Speaker’s Corner
Teacher Guide
KS3 History and Citizenship
Introduction
This guide is intended to support the lesson materials on Speaker’s Corner for
both History and Citizenship at KS3.
The lessons are intended to provide teachers with imaginative ideas for
teaching the KS3 curriuclum, as well as an introduction to the area of Speaker’s
Corner in Hyde Park. It is hoped that these activities will help engage the pupils
with the area, and with the Living History performances at the site.
The activities and the topics covered within them are by no means exhaustive,
and teachers should feel free to adapt them to suit the needs of their own
pupils.
KS3 History
Lesson 1- Punishment in the Park
Learning Outcomes:
All pupils will be able to recall methods of punishments used in the park and use sources for information
Most will be able to describe how the park was used for punishments with examples and make
inferences from sources
Some will be able to consider reliability and usefulness of sources
Planning for those students that are SEN:
Assessment for Learning Strategies
Pupils are given stepped tasks where they may
select the level appropriate to them.
Pupils are given a key words list for the lesson.
Self assessment of tasks from class feedback, and
progress in class in the plenary.
Planning for those students that are Gifted and
Talented:
Pupils may complete the level appropriate to
them for the source activity and complete an
extended written response on the objective.
Pupils may complete their own independent
research on Tyburn.
Teacher questioning of pupils, targeted according
to ability.
Use of National Curriculum levels
Resources:
PowerPoint with hyperlinks to video clips, print
slides 2-4, 6-7 as worksheets for the pupils.
Planning for those students that are EAL:
Pupils complete a range of audio visual activities
and are provided with a key words list for the
lesson.
Teaching and Learning Activities:
Starter - Development – Plenary
Starter- Pupils match the punishment with the crime to give an overview of crime and punishment in the
period. Teacher introduces the learning objectives.
Development 1- Pupils watch the clip and complete the empathy wheel to understand what it may have
been like at Tyburn for both prisoners and spectators.
Development 2- Pupils watch the clip on the gallows and complete the questions. Teacher elicits
responses from the pupils and checks understanding.
Development 3- Pupils use the list of things to find in Hogarth’s print to encourage a closer analysis of
the picture. Some pupils share with the class. Pupils complete the level grid according to their own
ability. Teacher explains key words and checks understanding.
Plenary- Pupils share 5 things they learnt in the lesson. Teacher monitors feedback to inform future
planning if needed.
Lesson 2- Protest in the Park
Learning Outcomes:
All pupils will be able to explain how the park has been used for protest
Most will be able to give examples and show some evidence of independent research
Some will be able to give different examples of how the park has been used for protest and make
comparisons
Planning for those students that are SEN:
Assessment for Learning Strategies
Pupils will be grouped to aid their progress in the
task. They will be given roles and topics that are
more accessible for the pupils.
Pupils are given a key words list for the lesson.
Self assessment of tasks from class feedback, and
progress in class in the plenary.
Planning for those students that are Gifted and
Talented:
Pupils may complete a piece of extended writing
on the ways in which the park has been used for
protest, and complete some independent
research on those events not covered.
Planning for those students that are EAL:
Pupils will be encouraged in speaking and
listening activities, and will be provided with a
key words list for the lesson.
Teacher questioning of pupils, targeted according
to ability.
Use of National Curriculum levels in the
presentations of the different protests
Resources:
PowerPoint, print slide 3 and cut into cards for
pupils to be allocated different protests. ICT to
complete the protests. Access to research
material.
Teaching and Learning Activities:
Starter - Development – Plenary
Starter- Pupils mind map different ways that people can protest to introduce the topic. Teacher
introduces the learning objectives
Development 1- Teacher gives an overview of Hyde Park as a place for protest. Teachers elicit what
pupils already know about Speaker’s Corner to establish prior learning.
Development 2- Teacher introduces the group activity and the outcome that the class will create a
museum of exhibitions on Speaker’s Corner. Teacher places pupils into appropriate groupings to aid
learning.
