Imre Nagy: a letter to British Communists

The Newsletter, vol. 2 no. 59, 28 June 1958 · scan page 1

Title, extent and credit checked against the scan (16 October 2026. An open letter signed by about forty former members of the Communist Party, among them Peter Fryer, Brian Behan, Ken Coates, Lawrence Daly, Tom Kemp, Brian Pearce, Dora Scarlett, Cliff Slaughter and E. P. Thompson; the signatures are in the text). The text is machine-read and not corrected: for anything you quote, read the scan.

Like you we were shocked by the revelations of Khrushchev at the Twentieth Congress of the Russian Communist Party. Like you we hoped that there would be big changes in the Soviet Union, in eastern Europe and in the communist parties. In this hope you stayed in the party. We either resigned or were expelled. Recent events move us to ask you two questions: What is your attitude to the execution of Imre Nagy and his three companions? Are you prepared to join with us in a protest against this crime? We ask you to believe that we fully respect your wish to remain members of the Communist Party. But we appeal to you not to allow loyalty to leaders to prevent of your hopes.

BRIAN BEHAN IDA FISHER PETER CADOGAN MARTIN FLANNERY Vv. P. CHEEK PETER FRYER KEN COATES FRANK GIRLING LAWRENCE DALY RICHARD GOSS JOHN DANIELS F. GUBB BERYL DOBBINS ROBERT HUNTER BRIAN DOBBINS COLIN JONES *Who has resigned from the Communist Party in protest.at the executions. ‘Tide of Protest Mounts: centre pages)

The Labour Party policy document on education, What is your attitude to the renewed campaign by the Soviet leaders against the Yugoslav leaders? Are you prepared to join with us in a protest against this campaign?

your protesting against the murder of Imre Nagy and TOM KEMP , JIM ROCHE DORA SCARLETT LEN KNIGHT CLIFF SLAUGHTER Prof. BERNARD STEVENS.

ALISON MACLEOD BEATRIX TUDOR-HART BRIAN PEARCE Prof. E. A. THOMPSON BOB POTTER JILL WHEATLEY JIM ROBERTSON JIM WHEATLEY GERTIE ROCHE SHIRLEY WHEATLEY PETER WORSLEY -THANKS, BIRMINGHAM AND LEICESTER!

Till our development fund gets on its feet we shall not be able to continue the publication of a weekly industrial supplement for mass sales. ' The success of the Strike Bulletin, however, has been very encouraging, and the work of producing it has taught us a great deal.

Largely written by rank-and-file strikers themselves, the Bulletin soon reached a steady circulation of 20,000 copies a week, and became recognized as: the only paper which presented the sectional struggles: as part of one common battle against. the employers’ offensive. As soon as we have enough money we shall start to produce a regular industrial supplement once more, as a first step towards the necessary expansion and improvement of The Newsletter.

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* To enable the editors and printing staff to take a fortnight’s holiday, there will be no issue of The Newslettez on July 19 or 26 , = 167: