Socialist Action No. 150, 10 October 1986
The scan: 150-oct-10-1986-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
ONLY THE LEFT CAN DEFEAT THATCHERISM
SoCAlist
ACTION
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM
Brital
THIS WEEK's Tory party conference shows only too clearly the price being paid for last week's Labour conference and the surrenders of the last three years. Kinnock moved Labour sharply to the right. His supporters have progressively broken up the struggles against Thatcher. This has enabled Thatcher to move the Tory party three paces further to the right this
The platform which is being unveiled at the Tory party conference has almost to be seen to be believed. The Evening Standard summarised it in its headline 'Better deal pledged to landlords'. Compulsory privatisation, abolition of controls on private landlords, more support for the racist police, overriding democratic local authorities on education, the possibility of further laws against the unions, that is the platform that was
The opportunity for that still further rightward shift was given by the policies Kinnock pushed through at Labour Party conference at Blackpool and the defeats those who support him have imposed on the labour movement in the last three years. Hugo Young, writing in Tuesday's Guardian, summed up the situation very clearly. He pointed out that on every crucial issue, except defence and nuclear power, Kinnock had capitulated to the results of the first seven years of Thatcherism. His summary was
"The Hattersley macro-economic package which, with its constant protestations about now borrowing too much, feels obliged to pay heavy
INSIDE
Wapping Broadwater Farm trial respect to the monetarist analysis ...
"The sale of council houses, a central tenet of early Thatcherism and opposed by Labour every step of the way, is now a central feature of Kinnock-Rooker socialism ...
"The sale of public assets to private shareholders is challenged only by the back door
"The palpable discrepancy between Labour's spending promises and tax pledges suggests how much terror Tory populism has planted in the soul of modern socialists ...
•When the external pressure is clear, it is socialism not Thatcherism that has buckled.'
Of course Young is totally wrong to believe that the policies pursued at last week's Labour Party conference had anything to do with socialism. But Young's is a perfectly accurate assessment of the politics of Kinnock. The 'modernising' of Labour under his leadership has Simply meant moving party policy to accept almost the entire economic and social outcome of the first seven years of Thatcherism.
And what is the consequence? That Thatcher breaks up Kinnock's famous 'consensus' by moving still further to the right! As Tory Treasury minister Norman Lamont put it on the first day of the Tory party conference: 'What this government has brought into being is not just a set of policies, it is a revolution, and like all revolutions it cannot stop halfway?
The revolution' which Lamont promised to extend was the new announcements that the government intended to privatise Rolls Royce,
No. 150 10 Oct 1986 30p Arthur Scargill at Labour Party conference Why Britain must get out of NATO Victory for women at party conference Analysis of Labour conference voting
the British Airports Authority, and pass compulsory measures to force councils to privatise refuse collection, street cleaning, catering, vehicle maintenance. Meanwhile no measures whatever to deal with unemployment are announced. And the hang them, bash the blacks' brigade is in full cry.
The result of the failure to support the miners, of the failure to give the support that was needed at Wapping, of the adoption of right wing policies is now only too clear. It has simply encouraged Thatcher to be bolder and more ruthless in her policies. As Mick McGahey, for once, rightly said in the miners strike: 'if you run away they'll just keep chasing you.'
The brutal truth has to be spelt out. The course down which Labour has been taken for the last three years, the results of Labour's conference last week, are a disaster for the movement. They have given the opportunity for the Tories to put forward policies that get more right wing by the week and they have disarmed the movement faced with them.
There can be no confidence in Kinnock's ability to fight Thatcher. The only time Thatcher has been seriously rattled in this parliament was with the miners strike and its aftermath. It is the left which led that struggle. It is only the left that can effectively fight Thatcher.
That is the truth which has to be spelt out coming out of the Labour Party conference -and as we see the bitter fruits of Neil Kinnock's policies in this week's Tory jamboree in Bournemouth.
Page 2 scan of this page
Women, black people,
2 Socialist Action
SociAlist
AcTioN
BUILDING AN ALLIANCE FOR SOCIALISM
The left after
conference
IT DOES not need Socialist Action to tell anyone that Neil Kinnock, and the right wing policies he fought for, won a decisive victory at Labour Party conference.
Whatever issues, and on some there was grave disquiet, the trade union delegations cast their block votes solidly and continuously to back Kinnock. Those union block votes are going to remain solidly locked in behind Kinnock until at least the general election.
But beneath the victory of the right some very significant developments were taking place on the left -defeat of Heffer in the NEC elections. fact was happening was that for the first time for many years the left was beginning to thrash out a common agenda.
Taking first the votes on policies these show three clear levels of support for the left with almost no overlap between the three categories (on two issues, lesbian but this was with the support of the platform so it does not really measure the left's strength.)
The first issues are those on which as yet the left has a majority or is very close to a majority. These are defence million votes; a ministry for women with cabinet status with 3.3 million votes; and the reinstate ment of Khan and Scally with 2.7 million votes.
The second category are a series of issues which all received slightly over one million votes - and which may therefore be taken as firmly established on the agenda of the left and of the party. These are the demand for women's conference to elect the women's places on the NEC — with 1.2 million votes; support for Black Section - with 1.2 million votes; the demand for the removal of all US bases — with 1.1 million votes; and the demand for NATO - with 1 million votes.
The third category from 400,000-600,000 votes, are those the left is fighting to get put firmly on the agenda of discussion in the party. withdrawal from Ireland with 402,000 votes; rejection of the frame up offence of conduct pre judicial to the party' dissolving the Black mittee with 620,000 Labour's trade union about the same if TASS had not remitted its motion. In addition the issues of South Africa and Central America are not enough as part of the agenda of the left - and Kinnock is making the running.
The left must respond to many struggles as they come up, like Wapping,
policy issues at present confronted, the tactics
which flow from the situation are clear:
• The left must consolidate the issues where it
has, or is close, to a majority. This means as an immediate
Khan and Scally.
• The left must begin to push upwards towards
majority status the issues which it has firmly
established on the agenda - securing the right
of women's conference to elect the women's
NEC places, securing issues of us bases a d withdrawal from NAthe demands Sections,
• The third task is to secure firmly on the agen
da of the party the issues which as yet are still
fighting to be
item for the left. The most urgent and important
of these is clearly British
reland -
one million range. Fighting to get opposition to
the trade union proposals back on the agenda is
another task here.
The tactics for securing these goals are also
clear. The 'Campaign
solidate, clarify and organise its forces through
Labour Left Liaison and Campaign Forum. These
forces have to take the united front initiatives
that will take up definite struggles as they arise
and both push forward the key issues on the
left's agenda.
Despite a week which saw Labour's policies
at rock bottom there is no need for depression.
What was vital at this conference was a real
political and organisational consolidation of the
is what is vital for the future.
The next issue of Socialist Action will be dated
24 October.
10 Oct 1986 they thought on the individual
and help explain the signiticant
What in
and gay rights and
the left won massive majorities
reselection, with 3.5 British withdrawal from
which range in support
These British
with 436,000 votes; and and Asian Advisory Comvotes. Opposition proposals would have got
consolidated
but as regards
goal securing the reinstatement of
the constitutional fighting
established as an indispensible
withdrawal from - to move support for this to up over the
Group left That was what was began to be achieved. It
TWO OF the most striking political developments going into Labour party conference were the increasing link up between the campaigns for the demands of women and black people in the party with the hard left', and the eruption of a major crisis in the Labour Coordinating Committee/ Tribune current — a crisis signalled by the publication of an article by Tribune editor Nigel Williamson Whatever happened to realignment' on the eve of party conference. A look at the constituency voting in the NEC elections
Swine ni They show CUrE clusively that it is the hard left which is the bastion of
Russell Profitt
and the left
right wing 75 per cent of CLPs did not vote for a single woman candidate.
And 33 per cent of constituencies voting for the LCC did not vote for a single woman.
On black candidates the situation is not acceptable for anyone. Only 18 per cent of hard left constituencies voted for a black candidate. However that enormously exceeds the 2 per cent of right wing, and 2 per cent of LCC, consti tuencies that voted for a black candidate. Once again the LCC may put Russell Profitt on their slate but they just don't deliver any votes for him
right delivered 2 constituencies for Profitt, the LCC 2, and the hard left 43. These figures speak for themselves.
Core
The situation on the hard/Campaign left is very far from being acceptable as regards women and black candidates. It is not good enough to have only 18 per cent of hard lett constituencies voting for a black candidate — nor only 53 per cent voting for two women candidates.
This has to change. But there is not the slightest doubt that it is the hard left which is the core of support for and black candidates
These figures, together with the votes on Sections and the demands of the Women's Action Committee (WAC), help
explain why the Black Sec
tion and WAC have col
laborated will the
'hard/Campaign left.
candidates
Voting for a black candidate Voting for 2 women candidates Voting for no women candidates
The three main currents in the party
The white male right Total Voting for a black candidate Voting for 2 women candidates Voting for no women candidates The tokenistic ICC Total Voting for a black candidate Voting for 2 women candidates Voting for no women candidates The hard left Total Voting for a black candidate Voting for 2 women candidates Voting for no women candidates
Criteria for groupings
vote for the right. runners. However three of these voted also for Benn,
2. The voted for Benn, Heffer, and Skinner
3. The hardest current to identify is the LCC.
voting for Cook,
Skinner, ie basically hard left constituencies.
clusively any
- both pursue
rents their
people, re mains the neve of tokenism not
WAC and the Section find working more
fluence, equilale
in the as regards
its
links the
Because, far the weakest
the situation.
the right wing against the Campaign ais with thp. The the Campaign group against the right wing.
SEll this has tremendous implications. An alliance will the right
How the three currents voted for women and black
Right
CLPs is relatively easy to distinguish. 137 CLPs voted for McCluskie for Treasurer, and 138 for Dunwoody for the women's section
158 CLPs voted for both Ashley and Kaufman the 155 above. The right's vote is relatively sharply defined at 137-155
hard left/Campaign Group is also clearly defined. 229 CLPs however voted also for Ashley and Kaufman and have therefore been subtracted. There are however 27 CLPs which also voted the straight Campaign Group state but substitute Blunkett for Heffer. Campaign Group/hard left support is therefore also relatively clear!
Only 53 constituencies might be defined as voting a relatively straight LCC position
Blunkett and Meacher and not more than one of Benn, Heffer, and Skinner. Cook, who is the most distinctively LCC candidate Shese however, 13,000 came from constituencies voting for both Ashley and Kaufman, i right wing constituencies, and 227,000 from constituencies voting for Benn, Heffer and line of the LCC and 107,000 as its top limits. We would guess its real strength is 80-90,000
Analysis
• wing against the Cam
paign group in not only a
simple political choice but
an alliance with the most
racist and sexist forces in
the party against women
and black people. Only an
alliance with the Cam-
paign group represents not
only a political choice but
an with
and black people. Such an
alliance however means a
break with the orientation
the LCC has pursued in the
last period.
But the choice the LCC
faces absolutely
evitable. Either it must ally
with the right or with the
Campaign left. There are
no other options. Clause 4
Some forces within the
LCC, such as the witch
hunting Clause 4 group
are irrevocable committed
to with the
right against the Cam-
paign Group. But others,
such as Ken Livingstone
have made their reputa
tions on the basis of link-
ing with the fight of
women, black people, the
fight of the Irish people
for their independence and so on The forces within the
LCC will not be able to
avoid the basic choice of
allying with the right or
the Campaign left. Women and black people in particular have big stakes in the outcome of that internal fight in the LCC over alliances.
