If you believe in re-incarnation then you may suspect that J.H. Thomas has returned to earth, not to mislead the NUR where Greene is doing such an adequate job, but to bestow his talents on the Leicestershire NUM, where a new-found darling of the mass media has arisen in the person of Frank Smith, secretary of the Leicestershire area of the union and its delegate on the National Executive.
Smith has acquired an unenviable repujation since leaving the Communist Party 30 years ago, For over two years he worked to drive one leading local militant Martin Ryan-out of the union. Despite Communist Party support for Smith's manoeuvres, lecal advice convinced the National Executive that Ryan's thoroughly documented attack on Smith's undemocratic and unconstitutional methods could not be swept under the rug In 1972 Smith opposed the mimers" strike, insisted on running the office on a "normal hours basis, and publicly attacked Derbyhire miners flying pickets who were ent in to deal with a suspected breach in the coal embargo, unaware that Smith had actually OK'd coal deliveries.
Leicestershire NUM is a traditional stronghold of "moderation." In the ballot that preceded the 1972 miners" strike Leicestershire was almost 2/7 against strike action and it has traditionally supported right-wing Lahour candidates, Among their proteges is the notorious red-baiter WoodToW Wyatt.
Smith's treachery has exposed the dangerous loge of the "moderate" standpoint. At last Saturday's mass meeting to discuss the area councis "no confidence vote in the secretary the first Leicestershire NUM has held since 1926 Smith's pust cume back to haunt him in the form of Marlin Ryan, whose fighting attack Smith's class ceived a standing ovation. The meet ing then went un to vote full support for the national overtine ban. repudiate Smith's witch-hunting manoeuvres, and endorse the arca council no contidence vote.
Despite this hig setback for the right-wing, Smith's hands are still on the levers of power. All the lodges in the area-including traditionally proSmith ones had called for no confidence in Smith before the area council met, hut only 4 delegates to the councl actually conformed to this mandate, the other 6 choosing to ahstain, After the resounding verdict of last Saturday's mass meeting there should be no further hesitation-the call of Smith Must Go!' should echo across the coalfield, and Leicestershire miners should begin to prepure for a determined fight, along side their fellows, against the Tory