Socialist Action No. 44, 10 February 1984
The scan: 044-feb-10-1984-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
Reagan, Thatcher.. Hands off Lebanon!
ANOCAT
THE EXTREME right wing government Amin Gemayel teetering on the edge of collapse after days of streetfighting. soldiers in the Lebanon army are deserting, refusing to fight their Muslim brothers and sisters. Gemayel's cabinet has resigned, and he is going to have the greatest difficulty in forming a new one.
This crisis Lebanon massive defeat for United States and Israel. Gemayel is only President courtesy of the Israelis they put his assassinated brother Bashir into power after the 1982 invasion.
The United States has done its utmost to impose the authority of the right wing Maronite Christians. But their plans have been thwarted by the revolt of the Shi'ite and Druze militias.
The impoverished Shiite people of southern Lebanon have suffered harshly under Israeli occupa-
No. 44 tion, sanctioned by the soof called Troop is Agreement'
made with Gemayel in 1983.
West Beirut have been the Muslim victims of a harsh
clamp down after their part of the city was occupied by the Israelis in 1982.
And the have been the victims of infamous massacres and conalready tinual
Phalangist work hand-in-glove with the Lebanese Army.
The force of the US, Britain, in France and Italy was sent to
Lebanon precisely to bolster the the Gemayel
and ensure its authority in Greater Beirut.
Shi'ite Militias Beirut, homes of against battle tanks and artillery, have broken the will of the army and left the European and US troops isolated and powerless.
With the tegrating the left wing and Arab nationalist have liberated. West Beirut, devastating Gemayel and his imperialist backers.
10 February 1984 30p
SociAlist
ACTION
Withdrawal the Israelis
The people of Muslim end
The
Palestinians population.
harassment by the militias, who
"peace-keeping The
government
But in South protecting the their people
against Lebanon.
army disin- the British
militias
defeat for
All the US firepower, the huge guns of the New Jersey and the murderous air raids, have been in the
unable to establish Gemayel's authority.
pro-Western Maronite elite in Lebanon are a minority. They cannot hope to impose their will against the majority of the
The danger now is of a desperate US or Israeli attack to attempt to save Gemayel. If that happens there can only be a new and bigger bloodbath.
British labour must demand that the war-weary people of Lebanon be left in peace to solve their own problems.
Last Sunday 40,000 people marched in Jerusalem to demand the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops. In the United States, opinion polls show a 2-1 majority
US troops in
The time has come for
labour movement to play its full part, by demanding loud and clear the withdrawal of British troops, who only serve the purpose of giving credibility to Reagan and Gemayel.
Inside
pрб-7
p3 Stuart Holland on Central America - p5
occupation - p11
US draws up new battle plans —
Why defend local government? -
Ron Brown on Robbs shipyard
Page 2 scan of this page
Wright road for TGWU?
2
ACTION I SOCiALiSE
A party of Labour
THE LABOUR movement has been on the defensive ever since the June election. It still is. But through the gloom some chinks of light are beginning to emerge. Ironically they are being created by the same processes that ensured success last year.
The economic and political policy of the Thatcher government can be accurately summed up as 'divide and rule'. From 1979 onwards the full force of the capitalist market was let loose in British society. manufacturing industry and it also fragmented the working class.
Benefits
For many of those in employment Thatcher's policies brought real benefits. In the year up to June 1983 average real take home pay rose by five per cent. The huge 1982-83 was the result of the major increase in real wages for those in employment.
It was those outside the core of employed workers who took the economic strain of That-
Unemployment rose by CICIAN Youth wages fell as a percentage of adult wages. Women's earnings fell as a percentage of men's. Black unemployment soared.
The logic and aim of Thatcher's policy was to create two working classes. prosperous Thatcherite heartland. The other an unemployed, young, proletariat.
Politically the result was the voting pattern seen in the June 1983 election. The Tories maintained their vote in the south and south east and among employed skilled workers. Labour was driven back into the north and big cities.
If Thatcher's economic capable of creating prosperity then the outlook for Labour would have been grim indeed. higher wages of the spread into the big cities and the north. Thatcher's 'property owning democracy' would have swept Britain.
Country
But the opposite has happened. Thatcherite prosperity is not spreading throughout the country. The increasing political problems facing the government are an expression of the economic processes it has itself unleashed.
Even the 'prosperous' workers of the south and south east need a health service, transport, and education Many live in the big cities. unions. Women are not an 'oppressed minority but the majority of the population and the majority of the electorate.
The fiasco over Cheltenham, the storm over rate capping and the Metropolitan Councils, the fact that there is no longer public support for big spending cuts, are immediate issues that threaten the government. They are superimposed on still more threatening long term trends for the Conservative Party -the huge decline in its vote among women, in Scotland, and in the cities.
The areas in which opposition is blowing up to the Tories are perfectly logical. They reflect a
growing number of layers not brought within
Thatcher's consensus.
particularly the alliances that are growing up against the Tories in the cities - have tremen-
dous social weight.
Largely despite its leadership.
been pulling itself out of the ditch in the last
three months. Binding together the forces which
are emerging against Thatcher
the unions fighting to defend them, those sup-
porting the political levy to the Labour Party,
those actending ne cities,
those seeking to bring black workers actively
within the party-
in the next six months.
