From the point of view of present struggles the first thing that must be said on the Tribune letter to Wilson is that if the Tribune MPs really do vote and campaign against future public expenditure cuts, and the unemployment this creates, this will be a real step forward movement. We must, however, confess that we are sceptical about whether this will really occur. The Tribune group has voted against the Government on issues such as the EEC and defence. Individual Tribune MPs - Syd Bidwell, for example - have voted against measures such as the renewal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act. But the Tribune group did not, for example, vote against a Budget which already included swingeing public expenditure cuts.
However this question of votes is one on which we would be delighted to be proved wrong.
Tribune left did vote against that would not in itself constitute an adequate political strategy.
Where the Tribune group statement is most obviously wrong is in its lack of any clear perspective for how to carry on the struggle outside Parliament. This leaves the statement without any real cutting edge in a situation in which Thatcher has already made it clear that the Tories will vote for any suitably anti-working class measures put forward by Wilson. Even if every one of the 80 Tribune MPs voted against, they couldn't defeat the 450 or so Tories, Liberals and right wing Labourites.
In the present Parliamentary situation the only way Wilson can be defeated in his pro-capitalist policies is in the way that the attacks of Heath, and earlier the anti-union In Place of Strife of the last Wilson Government were defestor _ throuch the mace inductrial action of the working for the workers' But even if the class outside Parliament. Certainly the Tribune MPs must vote in Parliament against any cuts, but that vote only becomes really significant if it is part of a campaign to mobilise the working class outside Parliament.
But on this really crucial point the statement of the Tribune MPs has no clear proposals - particularly as mounting a massive campaign in the working class requires both a clear goal and real organisation. On neither does the the Tribune letter spell out a clear answer.
Obviously the first step is to defeat the economic austerity package which everyone knows Wilson is preparing But it is necessary to offer a positive solution to the crisis. Tribune hus given some answers, but real solutions have to be based on a sliding scale of wages, workers' control, and other such policies. The Social Contract, which ties the working class's hands in front of Wilson and the capitalists' onslaught, must be decisively rejected.
But a real movement needs a clear political goal as well. Given even what the Tribune group says in its letter, this goal must be spelt out as including the removal of the Wilson leadership of the Labour Party and its replacement by a leadership opposed to his present policies. Without such a policy the Labour left is in a totally illogical position - it condemns Wilson and his policies, but refuses to call for his removal.
On organisation the position of the Tribunites is equally unsatisfactory. Of course, Syd Bidwell is right when he says that the Tribune group hasn't got a staff and can't organise everything - but that is not the point. The point is that they haven't put out a call for organisation of forces, particularly in the trade unions, to fight against the paign.
forces. workers.
have a real impact unless :
rejected.
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ership of the Labour Party class forces on this basis.
but no action. policies of the Wilson Government. With much less influence than Labour MPs, even the revolutionary left and other forces have been able to organise real campaigns on certain issues - for example in the National Abortion CamWithin the labour movement there already exist organ isations - for example, the Institute for Workers Control - which if they really wanted to, could organise very big At present, however, none of them are really org anising such forces. A decisive test for Tribune is whether it will put out the call for such organisation. Without it a really serious campaign cannot be waged. Benn and the other 'lefts in the Government should resign and organise forces to fight against Wilson's policies. The first step in this should be a massive campaign in support of the rail In short, we don't think that the Tribune statement can • The Tribune MPs vote against all public expenditure cuts. • The Social Contract and all forms of incomes policy are • A platform of alternative socialist policies to maintain living standards and defend the right to work is clearly spelt • A clear fight is made for the removal of the Wilson lead• An open call is put out for the organisation of working Without these steps there will, as so often before, be words