IMGpapers 1976–79

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1976–79

HOW THEY CENSORED SOCIALIST Statement from CHALLENGE editorial board

· Socialist Challenge No. 29, 19 January 1978 · pp. 3-4 of the scan · 906 words

The scan: sc-n29-jan-19-1978.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 1-7 of 7; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 3 of the scan

Check the authenticity of these against them documents we handed them to a national newspaper, with an avrecment that we would publish on the same day.

When thai paper approached British Leyland, the company promised to comment on the documents by 12 0000 Tuesday 17 January — the day that time arrived Leyland was still refusing to comment. Instead they acted the police. The editors o both the national newspaper and Socialist Chalienge were then contacted by Detective Wilson of Scotland Yard, on behalf of Director Public were then formally warned that if we published the documents we could be found in contempt of court. This could mean a crippling fine and possible imprisonment. The case in question is that againsi Graham Barton, the Leyland executive ments on the slish fund to the Duily Mail last year. these were Tater said to forgeries, Socialist Challenge decided DUL MOULSE LEE COMMIES I question, bur we publish one.on this page, which we were toid is not involved in the Barton This document BETPET reveals that the marker factor - the polite term for bribes ant illegal payments is still continuing, despite official denials from both Leyland and the Government.

The decision not to publish is made for this issue of the paper anty. We are secking urgent legal advice on the possibility of publishing these documents in a future issue.

One thing we can state. Every day national newspapers, and indeed the left press, publish articles which are technically in contempt of court. They are which appeared to be internal memos correspondence from British Leyland. If genuine these documents reveal a trail of corruption and bribery.

not threatened by top police officers. No charges are made The reason we have beer warned by the police is because of the nature of the documents ve have — listing how, whon and how much Leyland brib They involve the very top of Leyland management and huge on in one case a bribe of £700,000.

Itis obvious that Leyland and the Labour Governmear would do everythine in their Dower to cont stop the publication of such documents. That is why Chief Superintendent Wilson contected 1s The affair is the latest stage in a cover-up which stretches back six montos, loc case agains the Mail allows under the documents that company has never claimed to be lorgeries. documents- as well as Born new ones - that we intended to publish. week Leyland b threaten to sack workers, This week as well evidence emerged of a cover-up by the Department of Industry the nationalised Corporation. Now there are the be threats against Socialist Chall CRLC We say that working people have every right to know what goca on in industries. We say the attempts to censor are a direct attack on the free press. this instance the contempts of court 'issue tempe at a cover-up.

We denisod a fel workers inquiry into how nationalised HOUSES ATE CITH In the meantime we make this the end of the affair. We still was or another we will make SUCH become known to the labour GRAHAM BARTON -- the man who leaked details of the Leyland and Leyland to carpet even the was these British Steel TAIGRATSEE We say that in 4.

THE CONCHA TALON 1. Seiler - Inusanne G. Nocicles co E.G. Field -BLI Ltd. - Loncurideo/ PRIVATE & GOTETIENTIN.

AOCOENTINE TOR AT FACTOR" period:

figure separately). liability otier in the periou D.D. PRENZICE Визпос Мало-ов - Snac THIS IS the one document the Director of Public Prosecutions did not prevent us from printing It deals with the accounting procedure for what is known as aiso known as special commissions" it is clear from other documents in our possession that special commiesian is the term used to describe the bribing of foreign government officials. It is what Dobson referred to as "bribing wogs' in his notorious after-dinner speech. This is to confim the accountine procedure for special comissions com no Market Factor" in respoot of leyind Cura. operate in due course Zor leyland Tnick gal Dis.

On or before the l0sh voricinm day followine the cad of cach raspective Bob Field will colex 1. Seiler aith the vame of the rolevant credit noses from Leyland Cars.

The value of the "dariet bactor" will be accounted for In the perdod;

(1) by MIS as an expense gim:ltaneously establichar the respectivo (1L) by 2t05 as income cobiider Leyieid Cars The precise account cales to be used for Carpe incisactions will Se determined alter consultations vita l. Caller.

al. Reo iceto

DI. Prentice

for the period (he will send or bove seat cetailo of chio catal Bob Field will send Gilbert lockles a copy of chis telex with the thoreby the expense of Lt and income of 1.05 id31 offset cach This document suggests that the money is 'laundered through BLIS Switzerland. From there i finds Its way into the pockets of the government officials named in other documents Previbus allegations concerning the operation of the Leyland 'slush fund' suggested payments were made up until August 1976. This document suggests the market factor was operated after this date 14.2.77 A sinilar procedure will "harkot Factor" - British Leyland International Services, - until February 19/7 at 16981.

page 4 of the scan

The Leyland slush fund SOCIALISTCHALLENGE 19 January 1978 page-

----- pull-quotes -----

Within the last week Socialist Challenge has received anonymously through the post copies of documents

← Mass redundancies at Leyland End participation now!Troops and bureaucrats ensure defeat →

Something wrong on this page?