Development 3- Pupils share their exhibitions as a class. Teacher elicits presentations from the curators
of each exhibition. Teacher encourages pupils to make connections and comparisons with the different
protests.
Plenary- Pupils pick which pictures they think best represent Speaker’s Corner and justify their choices to
the class.
Lesson 3- Speakers in the Park
Learning Outcomes:
All pupils will be able to recall individuals that have spoken at the park
Most will be able to explain who the individuals are and present clearly to the class
Some will be able to make comparisons between different individuals across different time periods
Planning for those students that are SEN:
Assessment for Learning Strategies
Pupils will be grouped to aid their progress in the
task. They will be given roles and topics that are
more accessible for the pupils. Some of the
biographies are in larger type and not as
challenging as other individuals.
Pupils are given a key words list for the lesson.
Peer assessment of presentations on the
individuals.
Planning for those students that are Gifted and
Talented:
Pupils may complete some independent research
on those individuals not covered: Karl Marx,
George Orwell and Marcus Garvey.
Teacher questioning of pupils, targeted according
to ability.
Teacher use of National Curriculum levels in the
presentations of the individuals
Plenary to assess knowledge and understanding
from the lesson.
Resources:
Planning for those students that are EAL:
Pupils will be encouraged in speaking and
listening activities, and will be provided with a
key words list for the lesson.
PowerPoint, print slide 3 and cut into cards for
the starter. Slide 5 for peer assessment sheets,
slide 7 for plenary activities. Speaker’s Corner
biographies pack.
Teaching and Learning Activities:
Starter - Development – Plenary
Starter- Pupils are each given a small card. They are given 3 minutes to walk around the room and find
the 5 facts about Speaker’s Corner. They read their card to another pupil, who then reads their card
back, and then they swap and move on. If they have duplicate cards they find another pupil. Teacher
takes in cards and then elicits the facts from the pupils, feeding back on a mind map on the board.
Development 1- Teacher introduces the objective for the lesson, explains the task and divides the pupils
into groups where the pupils will learn best.
Development 2- Pupils use the biographies of the individuals to pick out the important information and
present to the class. Teachers may wish to encourage extra research.
Development 3- Pupils share their presentations as a class and complete the peer assessment sheets.
Plenary- Pupils play ‘Find someone who.’ They have 3 minutes to find someone who can remember
something about each individual, record what they say and who told them. Teacher elicits responses as a
group to check understanding.
Speaker’s Corner VisitHistory
1. Name 5 famous individuals that have spoken at Speaker’s Corner:
2. Name 5 events which people have protested about at Speaker’s Corner:
3. Can you find the site of the Tyburn Tree? Make a rubbing of the memorial marker on
a plain piece of paper.
4. Describe what Tyburn was used for:
Now it is time to watch the performance! Remember to listen carefully and see if you can
answer these questions after the performance is finished:
1. How much is it to be part of the galleries? 2 shillings
2. Who is Jack Shephard? A criminal being hanged at Tyburn
3. Who is Michael Joseph? A blacksmith hung for his part in the Cornish rebellion in
1497
4. When was Jack Shephard hanged? 1724
5. What was the Sunday Bill? A bill put before parliament to ban types of recreation on
a Sunday
6. Who is Karl Marx? He wrote the Communist Manifesto
7. When did the government back down and allow public meetings at Speaker’s
Corner? 1872
8. What is a suffragette? A demonstrator for votes for women
9. How does Jacob van Dyn describe himself? A notorious criminal
10. What kinds of things did Bonar Thompson speak about? Socialism, capitalism,
communism
11. Who does Prince Monolulu almost swear about? Adolf Hitler
12. Where do the speakers stand on the corner? On platforms, very close to one another
KS3 Citizenship
Lesson 1- Debating
Learning Outcomes:
All pupils will be able to share an opinion on an issue
Most will be able give an opinion both for and against a motion
Some will be able make rebuttals against other pupil’s points
Planning for those students that are SEN:
Assessment for Learning Strategies
Pupils will be grouped to aid their progress in the
task. They will be given roles and topics that are
more accessible for the pupils.
