The Day of the Election (Polling Day)

1. Why is it necessary that voters should be registered before Polling Day? 2. How long are Polling stations open on Polling Day? 3. What does the inside of a Polling station look like? 4. How does a Polling Clerk check the names of the voters? 5. What does he hand to the vot­ers? 6. What is a ballot box for?

 

Ex. 28. Read the article from the "Morning Star", answer the questions, using the vocabulary of the lesson, and discuss it.

I'VE JOINED THE PARTY WTOCH FIGHTS FOR SOCIALISM

by Norman Munnery

The struggle of the miners and the Upper Clyde workers has shown that by determination and working-class solidarity, the actions of those whose only concern is personal greed**, can be effectively checked.

During the past 11 years of Labour Party membership, I have seen the disappointment of the few true Socialists who struggle to change its bourgeois ideology to one of Marxism Leninism. Their efforts, I am sure, could be better spent organising within the Communist Party.

For this past year as a member of the Labour group on the Brighton Council I have been constantly struggling against the reactionary ele­ments controlling that group.

Time and again I have had to vote for motions that betray hopes of the working class by their revisionism, while Marxist ideology has been suppressed.

From out of this personal struggle has come an increasing awareness of the role of the Communist Party, not only in the constituencies and in the factories, but also within the student movement of which I am part.

Having recognised this, I have been able to join those comrades who have dedicated themselves* to the Socialist struggle as opposed to a political career which has nothing to do with the true needs of the work­ing class.

I shall continue to represent my electors as a member of Brighton Council and in doing so hope that I can influence the ideology of the Labour group.

The working-class movement is growing in strength, with victories behind us we are confident of greater victories ahead.

(Abridged)

Questions

1. How long has the author been a member of the Labour Party? 2. What conclusion did he come to as a result of his experience as mem­ber of the Labour Party? 3. What conviction does the author express in the opening paragraph of his statement? 4. What facts does the author give to prove his point? 5. What has the successful strike action of the miners and Upper Clyde workers shown? 6. What did he come to realise concerning the role of the Communist Party? 7. Why did he decide to give his support to the Communist Party? 8. How does he see his duty as member of the Brighton City Council? 9. What gives him confidence in the Communist Party?

 

Ex. 29. Read, the following. Answer the questions. Retell the passage in English.

БРИТАНСКАЯ ДЕМОКРАТИЯ В ДЕЙСТВИИ

Каким образом в Англии, где преобладает рабочее население-на выборах может побеждать партия консерваторов, партия крупно, го капитала? Почему рабочий сплошь и рядом голосует за классово­го противника, капиталиста?

Посещение предвыборных собраний в Англии в какой-то мере дает ответ на этот вопрос.

... Дело было в Далвиче, одном из пригородов Лондона. В здании местной школы выступали трое кандидатов в члены парламента: кон­серватор, лейборист и либерал.

Собрание походило на вечер вопросов и ответов: кандидатам, си­девшим рядом с председательствующим на небольшой эстраде, зада­вали из публики вопросы: на каждый из них все трое отвечали по оче­реди. Благодаря такой процедуре, особенно наглядно проявилось по­разительное сходство между избирательными лозунгами соперничаю­щих партий.

Одним из первых задали вопрос о путях обеспечения мира. Каждый из трех кандидатов ответил, что его партия ставит интересы мира пре­выше всего. Консерватор уверял: его партия больше других озабочена тем, чтобы на переговорах четырех держав была достигнута полней­шая договоренность. Призывая собравшихся голосовать за тори, он воскликнул: «От этого зависит мир во всем мире!» Но два других пар­ламентских кандидата клялись в своей приверженности к миру почти в тех же самых выражениях.

Такое же единодушие кандидаты обнаружили и в области внутрен­ней политики. Из публики спросили о пенсиях старикам. Оказалось, что каждый из кандидатов безусловно стоит за увеличение пенсий и будет считать это чуть ли не главной своей задачей. Задали вопрос о местном транспорте, который оставляет желать много лучшего, все трое обещали добиваться улучшения автобусного сообщения в Дал­виче.

Иными словами, стоило закрыть глаза, и вы уже не могли ска­зать, кто сейчас отвечает на вопрос: консерватор, лейборист или ли­берал.

Неудивительно, что рядовому англичанину -ірудно разобраться, что к чему, тем более, что обещания обычно остаются обещаниями.