% of CLPs voting for each current voting for black and women
candidates
Hard ICC Left
27 53 75 33 11
Votes %
155 156,000
2,000
113 113,000
93 101,000 ' NEM
2,000
25 26.000
37,000
226 241,000
42 44,000 00m 119 125,000
25 25,000
This may be taken as the base
the rena learns Heffer and Skinner. This arrives at
with 244,000 votes - the distinctive candidates of the hard left. Three
with 57,000 votes
- which may be defined as
Lived 207,000 votes. Of
57,000 may therefore be taken as the bas
Page 3 scan of this page
News
THE LABOUR Party conference was successfully stage managed to election rally for Neil Kinnock. Policies supported by Kinnock were passed on all issues except reselection and a ministry with cabinet status for women — although on nuclear power Kinnock avoided a two thirds majority on Scargill's motion only by the skin of his teeth. But behind the right wing victories what began to emerge was a new left in the party which is beginning to hammer out a common agenda and give it organisational Forum and Labour
party conference.
The conference strengthened Kinnock's control over both the National Executive Committee and the val t.v. The new NEC is significantly to the right of labl year's. Left-wingers Eric Heffer and Margaret Beckett were removed nenter Icsull ot the Labour Co-ordinating Committees block with the right-wing in the constituency section and Margaret necken result of NUPE and the
Diane Jeuda in the wo-
Militant
The expulsions by the NEC of Me MOCIs of the Liverpool District Labour
associated with Militant, were overwhelmingly endorsed. A new internal party court the •National Constitutional Committee was sel up and a new all-encom-
disciplinary fence created 'conduct prejudicial to the party'
Kinnock's speech and the economic and industrial relations policies adopted by the conference commit the party most right-wing positions it has ever held on these issues whilst not in office.
TASS remitted the resolution which defended trade union independence.
These policies indicate a Kinnock Labour government on the economic and industial front would LNe right wing Labour government ever.
These were a victory for Kinnock's goal of reducing the expectations of what a Labour government will
Kinnock's, right wing line was the basic frame work established by conference. But within that framework individual advances were registered. Review
The conference did not political witch hunt in the endorse generalised party. The proposal
reinstate Amir Khan and
Kevin Scally was only nar-
rowly lost - and that was
only because the NEC
assured the conference
that their cases would be
reviewed.
The NUM's resolution
committing
government to phase out
stations
came within a whisker of
the two thirds
majority necesary for it to
be considered for inclusion
in Labour's election mani-
festo. Lesbian and gay
Right wins the
votes, a new lett
produce the effects of a pre-
Campaign shape through Left Liaison. REDMOND O'NEILL looks at the key policy votes and events at
rights did achieve the
thirds majority.
Women achieved a major victory with the deci-
that constitutinin must include at least one
on every shortlist wollall for parliamentary selec tion. This, together with ne cecson to review unit structure of the party's
organisation including the method of election of the women's section of the NEC will open an enormous debate on women's representation within the party. Ine conterence also voted, against the NEC's advice, suppor the wormeins ministry with full establishment cabinet status in the next Labour government. These decisions place the debate on women's organisation in the party right at the top of its agenda is the next vcal.
Argument
The Black Section continued its progress at conference. It did not win the vote but it decisively won the argument - - and threw the right into a debacle in the debate. Alan Sapper occallle the first trade union general secretary to take the floor at party conference in support of Black Sections.
In a cynical move the NEC agreed to Mutani supporter Frances Curran's request that she summarise against the Black Section for the NEC. This decision showed both the incoherence of the rightwing on race, and the fact
on the left Militant and the Morning Star are now virtually alone in opposing Black Sections. The only other speaker against Black Sections LICI debate was TASS delegate will soldi
The Black Section debate was definitely the most inspiring con-
ference and the Black Section successfully demonstrated that the Black and
Asian Advisory tee has failed. The vote for
Black Sections increased slightly.
NATO
A major victory was
The code the with the
conterence with vote by 3.5 million to 2.6 million to defend the ac-
countability of MPs to their General Committees
- and to instruct the NEC not to bring any proposals
to change this until after the general election.
begins to take shape
The party's commitment to unilateral nuciear disarmament reatfirmed, including the promise to close all Us nuc lear bases within a year of taking office.
The position for the removal of all US bases, and for withdrawal from NATO, for the first time established themselves this year as coherent minority political positions in the
pa us bases and wal
withdrawal from NATO is no longer 'fringe politics' and
- Darticulal' government will not get rid because Kinnock of nuclear weapons and nuclear bases whatever the party wants.
Ireland
The demand for British withdrawal trom Ireland, and Irish unity, is also establisnea minority, but coherent, position in the party. This was reflected less in the
issue than in the Labour Committee on Ireland's spectacularly successful fringe
and the fact that the debate on Ireland will be stepped up in the party. Replying to the debate the NEC promised policy document in the new year - and that this document would contain commit-
ments to abolish plastic bullets, 'replace strip searching and end the super grass trials.
On South Africa, resolution calling for Labour government to implement an clcigency pru gram of sanctions against South the ANC and SWAPO, and provide aid to the front line states was passed. Un-
members.
For reinstatement of Khan and Scally Against expulsions of socialists.
For Lesbian and Gay Rights.
To phase out all nuclear power plants. Net statement on nucicar power
For the removal of all US bases. For withdrawal from NATO.
For membership of NATO
fortunately the resolution tied British sanctions to international actions loophole Labour's rightwing will exploit. The resolution did commit the party work with the Anti-Apartheid Movement and urged party members to join the AAM.
On Central Labour's support for the of the peoples o Central America was reaffirmed. The NEC was instructed to put pressure on the Unitec States to withdraw support for the 'contras', for the British government to reinstate all trade links with Nicaragua, and to launch a campaign for aid to Nicaragua.
Key
The key issues were put onto the conference agenthrough conference by definite organisations the National Union Mineworkers, the Campaign Group, Labour Women's Action CommitLIft Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, Labour CND, the Labour Committee on Ireland, the Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights, and the Central America Labour Group - to name only the most important Forum Most of these came together to form in June this year, Labour Liaison (LLL) which unites the main campaigns in the party and a number
then, the week before the conference, Campaign rorum which estab lishes a tripartite structure linking the LLL, the Campaign Group and leading trade unionists.
The votes at conference revealed precisely the relation of forces on the main issues around which the left fought in particular those voted for against the line of the platform. On the maintenance of the accountability of MPS
Key card votes at party conference
For a ministry for women with cabinet status.
For at least one woman on every parliamentary shortlist. For women's conference to elect the women's section of the NEC For a review of the party's women's organisation and of the method
of electing the women's section of the NEC To endorse the NEC's expulsions of Liverpool District Labour Party
For setting up the National Constitutional Committee and creating
the new disciplinary offence of 'conduct prejudicial to the party'.
For the constitutional recognition of Black Sections To reconsider the setting up of the Black and Asian Advisory
Committee and support Black Sections.
For an energy policy which includes nuclear power
- and a so called 'new treaty' governing
US bases which includes a British veto over action. For British withdrawal from Ireland and a united Ireland. For the principle that the constituency General Committee is the best
vehicle for maintaining the accountability of MPs and against
changes being brought forward until after the general election.
Labour
Blackpool 1986
CLP General Commitees, the most important of the reforms won in 1981, and opposition to the unjust expulsion of Khar and Scally, the lett has essentially maintained or won a majority (and NEC's promised review stopped conference voting
Khan and Icinslatc Scally)
Women
Support for demands of conference fought for by WAC, support for the demands of the Black Section, British winarawal from NATO and the removal of all bases, are issues which nave won the overwrien ing support of the Constituency Labour Parties and are starting to gain ground within the unions - each notching up over a millor votes. These issues are Irmly on the agenda for debate in the party.
The demand for British withdrawal and united Ireland, for the disbandment of the Black and Asian Advisory Com-
the establishment of the Na-
Constitutional Lulla.
Committee and opposition to the new offence of 'conduct prejudicial to the party are as yet issues on which the and the majority in the CLPs stands virtually alone. The task here is to get these issues firmly onto the agenda for serious debate in the party something not yet tully secured Roll back
Taken very roughly the issues which the LLL takes up can muster 400-500,000 votes, those with roughly a
million are where progress is being made to cut into forces to the fight of the LLL, and on a few the individual issues the majority is already won, or
won, and the
leadership is trying to roll
These taken
Result Carried Carried Defeated
Carried
Carried
Carried Defeated Defeated Defeated
Defeated 2/3 majority Carried Carried Defeated Defeated
Carried Defeated
Carried
Socialist Action. 10 Oct 1986 3 together, alongside port for those fighting fc freedom and socialism ir
and ternationall particular today in South Africa and Central America constitute
agenda for the left when is put lorwal! by Labour Left Liaison's campaigns and by cam paign Forum. It is one that
hearing.
The ieft which emerging HIUS coherent and strategic one to have been created in int party since the twenties.
support internationalism, for the demands of the Black section and women's conference, and defence party dimocracy are at its core. Al this year's conference demonstrated the tial significant ability lo reconstitute the left-wing of the party as a whole despite the fact it is very obviously minorily present.
Soft Left
Tribune's editor Nigel Williamson wrote in that paper's • conference edition
Ella become probably the least CONCEI In the party' He acknowledged that 'social democratic policies are being adopted and 'the realigned left feels
poweries. anything about situation' A major crisis in fact broke out in the Labour Coor dinating Committee lef tal party conference. The
Campaign Group/LLL left in contrast, despite its minority position was clearly putting together its agenda for the party. This agenda has already made substantial headway in the constituencies and the ke task is to deepen its roots in the unions
A clear victory for the right. The emergence of a much crael and bette
organised minority left.
The beginning of a crisis ir the LCC/ Tribune left.
That is the balance sheet of party conference.
Thousand votes
CHOE Against 3,335 2,905 5,491 1,232 4,471
5,489 373
6,146 325
6.014 436 2,715 3.443 5,870 496 1,222 5,191
620 5,19 4,792 1.262 4,213 2,143 4,509 1,846 2,104 4,121 1,159 5,209 1,033 5,411
5,417 1.023 402 4.408
3,500 2,600
Page 4 scan of this page
Black Section advance continues
4 Socialist Action
Youth
in action
Youth Section
savaged
LAST WEEK'S Labour Party conference voted to destroy the independent role of the LPYS. The resolutions put by Hillhead and Edinburgh South CLPs and supported by the National Organisation of Labour Students were a crude grab for control of the youth section by the NEC. They were made all the more possible by the disastrous results of the politics of Militant in the leadership of the LPYS. This was no where more clear than at conference — on Monday the Labour Party confirmed Militant's expulsion, on Wednesday the YS representative summed up for the right-wing on black sections, on Thursday
whole Fabian Society pamphlet by John Mann (exNOLS chair) and Phil Woolas (ex-NUS president) prepare the conference debate for the NEC. These pointed to the need to win the 6.2 million voters
LPYS and so 'tap the energy and talent' of youth
for Labour. The NEC spokesperson Tom Sawyer has said the LPYs should concentrate on 'vouth culture'
The blunt truth is these decisions ensure control of youth work directly from the new, more right-wing NEC. Regional 'youth campaign committees' and YS delegates, CLP youth and delegates, rather than •LPYS branches, youth work and replace the LPYS. From 1987 conference a national 'youth campaign will control the party's youth work and elect the youtn representative onto the with the reduction of the age limit to 21 this ensures a youth section subordinate to the will of the NEC and will stunt the political development of its
When Tom Sawyer summed up in the debate by saying that these proposals would build an 'open, democratic, campaigning youth organisa£7000 off the LPYS funds in the last year and expelled several of its members. Promises of such
doors to at least a third of its conference delegates, and by the powerless shells of trade union youth
Sawyer's reference to how the NEC would 'consult' youth in future when deciding their campaigns for them touched the heart of the matter The NEC is removing exactly what a 'vibrant' youth section needs
The problem with the LPYS is its politics not its structure. These politics have isolated the LPYS from every progressive struggle in recent years
Movement and from the political lessons of the miners strike. The most grotesque recent example
Frances Curran, lining up with the right wing by summing up for the NEC in the Black Sections debate. Such indefensible politics explain the exEpinally for vote fine the Hilled and
There are two alternatives to these politics. foist NEC control over the YS. shape in the course of the conference around CamLaYS by forces like the Black Sections and their and which campaign this year for NEC representative.