Pupils are given a key words list for the lesson.
Self and peer assessment of participation in the
boxing match.
Planning for those students that are Gifted and
Talented:
Pupils can practice ‘rebuttals’ against points that
have been made, and plan summary speeches for
a debate.
Planning for those students that are EAL:
Pupils will be encouraged in speaking and
listening activities, and will be provided with a
key words list for the lesson.
Teacher questioning of pupils, targeted according
to ability.
Resources:
PowerPoint, print slide 2 and cut into cards for
pupils choose hot topics. Slides 3 and 6 are to be
photocopied and given to pupils as worksheets.
Teaching and Learning Activities:
Starter - Development – Plenary
Starter- Pupils select a hot topic. Teachers may like to make this a ‘lucky dip’ in a bag, or allocate topics
to pupils. Pupils then mark their place on the continuum sheet with an ‘X’ and write an explanation.
Teachers may like to extend this activity further and make the continuum as a class.
Development 1- Pupils pick a hot topic and practice their speech in a pair. A selection are then shared
with the class. Teacher elicits from pupils what makes the speeches persuasive, and encourages
examples of language for the pupils to record and use in their debates.
Development 2- Boxing Match planning. Teacher displays the rules and shares the agreed topic with the
class. Teacher then puts pupils into groups and tells them whether they propose or oppose the motion.
Development 3- Pupils have the match and record their scores on their punch bags. Teacher encourages
‘knock out’ punches- direct rebuttals to what has been said.
Plenary- The scoring is shared, and pupils complete a self and peer reflection on the class debate. Pupils
set themselves a target to improve.
Lesson 2- Heckling
Learning Outcomes:
All pupils will be able to explain what heckling is
Most will understand how to participate in a debate as an observer
Some will be able to confidently respond to points of information and rebuttals
Planning for those students that are SEN:
Assessment for Learning Strategies
Pupils will be grouped to aid their progress in the
task. They will be given roles and topics that are
more accessible for the pupils.
Pupils are given a key words list for the lesson.
Self and peer assessment of the debate using the
assessment grids.
Planning for those students that are Gifted and
Talented:
Pupils will research points of information on their
chosen debates and plan for rebuttals and points
of information. They will be selected to be the
main speakers in Just a Minute.
Teacher questioning of pupils, targeted according
to ability.
Resources:
PowerPoint, slide 1 has a hyperlink to Prime
Minister’s Questions, slide 5 should be printed as
a handout for pupils.
Planning for those students that are EAL:
Pupils will be encouraged in speaking and
listening activities, and will be provided with a
key words list for the lesson.
Teaching and Learning Activities:
Starter - Development – Plenary
Starter- Pupils watch the short clip of Prime Minister’s Question Time. Teacher elicits from pupils how
other MPs are participating in the debates and what the effect is on the debate. Teacher introduces the
learning objectives.
Development 1- The rules of ‘Just a Minute’ are explained to the class. More confident pupils take the
role of the main speakers, other pupils are encouraged to challenge as much as possible as an
introduction of how to be involved in a debate.
Development 2- Teacher explains the meaning of Points of Information, and contributions of the floor.
Teacher organises a debate, either using suggestions for a motion from the class, ones unused from the
previous lesson or chooses something topical to discuss. Pupils are put into proposition and opposition
teams, or floor audience.
Development 3-Pupils have the debate as a class, teacher may like to have several small debates, giving
pupils short timeframes to prepare and speak.
Plenary- Pupils complete the self assessment grid using the assessment criteria for debating.
Lesson 3- Democracy
Learning Outcomes:
All pupils will be able to recall the meaning of democracy
Most will be able to give examples of democracy
Some will be able to create a representative of democracy and explain their choices
Planning for those students that are SEN:
Assessment for Learning Strategies
Pupils will be grouped to aid their progress in the
task. They will be given roles and topics that are
more accessible for the pupils.
Pupils are given a key words list for the lesson.
Peer assessment of the MPs.
Planning for those students that are Gifted and
Talented:
Pupils can research voting systems and political
parties in the UK.