Editor: ALAN FREEMAN Published weekly except two weeks in August and the last week of December.
Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represcut Socialist Action's views. These are expressed in editorials.
Socialist Action 10 February 1984
Thatcher's electoral
It destroyed twenty per cent of
boom
two million.
One an employed,
black, female subpolicies had been
south east would have public for their children.
They still belong to
abolition the some or trese forces
Labour has
those inside
women's rights,
- is the big challenge for Labour
THE RESIGNATION of Moss Evans as general secretary of the TGWU opens the way for the most important union election in Britain for many years. PAT HICKEY looks at the stakes involved.
The TGWU, with 1.5 million members, is Britain's largest union. Under its founder Ernest Bevin, and his successor Arthur Deakin, the union played a consistently right wing role. the years of recession and defeat after 1921 Bevin and Deakin kept power firmly in the hands of the general and regional secretaries.
After the war the The long ban to and te
boom and rise of post-war shop stewards organisations saw power move from the regional machines the
trai ops.
death of Tirin, unwelcome,
Deakin's chosen successor, allowed Frank Cousins to take the reins of ship in 1956.
Cousins was succeeded in 1969 by: Jack Jones whose power
had been bases Midlands car industry and the powerful Automotive secuon. voss avars was lI the same mould as Cousins ane Jones when he took over the leadership in 1978.
In the last five years however the TGWU has lost almost a quarter of its members falling from over two million and a half million. , A large part of tris loss las veen Il the industrial sections LIne Balt groups which were the base for Jones and Evans And together with this loss has gone a dramatic decline In the shop stewards system
Faced with the new
the TGWÜ regional machines have moved in to fill the gap. The union exexcutive has been divided almost 50-50 bet.
Vote Todd
ONE OF the signs of the crisis in the left wing in the TGWU is the plethora of candidates which have been put forward to take up the banner against the
the right wing. The Strategy for the Future document now being touted around the TUC by Len Murray is very much in line with a similar document written by
Wales TUC
In Social Plan Bargain' Wright aroued for a new type of incomes
alceutallt
redundancies, and cooperation with employers. practical meaning of these
points were shown
Wright's sabolage of
Welsh General Strike in
support the steel
workers. This action sent the steel workers down to defeat.
Wright wins the
general secretary's post the
TGWI will move
decisively to the
did AUEW after
Scanlon's retirement and
Boyd and Duffy's vic-
For the right wing
in the TUC it would mean
a virtually clear run for the
niciness HASH CONI-
tionism line being pushed
by Murray.
The direction in which
Wright intends to lead the
• TGWU already be
•Cal
After Moss Evans
Basing themselves on
machine based on
left and right throughout Evans' leadership. The result has been a weak leadership, with the
CCHUC left course in the labour Weakness
The weakness of central direction also disarmed the TGWU in the face of the new right in the TUC. union Is no longer able to swing votes on the General Council
defeats at the last TUC Congress and over the NGA dispute
The defeat of Labour in 1979 and 1983 much deepened the TGWU's problems. Long gone are the days when Bevin and Cousiet and rac the
Jack Jones and Prime Minister Harold Wilson agreed the Social Contract. weep for the oid TWO Socialists should left. The Social Contract, the betrayals at BL, Fords and elsewhere, the refusal to take on the Tories have weakened the TGWU's own base. But neither can anyone underestimate the threat which the open right poses in the TGWU now and the consequences of any victory it gained. George Wright is the only serious candidate of
Wright when he was secretary of the
seen in his campaign. He
launched a 'red baiting' attack on kon loud s uckel
claiming that, 'it is clear
with the Communist Party and the hard left in the union.' Wright claimed
that what the union need.
leader but not a puppet of
hard lett'.
scare is the hall mark of
comeone lately recredit the old Deakin dictator-
ship in the union.
the left liste
weakness has
leadership shown in
put for-
ward by left. Now
Larry and John
Ron Todd, the only serious candidate of the left
lest-right key role the
battles in the labour since 1979. Despite its vacillations the union supported the electoral college reform and has supported a greater say for the consti-
in the Labour Party After TITS voting for Silkin the TGWU sup ported BenT against risk of the left vote being split.
The remaining left wing apart from Ron Todd, is now
Kitson. Kitson however, has only 18 months to retirement and is not a credible alternative lett candidate. Kitson's vietory wourt mean tae elec tion process would have to start again in six months.
AS yet the left wing slate has not been finalis ed. Nor has the election •date been set. The left still has time to campaign which is vitally important in the IGWU where lil machine plays a key role.
But the right wing has the stronger machine today and this is reflected in the number of branch nominations Wright has
the left can hope to win is by waging an open united campaign for
Such would help to strengthen the left in the union. , and overcome the reluctance of many activists to support Ron Todd.
Todd's record does not • confidenci
particularly with Ford workers. But it is the only way to stop Wright. And that is the vital task today.
Healey in the - deputy leadership election contest
Since 1981 the union has steered a course Derween the hard lett and the hard right.
should mirated strengthen the Healy wint in the Labour Party. would directly threaten unilateralism — of which
capitalist economy today. 3/4 March, London N.19 Admission £2 a day, £3 for the whole weekend.
