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Glasgow Herald, 8th November, 1976
4 Ronaldsay Place, Cumbernauld. Sir, - Since I am chairman of the disbanded Cumbernauld branch of the Scottish Labour Party, I would like space in your columns for a personal statement, not to defend myself, but to warn the Scottish people what sort of a party the SLP has now become.
When we were expelled we did not know of what we were accused. Only unrough the media did we finally find out that we are all accused of being infiltrators from the International Marxist Group, and more broadly, "Left-wing extremists"
At the Congress an emergency resolution was put that four branches be expelled. Wild applause, bays of "Get them out - out - out!" The chairman then said, in view of the apparent popularity of this resolution, would some one move we go straight to the vote? There was no discussion: calls for evidence were shouted down.
When I spoke to one party officer in an attempt to restore democratic forms before this unjust action was taken and the papers were going into the ballot-box even as I spoke - I was roughly pushed aside and refused a hearing. I then looked around me at an incredible scene. One of my own branch, a man who had made a number of valuable contributions to the congress, had reached the delegates" microphone, but was surrounded by four men who looked likely to assault him if he attempted to use it.
In the rest of the hall some were debating hotly in small groups, but others were stamping around, yelling their hatred for all to hear. In all my years in politics, incidentally almost wholly in the Labour Party, I have never witnessed such a disgusting sight.
It may be that I am considered one of the "innocent casualties of war" to which Jim Sillars so airily referred on radio - for I cannot believe he or anyone else really thinks 1 am a member of IMG - But let me tell him now that there is no chance of reforming Cumbernauld branch under his leadership.
Sillars has claimed that the expelled branches all consist of IMG members, but this is utter nonsense. So what have we done? One of our "disruptive Friday of the congress when we defended people's right not to be thrown out without evidence and without any chance to speak in their own defence. To defend IMG suspects' human rights is to be suspected oneself, therefore our heads rolled on the Sunday.
But to be fair, l must own up to what appears to have been our branch's main crime. This was to attempt to stop the party leaders from making personal statements about items on the congress agenda which somehow became transmogrified into party policy before the branches had even seen these items, let alone congress given an opportunity to debate and decide its views. No one expected Sillars and the rest to be exactly pleased by such a motion, and they had already chosen to ignore our protests before congress even began (I can provide proof to anyone interested) but we were truly surprised by the hysterical reaction it did receive.
Obviously I still believe there is a need for a strong and democratic socialist organisation in Scotland. It's a pity that in spite of all the great efforts and sacrifices made by people up and down the country, who left the Labour Party and other parties with high hopes last January, we still haven't got one.
MARIA FYFE