Teacher questioning of pupils, targeted according
to ability.
Resources:
PowerPoint, large sheets of sugar paper and felt
pens to share their MP.
Planning for those students that are EAL:
Pupils will be encouraged in speaking and
listening activities, and will be provided with a
key words list for the lesson.
Teaching and Learning Activities:
Starter - Development – Plenary
Starter- Pupils vote on which image they prefer. Teacher introduces the learning objectives and elicits
what they pupils know already to assess prior knowledge.
Development 1- Pupils appoint a representative to make their decisions for them. The class discuss and
debate both systems- the benefits and disadvantages for running a country.
Development 2- Pupils are then placed in pairs and given sugar paper and pens. They must draw an
outline of an MP and annotate descriptions of what they think the perfect MP should be like. Teacher
displays a list of prompt questions on the PowerPoint.
Development 3- Pupils display their MP’s around the classroom. One pupil stays with the drawing to
explain it to the rest of the class, and the other walks around looking at others. They are then give time
to return and make any changes they wish.
Plenary- Pupils then make class contributions to put together the perfect MP and to see if they agree, or
if there are some common characteristics. Pupils could rank and justify these.
Speaker’s Corner Visit- Citizenship
1. What is a heckler?
2. What are the two sides of the debate called?
3. How can observers participate in a debate?
4. How is Speaker’s Corner representative of democracy?
5. ‘Speaker’s Corner is no longer needed in a 21st Century world.” How far do you agree
with this statement? Have a class debate on site!
AGREE__________________________________________________DISAGREE
Now it is time to watch the performance! Remember to listen carefully and see if
you can answer these questions after the performance is finished:
1. How much is it to be part of the galleries? 2 shillings
2. Who is Jack Shephard? A criminal being hanged at Tyburn
3. Who is Michael Joseph? A blacksmith hung for his part in the Cornish rebellion in
1497
4. When was Jack Shephard hanged? 1724
5. What was the Sunday Bill? A bill put before parliament to ban types of recreation
on a Sunday
6. Who is Karl Marx? He wrote the Communist Manifesto
7. When did the government back down and allow public meetings at Speaker’s
Corner? 1872
8. What is a suffragette? A demonstrator for votes for women
9. How does Jacob van Dyn describe himself? A notorious criminal
10. What kinds of things did Bonar Thompson speak about? Socialism, capitalism,
communism
11. Who does Prince Monolulu almost swear about? Adolf Hitler
12. Where do the speakers stand on the corner? On platforms, very close to one
another
Speakers
at the Corner
Vladimir Lenin
Lenin was one of the leading political figures and revolutionary thinkers of the 20th century,
who masterminded the Bolshevik take-over of power in Russia in 1917, and was the architect
and first head of the USSR.
Vladimir Ilich Ulyanov was born in Simbirsk on the Volga River on 22 April 1870 into a
well-educated family. He excelled at school and went on to study law. At university, he was
exposed to radical thinking, and his views were also influenced by the execution of his elder
brother, a member of a revolutionary group.
Expelled from university for his radical policies, Lenin completed his law degree as an
external student in 1891. He moved to St Petersburg and became a professional
revolutionary. Like many of his contemporaries, he was arrested and exiled to Siberia, where
he married Nadezhda Krupskaya. After his Siberian exile, Lenin - the pseudonym he adopted
in 1901 - spent most of the subsequent decade and a half in western Europe. He visited
Speaker’s Corner in 1902 and spent much time listening to the speeches there. He soon
emerged as a prominent figure in the international revolutionary movement and became the
leader of the 'Bolshevik' faction of the Russian Social Democratic Worker's Party.
