By John Pickard
Alan Hardman was the political cartoonist for the old Militant newspaper in its best years, the 1970s and 1980s, and these were decades of class struggle not matched since. A book of his cartoons is to be published, with some of his best drawings from that period and later. It is a celebration of a lifetime’s work in political cartoons.
Because the prevailing culture of any society is the culture of its ruling class, Alan’s brilliance as a cartoonist has been overlooked by the mainstream media. That is all the more reason, therefore, why the labour movement should cherish and preserve his work from that period.
One of the most important cartoons in the early period of my political activity was the one depicting a worker contemplating the offer of a redundancy payment, walking alongside his son (below). The cartoon came out in the early days of the Thatcher government, when workers at Consett Steel were fighting against the closure of that giant plant.
An unofficial committee of steelworkers fighting the closure paid for the printing of a thousand copies of Alan’s cartoon, poster size, and on one dark night, some of us fly-posted it all over Consett and the surrounding areas. On some derelict walls and bridges, believe it or not, faded copies still remain to this day.
Alan’s cartoons were often a result of a brilliant flash of inspiration, but they were also sometimes developed from of a lot of political discussion and reflection. Some were marvelous in their simplicity, like the Lord Kitchener ‘Your Country Needs You’ converted into a miner, saying, “Your Class Needs You!”. But others, like his representation of the state machine, were much more complex. Either way, Alan always seemed to hit the right note.
Violence done to inner cities by Tories
When inner cities across England erupted into violence in 1981, the Chief Constable of Merseyside argued that they were “a concentrated, pre-meditated attack by a small hooligan element.” Alan’s response was to show the ‘violence’ done to local youths by Tory ministers, who were depicted lobbing petrol bombs labelled ‘lack of jobs’, ‘lack of housing’, and ‘police harassment’. Not much has changed in forty years!
Alan’s caricature of Margaret Thatcher was classic and who can forget the spite and viciousness he portrayed in the cartoon depicting the Tory Party conference in 1979 (top of page)? Note the badges on the Land of Hope and Glory brigade: “Flog ‘em”, “Crush ‘em!”, “Deport ‘em!”, “Smash the unions”, etc. Not much has changed there, either.
Although this was a period of struggle, with some victories as well as defeats, Alan frequently depicted the potential strength of the working class, given the right leadership, organisation and motivation. Perhaps the best example of this was his drawing from 1973, showing the trade union movement as Gulliver, tied down but powerful enough to break his bonds if he wanted.
Alan’s talents and achievements are all the more remarkable considering that he had no formal training in Art or Graphics. He always joked with me – as much about his skill in keeping the printing press running, as much as anything – that a “gifted amateur” was far better than a “professional”.
The publishers of Alan’s book of cartoons, called Need Not Greed, are seeking sponsorship and financial support from the labour movement and especially those who knew his work from the past. While the political cartoonists of the Mail and the Express can publish their works at the drop of a hat, whatever its standard, cartoonists of the labour movement are not so privileged and need support.
Those organising the publication are therefore asking for solidarity, at whatever level it is possible. Different ‘degrees’ of solidarity and financial support are as indicated in the graphic below, from simply ordering a pre-publication copy of the book to being a full official sponsor. If you are able to support the publication, please contact the organisers at neednotgreed@email.com, or check out the Facebook group here.
All of those readers of Left Horizons who were formerly readers or supporters of the old Militant – and there are quite a few – should consider supporting this worthy venture. Contact the Need Not Greed website, the Facebook page or the Left Horizons editor if you need any further information or contact details.