 

Questions

1. What meeting did the author attend in Dulwich? 2. Who had been invited to speak at the meeting? 3. What did the author come to understand while listening to the questions and answers? 4. What could be said of the election programs of the rival parties? 5. Why was it next to impossible to tell the difference between the election plat­forms of the candidates? 6. How was the first question concerning the ways of safeguarding peace answered by each of the candidates? 7. What assurances did the Tory candidate give? 8. What did the Labour and Liberal candidates swear to? 9. What accounted for the exceptional unanimity of the three candidates on internal matters? 10. What did they promise concerning old-age pensions? 11. What other problems were raised at the meeting? 12. What conclusions did the author come to?

 

Ex. 30. Retell the following in English.

ДЕПУТАТЫ СЛУЖАТ НАРОДУ

Борьба за построение коммунизма неотделима от всестороннего развития социалистической демократии, укрепления Советского го­сударства, от дальнейшего совершенствования всей системы поли­тической организации общества.

Политическую основу нашего социалистического государства со­ставляют Советы депутатов трудящихся. Как отмечал В. И. Ленин, Советы являются непосредственной организацией самих трудящихся, обеспечивающей самое широкое их участие в управлении государ­ством.

Советы представляют наш славный рабочий класс, колхозное кре­стьянство, трудовую интеллигенцию, все нации и народности СССР. Советы отражают социальную структуру советского общества, его нерушимое единство, монолитную сплоченность, дружбу и братство народов СССР.

Положение депутата в нашем обществе определяется прежде всего тем, что он уполномочен народом участвовать в осуществлении Со­ветами государственной власти, выражать его волю и интересы. Не­зыблемой основой всей деятельности Советов и их депутатов является политика Коммунистической партии, борьба за ее неуклонное осу­ществление.

Важнейшая особенность Советов как органов народного предста­вительства состоит в том, что они органически сочетают в себе черты государственных и общественных организаций. Это предопределяет и характер деятельности депутатов, которые осуществляют свои пол­номочия безвозмездно, не порывая с производственной или служеб­ной деятельностью.

to be inseparable from; to ensure smb's participation in running the state; on the broadest possible scale; to represent smb; to reflect; indis­soluble unity; monolithic solidarity; fraternity; to be authorized; continued struggle for the implementation of; to combine; to get no remu­neration for the performance of one's duties; to carry on with one's or­dinary job.

 

Ex. 31. Read and discuss the following. Speak on the reaction of the people to the Labour Government's decision to ban the May Day demonstration.

MAY DAY 1951

after Jack Lindsay

Thousands of people from the Square* were moving on down White­hall**. At once the police began pouring from the side streets where their vans were drawn up by dozens. Detachment after detachment came push­ing out and hurrying up as the people moved on. Mounted police gal­loped up and drove their horses again and again into the mass, riding right on to the packed pavements. Once Jane found herself pressed so hard against some traffic rails that she grew afraid of being badly hurt, then a little later down the road she was thrown painfully against a door-knob. Some glass gave way and a woman cried out. The police on foot or on horse, were driving the people back from the roadway. There were cries of "Peace not war, scholarships not battleships!"

As they reached about two hundred yards down Whitehall, scores of police rushed out of Scotland Yard* and tried to stop the advance. The people pressed on sweeping the police aside. Jane had a startling sense that she and the others were the defeated people of a land occupied by an enemy whose alien soldiers wore the blue police uniforms. It would have surprised her to hear the policemen speak English.

Several buses turned in from the Strand.** "Make 'em*** chariots of peace!" a lad shouted, and many of the demonstrators ran and piled into them. Police came running after and tried to drag the invaders off. Jane saw two men lying in the roadway with police leaning over them, but the successful bus-stormers waved and shouted inside, and others ran to join them. One bus, jammed in the road with mounted police ahead, pulled up. Several more demonstrators ran from the pavement and climbed in, with police dashing in the rear and clutching coat-tails. The conductor ran down the bus stairs and stood in the way of the police who tried to board.

"This isn't a Black Maria!****" he shouted. "Out you go!" Three policemen seized him and pulled him out. He fell against the side of the bus, and when he came up, his face was cut and bruised. His cup had been knocked off, and Jane saw that he was an elderly man, nearly bald. The driver now got down out of his cabin to protest, another group of police ran at him and ordered him to return to his cabin and drive on. He produced his trade union badge and waved it to the people on the pavement, who cheered back. The police told him that unless he climbed straight into his seat he'd be arrested. He put his badge back, wiped his nose, adjusted his coat, and very slowly began getting up into the cabin.