He eventually led what was soon to be known as the October Revolution, but was effectively
a coup d'etat. Almost three years of civil war followed. The Bolsheviks were victorious and
assumed total control of the country. When his efforts to transform the Russian economy to a
socialist model stalled, he introduced the New Economic Policy, where a measure of private
enterprise was again permitted, a policy that continued for several years after his death. In
1918, Lenin narrowly survived an assassination attempt, but was severely wounded. His long
term health was affected, and in 1922 he suffered a stroke from which he never fully
recovered. Lenin died on 24 January 1924. His corpse was embalmed and placed in a
mausoleum on Moscow's Red Square
Oswald Mosley
Oswald Mosley was born on 16th November 1896. Educated at Winchester and Sandhurst he
fought with the 16th Lancers on the Western Front during the First World War. He later
transferred to the Royal Flying Corps but was invalided out of the war after a plane crash in
1916.
Mosley became the youngest MP in the House of Commons after winning Harrow for the
Conservative Party in the 1918 General Election. Mosley eventually became disillusioned
with the Conservative Party and he won Harrow as an Independent in the 1922 General
Election. Two years later Mosley joined the Independent Labour Party and in 1926 he was
elected to represent Smethwick. In October 1927 Mosley was elected to the National
Executive Committee of the Labour Party. He was now one of the leading figures in the
party. David Low remarked that "Mosley was young, energetic, capable and an excellent
speaker."
In January 1932 Mosley met Benito Mussolini in Italy. Mosley was impressed by Mussolini's
achievements and when he returned to England he disbanded the New Party and replaced it
with the British Union of Fascists. By 1934 Mosley was expressing strong anti-Semitic views
and provocative marches through Jewish districts in London led to riots. He spoke at
Speaker’s Corner in September 1934 which resulted in a violent clash with anti-fascists.
The passing of the 1936 Public Order Act that made the wearing of political uniforms and
private armies illegal, using threatening and abusive words a criminal offence, and gave the
Home Secretary the powers to ban marches, completely undermined the activities of the
BUF.
The outbreak of the Second World War further reduced support for the British Union of
Fascists. On 22nd May 1940 the British government announced the imposition of Defence
Regulation 18B. This legislation gave the Home Secretary the right to imprison without trial
anybody he believed likely to "endanger the safety of the realm". The following day, Mosley
was arrested. Over the next few days other prominent figures in the BUF were imprisoned.
On the 30th May the BUF was dissolved and its publications were banned.
Oswald Mosley died on 3rd December 1980.
Christabel Pankhurst
Emmeline (left), with her daughters Christabel (centre), and Sylvia Pankhurst, (right)
Christabel Pankhurst, along with her mother Emmeline Pankhurst, was one of the driving
forces of the Suffragette movement. Christabel was born on September 22nd 1880. In 1903
Christabel along with her mother co-founded the Women’s Social and Political Union
(WSPU), which became better known as the Suffragettes. In 1905 she was arrested for
disrupting a meeting of the Liberal Party. Along with Annie Kenney, she shouted out ‘Votes
for Women’ when speakers were on stage addressing the audience. Christabel was fined for
disturbing the peace but she refused to pay and was put in prison. The media paid a great deal
of attention to this whole episode and served to highlight the Suffragette cause. As a result,
many more women decided to join.
In 1906, Christabel was awarded a Law degree from Manchester University. After this she
moved to London where she became the organising secretary of the WSPU. Despite support
from the fledgling Independent Labour Party and some MP’s, the real power base in
Parliament refused to accept the notion of female suffrage. As a result the Suffragettes
became more extreme in their approach. They argued that they were pushed into becoming
more militant as a result of Parliament’s obstruction. Christabel was jailed in 1907 and 1909
and was dubbed the ‘Queen of the Mob’ by the media.
In 1910, the WSPU decided that the only way they were going to achieve their aims was to
become more disruptive. Demonstrations with placards was replaced with stone throwing,
breaking of shop windows, attacking politicians who were known to be against women’s
suffrage. She spoke at Speaker’s Corner on 23rd July 1910, campaigning for the vote for
women. The ‘Queen of the Mob’ became a target for the police and to an extent Christabel
invited their attention.
On September 8th 1914 she spoke at the London Opera House and gave a speech entitled
‘The German Peril’. Christabel was a supporter of conscription and the ‘industrial
conscription’ of women. In 1918, the Representation of the People’s Act introduced women’s
suffrage for those over 30 years of age.
