Audio index 1980-1989
Note: most regional public meetings during this period weren’t recorded, with the exception of Islington meetings, hence why there are a lot of them here.
WHY TONY BENN SHOULD BE A SOCIALIST (1980) (29 mins)
Venue: University of London Union
Pt 2 (30 mins)
Pt 3 (34 mins)
AN INTRODUCTION TO PREHISTORY
A series of talks given by Harry Walters between February and June 1980
Venue: Prince Albert pub, Islington
An Introduction to Pre-History (46 mins)
Date: 10th February 1980
There are a couple of moments of ‘tape crunch’ where the words can’t be made out. These have been replaced by 2 seconds of silence.
Pt 2 (42 mins)
THE SUCCESSION OF LIFE THROUGH GEOLOGICAL TIME (50 mins)
Part of the series of talks on An Introduction to Pre-History
Date: 2nd March 1980
Pt 2 (35 mins)
THE EMERGENCE OF MAN (49 mins)
Part of the series of talks on An Introduction to Pre-History
Date: 23rd March 1980
Pt 2 (52 mins)
THEORY OF NATURAL SELECTION (56 mins)
Part of the series of talks on An Introduction to Pre-History
Date: 13th April 1980
Pt 2 (35 mins)
FROM HUNTER TO FARMER (55 mins)
Part of the series of talks on An Introduction to Pre-History
Date: 4th May 1980
Pt 2 (40 mins)
IS HUMAN NATURE A BARRIER TO SOCIALISM? (46 mins)
Part of the series of talks on An Introduction to Pre-History
Date: 15th June 1980
Pt 2 (46 mins)
MANKIND THE TOOL MAKER (56 mins)
Part of the series of talks on An Introduction to Pre-History
Date: 25th June 1980
Pt 2 (32 mins)
THE HISTORICAL PLACE OF THE SPGB (61 mins)
Islington Branch meeting
Date: 1st June, 1980
Speaker: Steve Coleman
Pt 2 (52 mins)
MARXIAN ECONOMICS
A series of talks by Edgar Hardcastle (‘Hardy’) in 1980 at the Latin American Bookshop, London
Crises and Depressions pt.1 (34 mins)
Crises and Depressions pt.2 (31 mins) The sound quality is poor for pt.2. The worst bits have been deleted and replaced by two seconds of silence
Crises and Depressions pt.3 (34 mins)
THE LABOUR THEORY OF VALUE (58 mins)
From the series on Marxian Economics, 1980
Pt 2 (32 mins)
RENT, INTEREST AND PROFIT (35 mins)
From the series on Marxian Economics, 1980
Pt 2 (34 mins)
Pt 3 (26 mins)
PRODUCTIVITY (58 mins)
From the series on Marxian Economics, 1980
Pt 2 (15 mins)
TAXATION AND THE WORKING CLASS (51 mins)
From the series on Marxian Economics, 1980
Pt 2 (42 mins)
The sound quality is poor for pt.2. The worst bits have been deleted and replaced by two seconds of silence.
MARXIST AND MONETARIST THEORIES OF INFLATION (54 mins)
From the series on Marxian Economics, 1980
Pt 2 (53 mins)
MARX AND ALIENATION (42 mins)
Speaker: Pieter Lawrence
Venue: Prince Albert, Islington
Date: 12th March 1981
Pt 2 (56 mins)
THE BOMB AND THE DOLE QUEUE – ABOLISH THE CAUSE (36 mins)
Birmingham Branch meeting
Date: 16th July 1981
Speaker: Steve Coleman
Pt 2 (25 mins)
Pt 3 (43 mins)
THE THREAT OF WAR AND THE FUTILITY OF CND (36 mins)
Venue: Sunderland YMCA
Speaker: Cliff Slapper
Date: 17th July 1981
Pt 2 (31 mins)
DEBATE: ‘ONLY SOCIALISM OFFERS ANY HOPE FOR THE FUTURE’ (26 mins)
Kate Hughes – (Conservative Party)
Steve Coleman – (SPGB)
University College, London
Date: 3rd February 1982
Pt 2 (45 mins)
A MARXIST CRITIQUE OF ANARCHISM (37 mins)
Speaker: Steve Coleman
Venue: Head Office
Date: 28th August 1982 From the series ‘Marx Centenary Lectures’
Pt 2 (40 mins)
Pt 3 (41 mins)
SPECIAL PARTY MEETING ON POLAND (1982) (50 mins)
Special Party Meeting on the political situation in Poland Head Office
Pt 2 (41 mins)
Pt 3 (31 mins)
RALLY FOR SOCIALISM (49 mins)
Venue: Prince Albert, Islington, London
Date: 8th October 1982
Speakers: Wally Preston and Ron Cook
Pt 2 (52 mins)
SOCIALIST THINKERS – PEOPLE WHO HISTORY MADE
A series of talks by Steve Coleman and held by Islington Branch between 3rd October 1982 and 26th December 1982.