All the while the people, repeatedly attacked by the mounted police, were coming nearer and nearer to 10 Downing Street.***** The Prime Minis­ter's house was thickly cordoned off by more detachments of police...

"It just strikes me," someone said in strong cockney****** tones, "that Mister Ratly Attlee* is a bit afraid of the British people."

Now there was a pause. Some of the leaders who had spoken in the Square conferred with police officers, insisting on their right to hand in a letter protesting against the ban.

Jane tried to edge away towards the Abbey** and after a while the crowd thinned. She walked faster. A running man bumped into her from behind, dodged round the other side of two men who were stand­ing in conversation, and disappeared. A pair of policemen took hold of one of the talkers and dragged him out into the roadway. Jane watched in hesitation, then she stepped out after the group. The man was loudly protesting while one of the policemen told him to shut up or he'd make things worse for himself. His arms were twisted up behind his back and he was being pushed with lowered head towards a van. Jane followed. "Please there," she called in a weak voice, unheard. Then she forced herself to hurry; she came up and caught one of the policemen's sleeves.

He shook her hand off and turned fiercely. "What do you want?"

"That wasn't the man," she said in sinking tones. With an effort she raised her voice. "That wasn't the man you chased."

"You keep out of this," said the policeman, "or you'll be taken along too."

"You've got the wrong man," she repeated more boldly, angry as well as afraid. The second policeman made signs to some others ahead. She felt that if she turned and ran, she'd be arrested at once. So, more out of fear than courage, she went on to a group of policemen, among whom she had caught sight of an inspector. "I want to protest", she said breathlessly. "Those men of yours there arrested the wrong man."

"How do you know?" he asked coldly.

"I saw them. I saw the man they wanted get away."

"I suggest that it is just as likely that you have made the mistake. What are you doing here?"

She grew confused. "I'm doing nothing. I just happened to see..."

He was about to reply, but another high-ranking official came up and drew him off. She was about to follow, but a sudden conviction of helplessness seized her and she wanted only to escape. Not till she was going down into Westminster tube did she realise that if her socialist friend Jill had been in her place she'd have demanded to have her name taken as a witness.

 

Ex. 32. Use the following words and phrases in situations.

I. The Election Meeting

a) to hold a meeting, in connection with, the coming elections, to attend, to nominate candidates for election to the district Soviet, the chairman, to open the meeting, to announce the agenda, to emphasise that..., to promote the democratic principles of the Soviet electoral system, a country of true (genuine) democracy, to have the right to elect and be elected, to take part in governing the state;

b) to take the floor, to propose smb candidate to the district Soviet, to speak highly of smb, to be worthy of smb's trust, to be authoritative, to justify the confidence placed in smb, to work unselfishly;

c) to put to vote, to vote in favour of smb, to adopt a resolution, to declare the meeting closed.

 

At a Students' Meeting

to arrange the meeting, vital problems, to elect smb chairman, to open the meeting, to announce the agenda, to contain a number of points (items), to move to adopt the proposed agenda, to raise no objec­tions, to give smb the floor, to speak on the first point, to fix the time limit, to allow 15 minutes, to have other motions, to put the matter to vote, to count the votes, to be in favour, to move that..., to pass over to the next item, to second the motion, to cover all the items on the agenda, to elect a committee, to work out a resolution, to adopt the resolution, to close the meeting.

 

Ex. 33. Tell the story of the picture.

		to puzzle over smth; the true meaning of the initials; a demand for higher pay; to think smth to be unfair; to come out of the taxpayer's pocket.
	Actually, it's short for More Pay!

Ex. 34. Subjects for oral and written composition.

1. Tell the story from the point of view of a) John Byrne; b) one of the younger committee members; c) one of the older committee members; d) the chairman of the committee; e) one of the constituents.

2. Give a character-sketch of John Byrne.

3. Say why in defending himself John Byrne decided to play for the support of the older committee members.

4. Speak on the attempt made to expose John Byrne and his selfish aims and give your opinion as to why it all came to nothing.

5. Describe some of the methods John Byrne may have used during the election campaign to deceive the electors into voting for him.

6. Elections in the Soviet Union.

7. The rights and duties of Soviet MPs.

8. Soviet MPs truly serve their people.