Christabel Pankhurst died on February 13th 1958 in California aged 77.
Ras Prince Monolulu
Born in 1881 in St Croix, Danish West Indies , his real name was Peter Carl
Mackay (or McKay). He was something of an institution on the British horse
racing scene from the 1920s until the time of his death. He was particularly
noticeable for his brightly coloured clothing; as a tipster, one of his best known
phrases was the cry "I gotta horse!", which was subsequently the title of his
memoirs. He frequently featured in newsreel broadcasts, and as a consequence
was probably the most well-known black man in Britain of the time.
Although claiming to be a chief of the Falasha tribe of Abyssinia, the reality is
that he came from the Caribbean island of St Croix (now part of the United
States Virgin Islands). He styled himself as a Prince after being press-ganged on
one occasion, assuming that a prince would be far less likely to be so harassed.
He rose to prominence after picking out the horse Spion Kop (cf. Battle of Spion
Kop) in the 1920 Derby, which came in at the long odds of 100-6, and from
which he personally made some £8,000, a vast amount of money at the time. He
was first charged with use of ‘improper language’ at Speaker’s Corner in
1928.
His family (father and brothers) were horse breeders, raisers and racers on St
Croix though they were more conventional. There was a case in the 1920s
where their knowledge of superior horses was used against a gambler who
perpetrated the murder of a child to make a horse win through black magic.
The baptism of Monolulu (as Peter Carl McKay, on 26 October 1881) has been
traced in the records of the English Episcopal Church of the Danish West
Indies. His father, whose name is not shown in the register, was William Henry
McKay and his mother was Catherine Heyliger.
Prince Monolulu died on 14 February 1965 in Middlesex Hospital, London.
Philip Sansom
Sansom was part of that resurgence of British anarchism centred around Freedom, the
newspaper founded by Prince Peter Kropotkin in 1886. As a young art student, Sansom had
been impressed by Herbert Read's Education Through Art (1943). Later, making contact with
the people at Freedom, he was agreeably surprised to find that Read (not yet knighted) was a
leading spokesman for anarchism.
Although he edited and wrote a great deal of the political analysis and commentary found in
that paper in the post-war years, it was as a speaker and debater that Sansom made the most
vivid impression. Anyone in late Forties and Fifties London visiting Speakers' Corner, or
Manette Street, just by Foyle's bookshop off Charing Cross Road, would sooner or later
fall under the spell of his rich baritone and coruscating wit.
He was part of the beginning of the campaign against capital punishment and led the
occupation of the Cuban Embassy in July 1963 to protest against Castro's treatment of Cuban
anarchists. He found an active role in most of the post-war protest movements like CND and
Anti- Apartheid but he eschewed the temporary power that such movements can sometimes
offer.
Sansom's most notorious moment came in April 1945 when, along with Dr John Hewetson,
Vernon Richards, the proprietor of Freedom, and Richards's wife, Marie Louise Berneri, he
found himself arraigned at the Old Bailey on a charge of conspiring to cause disaffection
among members of the armed forces. They had suggested that liberty removed in the name of
freedom during the war was unlikely to be restored after it. In spite of much public protest,
the three were sentenced to a year and served nine months, an experience that marked
Sansom much more than he allowed most people to believe.
At the same time, he continued to write and draw cartoons for Freedom, with occasional
spells as editor. Philip Sansom, writer and editor: born 19 September 1916; married (one son,
one daughter, and one daughter deceased); died London 24 October 1999
Lord Soper
Donald Oliver Soper, Baron Soper (31 January 1903 – 22 December 1998) was a prominent
Methodist minister, socialist and pacifist.
Soper was born at 36 Knoll Road, Wandsworth, London. He was educated at Aske's School
in south London, at St. Catharine's College and Wesley House in the University of
Cambridge, and at the London School of Economics, where he took his PhD. He was an
exceptional sportsman who captained his school at football, cricket, and boxing, but he
withdrew from cricket after he accidentally killed an opposing batsman with a fast delivery
when bowling.