St, London N.l.
News
the union has been a consistent supporter. Similar Ty-Chapple wing would see TỤC the Duf its position decisively strengthened if Wright were to win the TGWU The left in the TGWU has to be supported, despite its record, to ensure the defeat of the right wing
The World
Economic Crisis
Weekend conference on the world
with
Ernest Mandel
Caxton House, St John's Way, •
Tickets only from International, 328 Upper
Page 3 scan of this page
Why defend local government?
Interview
THE TORIES assault on local government and the cities is moving into top. gear. JOHN ROSS answers five key questions on why the Metropolitan and the GLC have to be defended.
Why are the Metropolitan Couneils and the GLCE Tories abolishing
Because the Tories are increasingly unable to win elections in the cities. In 1963 for example the Conservative government old Labour controlled London County Council. The aim was to break Labour's control by bringing in the Tory controlled OULCI boroughs.
But even the suburbs have been increasingly turning against the Tory Party. By Labour London and every Council.
Tory electoral support in the big cities has been progressively collapsing for thirty years now. It you take. general elections then Tor election the fory os feliby 29 post-war peak of 1955 and the per cent in Glasgow, 24 per cent in Liverpool, 20 per cent in Manchester, 20 per cent in Edinburgh, 14 per cent in Sheffield, and 5 per cent in London.
The Tories are increasingly unable to win any popular support for their policies in the big cities. risk that the Metropolitan Councils and the GLC would become permanent bastions of opposition to the Conservative Party and Conservative governments.
Unable to win democratic support for her policies in the cities I hatcher therefore decided to step in and smash the Metropolitan authorities.
But if the Conservative decline in the big cities had been
did Thatcher decide to act die wiiy when she did?
Because of the policies the Tories aim to implement if they win their struggle to destroy local democracy.
Since the mid-1970s both Tory and Labour governments have been putting a tremendous squeeze on local government spending. shame it was the Labour government under Dennis Healey, Callaghan and Harold Wilson which started the attack on the cities. cher followed where the last Labour government led
Between 1975 and 1983 local authority spending fell from 15.9 to 12.8 per cent of Gross Domestic Product. Local government employment has been cut by 100,000 since 1979. 1he amount of local government expenditure financed by central government has fallen from 60 to 50 per cent in the same time.
But even these cuts are only the
Not what the government waltes. Thatcher and Lawson demanding local ding cuts of between 3 per cent and 12 per cent. Up to 300,000 jobs will be
- 100,000 going in education alone.
Popular cheap fare policies such aorkshire will be totally eliminated th those in London
will be horaries. meals wheels and other services.
But isn't the government in reality just eliminating Labour which have been putting the rates up to ridiculously high levels?
There is no doubt that some Labour
ment attacks by putting up the rates. This is a short sighted and extremely divisive policy which should resisted.
But the argument that it is Labour councils which are responsible rate increases is a straightforward lie which should be exposed.
The reason for the huge increase in rates is the cutbacks made by the
Councils
big
abolished the
London
controlled Metropolitan
between. the They face the
prolonged Much lo Is
James
Thatare
Tory government's
South support to local councils. park facilities, innumerable
controlled councils
ting up lales councis popularity that flows from that.
the Conservative local Labour be responsible That truth should be spelt out.
What for abolition?
МЕНАН
10118
B 93 13 11 8
ВІВЦЯ 18 BAS NA I N government in ine Since 1999 the equivalent or an rate support billion has been cut from government
These cutbacks have been made with the aim of confronting Labour
only WIln the choice of slashing services or of put-
with all the un-
Some Labour councils have made a wrong choice m puling up ue rale. as a way of fighting cuts..But there
Ing should be no ambiguity but that it is
not ver tricill. some councils, that al c lucrateccases.
wil be the consequences of If
The aim of the Tories is to take local government services out of any local democratic control at all. This will be
Speaks for itself
jacked
in order to cut them to pieces.
In London for example there will be a minimum of 24 joint boards controlling education, police, fire vices, public transport. None will be democratically elected.
The results will be obvious. The cheap fares policy of the GLC, for example, has been a huge public success. It is a big electoral asset for the Labour Party.
But the Thatcher government is against cheap fares because it wants to run down public transport. By tak-
London transport out democratic control, and giving it to
non-elected government can destroy the cheap fares policy.
There should be no misunderstanding of the scope of what is involved
the present Tory attacks on the Metropolitan Councils, and on rate Lavols. are successtul within ten years British cities will become creasingly like American cities.
There will be public squalor. Elimination of any efficient LADOR. ser- in present inadequate public housing.
Education outside the privileged areas will be shredded.
The only service that will be thriving will be the police — who will be called in supposedly to deal with the mounting crime and vandalism that will result from these policies.
The quality of life in Britain's big cities — and in many other areas of of the country will
begin to disintegrate under the Tory the proposals.
What can be done? And can the battle be won?
Precisely because of its scope the attack on the big cities is one of the most explosive issues facing Thatcher. This is why there has been opposition even in- inside the Conservative Party over the
government's proposals.
