Socialist historians defend David Rosenberg after Daily Mail smear story

London Socialist Historians Group

5^th April

Media Release

Socialist Historians defend David Rosenberg after Daily Mail smear story

The London Socialist Historians Group, a collective of research historians who organise the socialist history seminar at the Institute of Historical Research, has defended radical historian David Rosenberg after the Daily Mail ran a smear story about him on 5^th April.

The story was typical of the Mail genre. It did not include any evidence that Mr Rosenberg was associated with supposed and alleged anti-Semitic views. Rather it was concerned that he had sat next to Jeremy Corbyn at a recent event and was not an enthusiast for the current Israeli Government.

The historians say that Mr Rosenberg is a well-known Jewish socialist historian with an impressive record of recovering the working-class history of the radical East End of London. Some of this is detailed in his book Rebel Footprints (Pluto 2015).

LSHG Convenor Keith Flett said, 'the Mail story is beneath contempt, although that is hardly news, For a paper with a track record of anti-Semitism in the 1930s to attempt to smear a distinguished Jewish socialist historian such as David Rosenberg is the journalism of the gutter. We hope Mr Rosenberg will speak at a future socialist history seminar on the radical East End of London. It is a history that still speaks to us today'

Review of  Rebel Footprints in the Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/mar/10/rebel-footprints-guide-to-uncovering-londons-radical-history-david-rosenberg-review

Guardian article by David Rosenberg on Cable Street

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/sep/21/battle-cable-street-mural-fascists-east-end

Contact: Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266 Twitter @LSHGofficial. Website: http://londonsocialisthistorians.blogspot.co.uk/

London Socialist Historians Group Summer Term seminars

London Socialist Historians Summer Term seminars 2018 & supporting UCU strike action on pensions

2ND April

Apologies for the late publication of the summer term 2018 socialist history seminar programme at the Institute of Historical Research.

However we have been in some difficulty. The routine difficulties which we encounter every year are that two of our seminar dates in May are Bank Holidays and with the summer term so heavily focused on exams and marking (industrial action notwithstanding) organising seminars in June, while technically unproblematic, can often see low turn-outs.

This year however we have the additional issue of continuing UCU industrial action on pensions. Our position is clear. As socialist historians we support the UCU action and we will not run a seminar on any day of strike action. We cancelled one on 1848 in early March for that reason.

At the moment it remains unclear what the strike dates will be in the summer term, if the dispute remains unresolved, as it currently is.

We are going ahead with a research workshop on Saturday May 19th which focuses on Treason, internationalist renegades & traitors:

https://kmflett.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/london-socialist-historians-event-19th-may-treason-renegades-traitors/

We also plan to go ahead, the above notwithstanding for three other seminars:

Monday 23rd April 5.30pm Room 304, Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet Street London. '40 years on from the Rock Against Racism Carnival in Victoria Park'. Roger Huddle and others

Monday 19th June 'The Chartist Challenge in 1848. Could it have won?' Keith Flett
5.30pm Room 304, Institute of Historical Research, Senate House, Malet Street London

We also have seminars pencilled in with agreed speakers on the 60th anniversary of CND, the school history curriculum and the history of Womens' Voice for the Autumn Term 2018.

Contact: Dr Keith Flett 07803 167266

Twitter @LSHGofficial.

Website: http://londonsocialisthistorians.blogspot.co.uk/