BOB WRIGHT, Broad Left candidate for one of the two posts of Assistant General Secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, last week ended a cereauns arch right-winger John Weakley by 160,378 Wright had previously lost to rightwhen contesung the post General Secretary and when defending his own seat on the Executive committee. Had it not been for the long-held assumption that Wright is "heir apparent' when Scanion retires in two years time, it is doubtful if he would even have been run The vote does carry some significance. With the exception of Ken Brett's success earlier in the year in the election for the other Assistant General Secretary, this is the first time in recent elections that the Broad Left has won a national position in the AUEW. However, it is far from an Any satisfaction the Broad Left can draw from Wright's victory is ened by the failure of Jimmy Reid to gain the post of regional organiser in Scotland, notion is an inspector, our ne is aise a skilled worker. Having won no support in his own department for his campaign acains communist persecution, ne ass where several of Since they a skilled and ne was worker and a known opponent of communist infiltration in industry, he proposed and by the Broad Left's failure to win the post of district secretary in its former stronghold of Manchester. There were also right-wing victories in Liverpool, Ireland, Hampshire and Bedfordshire.
Wright's victory is thus against the general trend. In part it springs from the notoriety of his opponent, Weakley, who took the AUEW to court over a National Committee decision to stop the postal ballot; in part from the fact that Wright's opposition to the social contract, however half-hearted, is meeting with an increas ing response as workers begin to feel the sharp fall in their living standards doubt there is also a g0o0 deal of sympathy for Wright after the way he has been treated in previous erections Certainly Wright's victory should be welcomed. But its importance lies in the defeat it hands out to the open supporters of wage cuts and the social contract, and the fact that it was won despite the Broad Left's mealy-mouthed opposition Scanlon's collaboration with Callaghan and Healey.
JOHN GRAHAM (AUEW).
The District Committee now has fourt*een days to reinstate Shotton. But there is a bia cuestion mark surrounding tne whole affair. HIGn CourT action Is di expensive business and inspectors don't earn all that much. Who paid for it all. George?
-Ine implications or tne juages ruling