the headline in Friday's London Evening Standard. And the news that the Labour Party is to get its research officials busy on the tracks of the National Front and other right-wing organisations is an important advance.
the Labour Party National Executive Committee intend to mount? Since the home policy committee of the party discussed the issue over a month ago policies to fight the unemployment, cuts and inflation which increasingly 'Labour war on National Front', screamed | about the only positive advice coming But just what sort of campaign does consulation column on 23 July. out or transport house has been to avoid counter-demonstrations to the fascists. Before the 4,000 strong antiFront march in Rotherham this line was echoed by Tribune, which called on the organisers - the local AUEW district committee - to cancel the On 9 July, Labour Weekly was reporting of the Thurrock by-election campaign: "There is the odd defection to the National Front. but the Part are pursuing a policy of no confrontation and no arguments with NF people, so it's left at that."
Oddly enough, the same issue of Labour Weekly reported - apparently approvingly - at the by-election campaign in tnurrock, tnere were more anti-National Front demonstrators outde the ne where me recenty released Robert Relf was speaking on Tuesday evening tan tnere were people attending his meeting.
After the result where there were 3,255 'odd defections' to the NF - it appeared that a few lessons had been learnt. The whole labour movement must unite in a joint campaign to challenge the Front wherever and whenever they show themselves. It's no use ignoring them and hoping they will go away. They won't.' So spake Labour Weekly's editorial The so-called ultra-left was bracketed together with the extreme right as seizing upon the present social and racial crisis with glee in order actually to 'encourage race violence.
Nevertheless, despite the tact that Labour's 'war on the National Front is going to be more jaw-jaw than war-war, many local parties and militants can be won to an active stand against fascism. Already several local Labour councils have banned the fascists, and South East Bristol Constituency Labour Party (Tony Benn's party) has unanimously called on the local council to ban the fascists. Every effort should be made to involve local Labour Party bodies in united anti-racist work and build support both inside and outside the Labour Party for the resolution going forward to the Labour Party Confer ence from Ealing-Southall Constituency Party, which calls for the ending of all immigration laws.