The venue was the Prince Albert pub in Islington.
PLEKHANOV AND THE MATERIALIST CONCEPTION OF HISTORY (51 mins)
Part of the series Socialist Thinkers – People Who History Made
Date: 3rd October 1982
Pt 2 (44 mins)
DIETZGEN AND DIALECTICAL THOUGHT (49 mins)
Part of the series Socialist Thinkers – People Who History Made
Date: 17th October 1982
Pt 2 (47 mins)
KAUTSKY AND THE CRITIQUE OF RELIGION (47 mins)
Part of the series Socialist Thinkers – People Who History Made
Date: 31st October 1982
Pt 2 (51 mins)
BRONTERRE O’BRIEN AND WORKING-CLASS RADICALISM (45 mins)
Part of the series Socialist Thinkers – People Who History Made
Date: 21st November 1982
Pt 2 (36 mins)
BELFORT BAX AND THE ETHICS OF SOCIALISM (59 mins)
Part of the series Socialist Thinkers – People Who History Made
Date: 28th November 1982
Pt 2 (41 mins)
WILLIAM MORRIS’ VISION OF SOCIALISM (60 mins)
Part of the series Socialist Thinkers – People Who History Made
Date: 12th December 1982
Pt 2 (49 mins)
MARTOV AND THE ANTI-BOLSHEVIK APPROACH TO REVOLUTION (57 mins)
Part of the series Socialist Thinkers – People Who History Made
Date: 26th December 1982
Pt 2 (28 mins)
DEBATE: DID LENIN DISTORT MARX? (30 mins)
YES – Steve Coleman, SPGB
NO – Monty Johnstone, CPGB & ‘Marxism Today’
Venue: Islington Central Library, London
Date: 11th November 1982
Pt 2 (36 mins)
Pt 3 (61 mins)
ARE WORLD UNITY AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY COMPATIBLE? (54 mins)
Part of a Weekend School – ‘Socialism as a Practical Alternative’ Caxton House, London
Speaker: Eddie Grant
Venue: Caxton House, London
Date: 23rd January, 1983
Pt 2 (46 mins)
THE WAR IN IRELAND – THE SOCIALIST SOLUTION (59 mins)
Public Meeting – ‘The War in Ireland: The Socialist Solution’ Speakers: Peter Cook, Clifford Slapper Venue: Prince Albert, Islington
Date: 31st March 1983
Pt 2 (52 mins)
Pt 2 (60 mins)
DEBATE – ‘LOOKING FORWARD’: THE WAY AHEAD FOR SOCIALISTS (26 mins)
Steve Coleman (SPGB) vs Simon Pottinger, (Socialist Organiser)
Venue: Durham University Labour Club
Date: 1983
Pt 2 (21 mins)
Pt 3 (40 mins)
THE POLITICS OF ROSA LUXEMBURG (19 mins)
Venue: The Duke of York, Islington, London
Date: 1983
Speaker: Vic Vanni
Pt 2 (53 mins)
CAPITALISM OR SOCIALISM? (38 mins)
Debate between Edgar Hardcastle (SPGB) and Arthur Johnston (Conservative Party)
Venue: Prince Albert, Islington
Date: 7th October 1983
DEBATE – IS BRITAIN WORTH DYING FOR? (34 mins)
NO – Steve Coleman (SPGB)
YES – Lady Olga Maitland, (Women and Families for Defence)
Venue: Central Library, Islington
Date: 19th January 1984
Pt 2 (20 mins)
Pt 3 (63 mins)
THE PRACTICAL SOCIALISM OF WILLIAM MORRIS (49 mins)
Islington Branch Weekend Conference –
Venue: Caxton House, Islington
Date: 3rd March, 1984
Speaker: Adam Buick
Pt 2 (35 mins)
JOIN THE WORLD SOCIALIST MOVEMENT (43 mins)
Islington Branch, London
Date: 7th May 1984
Panel – Gary Slapper, Bob Moran, Rahman Ahmed & Steve Dowsett
Pt 2 (34 mins)
Pt 3 (36 mins)
ANARCHISM (55 mins)
Weekend Education Conference – Left-Wing Capitalism versus Revolutionary Socialism
Caxton House, Islington
Date: 10th June 1984
Speaker: Brian Rubin
Pt 2 (33 mins)