The politics of Campaign Forum would build a mass LPYS, by make alliances with black youth, women, lesbians and gay men, volving the LPYS in all progressive campaigns and struggles. By pportin
ghts as that of black people and women to spe for themselves, Irish people to govern Ireland and black people in South Africa to be able to vote and decide where to work will make the YS relevant to thousands more young people
Despite the NEC rhetoric, the introduction of a committee decided be eil kinock and Roy Hattersley, will that will 'consult' do the exact opposite of this.
10 Oct 1986 NOLS, trade union youth officers, will
committee
NEC. Combined
was speaking for the same NEC which cut
hollow when it is to the women's movement,
spectacle of the LPYS representative,
the cynical use of their unpopularity to
The other took represented in the
building on its independence to and international alliances and inand promoting such
young people,
ALTHOUGH they lost the vote supporters of Black Sections devastated the platform in the debate on the floor of Labour Party conference. itself, those in favour of Black Sections up slightly to 1,222,000, was a victory after a year in which the Black Section has been under heavy attack from the party leadership and facing the attempt to substitute the undemocratic Black and Asian Advisory Committee (BAAC) for democratic Black Sections. They were also faced with the expulsions of Black Section supporters Amir Khan and Kevin Scally.
In the debate speaker after speaker pointed out that Black Sections had succeeded in greatly
black membership and black involvement in the Labour Party.
They have done highlighting the issue of
which the bally address in order to build links with black communities. se ce tion of six Black Section members
seats
British
ties
Section.
Coun cil, this stuctive with the
Committee. pointe
name introduce
black people.
Delegates announced
with 11 | either resigning,
to seek
the London which
Secretary
Television Allied
general
of Labour conterence of
when he
from
the wishes Black
the
platVISIDIY
goes on
AMIR KHAN and Kevin Scally will continue to campaign for their despite the rejection by
Party ference of the com-
posite, calling on the
NEC to reinstate them
now, by 3,400,000 to
2,700,000 votes.
Responding to the news
Kevin Scally said 'The vote today against our immediate reinstate-
ment is not regarded by
Amir and myself as a defeat.
'On the contrary we regard it as a victory in view of the circumstances
The vote simply asking for tue right to choose how to organise themselves within the party, in the same way as th black South Africa are fighting for th right to choose how their
By Redmond O'Neill
The only floor speaker againa back sectors wa Muff -Sourani, Tass
He repeated the argument that Black Sections are divisive - ignoring. the truth that it
which divides and that black self-organisation necessary to highlight and combat racism, and thereby create
principled anti-racist basis for unity:
Jagun Akinshegun
ATTEMPTS BY Bristol West CLP to get an emergency resolution on the police riot
or the St. Paul's in
Bristol on the agenda of St. Paul's the Labour Party conference were thwarted. Despite the support of over 200 delegates and
Khan and Scally campaign
at this particular Labour
Party Conference where
there S much of
mood of not rocking the
boat and where people
don't wish to challenge the
leadership on any particular issue was a sensitive ticular issue. This
one in that it concerned
he Deputy Leader of th
Party. It followed the ex
pulsions of the supporters
of Militant which created
"expulsion" mood at
conference.
delegates,
think, were insufficiently
aware of the issues relating
to our expulsions and our
immediate intention now
is to go on lobbying inside
the trade union movement
for our reinstatement, io
Martha Osamor appealed at the Black Section fringe meeting for support for the black youth at Broadwater Farm.
In a cynical move the NEC agreed to the request by Frances Curran, LPYS representative on the NEC and a Militant supporter
reply to the debate or
of the NEC's posi-
tions. created spectacle of Curran acting as the tool of the right-
St Paul's 'still tense'
about 30 MPs the conference arrangements committee refused to make conference time available.
JAGUN AKINSator of the COOFdinator the local Community Association reports the continue this campaign and to ask for CLPs to bring reinstatement resolutions to conference again next year.
Of : course Amir Khan and Kevin Scally do not
have to wait this long. The
NEC has agreed to review their cases. Some will inevitably use yesterday's vote to try and ensure that this doesn't end with their
But it is clear that some delegations opposed the composite precisely because they
knew a review was under way. This in no way implied support for the ex pulsions and it is these individuals and tions the campaign will have to reach.
wing against black party members just days alter that same right-wing had
the expulsions of her own fellow Militant porters. Delegates were aisgusted and slow-hand. clapped Curran's speech.
Overall this conference was an important step for-
latest developments in St. Paul's.
The situation is very votatile There is still a ricavy police within and on the outskirts of St. Paul's. This make: table to upt any me are. the tense and
sant there's a lot of activity by
People are organising themselves
provide defence for those who have been ar rested and those who
know there will be more
There are police snatch squads operating all One hundred and six people have now been arrested in connectin with
Operation Delivery'. At least that was the situation up till a week ago. People
Dels CYCL day, more than 20 since the event in mid September.
This shows that the police about solving 'crime" but rather about crinimalising the community. And that LUCY continuing with this policy.
denonation ?i
Tamil and his
Sri Lankz Te: Back
News
wared for the Labour Party Black Section. They played a central role in the campaign ar to reinstate
and Kevin Scally in which they won 2,7000,000 votes. They in creased support for Black Sections, and exposed the failure of the Black anc Asian Advisory, Commit-
They organised a sucLCC. cessful fringe meeting which gave a platform to the defence of the Black Communities.
Over the last year support for Black Sections has of definition of what the left is, as opposed to the backwardness representer by Militant and the Morn ing slar — wiica usea lo be able to successfully counterfeit for socialism in the British labour move-
In an outstanding year of achievement for the Black Sections it has achieved its most vital task of deepening its roots in the black community, and established that suppor
black Section. prerequisite for any gebeen arrested fences supposed
for original
vast have
operation,
The police were out show who rules. And what
They heavily armed for This contrast to
operation.
political
the defence committee involving
those
can Paul's Community Association, Community Centre, 82 Viraj Mendis appeals for support to prevent his ire Tori government. Mendis is a he is in danger if he is deported to : Section has given Viraj their =s plit the collection from their ringe meer, 2: Labour Party conference with his
Page 5 scan of this page
The fight has just begun
News
every parliamentary
The implications of ins victory are immense.
Firstly, the composite says there must be at least one
on every parliamentary shortlist. Renee snort. the debate for the NEC, indicated that should be included 'where nominated', but this is not in the composite adopted by conference. No conditions for the inclusion of women are attached. This is the first of the demands of LWAC ever to be passed-by Labour Party conference.
This decision will impact massively on all those regions with safe Labour seats. Regional organisers will be obliged to enforce the ruling and bring parties into line.
Early on in the selection process parties will have to search for women candidates in order to ensure that there is one the shortlist. The resistance to this will undoubtealy intense, despite the conference decision This eike walles, se iland and
Wales, Scotland
West. But this resistance will be broken
untortunately too late to get 150 women into the
Resolution on
women's
organisation in
the Labour Party
The resolution on women's organisation
passed by party conference read as follows:
"This conference calls on the National Executive
Committee in conjunction with the National
Labour Women's Committee to develop
proposals to provide for
(a) a system of voting at the National
Conference of Labour Women after 1987 which
reflects the number of women represented by the
respective delegates;
(b) a Conference Standing Orders Committee
which is representative of all affiliated groups
participating in the Conference;
(c) measures to restrict delegates to women;
(d) reforms to ensure that the decisions of the
National Conference of Labour Women are
integrated into the annual Party conference and
the National Executive Committee;
(e) a review of the allocation of seats on the
National Labour Women's Committee to ensure
a balanced representation of all affiliated
groups,
(f) a review of the system for electing the five
reserved women's seats on the National
Executive Committee.
Conference believes these proposals should form the basis of a widespread consultation process with Constituency Labour Parties, affiliated organisations and the National
Conference of Labour Women, with resulting recommendations from the National Executive
Committee to be reported back to next year's annual party conference with appropriate recommendations.'
A victory for women but...
IN 1979 Islington South and Finsbury sent a resolution to the Labour women's conference in Malvern, calling for at least one woman to be included on
shortlist. The delegate was howled down and the proposition ruled out of order by the Conference Arrangements Committee. Last week Labour Party conference finally adopted that proposal, after seven years of campaigning and struggle by the Labour Women's Action Committee. And it went through with a massive majority.
next but in
but viccapacity)
however, conference adopted
NEC and the National Labour to 'develop proposals' system of
women trade
women's conterence.
resolution women's position the Pally adopted sixty years.
NEC.
was another victory for
together two fun-
damental questions of the
structure of women's con-
ference and the election of
the women's section of the
NEC. At present women's
comerence nas no status
and authority.
reason for this is that it is not fully representative of
women the
movement as it
stituted
Representivity and must be linked together.
The first step is to give women's conference duuunily Dy ensuring that women in the affiliated garsations are properly represented at conference. The
VI COOLL whereby all unions have 20 delegates undemocratic as it in no way reflects the number of
coll union. It puts an sign between a union like NUPE with approaching half
millon members, and a union like the NUR with 10,000. Unions
conference that introduced a weighted vote for the unions based WUllCu members, side the election of
of NEC by women's ference, now has to be the
goal LWAC women's organisation, and the whole
Labour Women's Conference next year have to seek to achieve the highest possible among women's sections and the union delegations,
UL SECO
precise proposal. must be backed up by
campaign party as a whole
The opening up of such a discussion, with the full
con-
1cccc
into the trades unions and
assaulted by this debate in
Come vedr buine such a sampaign e-
that
Hand over
NEC. This is a ludicrous
The vote, against the
NEC's recommendation,
that the women's ministry
should have cabinet status
was another victory for
women, and for Jo
Richardson personally. large proportion of them transfer this decision mak-
as women's conference did
judged on the basis of this
ward or backwards? The
LWAC has been raising for seven years, it is up to demands of L WAS out ot (tight
Obviously there are no promises as to what will be sections that began . to be
whole, is the first step in a
and the weight of
the number of women they
Ireland
Unfree
Miners call for
Troops Out!
calls for British withdrawal from
tain partition and greater violence.
Degrading
outside interference.
By Martin Collins as an urgent priority. councilor and ex-IRA prisoner of war, rorism failed miserably. attended on the fringe.
Socialist Action 10 Oct 1986 5
AT LABOUR Conference in Blackpool the
National Union of Mineworkers became the
first British trade union since the '20s to back
Ireland.