Socialist Action
not
services to meet
Labour public Enormous cut backs ever cils
Another Tories a
quite literally
local
servatives
10 February 1984 3
What happens in the big cities is
going to affect just the trade unions or even just the labour movement — although the effect is going to be concentrated there
Old people are going to have their
cut to pieces The entire
hit by the cutbacks in services such as transport. Education will deteriorate. Women are going to tace a greate risk of sexual attacks because of the cerenoranoe un services transport, street lighting etc. Black people are going to be attacked even more by the police patrols that will be stepped up
Small traders will be sharply affected by the overall decline in the cities.
has the opportunity around the issue of the cities to build one of the broadest and most needed alliance of forces it has ever created
To defeat Thatcher's proposals needs first industrial action and mass demonstrations and protests. It also needs a policy of complete non co operation with the proposals and a solid aliance between the local coun.
and the public sector unions. opportunity is giving tremendous defeat in the May local government elections.
But if Labour does lead the campaign to defend the cities it will clearly show the labour movement it is the vanguard force fighting for the rights of the working class and all the op pressed in society. And also that it is the labour movement, and not Thatcher, that is the fighter for democracy and civil liberties in Britain.
If that campaign is carried out by Labour then not only can services and
democrac be defended but Thatcher can suffer a crushing elec toral defeat in the cities. If the Con.
city base is thoroughly destroyed it will be extremely hard for them ever to recover from that blow. It could begin to tip the relation of political forces in society.
The stakes really are that high.
Page 4 scan of this page
Still a left force
IRELAND
UNFREE
Censorship of
Sinn Fein
AS THE ONLY major 32 County party in favour socialist reunification, Sinn Fein's decision to contest all five Irish Euro-constituencies please those who hold the reins of power.
This must have been
Southern government's Minister for Communica
ions, Jim Mitchell as he signed the statutory order
extending section 31 of the Southern Irish Broad.
casting Act for a further year
This Act, dating from 1960, allows the government to
was first invoked highlighted the rianna Fail government's lack coverage action and implicit support for the British. Justice Minister O' Malley then Post and Telegraph Minister Collins about the 'irresponsible behaviour of RTE in glamorising people well known to have or criminal activities'.
This indirect warning was followed a year later by a directive which told casting any matter that could be calculated to pro-
the aims or activities of any organisation walch engages In, promoles, vocates the attaining of any particular objective by violent means'
The next development was in 1972, when RTE news features editor, I summary or an Interview will sean Mac suotal. Mac Stiofain was subsequently charged with IRA membership and O'Kelly got three months (later reduced to a fine) for contempt of court when he rerusea to deny Mac suorain's voice on tne tape.
After this the government then demanded the RTE Authority discipline O'Kelly.
summarily sacked. ducky sucu culuchies lo druducaster washing that action would be taken against individuals who 'are deemed to have disregarded the Governments' instructions or who have been careless in observing them'.
The cringing self-censorship of RIE, has operated ever since is
1973, Conor Cruise O'
Minister for Post and Telegraphs in a coalition government, responded to a television programme about torture of internees by accusing the makers of 'promoting the activities of the IRA'. Tendmen Act wash in Brodaced. This Act for (Amendment) Act was introduced. the first time specifically named both the IRA and binn rein as orcanisations banned from the airwaves. It was made clear by Patrick Cooney Minister responsible for RTE in 1982 that this was to include electoral broadcasts. The Sinn Fein candidate in Cooney's constituency took this to court
High Court, the Supreme court upheld the govern. ments censors!
In the 1983 Westminster elections, journalists persuaded the RTE Authority to take up the case again with the government for the sake of their election coverage. The government turned down the application.
In the South where the national question is the dominant political issue,
Hanna fail aer moping nist one satement
Fianna making criticising Thatcher, government leaders are wary about allowing Sinn Fein the opportunity electoral broadcasts provide. comment on their own falures and to denv Sinn Fein the chance to put over its policies and social aims. This would refute the whole 'mindless terrorists' tag.
The battle to get rid of the reactionary Section 31 will be an important part of the coming Trish Euro election campaign.
Socialist Action 10 February 1984
policies and Irish
will not
In the mind the
censor the main television network, RTE.
events in the North of The complained to
engaged in subversive
RTE to stop 'broad-
encourages or ad-
Kevin O'Kelly broadcast the
When they
The new imposed Authority
which a direct result of this -nen
Ene
Act for and where Charles
statement
that They want to avoid
CLPD:
THE CAMPAIGN for Labour Party Democracy's Annual General Meeting (AGM) is now complete. The smaller size of this year's conference reflects the first decline in membership since CLPD was formed.
Last years CLPD AGM was the scene of a bitter fight over whether to join the National Executive's register of non-affiliated groups. fight as a disagreement over future campaigning. The CLPD executive majority saw it as a 'takeover' bid.
The most important of this year's debates was the LADONE Coordinating Committee's attempt commit the campaign to 'one member, one
executive argued exes proposal and will prest
bably win support for its postion when votes from
three conferences are totalled.
This outcome indicates a rejection by the CLPD membership of the LCC's drive to take the Campaign to the right. CLPD clearly remains an organisation of the left in the party. It can continue to play a useful role in the fight for Labour Party accountability and socialist policies.
