
Bill Balshaw
A building worker by trade, Balshaw was the Guernsey (
The Communist Party on
A report of an election in 1970 illustrated the level of support for the “Labour Group” with the two Labour group candidates polling a very respectable 573 and 522 votes in St Peter’s Port .
As Bill Balshaw explained in Comment 23 May 1970:
“The whole electoral system on
“The governments of the Channel Islands for some years now have adopted a policy of encouraging financial interests and speculators to use the islands as a base for operations; it has been said that over £100m have been invested through
The campaign in 1970 was helped by a unofficial strike in the islands biggest garage, the men claiming a 2s 3d per hour rise, The building workers had lodged a claim for 2s 6d per hour, 3 weeks holiday and other benefits but the struggle was hampered by the curse of non-union labour and local version of the Lump.
In May 1970, a demonstration of fifty young people demanded a youth centre on the island, with sports facilities, a dance hall and an indoor swimming pool.
After the “Labour group” election successes the ruling clique moved swiftly. The Labour Group received a letter from the editor of the
Michael Walker
Source Comment 23 May 1970
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