The Irish composite which received 402,000
votes argued that the Anglo-Irish Accord
led to more British troops being sent to main-
strip searching of Irish women
prisoners continues, as do no jury Diplock courts,
plastic bullets deaths, harassment of Irish people
under the Prevention of Terrorism Act and sec-
Jarian discrimination — all contrary to Labour
Party's declared aims. The resolution argued that
Labour's commitment to a united Ireland does not
entail disenfranshisement of any section of the
Irish people and unlike the Accord, could create
the opportunity for all Irish people to participate
in determining their country's future, free from
"The Accord', said the resolution "is another
attempt to impose an internal settlement in the Six Counties... the fundamental problem in Ireland is
institutionalised through partition.
called upon the next Labour government to terminate British sovereignty and withdraw militarily
Despite the Labour leadership's support for freedom fighters of the ANC fighting the apartheid regime in South Africa and the Sandinista rorists, Neil Kinnock's support for democrac does not extend to Ireland. The leaders' key-note speech did not refer, even in passing, to what Labour intends to do about one of the greatest moral and political issues in British politics
Neil Kinnock had already angered Irish cam-
paigners by publicly attacking the Labour Com-
mittee on Ireland's decision to invite Sinn Feir Carrol to participate in a debate chaired by Ken Livingstone about the meaning of the Anglo Irish Accord with Labour's junior Northern freland spokesperson, Stuart Bell, Bernadette McAliskey,
Short MP and SDLP deputy, Seamus
Despite front page articles in the major daily newspapers and editorials urging a ban on the LCI's meeting, it was one of the most succesful of coverage and between 350 and 400 delegates, eager to hear what Sinn Fein had to say. Stuart Bell's attempt to turn the meeting into an attack upon ter.
Since Labour Conference is now clearly a focus for the whole labour movement's discussion on Ireland, it is pleasing to note that despite vigorous organisation by the Workers' Party, and unionists (who want to see the British Labour Party organise in the North), it is the Labour Committee on Ireland who are forcing the issue onto the agenda of the entire left wing of the party. The three events associated with the LCI were easily the best
The understanding that Britain must get out of Ireland is slow in coming to the labour movement in this country. The withdrawal movement is still an extremely small minority. Support for Labour complacency, the Accord and 'unity by consent' Which tries to ignore the unionist veto often seems overwhelming with six million trade union votes against. But the withdrawal movement is an im-
policies on opposition to the PTA, plastic bullets, strip searches and Diplock courts have been affirmed from the platform as an intention of the next government. It is the first time that a major bipartisan policies and endorsed a call for troops
The response to the October Tour of Sinn Fein guests by some of England's largest urban councils and growing interest in Ireland expressed by trade unionists suggest that this organised minority is
Page 6 scan of this page
6 Socialist Action 10 Oct 1986
ONE OF the chief features of the run up to the Labour Party conference, and during the conference itself, was the developing crisis in the Labour Coordinating Committee (LCC) and Tribune. This was signalled on the eve of conference itself by a front page article by Tribune editor Nigel Williamson entitled Whatever happened realignment. This admitted The Soft Left has become probably the least coherent grouping in party.'
Williamson argued 8T191 democratic policies were adopted by the Labour Party but that: "the realigned left Teels powerless to do anything about the situation." He quoted approvingly Peter Hain of the LCC that drift and even inertia' had set in. Williamson said realignment had been a spectacular failure' within the party.
At the party conference itself these divisions sharpened further. Tribune rally on the Wednesday night David Blunkett for the first openly, if guardedly, attacked Kinnock by name saying: I believe, and I've never said this before on a public platform, I believe Neil Kinnock is now relying more on the centre and the right than those who were previously his colleagues, friends, and comrades on the left.'
Blunkett attacked in particular, and in very strong terms, Kinnock's decision to run against Dennis Skinner for vice chair of the party - thereby breaking with all party precedent.
The most spectacular intervention at the Tribune rally came from Ken Livingstone. Tribune editor Nigel Williamson had attempted to turn the meeting into an anti-Campaign Group rally -starting the supposedly Tribune rally with remarks attacking the Campaign Group for meeting two miles outside Blackpool!
Livingstone however rebuffed that, called for unity between the Tribune and Campaign groups, and outlined a proposed basis for this in support for the demand for US bases out of Britain, winning the demands of Black Sections, and support for WAC.
Most significantly however Livingstone launched an open and brutal attack on the witch hunt. He stated:
Those who have read what I have written in Tribune must know quite clearly I do not support the Militant tendency. I've been subject to much abuse from Militant tendency. But I never wanted them expelled from the party. I organised in the London labour movement until we won our positions on women, black people and the need for a free and united Ireland. That is how we go forward.
There can be no support for the witch hunt. Those who warned at the beginning that the witch hunt would actually widen have been proved right.
We had no doubt whatsoever that Militant would be expelled at this conference. The votes for it were there. People hoped that they would be able to draw the line at that and prevent the expulsion of Khan and Scally. We failed on that. Does anyone doubt that having failed there that we still face the danger of a continuing wave of expulsions in that minority of right wing controlled constituency Labour parties?
"There can be no support for left unity, there can be no step forward to create agreement about the sort of policies we want, unless we agree first of all that we resolve our differences internally and we oppose every expulsion that comes before the NEC. We have to campaign up and down the length and breadth of the party on that.'
David Blunkett however justified the Liverpool expulsions from the platform of the Tribune rally.
Livingstone's speech was, among other reasons, almost certainly a result
from Labour Left Liaison (LLL) Livingstone had called earlier in the
week for unity between the LCC and LLL. At a press conference the LLL's chair Ann. Pettifor, and Tony Benn from the Campaign Group of MPs, had explained that the LLL was totally for party democracy and against the witch
hunt, despite its complete disagreement
Developing crisis in the LCC
with the politics of Militant, and that rejection attacks democracy represented by the witch hunt was a precondition discussing any participation of the ICC in the LLL.
As Livingstone was in any case opposed to the expulsions, he directly referred to the LLEs position in his speech, and almost certainly LLL preslopments in the Provoked pressure
the By James Black
'social A parallel fight broke out in Labour being Activist - the daily bulletin produced y the LCC at party conference. This almost started off on Monday with a fron page justifying the witch hunt, calling for expulsions, and saying asked for what they have got. Inside however was an article by Livingstone entitled Beyond the which declared: 'there is a greater common ground between ICC and LLL Al ine than could have been imagined six months ago... We must not allow sectarianism to prevent us seizing the potential which is opening before us."
by rnaay or conrerence nowever 'sectarianism' with Labour Activist declaring that the chief task of the next year was to consolidate and continue the shift in the composition of the NEC started by the removal of Eric Heffer.
These are in fact completely incompatible orientations for the ICC and reflect the basic strategic choice facing it. It is the weakest major current in the CLPs and has no chance whatever to dominate the situation itself. It has to ally either with the Campaign Group left against the right - which is in affect what Livingstone is proposing, or with the right wing against the Cam. socialist paign Group - which is what Clause 4 and the right wing of the LCC who dominate Labour Blunkett looks like he is wanting to directly begin to unite with the Campaign Group against the right wing but is not prepared to accept the policies which are the only basis on which that can be achieved.
This entire pot was then stirred further by an article by Martin Linton in the Guardian on Saturday after conference which accurately spelt out the choices facing the LCC and called for the LCC to reject Livingstone's line.
What is happening is clear. The fact that the Campaign Group did not bring out into the open sharply enough that while it defended party democracy against witch hunts it did not agree with the politics of Militant allowed it to be smeared by the press and party leadership. Simultaneously the lunatic ultraleft line of currents such as Labour Beri. This made a that he 10 chan the to avoid all the key contradictions it
faced.
But in the run in to part conference that began to change sharply. Tony
Benn and Dennis Skinner's politics began to dominate much more clearly in the Campaign Group -defence of the miners, opposition to Labour's trade union proposals, and fighting the witch hunt, with strong
support for Black demands of women's British withdrawal from Ireland, and
opposition to US bases and NATO.
Simultaneously the creation of the LIL
marginalised the
Labour Briefing. The result is a closing
down of the room for manouevre of the strayed into LCC's camp because of the
economism and workerism of Militant and the Morning Star, are rapidly fin-
ding the situation clarified - because a Skinner/Benn dominated Campaign
group, linked with the LLL, involves a
much stronger defence of women and
black people than anything the LCC is
coming up with.
At present with the LCC the witch
hunters of Clause 4 remain firmly com-
mitted to their bloc with the right wing
against the Campaign group and LLL.
Livingstone is clearly trying to reorien-
tate the LCC to a bloc with the Cam-
paign Group and LLL against the right
wing. wno will win remains to be seen.
But the lack of political coherence of
the 'soft left' is now fully coming out
into the open.
IOT even the 'Militant
next election' was in full swing again Activist want.
full. stock of the welding
Sections, the
conference,
ultra-leftism of
not consensus'
THIS year's Labour Party conference was dominated by
Neil Kinnock and his policies. But the important step for-
ward for the left was that, for the first time for many years a
common agenda began to be hammered out. No one sum-
marised it better than Arthur Scargill at the Labour Herald
rally on Monday night of conference. We print his speech in
BLACK
ECTIONS
'I believe in socialis
the ed
WITHIN OUR movement there i a tendency to believe we can go an win the next general election, an
support of working people through a softly-softly approach That through a Saatchi and Saatch soft sell, we can win people tha would not normally be won to th policies of our party and our move ment.
Well I happen to be one o those as disenchante Yorkshireman - who believes tha the Red Flag is dyed with the bloo of people who sacrificed everythin for this movement.
Our principles, it is said, are little out of date. We've got to g for the middle road. Well, the onl thing that you get in the middle o the road is... knocked over!
Ever since I was 14 years of ag I understood we're not about winn ing elections. Some people may be But I know that this is a class wa and our fight is to take politic power - and there's a difference Millions of people unemployec deprivation in our inner citie black communities not only depri
but blatantly discriminate against. Well, at least there's th beginning of an understandin amongst working men and wome of what our brothers and sisters i the black communities have had t endure, and still have to endure. there was one thing the mine strike did it was to help mine understand the issues at stake. An one of the results is that miners wi be voting at this conference in suj port of Black Sections as one of th steps towards securing the rights ( black people in this society.
Inner city difficulties and pr blems that we've seen are not tr result of some mindless hooligan The only hooligans that have bee involved are the para-militar police force. In relation to th chairman's opening remarks (th
Page 7 scan of this page
n
photographers would seeking pictures of Scargill together with Sinn Fein councillor Tommy Carroll) I'll tell you why the para-military police force is able to walk apparently unheeded and unhindered anywhere it wants in Britain. It is because we stood by and allowed it to happen in the north of Ireland.
The National Union of Mineworkers learnt a lot of lessons. I've been reading lots of books that have been published about the miners' strike — about what we did wrong. We've seen academics pontificating by the score about why the miners did this or didn't do that. And I was told by a colleague of mine - she's a parliamentary candidate - that she attended a dinner not far from Hampstead and there were people like Eric Hobsbawm pontificating about the miners' strike: And he was saying that, you know, the problem with the miners' strike was that they should never have done it at the time they did.
Why is it that people with firstclass honours degrees, who can see the struggle of the Chartists and the Tolpuddle martyrs clarity, fail to see the struggle of the miners right before their eyes with any clarity at all?
The destabilisation of government was not in spite of but because of the miners' £12,000 million it cost them, as they sought to destroy the NUM.
Many people are, of course, looking forward to Wednesday's debate on nuclear power. You'll have seen people like Gavin Laird going on television and say 'if you think we're going to stand by while workers in our industry are attacked, then you've got another think coming'. I wish he'd said the same thing during the miners strike.
