Correspondence

We welcome feedback, especially (thoughtful) vitriolic replies and sycophantic praise. However -- due to demand -- letters over 300 words will not be considered and those via email (or PC disk) are particularly welcome. To send a letter please use the write to LLB page.

I'm writing to mention the plight of Toni Negri. In 1979 the university lecturer, and activist in the Autonomia movement, Toni Negri was condemned to thirty years in jail for being the brains of Italian terrorism in a trumped up trial organised by his Communist opponents in the Magistratura. Negri escaped by being elected in 1983 as a Radical deputy. He was exiled to France where he had the discreet protection of the state - he taught at university from 1984 to 1997. Deciding to return to his own land Negri was thrown in prison to serve out a reduced sentence of nine years (though new charges are pending).

Negri was judged on evidence culled from his writings - not a single act of terrorism. It would be similar to slinging the late Ralph Miliband in the clink for opposition to the capitalist state.

I knew Negri from 1985-7 as a comrade in a small intellectual discussion group, Disenssus. Anybody further from being the mastermind of Italian armed struggle would be hard to find - indeed fellow Italian exiles who had participated in such combats disliked him for his refusal to endorse individual violence.

The fact that the Italian state, a member of the European Union, can imprison someone for political beliefs is a scandal. In France there has been a broad campaign to free him. Moves should be taken to follow this lead.

Andrew Coates, Ipswich

The recent LLB AGM was superb. Excellent speakers - both from the platform and the floor reminded us that there is much still to fight for from the left end of Labour and many achievements to be proud of.

Chief amongst them is the great success of the Grassroots Alliance candidates in the NEC elections - not just those who were elected, but also the vital contribution to the victory made by our two candidates who didn't make it onto the NEC this time.

Our priority now must be to consolidate those results, focussing on strengthening the already strong position of last year's candidates and building on the high level of support and recognition all six have already achieved so that this year we can celebrate the election of a full slate of candidates to the NEC. The Grassroots Alliance is the most positive initiative for the left in Labour I've seen in my time in the Party. We must not allow the gains made by the hard work of so many to be dissipated in the year to come.

Paul Daintry, London E18

LLB is right to warn against the growing merger plans between the Blairites and the Liberal Democrats. Here in Sutton, Labour Party members who were caught red-handed "number taking" at a polling station during the 1998 local elections for the Liberal Democrats are let off with a slapped wrist while Labour left wingers who publicly criticise "questionable" activity within Sutton Labour Group are threatened with expulsion.

John Evers, Surrey

In the December LLB, you carried a picture of the national student demonstration for Grants Not Fees alongside contact details for a group called Student Unions Against the Act. The march was called originally by the Campaign for Free Education and then opened up to include others. The CFE has been campaigning for nearly four years now and we are still the only campaign on this issue that organises regular, democratic conferences to elect our committee and decide our policy. For further details Campaign for Free Education PO Box 22615, London N4 1WT; tel: 0958-556 756; email: cfe@gn.apc.org

Campaign for Free Education

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