International Brigade Memorial Trust Exhibition

There is a really interesting small exhibition on the history of the British and Irish Volunteers in the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War. These men made a brave stand against fascism and they deserve to be remembered.

I am sorry that other commitments mean that I will not be present at the commemoration at the International Brigade Memorial in Albert Square on Saturday.

The tales of the brave men and women who made a stand against Franco in the 1930s have a lesson to teach us today. We should not stand idly by and allow injustice and extremism exist. We should defend democracy at all costs. We should stand up against those who would demonise one group or other.

The exhibition is on in the Central Library until the 18th of February. The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of International Brigade Veteran Jack Jones. I had the good fortune to meet Jack Jones briefly shortly before his death at a meeting of the International Brigade Memorial Trust in Dundee. I was also pleased to see that the exhibition has been sponsored by a number of trade unions including my own union the GMB.