It's been suggested in the Guardian that there's been some kind of deal on the question of nuclear
power. Well, I'm the mover of the composite and I'm not aware of it! What's really happened is that the Labour leadership on the NEC found out that they were going to lose and that's why there has been a decision to support, with reservations, composite 63 on this.
Let me make it absolutely clear: as far as the mover, the seconder, and the 252 organisations supporting that composite are concerned there are no reservations in our support for it.
It's been suggested that we're arguing for destroying jobs. This is absurd. We want nuclear industry to be given the opportunity to work for people's real needs instead of for death and destruction.
If you power stations you create - with the establishment of coal-fired stations - 25 per cent more jobs. We also by that put thousands of people to work building new coal-fired stations and developing alternative power sources such as wind, wave, tide, geothermal and solar energy.
Why can't we positively to the British people: 'the Labour Party will put an end to nuclear power'? If this Party does what it should after Wednesday's debate. If it goes out and says 'we're pledged power, we are for the policy of alternative energy resources, we're for coal-fired generation, above all else we're for an end to a programme that threatens the lives of youngsters in this country and of generations yet unborn,' if we do that then we'll win a massive victory at the next general election. But equivocation will not only lose us votes, it'll lose us the election as well.
There are people who say 'look how many accidents you've got in coal mining, look how few we've got in the nuclear industry. I answer 'I don't know how many accidents you've got in nuclear power. I don't know because they don't tell you. And if they did give the official believe them! But I do know about the hundreds and hundreds of people who have died and are dying today in uranium mines in Namibia. And I do know about the 300,000 who will die as the result of Chernobyl. with
this
strike.
Kevin Scally - witch hunted
If we look at international questions, there has been a mining disaster in South Africa. hundreds of people have been affected. Nearly two hundred have been killed. This rotten corrupt system, not content with slaughtering black people on the streets and in the villages and in the townships,
people in the
close down nuclear refused to allow Union of Mineworkers of Britain to send our mining engineer to help the NUM in South Africa. That's the kind of regime that you're dealing with! That's the kind of system that Thatcher and her government are wanting to prop up.
begin to say this society began to realise that
place under this government. why isn't there a ready understanding that for sanctions to be applied you don't need to have a to stop nuclear government decision? You have it in your power to take sanctions, to impose them yourselves. It can be done. At least I tried to do it.
sion scheme Mick McGahey, and I were removed because we refused to allow money from British miners' pension scheme to be invested in South Africa. I'm removed me, if that's the price I had to pay.
We're up February. I got sacked in July 1984 for refusing to invest monies from the mineworkers abroad. And in February next year, McGahey, Heathfield and Scargill are being sued for a million pounds figures I wouldn't for taking the abroad.
it so that some people like the sequestrator couldn't get hold of it. Never!
press went to our door and said to Ann (Scargill) 'Did you know that they're suing Heathfield and million pounds? She said 'how much?' They said 'a million'. She said 'what, a million a piece?' They
altogether! "Oh' she said I was
getting worried!'
Comrades, this ference has got to look issues. Not only the question of unemployment; not only the question of rebuilding a savaged and embattled Britain; question of beginning to rebuild basic industry in Britain, and all the associated policies. It's got to go much wider than that. It's got to have a political perspective one that's, in my view, totally different from what we've seen for a long time.
Many there are those in our movement who want to see consensus. Well, I believe in socialism, not consensus. And I think it's time that people in our party they stand on the question of consensus politics.
Bernadette McAliskey and Sinn Fein councillor Tommy Carroll
the National
Led. They
It's time that working people in
sanctions are not going to take
But tain
down-hearted
we understand
the As trustees of the miners pen-
system?
Peter Heathfield,
pleased that they
for trial
pension scheme
NUM's money
It's been suggested that we did
Those friends of ours in the
McGahey, Peter Arthur for
million
week's conat the
not only the terms, ficulties, infinitessimally parison.
- and society.
There are those in our party,
should say
asserted exactly where
nuclear British policy,
If working people in Nicaragua had waited for consensus they'd party have never achieved a victory. If people in Vietnam had waited for ty. consensus it wouldn't have work-
put forward revolutionary politics in order to win the advancement for their class.
It's time that our movement understood this basic lesson, the basic principle that it's socialist policies that are going to win in Bri-
You know, chairman, in our movement we seem to be a little bit
when we get setbacks. What on earth for? Don't ing
- even if the academics don't — the nature of
struggle, the nature of the
I'm not down-hearted. I know we're on a winning trail. I know that in my party and my movement, a socialist policy will emerge from what we're seeing at the present time. Every single time that I feel at all in doubt, all I have to do is to look at the history of our movement and look at what hapDianne Abbott - Black Section got NUM support pened in real terms to the Chartists, to the Tolpuddle martyrs and, yes in recent times, to members of the National Union of Mineworkers. And when you look at it in those
our problems, or our difor our set-backs, appear small by com-
We're talking about a better
We shouldn't hide the vi- dustry. sion of a better Britain. We should talk about a vision splendid. We should talk about a society where the means of production, distribu- no tion and exchange are taken into the hands of working people. We
without question, without equivocation, that all the firms that have been denationalised will be renationalised on the election of a Labour government.
Socialist Action 10 Oct 1986
Above all else will be a policy for peace. It will be a policy that says 'an end to US bases', 'an end
nuclear weapons', "unilateral
disarmament and withdrawal from NATO'. There can be no question of equivocation on that central objective.
We owe it to ourselves to look in terms of a better vision. We owe it to ourselves to put forward to the
people an alternative policy that means something, that's different and radical compared to the Tories, the SDP and the Liberals. We don't want something similar. We want a socialist approach, of defiance to this government and what was envisaged by the creators of our movement.
Let every single member of this
tonight reaffirm that don't want witch-hunts in this par-
Expulsions and witch-hunts may be for the colleagues at the back today (Khan and Scally) -but it'll be for you tomorrow. It's not all that long ago that they expelled the Communist Party of Great Britain from the Labour Party. I think that was wrong.
If there's one lesson that our party and the working class have got to learn, it's that we need unity, not disunity or splits and divisions. And you don't get unity by expell-
people who are sincerely fighting for a socialist policy.
I ask that this party and, yes this rally, go from this rally tonight and begin to campaign as hard as the right-wing movement in our Party. Begin to campaign to win policies inside the trade union movement. Begin to campaign to win a bigger say for the CLPs in the conference.
Above all else, if you seriously mean what you say, then translate into action the policy decisions of this party. Let no spokesman, let no spokeswoman, 'interpret' what we mean. This party conference must decide the policy as we go to the next election.
We need to go to the electorate on a policy of full employment, a policy of reintroducing into this country vision and hope, to regenerate Britain's battered in-
We want an end to anti-trade union legislation. We want it wiping off the statute book. We want
fudge, no reintroduction of legislation in another form like 1969 with In Place of Strife.
If we do all this I'm confident that we shall no only win the next general election, we shall win it not on the basis of consensus but on the basis of socialism.
Page 8 scan of this page
UGIRLISTNACTON BREAK LINKS WITH APARTHEID Developing a programme for Britain
8 Socialist Action AS SOCIALIST Action explained in an editorial Labour Party conference its role is going to change over the next months. From the end of the miners strike onwards Action was, for a considerable time, the only paper out the views of the forces that had emerged and radicalised in that strike and its Socialist Action is still the only place where you can find a record of Arthur Scargill's speeches during the miners strike, the record of Women Against Pit Closures as it developed, the major statements of the Black Section, major interviews by Benn and others summing up the strike, a blow by blow record of the Labour Women's Committee's (WAC) fight for the right of women to control their own organisations inside the party. This is in addition to Socialist Action's role in getting material of Sinn Fein, the FSLN in Nicaragua, the ANC and other international organisations.
Other newspapers would not print this material because they want these currents flourish. Breaking the wall of silence, by even simply printing what people had to say, was vital. At the same time Socialist Action fought to together these forces inside Labour Party and trade Socialist Action had to combine its GWIL distinctive voice with being a platform for these currents. a necessary and right thing to do. Larger
Fortunately much larger forces than us are now beginning to take up that job now. Labour Left Liaison has the largest and potentially most authoritative, wing organisation within the Labour Party. Campaign Group reaching significantly dience than Socialist Action with the views of the Campaign Labour MPs, renoe. NUM, the Labour Party Black Secin treland, and the WAC, the Labour Committee
Labour paign for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
All this means that Socialist Action is beginning to have a different role to play. Not, of course, that it is going to turn its back on those it has been working with in the last period - they will still be appearing in its
before the
that are developing Socialist
which got •developing
attermath.
an alliance for socialism'.
major
Marxism
for Tony shopping
Action
Developing
weight
and at definite points in
out the
struggle
both that, and gramme must be developed.
did not
exist or
recognised by
bring the state, the
unions.
be taken. They
This was
country.
gramme for Britain must be grasped.
the universal left which Marxism
News tain? wider au-
Group of
the
finance capital, not a single .. Cam-
in ils own country tiona
amalgam features. The
BUILD AN
ALLIANCE
L FO
SINC
pages. But Socialist Action now has a more strategic and programmatic role to play. It has to, so to speak, look ahead of where we are today and look at the line of march of the new forces
the labour movement. A central theme around which it intends to do this is through
programme for hnthe line of development of the working class and oppressed together around that programme - around the slogan which appears on our masthead of bullding
It is necessary to be clear about what is meant by this. Developing a
Artale obes nOt means sitting down and writing out a
list of demands and proposals which have to be fought for -a shopping list is not a programme.
programme situating and understanding the real
which specific demands and proposals have both in the long term
the class the specific way they are posed in Britain. To understand what that means it is worth looking at how that
Many serious, pIu-
The starting point of a programme must be the basic features of society
Marxism. Marx's theory of the economy and society, Lenin's analysis of imperialism and
Trotsky's allal yois fascism and the degeneration of the USSR, and many other contributions are the key starting points that must
are Ine universal elements of Marxism that apply in any
But in order to develop a pro• something else That is the com pletely unique and specific character of every country and every situation. What, then, is the relation between
international forces analyses and situation in a specific country, Bri-
Trotsky explained this relation in
his Third International after Lenin:
'In our epoch, which is the epoch of
imperialism, ie of world economy and
world politics under the hegemony of
party
can establish its programme by pro-
ceeding soley or mainly from condi- to
tions and tendencies of developments
Anteridi programme is in no case the
sum total of national programmes or
of their common international DIU
10 Oct 1986 ANDA gramme must proceed directly from
ana vsis 01 the conditions and tendencies of world economy and of the world political system taken as a whole in all its connections and contradictions, that is, with the mutually antagonistic interdependence of its separate parts.
"In Tne bresen esoci io a muci greater extent than in the past, the national orientation of the proletariat must and can flow only from a world orientation and not vice versa. Herein lies the basic and primary difference belween .. internationalism and all variene ornaona socalsill.
Or, as Trotsky put it as regards the
in his introduction to Permanent Revolution: "Marxism takes its point of departure from world economy, not as a sum of national parts but as a mighty and independent reality which has been created by the international division of labour and the world market, and which in our epoch imperiously dominates the national markets.' Viewpoint
It is for this reason, for example,
Socialist Action distributes material of international socialist organisations including Interna-
Viewpoint, which is a completely unique international Marxist publication, as well as that of national organisations. Without starting off with an international programme no progress can be made in developing a programme for Britain.