THE BLACK Activists' Group was set up last year to combat racism in the Labour Party by fighting for black members' rights. RUSSELL PROFITT is a councillor for Lewisham, and a leading member of the group. He told Socialist Action how the group began and what it's fighting for.
Race issue everyone's aware of but no
applies to the Labour Par-
tions are passed which Hicall nothing because they're not acted on.
The Black Activists'
Group began winnack Party members London, concerned that black issues were largely ignored in the labour movement by the left as well as the gal. vur aim is lo gel a better understanding
LADOLI Party
This will be profoundly uncomfortable for many Party activists. There are Parnes in London you d expect to have loads DICK They don't. It's been suggested
Party go down black streets. That's the sort of Ly. overt racism we want to LaKC uD. But there's also another sort. The Labour Party is afraid to confron racism in the community.
A PIECE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
DISCUSSED THE LATEST
| GOVERNMENT.
The left saw this
success be
of the
The pure
conference be
condemocratic, nor the leadership accountable.
Today tionalism CLPD will not
activists. approach
Why Labour needs black caucuses
might
There's black
fully in-
the Party.
tion al
The Activists' Group
floor
Con-
organising interven-
necessary changes.
First. people
to organise
to allow We also organised There's fringe meeting. never been such a black-led initiative before.
OF HE ACTION
AND WE ARE TOTALLY AND UNANIMOUSLY IN AGREEMENT!
THIS TIME THATCHER HAS GONE TOO FAR!!
to reject supporting CLPs that resist expulsions of Labour Par-
members.
Despite InIs failure however the Campaign is neither a tool of the right, nor irrelevant. But how useful a role CLPD plays is not just a question of the resolutions it passes at its AGM.
CLPD's decline
planned by the absence • any central
with galvanise and the constituency CLPD re-
frontation'. This,
it unclear WARi kind campaign
could
SUCH focus. will
Many speakers
black
The resolution was submitted with an under taking from the National Executive set up a working party. But there an minorities working party and it seemed they would be discussing the issue. usual of its members are black.
A number of us decided to make a black input, so we attended the last meeting - even though we weren't invited — to make SUIC the right decisions were taken.
That meeting decided the original party should be set with black representatives from across the country. Now that's going to the NEC and we're still waiting for the outcome.
In London, we decided to act as though black calcuses ares mexistence whether the constitution accuses We've got a regional struc
We're en•ture emerging. couraging constituencies to sel up black sections. Some exist win a rela tionship with the general committee like that of the women's and youth sections.
This might not be nice and proper constitutional-
'I SEEM TO RECALL THAT YOU SAID THAT WHEN MRS. THA-
was clearly opposed
puts
members
increased
There Still some serious with Russell Profitt ly, but it shows the com-
mitment black members nave on inis issue shows the degree to which we're starting to organise. We're not waiting till the while suuuon careo tne Labour Party says it's okay, we're going ahead now
We are learning from the success of women's struggle the labour movement. emulate that. Our constitutional chancer Would create black sections in local con•suluences due redresenta tion at regional level. We also want to creale a na tional black's conference along the lines of women's conference.
INDEED I DID
YOUNG MAN
News
independent of CLPD. While reaffirmed
demands, Campaign treasurer Schon-
tack WAC.
political debates
But
bitter, the all currents for
labour
We've put down resolutions for the London region conference, asking that black activists' right to organise be recognised. And we call
discussion on racism within the Labour Party. ¿ issue won't stay under the were determined Ink table, or at the back of the agenda. We hope it will be carried people have been passing anti-racist resolutions for years, and do nothing about them so we're under no illusion that it's going to be easy
All black activists must campaign inside the Party, especially outside London we wils where we can: with speaker for meetinas. or hein on to mulating constitutional changes. But. in the end it's down to them to make contact with other black members in their area and begin to discuss the problem and organise locally
Whichever way you look, black people the bottom of the pile. It's un to black members to
Black Activists' be contacted Herbert Morrison House, Walworth Road London SE17.
"CORMAC
AND THE NEXT TIME
I'LL PROBABLY AGAIN.
Page 5 scan of this page
Non-nuclear defence or a socialist foreign
News
policy?
poliey go like this. At the last election
People need to feel adequately defended.
Conventional weanons
provide all the defence we need. Other countries. Jike Switzerland and Sweden, Have no nucical weabulls but appéar well-defended.
non-nuclear power, we could follow a range of options. We could increase our military budget, as Kinnock gested in a recent television interview.
We could have effective modern defence i by diverting the money from, say, Trident, to interceptor aircraft, anti-tank guided missiles any amount of new technology weapons. There are 6,514 non-nuclear weapon
Lo noose rom. according to the latest edi-
of Jane's Catalogue of military equipment.
This might mean more expensive defence system but would stimulate the economy by investment industries such as British Aerospace. Arms industry jobs would
protected; we would still fulfil NATO: Com comBUICELS to WC would™ by moving towards defensive defence.
