Troops Out Movement (TOM)

The Troops Out Movement (TOM) was an Irish solidarity organisation active from 1973 to the mid-2000s. It campaigned to end British rule in Northern Ireland, working with diverse organisations, including Irish cultural and religious groups and trade unions. TOM sometimes distanced itself from the IRA, but maintained that armed resistance was a legitimate response to British rule. 

A membership organisation with branches across the UK, including in London, TOM organised public meetings, protests, and delegations to Northern Ireland. It engaged with former British soldiers and used their testimony and analysis in its campaigning materials, as well as producing a considerable number of publications. 

These included its journal Troops Out: Journal of the Troops Out Movement, later published as Troops Out of Ireland: The Paper of the Troops Out Movement, numerous pamphlets and a bulletin called TOM-TOM. Many of these can be viewed at the Bishopsgate Institute in London. 

TOM’s campaigns were structured around two key demands: ‘British troops out of Ireland’ and ‘self-determination for the Irish people as a whole’. Richard Chessum, a member of TOM and core participant in the Undercover Policing Inquiry gave a more detailed overview of the organisation in his written statement. First Witness Statement of Richard Chessum (non state core participant), given in the UCPI, Tranche 1, Phase 2, 4 Apr 2020.View Document  Its written constitution can also be found in Inquiry documents. HN297 Richard Clark 'Rick Gibson', Report on weekly meeting of SE London branch of TOM inc TOM documents Delegate Conference, held at 234 Burrage Road SE18, 14 April 1975, inc minute sheet, 21 Apr 1975, Metropolitan Police Special Branch, MPS-0728728.View Document  

SDS officers reported on TOM from early on in its formation, some taking positions of responsibility and significant political influence within the organisation. Most notably, in February 1975, HN297 Richard Clark ‘Rick Gibson’ HN297 Richard Clark 'Rick Gibson' Richard Clark, the undercover known as ‘Rick Gibson’ had multiple sexual relationships during his infiltration of the Troops Out Movement and Big Flame between 1974 and 1976. He joined the SDS in July 1974 and his cover was as a student at Goldsmiths college. His deployment ended in September 1976 when members of Big Flame confronted him with the death certificate of the child whose identity he had stolen. Detailed evidence from people he spied on was presented to the Inquiry. He is dead.  infiltrated the group and took the lead in forming a new branch in south-east London. 

The following year, Gibson became both the London organiser, and later national secretary of TOM. Using his position in the group, Gibson also joined East London Big Flame, Big Flame Big Flame was a libertarian socialist group, formed in 1971 and dissolved in 1984, the offshoot of a Merseyside socialist newspaper of that name and a prolific publisher of Marxist analysis. Big Flame members were involved in landmark industrial disputes and in setting up the Troops Out Movement (TOM). Big Flame was targeted by HN297 Richard Clark, 'Rick Gibson', who hastily withdrew after Big Flame members discovered he was a police officer  where activists later confronted him with evidence of his fake identity.

As well as Gibson, TOM was also spied upon by HN298 ‘Mike Scott’, HN298 'Michael Scott' ‘Michael Scott’ is the assumed name of a former SDS undercover officer who infiltrated the Putney branch of the Young Liberals, Croydon anarchist group Commitment, the Little Ilford branch of the Workers Revolutionary Party and the central London branch of the Anti-Internment League between 1972 and 1976. In 1972, he did not reveal his true identity to the court when convicted alongside three anti-apartheid activists, leading to their convictions being overturned in 2023. The reliability of his testimony about the Young Liberals was challenged in the Inquiry by core participant Peter Hain.  HN353 'Gary Roberts', HN353 'Gary Roberts' ‘Gary Roberts’ is the assumed name of an undercover officer in the SDS who infiltrated the International Marxist Group and International Socialists from 1974 to 1978. He was undercover at the Battle of Lewisham in August 1977. He was also became Vice-President of the Student Union at Thames Polytechinic, in his cover identity, as well as attending a degree level course there. His real name is restricted.  HN126 'Paul Gray' HN126 ‘Paul Gray’ ‘Paul Gray’ was the fake name of an undercover who infiltrated north-west London branches of the Socialist Workers Party and Anti-Nazi League and spied on pickets at the Grunwick dispute. He joined the SDS in December 1977 and was active undercover until at least April 1982.  and HN96 ‘Michael James’. HN96 'Michael James' 'Michael James' is the cover name used by a former Special Demonstration Squad undercover officer who, between late 1978 and Spring 1983, infiltrated the Socialist Workers Party in Hackney and the national leadership of the Troops Out Movement. He also spied on Red Action and the Irish Republican Socialist Party. His real name has been restricted.  Activists Richard Chessum First Witness Statement of Richard Chessum (non state core participant), given in the UCPI, Tranche 1, Phase 2, 4 Apr 2020.View Document  and ‘Mary’, who founded the south-east London branch of TOM with undercover officer Rick Gibson, gave evidence to the Inquiry. ‘Mary’ stated that she had had a sexual relationship with Gibson. Statement to the Undercover Policing Inquiry from ‘Mary’, given in the UCPI, Tranche 1, Phase 2, 25 Jan 2018.View Document  

Sources

Aly Renwick, ‘Something in the Air: the rise of the Troops Out Movement’, An Phoblacht/Republican News, 19 August 1999. Aly Renwick, Something in the Air: The Rise of the Troops Out Movement, An Phoblacht/Republican News, 19 Aug 1999.

Troops Out Movement archive, Bishopsgate Institute, London. Troops Out Movement archive (website), Bishopsgate Institute, 1973-2011.