If, however, mains at a purely international level then it is hopeless Il ls tar loc abstract and therefore not a programme, a guide for specific action, in the real sense at all. Furthermore each country does not show simply "general' feature of capitalism which are the same for every country combined with "specific' are added on to a common 'model' -which is the type of analysis presented by the Communist Party. Each country, and each situation, is completely and absolutely specific and unique. A part of the essence of politics is to understand that uniqueness and act on that basis.
Stalin
Trotsky put it in the introduction
Permanent Revolution, polemicising with Stalin as follows: 'It is false that the world economy is simply a sum of national parts of one and the same type. It is false that the specific features are "merely supplementary to the general features
like warts on a face. In reality, the national peculiarities original combination of the features of the world process. originality can be significance for strategy over a span of many years...
"It is absolutely wrong to base the activity of the Communist parties on sonne an type capitalism. tend that this is what the interna tionalism of the Communist parties rests upon". In reality, it rests on the insolvency of the which has long ago outlived itself and which has turned into a brake upon the development of the productive forces. National capitalism cannot be
understood, reconstructed, world economy.
Unique
"The economic peculiarities of different countries are in no way of a subordinate character. It is enough to compare United States and specific features of national economy
.. enter as component parts and in increasing measure reality which is called world economy ana un which alone, analysis, the internationalism of the Communist parties rests ...
National else but the most general product of the uneveness of historical development, its summary result, so to speak ... the internationalism of the British and Indian proletariats does not at all
identity tasks and methods, divisible interdependence
Strategic
This is the relation between the which class struggle in Britain and the international class struggle. That situation in Britain is completely unique and specific - 'the national peculiarities represent an original combination of the basic features of the world process ... This originality can be of decisive significance for strategy over a span of many years' as Trotsky put it. If anyone ever finds themselves doing the same overall as someone in South Africa, or France
Germany, or Nicaragua.
United States, can be absolutely sure they are going wi urte situation in solutely and specific -decided in that country. But it is a unique combination of elements of an in-
Marc Wadsworth speaking at the 1985 Alliance for Socialism conference
represent an must be
This of decisive SICULIO a abstracal features national
national It is utterly false to con-
national state, larger
States
alone except as a part of a unified
and India, the Brazil. But the
the higher proportion of the last
peculiarity is nothing
of conditions, but on their in-
munist Party.
state.
revolutionary
, or Poland, then they
The overall features of the
each country are ab-
- and must be realisation
Socialism'.
Analysis
ternational reality. And while what
done by socialists in each country is unique, it is totally interdependent with what is being done in every other country. Britain, as with every other country, represents a unique combination of the international elements of class struggle.
To see this take merely some of the unique features of the British state. It is an example of an imperialist state
Not twenty or thirty in the world. But is is, in a very real sense ine most parasılıcaly impellalst Illa jor state in the entire world - with foreign assets which are still five times
in relation to its internal economy than those of the United
That uniquely imperialist character of the British state helps determines its entire nature.
Within that state, however, exists
labour movement. possesses a single mass working class party based on a single unified trade union movement - something extremely rare in the world. Britain has one of the highest participations of women in the work force in the world. It has a new black community created since World War II. It has a level of unemployment exceeding that even of its imperialist rivals. It has the lowest
manufacturing in economy of any major country Europe. It is sandwiched between the US and the EEC — with its imperialist interests central in a country such as South Africa. Britain has an interna colony in the six counties of the North of Ireland. It still has national questions in Scotland and Wales. It is undergoing its greatest reorganisation of bourgeois politics in ovel years with the emergence of the SDP. It has a profound crisis of its Com-
In Depth
All these features are just some of the unique features of the British
bul tney are specific unique features composed of a combination of elements of an international situation. The task of developing a programme for Britain is to start with that world situation, and the international programme of Marxism and analyse the specific situation of Bri tain in terms of it. That is what, over the coming months, Socialist Action will be devoting space to.
It will provide a strategic pro. grammatic background to the work we are doing every y day in the labour movement. It will help provide a
of the slogan on our masthead of Building an Alliance fot
Page 9 scan of this page
Hot autumn in El Salvador
International
tour Britain.
Hormel company
months and representatives from three plants
Austin,
Nebraska —
where they certainly made a splash.
Participants al many
fringe meetings were able
w ncar we tale or tneir
struggle began
August of last year, when
workers at Hormel's
flagship miant in Austin
were forced out on strike
alter the company tried to
impose the seventeenth
consecutive concessionary
wages and conditions deal in a row.
Strike leader Jim
Guyette told us that the mood of the workers was that 'enough was enough'.
It was easy to speed-up, wage-cuts and a
'safety record of 202 accidents 100 workers
improvement not further
In the course of their year long LIC in trouble. He has succeeded in angering broad sections of the population church hierarchy through his sabotage of the third round of peace talks with the FMLN-FDR, which were scheduled for 19 September, SMITH.
that the only purpose of talks with the liberation movement was to negotiate their surrender. reluctant agreement to meet with top FMEN commanders was itself a huge victory.
With the FMLN guerrilla army the military initiative, the increasingly powerful trade union movement and the
Cram your Spam!
YOU PROBABLY HAVEN'T heard of Hormel, but Spam is a name we know well. And now 'cram your Spam' badges are circulating in the labour movement as striking meatpackers from the United States
The meat-packers have been in dispute with the
which produces Spam, for 13 • in Minnesota, Ottumwa, Iowa and Fremont, were at the Labour Party conference
strikers have had to stand up to the courts, the local police and the US National Guard. Guard By Jon Silberman
troo lee used to reen plant January.
Refusing to be cowed, the strikers took the struggle to other Hormel plants.
Pickets won backing from fellow meatpackers at OtFremont, Nebraska. The these plants who honoured the picket line were promptly sacked — as the strikers at Austin have been.
The strikers did not receive full backing from WICH national union the United Food and ComWorkers. Ever
THE DUARTE GOVERNMENT in El Salvador is
including the Catholic
writes JOHN
Duarte has been forced to shift from his stance
His
other mass organisations have united around the demand for serious negotiation to find solution, based on justice and naJohn Smith translates for FE.NASTRAS representative Alfredo Represa.
since December of last
year when the UFCW of-
recommenced ac-
ceptance of a mediator's
connaut willen naa been
agreed to by the company,
the actually
LUD
starting attacking the
workers who had voted
down the contract on two
occasions.
January, UFCW
President Wynn first
publicly demanded
return to work. Ten days
later the union officially
produced a so-called 'fact
book' which defended the
company and slandered
the strikers' branch, P-9.
Despite the campaign
of the official
leadership,
escalated. In addition
successfully picketing the
other Hormel plants, P-9
organised 3,000-strong
rally in Austin in February
Following the strike being
declared in
March, 5,000 P-9 sup-
Finally most of the strikers
were forced the
union.
Jim Guyette told
that the nation-wide
solidarity 'has been
magnificent. We sent péople on the road throughout the country. They were given the simple brief of Kullet c telling the truth. The response to the truth had been
OYCE whelming.
Solidarity has come both in the form of finance and a nationwide boycott OTI Hormel products Guyette says that LiNC boycott has 'hurt the company tremendously. That's why the company is trying so hard to get the boycott called off.
Local and
tional independence, to the six-year-old war which
claimed 60.000 lives and turned one third of the population into refugees.
Duarte conceded the talks whilst simultaneously accepting a vast escalation of US military hardware to more effectively prosecute the war.
He then scuppered the talks by refusing to remove the army from the eastern town Sesori, where the talks Were held. Under such conditions the saleti liberation movement's representatives could not be
Jim Guyette
unions, civic groups and
icizious organisations
have responded to the
campaign. Now the
strikers are in Britain seek-
ing to extend the boycott
members of the tour party
is Barbara Collette who's
on the steering committee
the United Support
Group in Austin.
Barbara told us of the
huge response that had
greeted their presence at
Labour Party conference.
Barbara was deeply impressed by the solidarity they'd received from members Women
guaranteed, and talks were rendere regiose bried to
nake
turned up at Sesori with the US ambassador to address a crowd of peasants who had been specially bussed in. But his cynical manoeuvre backfired as the Dabaliti heckled throughout his rambling tirade, while FMLN fighters launched a powerful offensive from nearby hills forcing Duarte to beat a hasty retreat.
In the ensuing 24 hours the FMLN offensive had left hundreds of soldiers killed or wounded, another 200 casualties being left wounded at Guazapa and Morazan.
The regime has taken a knocking in the towns as well. With an unemployment rate of 43 per cent, a 'underemployed er further 35 massere increase in death and squad assassinations of union activists, there has been a big response by the workers movement.
In the first six months of this year there were over
strikes involving 425,000 workers.
Uniruary the National Unity Salvadorean Workers (UNTS) was formed, uniting over 100 Irade union, peasant. stu dent and teacher organisations. They have called a series of huge demonstrations the most recent being held on Saturday 4 October, demanding 1 coollo ten otter
Against Pit Closures 'in
particular because their stor ony been was promi
nent in drumming up sup-
ort for the strikers' caus
They spoke at many fring
meetings together. Benn
explained that such
solidarity with US strikers
was Ine basic to we wler
nationalism so necessary
in the Labour Party
• Donations and
message. of support
Fightback Fund, PO Box 903, Austin, Minnesota
55912, USA.
strikes and that Duarte returns to the peace talks.
One the most remarkable features of the
struggle massive and
militant response to state
CUTESSO The forces in
UNTS now respond to kidnappings and assas sinations with a reflex of immediate demonstrations
and strikes across the nation. This is how they forc ed the release of textile workers leader, Isabel Seve Velasquez, in July and of captured water workers leader, Prieto, in August.
At the beginning of October leader ANDES, the teachers union, was assassinated. In response, ANDES shut down over 90 per cent of schools and colleges in a two-day national strike on 7 and 8 October
The difficulties confronting the Duarte regime could lead El Salvador's rulers to once again turn to an even more viciously
regime. With the Reagan administration's increased financing Nicaragua an escalation of contra war military conflict on regional scale needs the maximum response by the labour movement internacollally. Enference • Labour Movement
Central America, 28 February 1987, Congress House London. Leaflets available from ELSSOC
Borough Road, London SEI (tel 01-928 3412).
World
in action
from
These policies are already
substantial minority
movement.
byn, to the pamphlet Peace
Campaign Group
Labour Party conference.
the 1985 Labour Conference when
million votes
membership.
contradiction
ment refuses
ANZUS treaty.
sinkable aircraft carrier whenever it is used for that purpose
under which they published, treaty regulations exist.
American
subordinate military
however friendly.
in pursuit of its own world-wide interests.
United States solely
tually built up a vast
vestments, raw
nam, attacked Cuba,
twentieth century.
Given these
to pursue those policies.
for detente,
down on their agenda. •Peace through non-alignment Published by Verso, 1986. Price £1.50.
Socialist Action 10 Oct 1986
THERE IS a clear contradiction between
Labour's policy of unilateral nuclear disar-
mament and its support for NATO member-
Ship. At this year's party conference the cal
for the removal of all US bases received
1,159,000 votes, and the call for withdrawal
NATO altogether 1,033,000 votes. established as views in the labour
We print here major exiracts from the in-
troduction by Tony Benn and Jeremy Cor-
through non-
alignment — the case for British withdrawal
from NATO, which is sponsored by the
and was launched at
Successive Labour Party conferences, and elec-
tion manifestoes, have committed Labour govern
ments to retain British membership of NATO
When the general election comes, all of us who are
parliamentary candidates will be explaining to our
electors that this is the official policy of the party.