Soper offered as a candidate for the Methodist ministry, and while still a probationary
minister (in his first appointment), he sought larger congregations by taking to open air
preaching in imitation of the founders of Methodism. From 1926 until well into his nineties,
he preached at London's centres for free speech, Tower Hill and (from 1942) Speakers'
Corner in Hyde Park; he was often referred to as "Dr Soapbox" in honour of the
outdoor preacher's chief piece of apparatus. He was controversial and quick-thinking, and
drew large crowds.
Soper took up many radical causes. As well as being a socialist, he was a teetotaler, a
vigorous opponent of blood sports (he was President of the League Against Cruel Sports from
1967 to 1997) and gambling (he criticised the British Royal Family's association with horse
racing), and most notably, a pacifist. He joined the Peace Pledge Union in 1937 and preached
pacifism throughout the Second World War, being deemed so effective that he was banned
from broadcasting on the BBC. After the War he became a regular broadcaster on BBC's
Thought for the Day.
He was active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament from its beginnings, and was
president of the Fellowship of Reconciliation in England for many years until his death. For
twenty years he wrote regularly for the socialist magazine Tribune, and 1958 was elected as
an alderman (Labour) of the London County Council. After the abolition of the LCC, he
became an alderman on the Greater London Council (1964-5) and accepted the offer of a life
peerage from the Labour government of the day, and so became Baron Soper, of Kingsway in
the London Borough of Camden the first Methodist minister to sit in the House of Lords, an
organisation he opposed (he referred to it as "proof of the reality of life after death") but
which he was able to use as a platform for the expression of his views.
Tony Allen
Tony Allen (born 4 March 1945) is an English comedian and writer. Best
known as one of the original "alternative comedians"
Tony Allen's artistic career had taken many radical turns before he temporarily
abandoned his Speaker's Corner "Full-Frontal Anarchy Platform" in
May1979 for the stage of London's Comedy Store. He had been arrested at
Speaker’s Corner that year after criticising the Queen.Two months later he
founded Alternative Cabaret with Alexei Sayle and ran a regular "Alt Cab" Club
night in the back bar of the Elgin Pub on Ladbroke Grove.
During the seventies Allen wrote three more radio plays including an Afternoon
Theatre play, Two Fingers Finnegan Comes Again, co-written with Vernon
Magee and bespoke for the actor Wilfred Brambell. He went on to devise and
write over twenty plays for fringe and community theatre, most memorably,
Metropolitan with Ken Robinson (British author), for the Young People's
Theatre Scheme at The Royal Court Theatre; and various productions at The
Theatre Royal, Stratford East; including their Christmas Panto Robin Hood
(1975) which he co-wrote with Heathcote Williams. He later co-wrote a
television play with Ken Robinson - “Ce Sera” for TVS's "Dramarama".
In The Heckler Tony Allen was in mentoring role to a couple of trainee
hecklers, as the central theme for BBC3 TV’s documentary about the history of
political heckling at the hustings, coinciding with the 2005 General Election.His
last solo show before semi-retirement was "The End is Nigh” a mischievous
piece of panic-mongering about the Y2K bug which took the form of a public
meeting, and had its final performance pertinently at Speakers Corner in
October 1999, before he went to live in the hills of Cumbria for a year.
Arthur Scargill
Arthur Scargill (born 11 January 1938) is a former president of the National
Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and is the current leader of the Socialist Labour
Party (SLP).
Scargill became involved in the Yorkshire Left, a group of left-wing activists
involved in the Yorkshire region of the NUM, its largest region. While still a
working miner, he played an important role in the miners' strike of 1972,
involved in the mass picket at Saltley Gate in Birmingham. Shortly afterwards,
he was elected to the full-time post of compensation agent in the Yorkshire
NUM.
A few months later the President of the Yorkshire NUM died unexpectedly,
Scargill was elected to this post in 1973 and continued in it until 1981. During
his tenure he became popular with sections of the left and with his members
who saw him as honest, hard-working and genuinely concerned with their
welfare.[3] In 1973, he was instrumental in organising the miners' strike that
brought down Edward Heath's Government in March 1974.
