Sydney Silverman

[Barrywoodling]

Sydney Silverman.

The following short biographical sketch may be of interest to members of Burnley Anarchist group. A much longer account is contained in the biography of Sydney written by Emrys Hughes entitled "Rebel in Parliament" published by Charles Skilton Ltd 1969. The cover photograph was taken by the anarchist Vernon Richards.

Sydney Silverman was an incorrigible labour rebel all his life. He was born in l895 in the city of LIverpool. At the age of 21 in l916 he joined the No Conscription Fellowship, a pacifist organisation. Sydney was a founder member together with Clifford Allen, Fenner Brockway and Bertrand Russsell.

Silverman was imprisoned as a conscientious objector for 2 years and 3 months and served time in Preston gaol, Wormword Scrubs, London, and Belfast prison during World War 1. After the war he became a lawyer in Liverpool his home city and in 1932 was elected to the City Council. The following year he was defeated in a parliamentary By election in LIverpool Exchange which he contested for the Labour Party.

Sydney was then selected as the Labour Party Candidate for Nelson and Colne constituency. Nelson was a town where socialist and Independent Labour Party ideas had taken root over a 30 year period. It was a cotton weaving town and overwhelmingly working class. He was elected as the labour MP for Nelson and Colne at the 1935 General Election and was carried shoulder high as the victorious candidate to the labour committee rooms. Sydney silverman served as the MP for Nelson and Colne for 33 years from 1935 to 1968. He published many articles in the local labour party paper called the Nelson Gazette.

To be continued.

Barry Woodling

[michele cryer]

Hey! Barry..thanks tons for this!!! Has Bryan mentioned the idea of you writing your Silverman articles for an edition of N.V. which we could then introduce to Nelson and Colne bookshops/newsagents, to see if the locals want to try it?

[Barrywoodling]

Sydney Silverman. Part 2.

Nelson Labour Party held an anti-conscription meeting on May 11, 1939 which was addressed by Silverman and J Williams the President of the Nelson weavers.

Some of Sydneys war time quotes unfortunately betray a serious misconception of anarchy where he seems to accept the prevailing stereotype. He visited Republican Spain and commented "I have seen order and unity where I was told to expect anarchy and chaos". This conflation of anarchy and chaos totally misunderstands the basis of anarchist philosophy and indeed of anarcho-syndicalism in practice. Further quotes in 1938 and 1939 betray the same misunderstanding. "Munich is not the triumph of negotiation or reason. It is the triumph of naked force. This is not pacifism, it is anarchy." "If war means anarchy, law means peace".

During the 2nd World War the Independent Labour Party in Nelson was unequivocally opposed and voted against war legislation. To interpose a personal note, on a recent visit to the Clarion House near Roughlie I noticed a photograph of ILP members from Nelson who were conscientious objectors and many were imprisoned for their beliefs. In Nelson there were also anti-war quakers and communists who defended Russia and regarded the war as an imperialist war.

Nye Bevan the doyen of the Bevanite left once described Silverman as "51% pro-Soviet". In the 1950s Sydney was associated with the "Victory for Socialism" group and has been quoted as saying "I want no wings , left or right, either in this world or the next" and "I was a Bevanite before Bevan".

Barry Woodling
Nanista

To be continued

[michele cryer]

Thanks again Barry!

[barrywoodling]

Sydney Silverman.

Sydney throughout his time in Parliament was a labour rebel. In 1954 6 Labour MPs voted against German rearmament- Silverman, Emrys Hughes, Victor Yates, George Craddock, S O Davies and Ernest Ferneyhough. They were all disciplined by the party and had the whip withdrawn. In 1960 Sydney voted against the Air Estimates together with William Baxter ( a former conscientious Objector), S O Davies, E Hughes, and Michael Foot. The whip was withdrawn.

Sydney Silverman was a committed anti-war and anti-nuclear campaigner. He was a member of the Executive Committee of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and took part in the Aldermaston Marches.

In 1962 he was present at the 50th anniversary celebrations of Clarion House in Roughlie.

His crowning achievement was the passing of his Private Members Bill to abolish hanging in 1965.

Sydney Silverman died on February 9th, 1968 and was described in the local paper the "Nelson Leader and Colne Times" as the "Tom Thumb Giant".

Although I would disassociate myself from his support for Zionism, nevertheless one would pay tribute to his lifelong commitment to the cause of peace and social justice. I am sure he will be long remembered in Nelson and Colne as a radical with a social conscience.

Barry Woodling
Nanista

[michele cryer]

Wonderful stuff Barry...he does sound like he was a pretty 'sound' guy!!!

[Mitch]

Thanks Barry - this is fascinating stuff on Sydney Silverman.

We should have a famous people of Nelson thread really ............
Selina Cooper
Stan Iveson

Fred - be good if you could write something on Stan Iveson - you knew him personally also didn't you.

Await that with great interest.

Bestest Mitch