Nevertheless, there are many people, both in-
side and outside the Party, who most certainly do
want to see the issue raised, as became apparent at
nearly 2/½ were actually cast for a resolution
asking the NEC to re-examine Britain's NATO
This is partly because there is a clear potential between Labour's commitment to
NATO, and its equally clear commitment to the
removal of all nuclear weapons and US nuclear
bases from Britain. For if the American govern
to accede to that demand and
threatens to end our NATO membership if we per-
sist, a stark choice may have to be made. In New
Zealand a Labour government, backed up by a
solid majority of electoral support, has also had to
face outright opposition from the Americans, who
are effectively squeezing New Zealand out of the
Furthermore, President Reagan's decision 1o bomb Libya from US bases in Britain shows that the country is now seen in Washington as an un-
- a thought that cannot
be very reassuring to British people who are at risk
It was after the war, at about the time that NATO was formed, that Mr Attlee agreed that some US aircraft should come to Britain on 'train. ing missions'. From then on, the US presence has grown substantially and become permanent, until today it totals about 130 bases or installations and about 30,000 service personnel. The agreement
• operate here. has never been and it is not even clear whether any
According to the oath of office which confers Commander-in-Chief of all US Forces worldwide, the US Constitution would not permit him to
and respon sibilities to the wishes of any foreign power,
Thus it would appear that the theory of a British veto is an illusion — the United States has the right, as well as the power, to use its bases in Britain as it wishes, either for NATO purposes, or
Despite the oft-repeated argument that the
concerned to protect freedom, human rights and democracy, it has ac-
World Empire, far more powerful even than the old British Empire, with 3000 bases scattered across the globe to defend US economic and political interests including her in-
material supplies, especialv of. and the markets for her goods. In defence of those interests America has fought a long war in Viet-
occupied Grenada, destabilised Chile and organised terrorist attacks against Nicaragua, as well as propping up some of the most corrupt and dictatorial regimes of the
indisputable facts it cannot be right, or safe, for Britain to continue to allow the United States to use military bases in our country
We hope that every constituency party and affiliated trade union will arrange conferences and seminars to discuss this pamphlet, and that all those organisations that are working in any way
, disarmament and development will read it too and have the question of NATO put
the case for British withdrawal from NATO' by Ben Lowe.
Page 10 scan of this page
ALLIANCE SOCIALISM 22-23 November
Initial speakers include Tony Benn Martin Collins Jeremy Corbyn John Lang Price: £6 for the weekend, £3.50 per day (£4 and £2 unwaged). Venue: Sir William Collins School, London.
Make cheques payable to Socialist Action Conference
***************************************************
Please send me..
Name ...
Address
I/We require.
Send to PO Box 50, London N! 2XP
BULD IN G
FOR
The second annual 'Alliance for Socialism' weekend of debate,
discussion, and agitation sponsored by Socialist Action. Linda Bellos Peter Heathfield Marc Wadsworth Betty Heathfield Diane Abbott
Bill Etherington Alan Meale Ann Pettifor Vladimir Derer Ken Livingstone Jude Woodward
African National Congress .. tickets for 'Building an Alliance for Socialism'
• places in the creche for children aged
Topics include *Which way for the left? *Labour Left Liaison *Which way for
women in the Labour Party? *Black Liberation *Defending the unions today *Justice for the
miners *Lesbian and
Gay Liberation *Campaign
Group of MPs *Fighting the
witch hunt *The Anglo-
Irish Accord *Britain out of
NATO, US
bases out of
Britain *South Africa *Solidarity with
Nicaragua and
El Salvador *Zionism
*******************
Reviews
terested in
cellently put.
'A says.
to write.
The Leslie Titmus Mortimer himself
all be midale class.
free of class analysis
So else changes.
al vuilt?
• Paradise
evenings at 9pm.
Pathfinder £8.95
£3.95
Paradise at the
Crossroads
Ruth Blackett reviews John Mortimer's Paradise Postponed on ITV.
IT WAS a good idea — a TV drama about the high expectations people had in 1945 for the brave new welfare state world that we were going to get, but didn't, after the war. Clearly a series that socialists would be in-
watching. We might not agree with the analysis but I looked forward to seeing how they would deal with it.
Well, what a disappointment! As the TV rimes said, Paradise Postponed (may) sound like some head-clutching political parable. It isn't Ex-
Far from disagreeing (or not) with his analysis of the postponement of classless, full employment paradise, I can't actually see much connection between what Mortimer says he set out to do, and the final product.
picture of society from top to bottom', he Only it is rather top heavy for the 'story about England since the war' which he was asked
working class is represented solely by (snivelling urchin turned Tory minister), and his parents - rural proletarians of almost forelock tugging variety. Indeed the whole thing has an anachronistic air about it. I am sure that villages and people such as those in Paradise Postponed did still exist in 1948, but they hardly represent England at that time.
As well as the odious Titmus and his unattractive parents, most of the other characters are also rather unsympathetic. The so-called socialist vicar owns a brewery and sends to public
Indeed we have no evidence that he is a socialist beyond being told that he is. His wite is a prig and his sons are creeps. The local gentry are all clearly mad in one way or another.
The only likeable character is the doctor who Mortimer describes as his own favourite. And what does the doctor represent? The good solid values of the liberal 'middle class' people like
Mortimer doesn't like the upper class (among other things he thinks that is where the left now resides, while the Tories have become more working class). And he doesn't like the working class. In short, he doesn't like class and he wishes we could
Which is how he manages to write 'a story about England since the war', jam packed with references to class, and completely
what do we discover about the developments of the 50s and 60s? That people marched against the bomb. That abortion was illegal, although possible if you had a hundred quid. (And safer if you were really rich and mummy could send you to Geneva. That fast food was on its way. And — the single example of the supposed paradise that was to come - working class kids like Leslie Titmus could get to grammar school.
Maybe that is Mortimer's intended message: human nature is human nature, and if you give the working class a chance all that happens is that its most talented members become capitalists in place of the old fading aristocratic upper class. Nothing
I could forgive him this reactionary rubbish if Paradise Postponed was as entertaining as Mortimer's previous work, Rumpole of the Bailey. But the fact is that it isn't really all that good. It has perked up slightly since the beginning but resembles an upper class Crossroads more than
Postponed is on ITV on Monday
Other Books
The Other Book's mail order service offers a wide selection of socialist, anti-imperialist and radical literature.
The German Revolution and the Debate on Soviet Power (Documents, 1918-19) (Lenin, Liebknecht, Luxemburg, Radek, et al)
Fidel Castro: Nothing Can Stop the Course of History (Interview by J. M. Elliot and
M. M. Dymally) Pathfinder £5.75
Cosmetics, Fashions, and the Exploitation
of Women (Hansen, Reed) Pathfinder
Cheques and postal orders payable to Other Books
Orders with payment should be sent to: Other Books, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP. If the total value of books ordered is over £10, then simply add 15 per cent
for postage and packing
Page 11 scan of this page
Wapping - 9 months of struggle
In the Unions
AS WE GO to press, the result of the ballot on Murdoch's latest final offer' isn't known. The offer is little different than the one already rejected. But after over nine months of struggle and with the national leadership of SOGAT recommending acceptance, militants are facing an uphill task to secure a 'No' vote. struggle.
The printworkers have had face the vicious tactics. The 5,500 printers
WELC summarily sacked in January after Murdoch had secretly transferred his operations from Fleet street. in canools witn ine leadership of the electriclans unlon, ne sel up silop with brand new workforce. Murdoch fortified his premises with razor wire, high fences and electronic surveillance. by-pass solidarity from railworkers, he bought up
road transport fleet to distribute his papers.
The courts weighed in on une sae or Murdoch sequestrating SOGAT's
Ic-lsiallle them on terms designed to defend Murdoch from effective action.
Saturation policing
1,000 were permanently deployed, or six strikers. In the miners strike, the average was one to every 22 strikers. In the first seven months of the dispute 1,139 were arrested, one per six strikers.
compares witn 10,337 arrested the toners sunke - an average of one per 100.
Won
The strike quickly won solidarity from the rest of the labour Women Against Pit Closures, miners and others swelled the mass pickets. bul as lne stake. of the dispute rose the national leadership SOGAT backed off. The TUC, rather than deepening the support isted, worked behind the
with the SOGAT leadership and Murdoch to concoct a sell-out deal.
Other Heel oureel employers moved in wake ot Murdoch's oftensive to impose their own swinging attacks In the first weeks of the dispute, Daily Mirror group workers, particular-
Scotland, came out against Robert Maxwell's major redundancy package. Forging a united fightback was real possibilly print union leaders have signed olic sell-oul deal another.
At the time of Mur-
the Daily Telegraph came torward with the devastating package so far. It demandea stati cuts ot 60 per cent, a no-strike deal, and agreement to lay off without if in-
pay
NALGO pay vote
ALTHOUGH local government 'white collar' staff have voted not to take industrial action over their 1986 pay claim, the vote of 45 per cent for action, 55 per cent against has startled negotiators on both sides. The employers
hoping for a
BRIAN GROGAN looks at nine months of
dustrial action leads to loss of any papers.
Far from using the Telegraph's attack mobilise the two workforces in a joint fight, SOGAT'82 not only signed the deal, but welcomed it as a lanamark agreement and SOGAT's Bill Miles who has responsibility for the Wapping dispute castigated Murdoch for 'not having the patience to get a similar deal without the present strife. Blocked
The SOGAT leaders also blocked off support from the wider movement. Hiding behind the condiDONS laid Dy the courts lifting the se-
they snubbed offers of support from the miners, 'not wanting to be associated' with Scargill's tactics the only ones will a crance of winning.
Brenda Dean and other SOGAT leaders counterposed the campaign to persuade consumers to boycott News International titles. Concentrating on consumers is to chose the weakest ground. The only pressure Murdoch will listen to is at the point of production and on the picket line.
The sacked printers have shown what's needed by consistently mobilising
large numbers for the Wednesday and Saturday Sacked printers lobby Labour Party conference.
derisory vote for action, and the union negotiators are pected of expecting one.
In fact 45 per cent was extremely encouraging given that NALGO had decided to hold the 'biggest ballol ever held on pay' over the six week summer holiday period.
Thing
Tony Dubbins addresses Tribune rally at Labour Party conference. NGA has also failed to give lead over Wapping.
night mass pickets. They
organised HICCules discuss through their tactics and weigh their collective strength. leadership "liaison committee has Deen estabuses composed of the London district
the Fathers and Mothers of the Chanels. But thi liaison committee, under the leadership of Morning Star supporters has refus-
break from the overall framework of the national leadership.
Prestige
The London leadership built up its prestige ove many years of establishing decent wages and condiThis is the worst possible
meetings in support of the Calls The ballot two months after the rise should have been paid, and we had already been offered six percent figure pitched by the employers to head off a
So the 45 per cent vote does represent a growing
tions. But at no time in this dispute has it attempted to prevent the sell-out deals in the rest of Fleet Street or to the Wapping dispute olner prin struggles. They have blocked the formation of a democratically
committee which could have fostered such tactics. They have made the boycott campaign the central focus.
At the June SOGAT conference national leadership wa: on the defensive in the wake of LUC vote against Murdoch's first 'final offer'. Against Dean's advice conference voted for reinstatement and union recognition as the goals of the dispute, and agreed a package measures to
20 2 Cn
resentment at progressive loss of earning power and at low pay in local govern. ment. The claim was 12 per cent or f900, whichever is the greater, which,
would return all members pay to 1980 levels and help the low paid. The *flat rate element is especially important in a union with over 25 per cent in the 'low pay' bracket.
step up the picketing and to appeal for the first time for support to the rest ol the trade union movement.
