Radical Objects

Radical Objects: Stuff the Jubilee Badge

This anti-monarchy badge was produced and widely distributed in 1977 by the Socialist Workers Party as part of their ‘Stuff the Jubilee’ campaign which focused on the cost of the jubilee and the royal family itself, at a time of public sector cuts. Unlike other anti-Jubilee material produced by the SWP at the time, it doesn’t bear the SWP name or logo.

The Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II took place in 1977 against a background of rising unemployment and cuts in the public sector. As well as official public celebrations of the monarch’s 25 years on the throne there were significant protests and opposition on the left. An alternative ‘People’s Jubilee’ was held at Alexandra Palace in North London, with music provided by Shakin’ Stevens and Aswad. The Sex Pistols’ punk anthem God Save the Queen was released to coincide with the Jubilee celebrations but received no airplay from the BBC or commercial radio stations. It is still debated whether the record really reached number 1 in the charts on the week of the Queen’s Jubilee itself, or no.2 as the BBC claimed.

21 Comments

  1. I believe it was designed by Sherri Yanowitz Rogall

  2. I designed this badge with Neil McFarlane . It was my first badge design. When I ordered 4000 badges from the Universal button company in Bethnal Green, they sort of laugh at me. The same company had the order for hundreds of thousands of pro monarchy items. We advertised the badge mainly through a small advert in Private Eye and in Socialist Worker. the badge became a campaign. In the end we sold over 40,000 badges in less than three months. there were stickers too. and Stuff the Jubilee parties in a number of cities. I’m going to try and find for you a little piece I wrote about Stuff the Jubilee some years ago. I designed the original EAT THE RICH badge a little later in 1977. Nice that  the slogan reappeared this year in the Occupy Wall Street.  Sherrl Yanowitz

    1. Hi Sherrl, Great that you have commented on this piece – and so nice that it’s proved such a popular post. I’d really like to see the piece you wrote about ‘Stuff the Jubilee’.

      Do you have a Radical Object that we should include on this site – a badge, piece of ephemera, whatever? This is an open invitation to anyone reading this. You can get in touch with History Workshop Online through the ‘Contact US’ button at the top of the page.

      Cheers,

      Andrew

    2. I am searching *everywhere* for a reissue of this design for the 2022 jubilee, would buy several!

    3. Hi where can we get these now? My dad gave one to his little sister back I’m the 70s for the silver jubilee and didn’t tell her, she wore it so proud until the teacher saw it and told her to take it off 🤣 he got into a lot of trouble with his mum over that one. I want to wear one for this absolute joke of a Jubilee costing a fortune whilst the nation is starving and there’s rising costs daily! Viva le revolution 👌

    1. I agree my badge is unfortunately even more relevant than when I made it back in 1977.  I will be away for most of January. But plan on my return to search through all the boxes I have stored away. I may have a few copies of the original badge tucked away. If so, I’ll write to this website.  Sherrl Yanowitz

  3. About time for a reprint of the stickers and the badges methinks ?

  4. Wow – one of these badges has just sold on eBay for £44.63! 

      1. Sherrl is speaking on ‘Opposition to Royal Jubilees’ on 28 May at 5.30pm at the Institute of Historical Research alongside Keith Flett for the London Socialist Historians Group – more details here – I imagine badges will be available…

  5. Although I came up with the slogan and designed  the original Stuff The Jubilee badge many people later copied my idea. I have nothing to do with the current badge versions which have appeared this year. I do however hope there will be a new Stuff the Jubilee badge, launched by the SWP, quite soon.
    I’ve been asked to speak  regarding  anti-monarchist agitation in 1977.I have newspaper cuttings and lots of letters and so forth but no photographs. If anyone has any photos of events, demos, and particularly Stuff the Jubilee graffiti, could they please contact me. I would dearly love to have some illustrations for the meeting. The meeting isn’t until May. Sherrl Yanowitz 

  6. It seems that a cache of fifty of these badges – from 1977, not a reissue – have been discovered.  Bookmarks in central London has packaged them and is selling these as ‘an original Stuff the Jubilee badge from 1977’ for a fiver a time … a very reasonable cost seeing what the badge is selling for on eBay. There is also a reissue around – a little smaller, with a more orange-brown background.

  7. in reply to Andrew last posting: Yes Bookmarks is selling a small number of the original  Stuff The Jubilee badges for a £5 with a  little commemorative card. I gave them the badges and helped design the card with Jon Flaig. Any ‘profit’ made goes to The Right to Work Campaign and Unite Against Fascism. This mirrors nicely what we did with the money raised from the original sales in 1977.
    Stuff the Jubolympics! Sherrl Yanowitz

  8. I was at the Morning Star do at the Ally Pally. Just found this page because a colleague wouldn’t believe me when I told him I’d seen Shakin’ Stevens at a ‘commie’ do.

    I was 13 at the time and that was the first time I heard God Save The Queen by the Pistols. Truly life-changing moment for me. I also remember Shakey’s road crew all being old Valleys Teddy Boys and they were not in the least bit happy about the DJ’s choice of tune.

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