There are variations on the same theme. Mary Kaldor suggests DOCTORS that could have adequale territorial cerence that would much reduce VUl present defence budget
Others have radical notions of conscription, civilian militia and Hass mobilisation in the event
REAGANI
DONT
CONS DER
YOURSELF
АТ НОПЕ
ONE
OUR
RANCE!/
Photo: RICK MATTHEWS (FL)
Demonstration the last time Reagan came
ARGUMENTS FOR having a non-nuclear defence
we left ourselves open to the charge that unilateral nuclear disarmament would leave this country 'defenceless'.
of an invasion. These ap-
be ocal provocative defence measures, but would result in greater militarisation of society.
The more radical alter. native defence ideas have problems for pragmatist. They can't be easily argued the doorstep. They don't shore up belief in the importance of Britain's role. Profit
The 'expensive but effective' lobby says votes can only be won by trimming poncies. case defence, nationalism strong, armed state is a preferred Diallullll to disarmament and internationalism. Not only is disarmament out of the window, but socialist ideas are blatantly replaced by capitalist ones
For years, the Labour Party has attacked Western capitalism because it exploits people and resources profit. The war machine feeds on. capitalist economics. nationalism and international tension. Peaceful initiatives and international cooperation are not good TOT race. Nuclear disarmament initiatives which break une ceacock. will cause ripples of internaLullalisill.
Spelt out, it means that unilateral nuclear disarma. ment Britain must
for strong defence. Strong
personal capacity modern defence implies that the same tensions exist, that nuclear disarmament has not changed the stale or play.
However, capitalists are adaptable. To meet the needs of a potentially non-nuclear state, , they are now promoting their alternative products.
Forget that the unltimate goal of nuclear disarmament Is a lower level of conventional defence spending. Throw away the steps towards complete Doversa world disarmament. Replace nuclear wcabon. with conventional weapons. Then, persuade the Labour Party to adopt this policy for the next election.
In the final analysis, nuclear disarmament may yet be good business. Think of the export potential. Think of the fortunes TOI private investment. Think of the boost for inTHE FIRST meeting of this year's CND national council discussed two competing proposals for national action. One proposed joining European demonstration, at an unspecified date, against all cruise and Pershing bases which can only be Molesworth for British CND.
The other, moved by Dick Withercombe from Manchester, called for national action to coincide with Reagan's visit to Britain in early June.
After statement that no resources existed
don council opted for the Molesworth plan. No national CND protest related to Reagan's visi is planned.
Despite this, sections of the peace movement will see the need to ex-
By Joy Hurcombe (Vice-chair of CND, in a 'Non-nuclear' defence can lead to a further militarisation of society ternational banking.
One problem remains for the of strong defence. Basic assumptions are being cuesnored.
First, we have to be clear will we are delen ding. Advocates of strong defence never question our Get there is a direct con- commitment NATO. tradiction in repudiating nuclear wcauls belonging .to nuclear alliance.
We should formulate
socialist foreign policy. Socialism is international, uniting working classes opposition armed capitalist states. Strong seeks to isolate workers within frontiers forces the belief that war is the means of setting conflicts.
A further development which has to be carefully
CND plan for
Reagan's visit
Reagan's policies during opposition nis visil. This can only result in ragged, small. scale actions giving the impression that CND is unable to respond eftectively.
CND groups who do see the need for an adequate response Reagan's visit must get together to. agree on single and start mobilising for it now. Essex CND has arranged
meeting at County Hall, London, on Sun
Model resolution for CND
demonstrations throughout
EEC elections.
examined is the idea that Europe, will coherent defence system, could make a space between the superpowers.
This could mean we substitute autobeat alliance backed by French for nuclea weapons NATO Well, what do we say on the doorstep? First, we
nuclear oul arms. Cast We argue 101 unilateral nuclear disarmament to break the international deadlock.
We point out how big the existing convenuold arms budget is, compared to other countries and to our Gross National Product. Then we talk about reductions, our real international status, and the
arms race Let's fight for socialism and peace on the doorsteDs. 10I native ways of fighting wal. day 19 February between 2-5pm.
They are circulating all CND branches England and Wales for this meeting. Make sure your group sends representatives CND national council will be asked to support the planned action, its A Fissee CND can be • essex
Contacted by writing /a
Jimmy Johns, Chelmsford, essex Writtle, Chelmsford, by phoning 0245 420178.
Touus.
This group demands that CND organise a mass demonstration in London against cruise, Trident and US bases, and for a nuclear-free Europe, on Saturday 3. June, just before Reagan's visit to Bri tain, as part of CND's campaign during the Euro. pean elections. CND should propose this to othe vuropean peace groups as a dav for coordinate
Europe during the
Socialist Action 10 February 1984
View from
Kissinger's
fantasy
By Stuart Holland (MP for Vauxhall and shadow spokesperson for overseas development and cooperation) LAST FRIDAY United Nations Security Council met to consider a protest from Nicaragua that six US-made A-37
territory from Hon-
leaving four people dead and eight wounded.
This was within 24 hours of US Secretary of State George Schultz at tacking Nicaragua's left wing government dismissing its claims that Washington has mended the invasion of Nicaragua. accusing it of harassing the Miskito Indians alle oues one whether next year's elec tions would be open and free.
The Schultz claims and the Honduran planes are not coinciden-
They y are per antiparcel the •alleliste packaged in the Kissinger Keport The Kissinger Commission warns the Soviet threat in Central America.