But the Morning Star squandered fruits of the 'No vote The concessions made the Dean leadership to win the conference votes woulc have been more than justified on one condition
that the conference decision to escalate the struggle were acted upon with vigour. But the London leadership accepted Dean's strictures that the dispute remain within the framework of the Tory anti-union laws and under the control of the nationa leadership. The conference resolutions became just pieces of paper.
At its conference, the TUC admitted their own inactivity. Norman Willis blamed 'the limits of trade
sent constances pre-
sent circumstances'. Wapping dispute provideo the TUC : with a major opanother, this could mean indefinitely.
The NUT leaders who have agreed the deal have argued that it is necessary to reach agreement with Labour-led authorities, rather than have a deal imposed by the Tories. This all to be reviewed in 1990. They propose putting off
struggle ceremo education today to the possible Kinnock-led government tomorrow.
This conception of political strategy is nonsense it onlv because there is no guarantee that there will De Dol governmen in 1990. Moreover it was the pa dispute which brought educational policy to the fore and teachers in strug gle were beginning to build some of the important alliances, particularly with
летело state education from Tory atLacKs.
Even if there is Labour government after the next election, Neil Kinnock has declared at the TUC that 'there will be no blank cheques for any set ot workers' - that is no promises to honour any manifesto committments.
The Coventry, agree. ment's proposed 1990 review means that aspects of working conditions and nav wil be under the microscope. But more still is at stake, with the intervention of industry into education, Tories baying for 'teacher appraisal', and currently the Secretary of State Kenneth Baker attacking the ILEA for daring to have material in schools
Socialist Action 10 Oct 1986 portunity to decisively widen such 'limits'. . But its refusal confront the electricians narrowed the limits even further.
Similarly the Kinnoc. leadership of the Labour Party has failed to lift a finger. They have in no way used Murdoch's vicious tactics challenge the monopoly control of the press. Insteda lney chose a the Labour Party conterence to attack foreign owners. It appears OK to attack Fleet Street printers so long as it's British prodoing the dirty business!
If, despite all the odds, the sacked printers vote "Nơ' complete break with the SOGAT national leadership's tactics needs to be made. A plan oi ac tion would centre on:
Campaign
• A campaign for solidarity from the rest of Fleet Street. This would in. cinden rejection all deals in contradiction to
Raw deal
for Teachers
THE RECENT settlements for teachers — both on pay and conditions - are a sell-out pure and simple. After 18 months of struggle through one form or
the NUT executive has caved in. It has agreed to a new pay structure which is deliberately constructed to appear fair' but in fact denies a large proportion of teachers any significant pay increases — only the worst paid of teachers and of course the top headteachers will gain. The executive, also voted 26-7 for the interim agreement on conditions, which among other things has accepted that teachers will again cover for their absent colleagues — in practice
positive image of gays. agreeing ime deaf ine NUT
CACCULIVE. provided they
By Ray Sirotkin
can make the deal stick are setting up a framework which will make all these questions the more difficult.
Throughout the teachers dispute the influence of Socialis bleachers Alliance (STA) grew: The STA has existed for 10 years as a current inside the NUT. It remains at thi stage as the leadership of those forces inside the union who wish to reject the deal. But opposition is wider than the STA. The Broad Alliance which dominates the executive is under real pressure. Some
against. The right of the union's members to vote on the deal through a
DEAL FOR
TEACHERS
Who can
11 lie sunke alms or toe wap ping printers for no job
anc full union recognition and independence. • Full mobilisation of the sacked printworkers independent of Tory anti
laws. peals for solidarity action from the rest of the labour movement. The formation of a democratically-elected strike committee.
O A militant campaign towards the TUC to imple
conference decision to back the printers and instruct the EEPTU tr wilnuaw
campaign for the Labour Party
• lo duoDi phallenge the press barons for the press which in their monopoly control; and to give active solidarity to the printers.
Such a perspective not only necessary but possible. During the strike a new laver of leaders ha emerged - leaders who can begin to give a much• needed new direction
UT
special conference is thus vital.
Hand in hand with campaigning for a special conterence must be the fight to hold the line o cover. In practice this means absolute no-cove in a large number of secon dry schools and 'first-day' cover primary and special schools.
The opposition is becoming clearer. Already Divisions and Associa
70,000 LICS teachers have voted to re ject the deal - the poten tial is greater. The LAPAC conference of 27 September was well attended and has the capability to organise opposition to the sell-out.
Whereas there is every hope of rejecting package that nobody ad mits to Wantin Kenneth notable Baker has come up with a cash offer in return for stringent control of
teachers via appraisal et This may well in some
cases mean more money but will mean far wors working conditions (compulsory parents' evenings, cover étc.). A great danger may the NUT leadership calling for ac non to acrena ineir agree ment against the govern. ment's attemot to impos their own. Neither are in the interests of teachers or education in general. The Inner London Teachers Association has produced this attractive
3-p case against hice dive.
case against the deal. Packed with information, copies can be obtained from ILTA Office, Mor son Primary Schoo Hunsden Road, SE14 (Tel 01-732 2514).
Page 12 scan of this page
THE US Congress decision to stand firm behind their Sanctions Bill and over-ride the Presidential veto is a big boost for the international campaign to isolate the apartheid Pretoria regime. It strengthens the campaign for effective sanctions by Britain, and gives more space to the liberation South Africa itself, writes PHIL WATERHOUSE.
The Senate Bill incudes a ban ou certam mmports (uranium, coal, textiles, Krugerrands, steel, iron, food, military equipment and agricultural products); a ban on imports trom companies in elther the public or private sector; a ban on exports of nuclear and computer technology to Pretoria or
agencies; une US government is barred from purchasing goods and services from South Africa, and from promoting trade and tourism; and landing rights for South African aircraft KaTe Lentalco These provisions apply also to Namibia.
The sanctions are far nom compicie and Ilandatory' as demanded by the anti-apartheid movement internationally. But they will W CanCH the Pretoria government, even
table showing tickets sold. €1500 by the end of the year.
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SOCiAiNt
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Reagan defeated
on sanctions
movement in
though Botha's hysterical response MOTe response to their political rather than the £300 million Pretoria if they're fully implemented The Bill was the result of the tremendous pres SUIC international bi of which the boycott 31 nations of the Com monwealth Games and the declaration by tions of the Non-Aligned Movement demanding immediate comprehensive and mandatory sanctions are the latest examples.
In the USA too a mass campaign is on the rise rooted in the unions, in the Black and Chicano and amongst outh and students. The New York Anti-Apartheid Coordinating Committee composed of 200 union and community groups
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mobilised this support on 14 June when 100,000 took to the streets in the biggest anti-apartheid march ever seen in the US.
massive divestment campaign across America, involving student actions
since the heady HOL SCCIL days Tne Sixtes. pressurising authorities to Winera accounts trom banks which give loans to South Africa, has forced some US commercial banks publicly withdraw lines of credit to
One South African government will seek to
effects of these sanctions upon its black neighbours hrough both economic 210. military retaliation. No-strings aid
vital back-up to sanctions. But the US ruling class will not only baulk from this, it will try to avoid where it can the provisions of this Bill, just as happened in this country sanctions-busting over the then LWCHLY years ago. There is nothing
from the minds of the US rulers than the emergence of a non-racial democratic OUTRANCE under the leadership of the ANC.
The anti-apartheid movement will be campaigning to ensure meas-
are fully monitored and implemented and simultaneously extended into complete and manCall y sanctions by all western governments. slow, incremental approach, reluctant v COll ceded under pressure, OI Triendse serve Reagan and friends only enable South Africa time to avoid their full punitive effects. With imperialist aid they have been constructing war-seige economy for years now. Only complete sanctions
fully breach its Call defences.
Free Book Offer!
Take out a years inland subscription and we will send you free one of these books: Justice: The Miners Strike 1984-85 by the Campaign Group of Labour MPs
On Afro American History
by Malcolm X
OR The Struggle is
My Life by Nelson Mandela
Demonstrators at the Old Bailey hold a picture of cyninia varren.
Nuclear Fuels Springfields plant.
of nuclear power on conference
ing the miners'
they're motivated by saving jobs
floor at the attempt touse
created mass unemployment to justify
dan's stance.
have my bloody job'.
page three for the voting).
Broadwater
gets 7years
BLACK
WHITEI
AND FI AEU President, Bill Jordan shakes hands with Chris Brown the AEU convenor at the British
Hundreds of BNEL workers were given the day off to lobby the Labour Party conference. Jordan spoke in favour
floor continuing the pro-nuclear policy of the AEU leadership. Dur-
strike this policy resulted in the union's journal being turned over to senior nuclear industry spokespeople, while the AEU leadership failed to deliver effective solidarity to the miners. This gives the lie to the claim by Jordan and co that
A number of delegates protested on conference
Tory governmentcretear police. Paul onson, a rankand file AEL member and a delegate to conference from Clacton CLP brought the house down as he answered Jor-
Explaining that he works with his hands not with his brain ('which is just as well, otherwise I'd be broke') Johnson said that for the sake of the lives of 230,000 children in Essex where a new nuclear power station is planned 'you can
Moving the successful composite 63, Arthur Scargill said that his record on defence of jobs was clear and that a non-nuclear policy would create 25 per cent more jobs in the energy industry. (See
Farm youth
Jarrett's death.
police won the first KANE.
what the Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign has called 'a gross miscarriage of justice' Simon McMinn on 2 October became T.ne TITS youth of the 63 to be tried at the Old aley to be sentenced. His sentence of 7 vears imprisonment I01 'causing affray and
- the 'burglary of 2 bottles of lemonade added was decided on the sole evidence of a confession, extracted at the hands of
interviewing officer previously found gullty of
brutality and falsifying encerce
Detective Constable Rex Sergeant's previous victim was awarded £3500 damages by courts. snocking contrast one ycal later no charge or action against anv police officer has followed Mrs Jarrett's death.
The courts are clearly being used as a warning
gainst al black people
ho defend their right: Summing up on McMinn's case, the judge explained that he had to mete out heavy sentences to deter such violence nap.
ening again This same
udge will preside over all cases to be heard at the
Old Bailey.
decision to take ne each of the Old Bailey cases seperately has been
MONDAY 6 October was the first anniversary of the death of Cynthia Jarrett following a police invasion of her home on Broadwater Farm, Tottenham. One hundred and fifty people picketed the Old Bailey on the day. They were protesting against the show trials being conducted on youth arrested since the rebellions of October 1985 sparked by Cynthia
A year later nothing has changed. Last week the
conviction, writes ANNE
denounced by the defence campaign as an attempt to
un events ton ine farme
events farm.
Defendants will be isolated enci their response to Mrs Jarrett's death will be presented b the prosecution as acts of criminal violence.
The cases rely heavily on confessions extracted from youths held without external contact for five days. Many were arrested alter oeing namca i so called confessions. The
that of Howard CasC Kerr, Was Solalolylu 50 page 'confession' implicating himself and twenty others, whose case was dismissed in court when it was proved that he was in Windsor at the time of the rebellion!
The trials at the Old Bailey are likely to last for The youth the next vear. on trial for defending their community need pickets. at the DI COCUCC funds to help the defence
campaign. lobbying inside the labour movement for these case: to be dismissed • For more information contact: Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign, c/o Tangmere, BWF Estate, Tottenham, LonN17 (telephone 01 808 1667).
NUELEA
DUSTI
← Socialist Action No. 149, 26 September 1986Socialist Action No. 151, 24 October 1986 →