OLD AND COLD – Why capitalism causes hypothermia and closes down coal mines… (43 mins)
Venue: Prince Albert, Islington
Date: 19th July 1984
Speaker: Steve Coleman
Pt 2 (17 mins)
Pt 3 (60 mins)
Pt 4 (17 mins)
THE POLITICS OF TERRORISM (33 mins)
Venue: Birmingham
Date: 23rd August 1984
Speaker: Christine Moss
Pt 2 (56 mins)
Speaker: Steve Coleman
THE MINERS STRIKE – A MARXIST ANALYSIS (41 mins)
Venue: Duke of York, Kings Cross, London
Date: 12th October 1984
Pt 2 (69 mins)
CAN A MAJORITY OF WORKERS DEVELOP SOCIALIST CONSCIOUSNESS UNDER CAPITALISM? (28 mins)
Debate with the Communist Workers Organisation
Venue: Prince Albert, Islington
Date: 21st October 1984
Speakers: Nick and John (CWO), Adam Buick and Steve Coleman (SPGB)
Pt 2 (30 mins)
Pt 3 (15 mins)
Pt 4 (17 mins)
Pt 5 (29 mins)
Pt 6 (42 mins)
Pt 7 (23 mins)
DEBATE WITH ‘MOVEMENT FOR WORLD GOVERNMENT’ (19 mins)
Debate with Jo Gandhi (‘Movement for World Government’)
Date: 23rd November 1984 SPGB
Speaker: Pieter Lawrence
Pt 2 (24 mins)
Pt 3 (39 mins)
Pt 4 (38 mins)
HOW TO ORGANISE A BRANCH (47 mins)
Islington Branch meeting
Date: 9th December 1984
Speaker: Clifford Slapper
Pt 2 (41 mins)
WHAT IS SOCIALISM AND HOW CAN IT BE ACHIEVED? (53 mins)
Public debate between Steve Coleman, (SPGB), and Laurence Spigel (Labour Party)
Venue: The Prince Albert, Islington 4th April 1985
Pt 2 (61 mins)
ABOLISH THE WAGES SYSTEM (16 mins)
Venue: Duke of York, Kings Cross, Islington
Date: 6th May 1985 Panel: Alf Atkinson, Brian Rubin & Clifford Slapper
Pt 2 (14 mins)
Pt 3 (19 mins)
Pt 4 (54 mins)
AFTER THE MINERS STRIKE – WHICH WAY FORWARD FOR SOCIALISTS? (31 mins)
Debate between Colin Tipton, (Socialist Workers Party), and Steve Coleman (SPGB)
Venue: The Star, Quarry Street, Guildford
Date: 10th May 1985
Pt 2 (29 mins)
Pt 3 (31 mins)
Pt 4 (29 mins)
Pt 5 (23 mins)
EXPOSING NATIONALISM (22 mins)
Islington
Date: 13th June 1985
Speaker: Cliff Begley
Pt 2 (26 mins)
Pt 3 (50 mins)
SHOULD ALL SOCIALISTS UNITE? (40 mins)
Venue: Duke of York, Islington, London
Date: 25th August 1985
Speaker: Brian Rubin
Pt 2 (62 mins)
IS INEQUALITY NATURAL? (60 mins)
Venue: Duke of York, Islington, London
Date: 15th September 1985
Speaker: Clifford Slapper
Pt 2 (44 mins)
WHAT CAN TRADE UNIONISTS DO TO CHANGE SOCIETY? (17 mins)
Speaker: Janie Percy-Smith
Venue: Duke of York, Islington
Date: 13th February 1986
Pt 2 (28 mins)
Pt 3 (43 mins)
WORKING-CLASS CULTURE
FOLK MUSIC AND WORKERS’ HISTORY (41 mins)
1986 Education Conference – Working-Class Culture
Caxton House, Islington
Speaker: Sandy Easton
Pt 2 (48 mins)
EDUCATING THE WORKERS (33 mins)
1986 Education Conference – Working-Class Culture
Caxton House, Islington
Speaker: Brian Rubin
Pt 2 (42 mins)
SOAP OPERAS AND WORKING CLASS LIVES (50 mins)
1986 Education Conference – Working-Class Culture
Venue: Caxton House, Islington
Speaker: Gary Slapper
Transferred from tape cassette – a low quality recording
Pt 2 (44 mins)
THE CRISIS IN CAPITALISM – WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP? (25 mins)
Debate between Clifford Slapper (SPGB) and Bill Etherington (Gen. Sec. of Durham Mechanics, N.U.M.)