In our counter-report Kissinger's Kingdom? following our December visit to Central America
Donald Anderson and I find no evidence for claims that the Soviet Union is signiticantiv in. volved in the region.
The Kissinger Commission claims that *from the standpoint of the Soviet Union, would be a strategic coup of major proportions to impose on the United slales landward defences •.. il licy succecace i coing so they would have outmanoeuvred global scale'. This is alarHullst lalilasy
Nicaragua is ated by a vast land mass scoal from the US border. As Neil Kinnock put it in the preface report: 'the claim that Nicaragua incalcus the United States is about as im-
5
Westminster
Central American
the pressive as a report of an impending assault : of an ant on an elephant'.
Obsessed by claims of Soviet-Cuban destabilisation, the United States refuses to recognise the problems of Central America are North-South not East-West.
Seeing the Nicaraguans as Centra American Bolsheviks politically illiterate. It as absurd as seeing the Mitterand government ir France as Marxist-Leninist because it includes some Communist ministers.
Model
What does challenge the United States Nicaragua's model of an autonomous nationa revolution, with its po ten blend of radica Christianity and indigenous Marxism of jecting both East Euro
and Cuban ocal
economic models. Nicaragua has pioneere a new economic model, based on redistribution to meet essential human
well lICCus. 1ldy because Nicaragua has achieved SO much quickly, with such small resources in the fields of economic retorm. health and literacy that the United States considers itself threatened in the
the United States, abetted by the In. 0] ternational Monetary Fund which has been destabilising the Centra America region. It is the united States, backing the which ha been the main supplier of arms.
It is the United States which should pressured to withdraw its forces as a precondition of demilitarisation democracy and development in the region.
Page 6 scan of this page
'AirLand Battle
NATO has always planned to use nuclear weapons threatened by defeat in a conventional European Thus NATO has believed in the first use of nuclear weapons.
But the use of nuclear weapons is no longer a last resort for the United States. The US Army's 'AirLand Battle specifies the use of nuclear weapons in virtually large armed conflict. PAUL LAWSON here argues that for NATO the distinction between conventional nuclear war is rapidly disappearing.
Alongside the fight against Cruise and Pershing, the West German Peace movement is raising a new Dallic uny AirLand Battle doctrine'. This ag- - the struggle against
gressive new warfighting policy now constitutes the US basic 'how to fight' principles for what the US army sees as a decade of 'intense, deadly and costly battles'.*
AirLand Battle doctrine makes nuclear war much more likely for two reasons: it emphasises seizing the initiative' and has a clear bias towards pre-emptive, strikes. And it proposes substitution of small equipped rapid deployment forces as substitute for slower, less mobile conventionally forces.
AirLand Battle doctrine
developed at the Training and Doctrine Command headquarters Fort Monroe, Virginia codified in the August 1982 field manual (100-5, Operations). manual declares that in future wars L'S forces should conduct unpredictable and violent' attacks deep into enemy territory disorientate the enemy.
The manual declares that 'the offensive is the decisive form of war' and advises the use of 'every
if
war. always
new doctrine'
Many
and
army's
weapon, asset offensive
the nuclear- an unexpected direction'
armed
Mearsheimer put it, was close to calling strikes'. at
and is
civilians as distant as The manoeuvering time (between
'rapid,
thirdly, the to
weapons.
The nuclear Socialist Action, 10 February 1984;
and combat multiplier to throw the enemy off are guard with a powerful blow from
The significance of this new US Army approach is threefold. First, as Harvard military analyst John
it comes very for pre-emptive Second, the 'deep battle' attacks it calls for would hit enemy troops, equipment and potentially
72 hours 75 and 150 miles) - before the enemy sIon, troops even began to fight. And
combination of weapons advised for such attacks invariably includes tactical nuclear News
armed AirLand Battle divisions will be available for
worldwide military operations, but
regarded as particularly suitable for fighting wars Europe, the Middle East Korea. While the United States has gone to great pains to construct its massive conventional Deployment Force, it would take several weeks to put it into full operation.
Brigades modelled on AirLand doctrine will be able to go into action rapidly and deliver devastating firepower. An AirLand Battle divi-
will employ light vehicles, new weapons, advanced electronic warfare devices heavily armed helicopters'. The US
and World Report commented that 'it is no accident that this new division will most closely resemble Israel's lean fighting
in and
Rapid weight
and
force'. Such a division would only require half as much air power as a conventionally-armed get to, for example, the Middle East.
The US Army's public relations approach to AirLand battle is that it is so destructive, that it would make escalation into nuclear war less likely. But this is not borne. out by the policy itself. US forces have always been nuclear weapons first, but previous strategy has weapons for situations where conventional means prove inadequate to attain the desired goal. The new doctrine sharply alters this concept.
Repeated emphasis in the doctrine manual is put on the objective of using the maximum violence to rapidly attain total completely destroy force. ed, they should and in depth. weapons' are
air-delivered
division to
Power
prepared USC
reserved nuclear
structs victory and the enemy
If nuclear weapons are to be us-
be used early on
'Tactical nuclear 'among the chief
means of deep battle' (along with
weapons, field artillery, air manoeuvre units and unconventional warfare forces).
