The Spanish General cleccons, in carty maren. resulted in the biggest electoral victory for the right week. since the death of Franco. Since 1996, Aznar's has sustained a minority government only with the support of the Catalan nationalist Ciu. Now, the PP has a larse parliamentary majonty (183 seats out of a total of 350), Basta in all areas of Spain.
Key to this about-turn was pact was signed between the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) and the United Left (IU). (see SO 32)
The idea of this was to form a government of the plural left* as in France. ment have been widely condemned within the IU for, amongst other reasons, its commitment to the EU, to NATO, its failure to defend the right to self determination and its ambiguity on the demand for the 35 hour the deal with PSOE was necessary for electoral reaEven from this point of view it has been a total fail. to alienate sectors of IU's this time. rate of abstention was 22.7%, this time it was 30.1% - an increase of almost three milion people. abstention increased from 29% four years ago to 36%. in govemment. Amongst under-25s the bstention rate was 45% n addition there were record number of spoilt ballots, especially in the than 3% of those who voted And it is clear that this During the making of their third album "The Holy Bible', the band's manager almost entirely amongst people who, in 1996, voted died of cancer and the tragedy worsened Richey's ongoing depression. For the 1996, the combined vote of PSOE and IU was more than first time he took complete tweive million, on March 12 control of the lyrics and artthey notched up only nine work of a Manics album.
Despair Of those tweive million four years ago more than The result has been described as one of the most one in fue (2.7m) abstained despairing albums in rock It's clear that neither the music, dealing with issues such as the Holocaust, prosIU have offered their base titution, and anorexia.
Shortly after the production any kind of solution to the problems we face. The hospital in Cardift. The following year, in There's not the political February 1995, Richey disspace for tho reformist par- appeared on the eve of a prodes in Spain. If the IU can- motional trip to the USA and his car was found aban. political alterative to PSOE, doned in the Severn Bridge its days are numbered.
motorway services. Rumours achieved any measure of publie recognition. *Everything meant that it was always going to be a hard act to follow. In 1998 the Manies released This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours' - its title a quote from Aneurin Bevan.
The album was widely criticised by fans for its softer ballad driven sound and there were acusations that the band had 'sold our' by leaving bebind their punk rock roots and eschewing the leopard skin and cyeliner in favour of leisurewear and beards.
Perhaps there was always hat this was the first Manics album which had no lyrical input by Richey. Nicky Wire, who wrote the lyrics on the new album, explained that he inevitably has a different approach to Richey and described him. self as being more of a social historian' in terms of his writing.
'Ready For Drowning' concerns the drowning of the Weish village of Tryweryn in order to create a reservoir to supply were laid out by a variety of organisations who represent the beliefs of the Manics, including Amnesty international, The Arms Trade and Reclaim Our Rights.
Arthur Scargill gave the opening address for the exhibition which, alongside works Dy Picasso, Munch. Warhol and Pollock, contained artwork. posters and pamphlets from the Situationist International; photographs, letters, and posters and from the Spanish Civil War; photojournalism of the Vietnam war; and of Rwanda.
Guevara
The catalogue was inscribed with a quote from Cie Guevera - 'A true revolucionary is motivated by great feelings of love.
trom the outser toc Mi-nics stated that they hion, especially as they = from tales "The ics biographer Simon has described the band 'entryists' of the rock • sneaking radical ito people's beads 1 the medium of a
monthly marxist review. No 33. April 2000. 50p OUTLOOK LIVINGSTONE for Mayor
Liverpool. "SYMM' con- great feelings