Venue: The Printers Pie, Newcastle upon Tyne 1986
Pt 2 (33 mins)
Pt 3 (37 mins)
HOW CAN A REAL REVOLUTION BE ACHIEVED? (27 mins)
Debate between Dick Donnelly, SPGB, and Albert Meltzer, ‘Black Flag’ (anarchist)
Venue: Duke of York, Islington, London
Date: 12th February 1987
Part One: Dick Donnelly, SPGB
The original tape for this recording was badly chewed at one part, and this has meant a loss of approximately one minute on each side of the tape.
Pt 2: Albert Meltzer, ‘Black Flag’ (21 mins)
Pt 3: Conclusion (70 mins)
MARXISM FOR BEGINNERS
HISTORICAL MATERIALISM – THEORY AND ACTION (23 mins)
Marxism for Beginners weekend school (No. 1 of 4)
Venue: Caxton House, Archway, Islington
Date: 28th February 1987
Speakers: Steve Coleman & Janie Percy-Smith
Pt 2 (23 mins)
MARXIAN ECONOMICS AND CAPITALIST TEXTBOOKS (49 mins)
Marxism for Beginners weekend school (No. 2 of 4)
Venue: Caxton House, Archway, Islington
Date: 28th February 1987
Speaker: Adam Buick
MARX’S CONCEPTION OF SOCIALISM (45 mins)
Marxism for Beginners weekend school (No. 3 of 4)
Venue: Caxton House, Archway, Islington
Date: 1st March 1987
Speaker: Edgar Hardcastle
SOCIALIST WOMEN
WOMEN UNDER CAPITALISM (34 mins)
Part One of Socialist Women’
Islington Branch Education Conference
Caxton House, Islington, London
Date: 6th February 1988
Speaker: Kerima Mohideen
Please note that the sound quality is poor for this talk.
MEN IN A SEXIST SOCIETY (17 mins)
Part Two of Socialist Women’
Islington Branch Education Conference
Caxton House, Islington, London
Date: 6th February 1988
Speakers: Steve Dowsett and Steve Coleman
Pt 2 (37 mins)
Pt 3 (35 mins)
WHAT SOCIALISTS CAN LEARN FROM FEMINIST IDEAS (47 mins)
Part Three of Socialist Women’
Islington Branch Education Conference
Caxton House, Islington, London
Date: 7th February 1988
Speaker: Janie Percy-Smith
Pt 2 (38 mins)
WOMEN FOR CHANGE – WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN THE SOCIALIST PARTY (30 mins)
Part Four of Socialist Women’
Islington Branch Education Conference
Caxton House, Islington, London
Date: 7th February 1988
Speaker – Jill Coxall
Pt 2 (52 mins)
RACISM – ITS CAUSES AND CURE (24 mins)
Venue: Duke of York, Islington, London
Date: 21st July 1988
Speaker: Jill Coxall
Pt 2 (37 mins)
Pt 3 (43 mins)