, will co-ordinate a range of initiatives to commemorative what was once referred to as the “war to end war”. The government has already set aside a £50m commemoration fund and, amongst others things, has announced plans to refurbish the Imperial War Museum and for schools to visit battlefields and commemorative events on the “Western Front”.

Already, however, leading politicians have launched a propaganda campaign to rewrite history and spread disinformation about the causes and nature of this bloody conflict and the lessons that should be drawn from it. The first off the mark was Michael Gove, the Minister for Education, who wrote an article in the Daily Mail entitled “Why does the Left insist on belittling true British heroes”. In the article, Gove attempted to turn truth on its head not only in relation to the history of the First World War and how it is presented but also in regard to the government’s failed efforts to arbitrarily control the history curriculum taught in Britain’s schools. He was swiftly followed by London Mayor Boris Johnson, who wrote an article for The Telegraph entitled “Germany started the Great War but the Left can’t bear to say so”. With no apparent sense of irony the article was sub-titled, “In this centennial year it’s more important than ever that we treat the truth with respect.”

It is clear from the content of both articles that neither Gove nor Johnson has any respect for the truth. Both start from the premise that the First World War was a “just war” fought by those who were “conscious believers in king and country committed to defending the western liberal order”. Gove wishes to exonerate all those who ordered the sacrifice of millions of lives in order to defend the interests of British imperialism in contention with its major rivals. His assertion is that since millions of British soldiers (and those from Britain’s colonies) fought and tragically died with “honour and courage”, that makes the war a “noble cause” fought to maintain “Britain’s special tradition of liberty”.

Both articles make great efforts to assert that the First World War “was overwhelmingly the result of German expansion and aggression”. Johnson even asserts that the First and Second World Wars were similar in this regard and that the British government’s role in both cases was to staunchly oppose “German militarism”. The remarks of these two politicians, as well as views expressed in opposition to them by the Labour Party’s Tristram Hunt, appear to be designed to cause maximum confusion about the origin of both wars, since their appears to be a Westminster consensus that British imperialism and British governments share no responsibility at all. At the same time, the impression is created that everyone supported the war, not only in Britain but also internationally.

In fact, by creating the conditions for the outbreak of both conflicts the rich and their governments could be said to have committed crimes against peace. Before 1914, British governments on behalf of the big banks and monopolies engaged in global contention with their rivals, allegedly carrying the “white man burden”, on a “civilising mission” that led to mass slaughter, the invasion and partition of Africa and colonial conquests and interference throughout the world. It was this global contention in Africa, Asia and in Europe itself that caused the outbreak of war. This was the period of warmongering alliances and an unprecedented arms race, which divided Europe into two armed camps, and here too the governments of Britain played a leading role. It was for predatory interests and to safeguard the British Empire that the British government entered World War I and signed secret treaties with the other imperialist powers to re-divide the world. It then carried out that great crime which led to the deaths of millions, who in each country were told that they fighting a “just war” for a “noble cause”. At the conclusion of the war Britain and the other victors re-divided the world according to their interests by taking control of the colonies, territories and resources of their defeated rivals.

The aim of the disinformation being disseminated is not just to create confusion about the crimes committed a century ago but also to create illusions about the danger of war today, when the big powers are again in fierce rivalry and contention. The aim is obscure the lessons of history concerning the nature and causes of wars between the big powers and the fact that the democratic and peace-loving people of all counties have the ability to stay the hands of the warmongers by creating the conditions for the emergence of anti-war governments that will remove the causes of war.

On January 7, the unjust dismissal of Charlotte Monro from Barts NHS Trust for “serious misconduct” was upheld by the hospital’s appeal panel. Charlotte Monro, who had worked for 26 years as an occupational therapist and a moving and handling co-ordinator at Whipps Cross hospital, had been Chair of the Waltham Forest Unison Health Branch for many years.

Despite the charge of “serious misconduct”, what had become very clear was that in the growing climate of management of the NHS by diktat from above, what was at the root of the dismissal was Charlotte Monro’s work in her role as a union representative to keep health workers informed and raise concerns about the quality of health care and about the direction in which the NHS is heading. This direction is causing concern throughout the health service, and is impacting very seriously on the quality of patient care, yet, despite the hypocrisy of the government’s words about encouraging “whistle-blowers”, the climate has been increasingly one of stifling discussion, of diktat, and disinforming health workers under the guise of maintaining “confidentiality” of proposed plans.

