Gerry Gable
Encyclopedia
Gerry Gable is a British political activist. He was a long-serving editor of the anti-fascist Searchlight
magazine.
and the Communist Party of Great Britain
, and worked as a runner on the Communist Party's Daily Worker
newspaper, leaving after a year to become a Communist Party trade union
organizer. He stood unsuccessfully for the Communist Party on May 10, 1962 at Northfield Ward, Stamford Hill
, North London
.
He was involved in the formation of the militant anti-fascist organisation, the 62 Group
.http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/features/article/4/standing-up-to-fascism-a-celebration-of-the-43-grouphttp://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-features/neo-nazi-leader-colin-jordans-legacy
In November 1963, Gable was arrested and held at Hornsey
police station following an attempt to enter the Mayfair
flat of Holocaust denier
David Irving
. On January 14 1964, he admitted burglary with intent to steal private papers, for which he was fined £28. At his trial, counsel for the defence told the court, "they hoped to find material they could take to Special Branch
".
Gable was involved in the formation of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight in the mid-1960s, along with Reg Freeson, Joan Lestor
, Maurice Ludmer
and others. Gable and Ludmer remained active in Searchlight Associates and re-launched the magazine in 1975.
programme "Maggie's Militant Tendency". The episode was to focus on a claim of right-wing extremism in the Conservative Party
. Gable claimed that his research drew upon the information previously published in Searchlight. Gable "was the man mainly responsible for the programme" according to the Labour Party
member of parliament Robin Corbett
.
The claims by Gable that two Conservative party figures, Neil Hamilton
and Gerald Howarth
, were secret extremist Nazi supporters was met with libel action against the BBC. The programme had alleged (not admitted as evidence in court) that Hamilton gave a Nazi salute in Berlin while 'messing around' on a Parliamentary visit in August 1983.
The BBC capitulated on 21 October and paid the pair's legal costs from the publicly funded license fee. Hamilton and Howarth were awarded £20,000 each and in the next edition of Panorama on 27 October, the BBC made an unreserved apology to both. The total cost of the trial, including the remedy awarded to the claimants, reached £1 million.
Searchlight (magazine)
Searchlight is a British anti-fascist magazine, founded in 1975 by Gerry Gable, which publishes exposés about racism, antisemitism, and fascism in the UK....
magazine.
Background
As a youth, Gable was a member of the Young Communist LeagueYoung Communist League
The Young Communist League was or is the name used by the youth wing of various Communist parties around the world. The name YCL of XXX was generally taken by all sections of the Communist Youth International.Examples of YCLs:...
and the Communist Party of Great Britain
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
, and worked as a runner on the Communist Party's Daily Worker
The Morning Star
The Morning Star is a left wing British daily tabloid newspaper with a focus on social and trade union issues. Articles and comment columns are contributed by writers from socialist, social democratic, green and religious perspectives....
newspaper, leaving after a year to become a Communist Party trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organizer. He stood unsuccessfully for the Communist Party on May 10, 1962 at Northfield Ward, Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill
Stamford Hill is a place in the north of the London Borough of Hackney, England, near the border with Haringey. It is home to Europe's largest Hasidic Jewish and Adeni Jewish community.Stamford Hill is NNE of Charing Cross.-History:...
, North London
North London
North London is the northern part of London, England. It is an imprecise description and the area it covers is defined differently for a range of purposes. Common to these definitions is that it includes districts located north of the River Thames and is used in comparison with South...
.
He was involved in the formation of the militant anti-fascist organisation, the 62 Group
62 Group
The 62 Group was a militant broad-based coalition of anti-fascists in the United Kingdom, set up largely in response to the resurgence of fascism in Britain at the time, and particularly the creation of Colin Jordan's Nationalist Socialist Movement, in 1962...
.http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/features/article/4/standing-up-to-fascism-a-celebration-of-the-43-grouphttp://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/lifestyle-features/neo-nazi-leader-colin-jordans-legacy
In November 1963, Gable was arrested and held at Hornsey
Hornsey
Hornsey is a district in London Borough of Haringey in north London in England. Whilst Hornsey was formerly the name of a parish and later a municipal borough of Middlesex, today, the name refers only to the London district. It is an inner-suburban area located north of Charing Cross.-Locale:The ...
police station following an attempt to enter the Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
flat of Holocaust denier
Holocaust denial
Holocaust denial is the act of denying the genocide of Jews in World War II, usually referred to as the Holocaust. The key claims of Holocaust denial are: the German Nazi government had no official policy or intention of exterminating Jews, Nazi authorities did not use extermination camps and gas...
David Irving
David Irving
David John Cawdell Irving is an English writer,best known for his denial of the Holocaust, who specialises in the military and political history of World War II, with a focus on Nazi Germany...
. On January 14 1964, he admitted burglary with intent to steal private papers, for which he was fined £28. At his trial, counsel for the defence told the court, "they hoped to find material they could take to Special Branch
Special Branch
Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security in British and Commonwealth police forces, as well as in the Royal Thai Police...
".
Gable was involved in the formation of the anti-fascist magazine Searchlight in the mid-1960s, along with Reg Freeson, Joan Lestor
Joan Lestor
Joan Lestor, Baroness Lestor of Eccles was a British Labour politician.Lestor was educated at Blaenavon Secondary School, Monmouth; William Morris High School, Walthamstow and the University of London. She became a nursery school teacher and a member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain, but...
, Maurice Ludmer
Maurice Ludmer
Maurice Ludmer was a British anti-fascist activist and journalist. His father was a Salford hairdresser and mother a teacher of Hebrew. His family moved to Birmingham in 1939. As a young man he was interested in sport and joined the Young Communist League. During the Second World War he served in...
and others. Gable and Ludmer remained active in Searchlight Associates and re-launched the magazine in 1975.
BBC libel litigation
In 1984 Gerry Gable was commissioned by the BBC to produce research for a BBC PanoramaPanorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
programme "Maggie's Militant Tendency". The episode was to focus on a claim of right-wing extremism in the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
. Gable claimed that his research drew upon the information previously published in Searchlight. Gable "was the man mainly responsible for the programme" according to the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
member of parliament Robin Corbett
Robin Corbett, Baron Corbett of Castle Vale
Robin Corbett, Lord Corbett of Castle Vale is a British Labour Party politician.Born in Fremantle, Australia he attended Holly Lodge Grammar School in Smethwick but did not attend university. He was called up for two years' national service into the Royal Air Force in 1951...
.
The claims by Gable that two Conservative party figures, Neil Hamilton
Neil Hamilton (politician)
Mostyn Neil Hamilton is a former British barrister, teacher and Conservative MP. Since losing his seat in 1997 and leaving politics, Hamilton and his wife Christine have become media celebrities...
and Gerald Howarth
Gerald Howarth
James Gerald Douglas Howarth known as Gerald Howarth is a British Conservative Party politician. He has been the Member of Parliament for Aldershot since 1997, having been the MP for Cannock and Burntwood from 1983 to 1992....
, were secret extremist Nazi supporters was met with libel action against the BBC. The programme had alleged (not admitted as evidence in court) that Hamilton gave a Nazi salute in Berlin while 'messing around' on a Parliamentary visit in August 1983.
The BBC capitulated on 21 October and paid the pair's legal costs from the publicly funded license fee. Hamilton and Howarth were awarded £20,000 each and in the next edition of Panorama on 27 October, the BBC made an unreserved apology to both. The total cost of the trial, including the remedy awarded to the claimants, reached £1 million.