recently subjected to a massice poster raid by members of un organisation called 'Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain, led by self. styled millionaire Tom Keen. The posters attacked the "Marxist Traitors" in the NUM for wrecking the 'British Way of Life' by forcing the miners to go on overtime ban against their Last week, Keen struck again, This time it was the TUC Headquarters in London which ceme in for a blasterine with eaten g00 anD-commnist propaganda. The theme once aguin was that well shown communists sochas Jack Jones buen scanton and for Germier (1) were bringing anarchy to the country and destroying 'Democracy.' This time, Keen and five of his followers were arrested for criminal damage and bill-posting The activities of Mr. Tom Keen and his organisation might appear as just eccentric buffoonery. But in fact Koon belongs firly to the Lascist right-wing of British politics, und the hold and imaginative style of his operations shauld not obscure this fact.
Red Weekly 21 December 1973 Page 2 Tom keep first came lo promineaco on the extreme ripit when he created the National Party of St George in the Reading aneu in 1971. This offored a plattorn to various otber fascist elements, including representa tives frum Colin Jordan's British Movement, Moskeyites and the National Freat, and was intended penary as a sowarding body or porsical derence group for the ultra-right. Other activities incid od the leafleting of local pubs and factories will racist. propapanda. However, the Party was soon proscribed by the National Front on the grounds that it was too richt wing, AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME The 'National Party of St. George" was the embryo of the Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain, which Jias developed an ambitious programme of propuganda, financed by Mr. Keen, The CUPB aperates out of @itham, where under coe of Unils Ta Let Lid (364 Manchester Road). Keet houses his litho printing machine. His workforce are officially employed in a number of property companies set up hy him, but carry out reactionary political tasks for a regular monthiy income of between E15 and E30 a month. Apart from smuggling (for which he was once fined far you!
[2,000), Keen has made his money in property speculation. He owas or part-owas several companies: Cholsey Investments, Purley Publishers, Berksaine Farm Supplies, Thomas L. Keen (Property Manago ment), Thomas L. Been Investments (Property Management Come 'N Eat, and Joison and Koen In April of this year, Keen lod an iron bar maid' an 1 young family who would not leave one of his properties beeruse they bad newtiere cise to po terrorising their pots, be stashed the windows in other houses to keep out squatters The house was on the Anglo-American Estate, Purley, near Reading, which Keen bought for 13,000 st after we war Having sacpestully corced the lamily out. he was able subsequently to sell the land for Il million. Keen claimal he was morally 100% right to do what he did bocause he owned the property. Yel one of the demands of his Campaign Is lot the end of back market prices or budding Plods which are fording sowly marned couples in put their money in the hands of protiteces (from Striking News, paper of the More Prosperous trodden out. BY-ELECTIONS Keen has osed his money for many ant-working activities During Ibe recent BRS depute in Coven try, he attempted to break the strike by offering -100 of the 1,300 workeis a C2.50 rise for ten weeks, mut of his own pocket." The bait was not taken. Dick Taverne was offered £100,000 by Keen ta field candidates for a breakaw political party -Neverthuless the Campaign for a More Prosperous Britain, his most successful achievement sa far, carried out a poster campaign against the Labour candidate in the Lincoln by election. Keen also intervened in a similar way in the Chester le Street. Dundee (East) and Goran hy-elections. Keen has over the past tew months shown himself to be one of the most determined figures on the extreme men -guile prepared to omanise 80u0d: of bully-boys in his efforts to split the working ches more with an ercounst and acti hysteria. Such a station cannot be tolerated by the Inbour movement, in future, working class and anti-fascist organisations should make every attempt to keep Keen and hi Campaign off the streets tenare mus actobes was only bovourag others to follow in the path which he has already