The dismissal of Charlotte Monro is an attack on all health workers and their right to organise at a time of unprecedented threat to the NHS. It has been recognised as such in the campaign which had been organised to reinstate her. Such had been the public anger against her dismissal that the charge of misconduct relating to speaking to councillors at scrutiny committee as a union rep to explain staff concerns over changes to Whipps Cross stroke service was not upheld at the appeal.

In a statement to the press, Charlotte Monro pointed out that no one throughout the whole disciplinary process had stated any concerns about her professional work, or safety with patients and staff. "On the contrary, " Charlotte said, "managers from my past and present gave evidence praising my standard and integrity in my work. Both the original disciplinary panel and the appeal panel have made clear they have no concerns in regard to my professional work and indeed that my strong commitment to patient care is recognised."

Barts Health NHS Trust issued a disgraceful press statement after the appeal to the effect that her dismissal had been for “personal misconduct”, and in particular they referred to the “failure to disclose previous criminal convictions”. These “previous criminal convictions” in fact show that Charlotte has always been a fighter against injustice, since they relate to the time in the mid-1970s when there was a whole movement to affirm that fascists had no right to organise and to fight against state-organised racist and fascist attacks. Many progressive people and anti-fascist fighters had been arrested on trumped up charges in the course of this struggle and other struggles against injustice.

Charlotte Monro in her press statement declared: “Barts health statement to the press is a measure of the depth to which they will sink in order to justify their narrow self-interest. In the view of my union branch and a very large number of staff and others Barts Health action was to take an effective trade union rep and voice for staff out of the picture just ahead of launching their ‘financial turnaround’ programme, with an obvious message to staff that they speak out and challenge the trust plans at their peril.

“This vilification of my character, of the contribution to staff and patient safety I have made over 26 years of work at Whipps Cross, of my commitment to defending our local health services, sadly speaks volumes about the nature of those in whose hands the leadership of our health service now lies. What personally is so hurtful is they are trying to take my history from me. But that is not so easy because staff and people in the community know this history.

“Hundreds of people have written letters and signed collective statements expressing their anger and disbelief that the trust should be taking this action against me. Their shock and concern has undoubtedly helped the trust to reverse their decision that speaking out for patient services at scrutiny was misconduct. This reversal is welcome and one step in defending the right of unions and staff to have their independent voice heard by the community on the future of our health service, questioned though it is by the continued and vindictive actions against me.

“As to my convictions they were 35 - 44 years ago before I trained as an Occupational Therapist and arose from encounters with police in campaigning against injustice, including against racist killings locally, against apartheid, and war. … Many who were involved in those movements and with histories from such clashes went on to work in the caring services, because they are people who want to make a better world.”

The campaign to reverse the injustice perpetrated against Charlotte Monro by the Barts NHS Trust has by no means ended. Its significance has become not so much that is focused on opposing the victimisation of one person, but that the experience must be summed up and guidelines drawn for the struggles to come. In this respect, it is clear that there are battles ahead to roll back the climate of diktat in the NHS, and that the movement to safeguard the future of the NHS is going on the offensive on this front. There must be democratisation and renewal at all levels in the NHS from the level of government downwards. Not only must the government be held to account and be seen to be as good as its word in opposing the “gagging” and sacking of those raising concerns about the quality of care and the direction of the NHS, but forums and other appropriate mechanisms must be facilitated at the grass roots level. The trade unions must also play their part, not only in defending the conditions of the health workers, but in facilitating their members to participate in an organised form in taking a stand for a pro-social direction of the health service.

The case of Charlotte Monro has emphasised the link between the concerns of health workers and professionals on the one hand, and the campaigns in the community against closures, downgrading and privatisation of the health service. It epitomises how the organised workers and the people’s movements can join hands. Above all, it shows that justice lies with the movement to change the whole direction in which the government is taking the NHS, and the necessity for the working class and people to get further organised on this front.

For more information on the background of the campaign to right the injustice against Charlotte Monro, see: http://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-13/ww13-28.htm#fourth

http://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-13/ww13-36.htm

On behalf of NHS Community campaigns and many others outraged by the decision to sack Charlotte Monro we wish to make the following statement to Barts Health Board.

The government states that it wants staff to feel safe to speak out if they see or hear anything that could compromise patient care. Barts Health says it subscribes to the same policy. Yet Charlotte Monro has been sacked, we say because of her work as a trade union rep, not for the main issue she was originally dismissed for – speaking to her local Scrutiny committee. As a trade union rep she had consulted some of her members on what you claimed was a confidential plan, and for assault charges she had not disclosed, dredged up from over 30 years in protests which resulted in encounters with police. In other words you were determined to get her.

