Irish National Liberation Solidarity Front (INLSF)

The Irish National Liberation Solidarity Front (INLSF) was a pro-Irish and anti-imperialist organisation founded in 1969. It was set up by Maoists active in the British Vietnam Solidarity Front (BVSF) Britain Vietnam Solidarity Front (BVSF) The Britain Vietnam Solidarity Front (BVSF) was a Maoist group that existed from June 1966 to 1973, though its activities were in serious decline after the height of the protests in 1968. It was founded in parallel with the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign (VSC) after Abhimanyu Manchanda staged at walkout at the latter’s founding conference, reconvening to hall nearby to organise under an alternative name and with closer ties to Maoism. Full page: Britain Vietnam Solidarity Front (BVSF) , itself a ‘front’ organisation for the Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist League (RMLL). Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist League (RMLL)  The Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist League (RMLL) was a small Maoist political party instigated by Abhimanyu Manchanda in 1968 after his expulsion from the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1965. There were a number of other organisations closely related to it, such as the British Vietnam Solidarity Front, Friends of China, and the Women’s Liberation Front. The RMLL was targeted by HN335 Mike Tyrrell, HN45 ‘Dave Robertson’ and HN348 ‘Sandra Davies’. Full page: Revolutionary Marxist-Leninist League (RMLL)   

It was founded by Edward Davoren and Joe O’Neill, who became secretary and chair, respectively. Lasting two years, the INLSF shed its exclusively Irish focus by mid-1971, becoming the Revolutionary Communist League. Between 1970 and 1971, it published its newspaper, the Irish Liberation Press, which was almost entirely written and edited by Davoren.

The INSLF was infiltrated by HN347 ‘Alex Sloan’ HN347 'Alex Sloan' 'Alex Sloan' is the cover name used by a former undercover officer with the Special Demonstration Squad who was deployed into Irish National Liberation Solidarity Front from 1971. For the purposes of the Undercover Policing Inquiry and Operation Herne, he is referred to by the cipher HN347. The Inquiry has restricted his real name.  between January and August 1971. According to Norman Temple, who was a member at the time, Sloane was accused by O’Neill of being an undercover. First Witness Statement of Dr Norman Temple, given in the UCPI, Tranche 1, Phase 2, 3 Mar 2020.View Document  Contemporaries, like Temple, also believe that the INSLF was infiltrated a year earlier by an individual named Dick Jackson, although this has not been corroborated.

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A more detailed account of the interaction between Special Branch and the INSLF can be found here: Special Branch and the Irish National Liberation Solidarity Front. Donal O'Driscoll, Special Branch and the Irish National Liberation Solidarity Front, Special Branch Files Project, 1 Jul 2019.

Based in and around north London, the INSLF began by organising protests and events focusing on Irish solidarity. For this purpose, it began publishing the Irish Liberation Press, which soon became the group's main focus, with members tasked with selling and distributing the paper. In London, members focused on selling the paper in Irish pubs, with sales trips to cities with sizeable Irish populations, such as Birmingham and Coventry. 

A split and subsequent change of focus within the INSLF occurred in mid-1971, following suspicions that Davoren was moving the organisation away from an exclusively Irish focus, leading some members to leave. Renaming itself the Revolutionary Communist League, the remainder of the group continued to be dominated by Davoren and replaced the Irish Liberation Press with the Voice of the People.

Sources

Transcript of Dr Norman Temple from UCPI Tranche 1 (Phase 2) Evidence Hearings, Day 4, 26 April 2021 Transcript of UCPI Evidence Hearings: 26 Apr 2021 (Diane Langford, Norman Temple), Tranche 1, Phase 2, 26 Apr 2021.View Document

Dónal O'Driscoll. Special Branch and the Irish National Liberation Solidarity Front. Donal O'Driscoll, Special Branch and the Irish National Liberation Solidarity Front, Special Branch Files Project, 1 Jul 2019.