He took part in a large CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament)
demonstration in June 1983 which rallied at Speaker’s Corner. Scargill was
a very vocal opponent of the Margaret Thatcher Conservative government, and
determined to use the union to oppose its policies, just as he had done with the
Edward Heath government.
He frequently appeared on television attacking the government and eventually
led the union into the 1984–1985 miners' strike. This ended in a shattering
defeat for the miners and saw a split in the union. After the miners' strike, he
was elected to lifetime Presidency of the NUM by an overwhelming national
majority, in a very controversial election where some of the alternative
candidates claimed that they were given very little time to prepare.
Neil Kinnock
Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock (born 28 March 1942) is a British politician belonging
to the Labour Party. He served as a Member of Parliament from 1970 until 1995 and as
Labour Leader and Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition from 1983 until 1992.
Following Labour's defeat in the 1992 election Kinnock resigned and served as a European
Commissioner from 1995-2004. Until the summer of 2009 he was the Chairman of the
British Council.[1] Kinnock served as President of Cardiff University from 1998 until 2009.
Today, he is regarded as one of Labour's elder statesmen.
Following Labour's defeat in the 1979 general election, James Callaghan appointed Neil
Kinnock to the Shadow Cabinet as Education spokesman. His ambition was noted by other
MPs, and David Owen's opposition to the changes to the electoral college was thought to be
motivated by the realisation that they would favour Kinnock's succession. He gained
notoriety for his attacks on Margaret Thatcher's handling of the Falklands War- he was the
keynote speaker at the Hyde Park CND Rally in October 1983.
His first period as party leader – between the 1983 and 1987 elections – was dominated by
his struggle with the hard left. Although Kinnock had come from the "Tribune" left of the
party, he parted company with many of his previous allies after his appointment to the
shadow cabinet. He was almost immediately in serious difficulty as a result of Arthur
Scargill's decision to lead his union, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) into a
national strike (in opposition to pit closures) without a members' ballot.. Kinnock supported
the aim of the strike – which he famously dubbed the "case for coal" – but, as an MP from a
mining area, was bitterly critical of the tactics employed.
The second period of Kinnock's leadership was dominated by his drive to reform the party's
policies and so win power. This began with an exercise dubbed the policy review, the most
high-profile aspect of which was a series of consultations with the public known as "Labour
Listens" in autumn 1987.In organisational terms, the party leadership continued to battle with
the Militant Tendency, though by now Militant was in retreat in the party and was
simultaneously attracted by the opportunities to grow outside Labour's ranks – opportunities
largely created by Margaret Thatcher's hugely unpopular poll tax.
He was an enthusiastic supporter of Ed Miliband's campaign to lead the Labour Party in
2010, and was reported as telling activists, when Ed Miliband won, "We've got our party
back".
Citizenship Glossary
Democracy- Government by the people, exercised either directly or through
elected representatives
Heckling- To try to embarrass and annoy (someone speaking or performing in
public) by questions, gibes, or objections
Motion- The topic to be debated, usually in the form of a statement
MP- Member of Parliament. A politician who represents a certain area of the
country in Parliament.
Point of Information- A chance for a debater to interrupt the speaker who is
currently speaking, usually by standing and stating “On a point of information”.
The speaker can choose to accept or reject the point before it is made.
Proposition/Opposition- The Proposition is the team defending, the
Opposition’s job is to prove the motion wrong.
“This House” - The words usually used at the beginning of a motion, e.g.
“This House would increase tax on holiday flights”.
History Glossary
Communism-Theory of government the state controls everything, and in theory
everybody is equal.
Fascism- Form of government led by a dictator for complete power
Gallows-Wooden frame used for hangings
Infer- Read between the lines of something
Martyr- Someone who dies for what they believe in
Reliability- How much you can trust something
Suffragette- Campaigner for women to vote
Treason- Going against your country
Tyburn- A place of execution in London where people were publically hanged