POLITICAL LIFE ON THE MARCH

Right-to-Work IN HIS Workers Press interview the veteran Hunger Marcher Claude Currie said a march takes on a political life of its own as it progresses down the country, overcoming hardship and difficulties.

At Dumfries this is beginning to happen to the Young Socialists march.

We'd been walking all day in the driving rain, but the youth entered with great determination, roaring out the anti-Tory slogans with all the breath left in their bodies.

This is a very vital development. What you march are workers who have been isolated from working-class politics because they have forced onto the dole by lory policy. In their areas they xpress their hatred of the Tory regime isolated acts defiance.

Now they have become part of a fighting force with enormous possibility in the struggle to force the government to resign.

I witnessed one example of this last night at Thornhill when one marcher, who had made little contribution so far to the political discussion, spoke-up firmly defence of the aim of the Rightto-Work campaign.

He attacked the ideas of individualism. He'd been on the dole three years in Glasgow. The march was for the whole of the unemployed and all the-workers, because it was to force the Tories out. What was the use of individuals going there own way in this fight—we'd get nowhere like that.

These kind of private political discussions go on all the time The barrier between the nOW• dole and socialist politics has been broken down. The next step is to turn this new political experience outwards into the working-class communities we pass through.

That's why the march into Dumfries through the rain was different. The youth needed no encouragement SAoul the slogans. In fact one of them manned the loud-speaker and led the chanting-this was a decision to lead politically.

To seek out first impressions, I talked to the newest recruits on the march, Billy Jamieson (20), a miner at Killoch pit and Tom McGill (18), unemployed. They joined the march in Cumnock. Billy: 'I came along because as a miner on strike I feel the aim of the march fits with our struggle. It's in the miners' interests, the interests of the unemployed and the whole working class.

I read about it in the local paper. I was interested right away. I think you can build a movement in this way by going through the towns and get people who voted Tory away from the Conservatives and get others who abstained to take an interest in socialism.

'I think there is a great chance of an election before this government's time is up because Heath has broken every promise he made.

"The situation is so bad under this government that there is a lad who works beside me at the face who has six "highers" and nine "O" levels. He would like to leave the mine, but there's no jobs. If it's like this for him, what chance does the lad with no certificates stand.

'One thing is important, above all. We are not marching for our own rights but the rights of everybody who doesn't believe in the Conservatives.' His friend Tom admitted that he did start out on the march with some uncertainties:

But once we got going, started enjoying myselt. Passing through the towns meeting all the working people, the discussion which I listened to, I take them, all in and learn. I'm learning about the war between the workers and the Tories.

"The welcome we have got did proud. They were fantasticWE DEMAND WORK from the ordinary working people. I get restless on the dole. I want to do something about this situation and government. Marching and having meetings and discussions is better than being trapped at home with no money.' The second miner on the march, Freddie, is a more experienced Young Socialist:

"The answer to the question why I march is simple. The night of the miners and the Young Socialists is the same. There is no such thing anymore in the working-class struggle as a battle outside the one to bring the government down. This is the key issue that every leader in the trade union movement dodges.

"The development that takes place with me comes through meeting other workers and sounding out how they feel about the struggle. The message you get is always the same-they want the Tories out. That Polmaise miner was right when he said the Workers Press that the union leaders were riding a tiger -and what a tiger!

'The biggest danger in the strike now is the deliberate camGLASGOW KILMARNOCK \ CUMNOCK SANQUHAR THORNHILL DUMFRIES AN MAN CARLISLE ASTLE