(as the Littlejohn affair makes clear bombing, blackmailing and assassinating. The Labour party has done nothing about this. It sent the troops in in the first place. It has maintained a "bipartisan' policy with the Tories. It has in practice supported internment without trial. As for its supposed horror at the 'violence' of the IRA, we would ask when Socialists have ever put on the same plane the violence of the oppressed and the violence of the oppressor? The Labour left has put forward no demand for the only real solution - the withdrawal of British troops and self-determination for the whole of Ireland.
Fortunately, within the working class movethe last one.
Also tied up with this question is the struggle against the National Front and other fascist organisations. Under cover of the new respectability given by the House of Lords decision, these organisations are bound to step up their racist activity. So far united action has started the fight back against them - the last time Colin Jordan tried to speak he was almost thrown in the Mersey. But a public call from the Labour left to drive the racists and fascists off the streets every time they appear would be another important step forward for left unity. every area of united bodies of all socialist, trade union and political organisations, open to all those who are prepared to struggle against the Tory government and its policies. Similar types of bodies have already proved their worth in various parts of the country by mobilising support for the May Day strike, the gas and hospital workers struggles, organising the defence of the Shrewsbury 24, and providing a forum for debate on how to carry the struggle against the Tory government forward A national move along these lines by all socialist forces (we are not talking about organisations of just a few people claiming to "lead' the working class) seems to us the best way to forge a real left unity.
There are of course many more issues on which left unity is essential - Indochina, housing, attacks on the welfare state - but we have taken up the most urgent, which seem to us to offer the best starting point for a campaign to unify the left forces in this country. Finally, we would like to offer comrade Heffer the pages of Red Weekly to reply to our views or take up any of the points we have raised. We hope that this statement will help to stimulate debate throughout the entire left on this important. question.
Red Weeklv 31 Auaust 1973 Pace 5