It has long been accepted within the NHS that carrying out trade union activities should not result in personal detriment or damage to shop stewards but you, Barts Health, decided to ignore this. It is your action that is bringing this Trust into disrepute by bullying staff and sending out the message, “We are Bully Barts; do not speak out or we will get you.”

We represent the residents of the boroughs you serve. It is our taxes that fund you; it is our lives that you are charged with caring for and we do not like your attitude towards your own staff. We want staff to speak out and to feel safe where ever and whenever the need arises to protect patients and to protect services to patients. You say you want this too but will not have a hard job convincing staff that you are genuine. Your current message to staff says: Beware, Bully Barts will jump on you if you step out of line.

Your action is not one of a good employer. Oppressed, unhappy staff do not make good carers. The lessons from Mid Staffs make this clear but you want to ignore those lessons.

We regard the press statement you have issued as deliberately painting a picture of a violent criminal amongst your staff. Your statement was misleading by omitting to say that the offences related to over 30 years ago. To quote from Charlotte’s response:

“My convictions were 35 – 44 years ago before I trained as an Occupational Therapist and arose from encounters with police in campaigning against injustice and for a better world, including against racist killings, against apartheid and against war.”

We demand that you apologise to Charlotte Monro and reinstate her as the loyal, long serving and trusted NHS worker that she is and has always been. You want to be seen and heard as a compassionate, listening organisation. Now is your chance. We are waiting.

Newham Save our NHS (NewsoNHS@gmail.com)

Tower Hamlets Keep Our NHS Public (THKeepournhspublic@gmail.com),

We are Waltham Forest Saving Our NHS (wawfsaveournhs@gmail.com)

The morning after Charlotte Monro’s unjust dismissal was upheld by the appeals panel, members of three East London healthcare campaign groups confronted Barts Health Trust Board meeting, and read out a statement roundly condemning their action.

The statement has been reproduced above, and here is a video of the campaign members reading the statement to the Board meeting:

http://youtu.be/4G3DaFW8mpk

Reproduced from “New Worker”*, week commencing January 17, 2014

Dolly Shaer, a long standing comrade and a member of the leadership of the New Communist Party, passed away last June. Friends and comrades paid their last respects to Dolly at her funeral in Guildford last July. But they, and many others, returned to the Party Centre last Saturday for a memorial social to remember Dolly’s life and her life-long commitment to the communist ideal.

Dolly was born in 1931, the “devil’s decade” during a world-wide slump that led to massive unemployment. It was the era that saw the rise of Adolf Hitler and the spread of fascism in Britain and throughout Europe. But it was also the decade which saw the strengthening of the Soviet power which eliminated unemployment in the USSR in 1930 and build the industrial and military might that smashed the Nazi hordes in the Second World War.

Dolly’s father fought in the International Brigade to defend the Spanish Republic against General Franco’s rebels and the Nazi and Italian fascist legions that backed him. Dolly followed her father’s footsteps by joining the Young Communist League as soon as she could and plunging herself into the post-war struggles for peace and socialism in Britain.

Opened by Party Chair Alex Kempshall, the formal tributes began with Dolly’s partner Ken Ruddock and her daughter Carole and Carole spoke of her mother’s determination, steeled by decades of struggle in education, the anti-racist campaigns and fight to preserve the memory of the Brigaders for the generations to come.

NCP leader Andy Brooks said Dolly was an example to us all, as did John MacLeod from the Socialist Labour Party. Ernie Hunt, a veteran from the Revolutionary Communist Party of Britain (Marxist-Leninist), put Dolly’s life in the context of the struggle against revisionism. Dermot Hudson from the Korean Friendship Association paid tribute Dolly’s solidarity work and that of the NCP as a whole in support of Democratic Korea and Ann Rogers, the former editor of the New Worker who worked with Dolly for many years recalled the happy events in her company.

Dolly was National Treasurer of the Party and for many years no event would end without her call to build the fighting fund. Earlier in the day the Central Committee had agreed to increase the target for the Special Appeal to £15,000. And this was taken up by Daphne Liddle who made a stirring appeal to boost the Special Fund to safeguard the future of the New Worker and remember Dolly in the way she would have wanted. They did with a collection that totalled £1,732.

* “The New Worker” is the weekly paper of the New Communist Party of Britain