Nuclear weapons are deemed to be particularly effective 'when attacking follow on formations or forces in depth because of their inherent power and because of reduced concerns about troop safety or collateral damage.' Or to put that in plain English, the policy in-
commanders to target nuclear weapons deep into enemy territory and fire them early, so that blast and radiation only kills enemy troops and civilians and does not spill over into US forces.
Nuclear weapons mended for use in other situations as well. After a succesful attack, when the force must move quickly to exploit its forward momentum, 'nuclear or chemical weapons may be useful for destroying enemy artillery and reserves, closing routes
Page 7 scan of this page
Doctrine'
of escape, and engulfing suitable argets With sufficient nuclear or chemical fire support, the exbloitation can be lauched shortly after the attack itself".
Or again, during a withdrawal operation 'stealth or ground attack may be necessary to divert the enemy's attention'.
The huge amounts of firepower are dealt with here in such a matterof-fact way that it might lull us into thinking that we are dealing here with little' nuclear bombs. very opposite is the case. 'Tactical' refers more to how a weapon is used ('attacks on targets with more or less direct effects on the course of the battle') than the destructive power of the bomb. For example many of the weapons used under AirLand doctrine are more powerful than those dropped Hiroshima (13 kilotons) Nagasaki (23 kilotons). Necessity
The US army's Lance missile carries a warhead of up to 100 kilotons. Over 2000 Lance missles have been built and an 'enhanced radiation' version has been under production since 1981. missiles are also a component part of AirLand divisions, warheads of between 60 and 100 kilotons.
The necessity to win quickly by using all-out violence is
lege in Carlisle, Described as the
on the screen.
Indiscriminate tion'
Teneve the nuclear weapons'. willingness to
Army commanders.
sanction the weapons. But
given to the manders, (
enemy troop formations. nuclear or
The
'V1l or Pershing
with
battles
being taught to US army commanders on the Janus computer system at the US Army War Col-
Pennsylvania. 'world's SIROSU powerful combat simulator' the Janus computer can project any 15 square miles of the earth's surface
Janus director Donald Blumenthal noted that the high ranking officers who played the war game had a disturbing tendency to resort to nuclear weapons indiscriminately. 'If they were caught out of posi-
The said 'they would try to situation by using Perhaps this resort to nuclear weapons stems from the fact that the simulation is after all a game, but there is little doubt that such training makes the use of nuclear weapons more thinkable for US
Despite the complete integration of nuclear weapons use into • US combat plans, it remains the case that only the President can
use of nuclear this authority is limited to an 'authority to release' nuclear weapons. The when, where and how of their use would be
battlefield comwho would have full discretionary rights to utilise them to attack towns and cities as well as
fact.
Previous debate has tended to focus on whether a 'limited nuclear war' could be restricted to an ex-
change of battlefield weapons. AirLand Battle doctrine things much clearer. The 'tactical' weapons would be of Hiroshima size or bigger.
In a European theatre war millions of civilians would probably die even if the war did not escalate into an all-out exchange of intercontinental weapons.
But the final conclusion is even more stark. There is no possibility whatever of the US army engaging in a conventional war in Europe without it turning into a nuclear conflagration.
Moreover, the scenario is being prepared for a 'third world' situation. This would involve the US fighting any enemy, for example in the Middle East, of considerable size and power whether a conventional army or a strong guerrilla force — with large units of the US forces.
In other words, the AirLand style of devastating attack is being prepared for use against enemies which do not even possess nuclear weapons, let alone an enemy which has not yet used them.
No major conflict will fought in Europe by NATO forces without involving the United States Army. That army is irrevocably pledged to the use of nuclear weapons in wartime, and by inference so is the NATO alliance. Those many people who support unilateral nuclear disarmament by Britain but wish to stay in NATO should take careful note of this
*Unless otherwise stated, all quotes Operations) published by the US Army.
makes AirLand be uve By Walter Wolfgang, CND executive member and vice-chair
CRUISE AND Pershing have arrived in West Europe. But opposition to them, nuclear strategy is growing. So is the European peace movement. In Britain, more of the people who oppose cruise now support British unilateral nuclear disarmament.
posed to all nuclear weapons and bases on British soil, and committed to a European zone. These are nuclear disarmament world-wide.
members, Labour Weekly singled out the pledge to send back cruise and oppose the nuclear holocaust. literature must be based on these commitments policy as a contribution to a European
European munity is a capitalist structure which benefits the multinationals. The EEC locks it member states' economies more firmly into the international capitalist order.
EEC. But all Europe's NATO members are in the EEC, and defence is a concern of the European Assembly, a mere talking-shop with no practical power.
talking-shop anything. already tried to use the Assembly; but Euro-missiles supporters have done it more effectively. resolution was passed supporting cruise and Pershing. defence role. pean superpower, perhaps with nuclear weapons. That dangerous. activists have three tasks in the Euro-elections.
Euro-elections
and nuclear
disarmament
of Labour CND (in a personal capacity)
and to NATO's European
as unilateralism.
Labour Party conference is op-
nuclear-free catalysts for
In its Euro-election appeal to party Task
Election
Labour's
Economic Com- discriminate unilateralist
quesuionnaires
doesn't concern the pressure
Electoral
talk abdul constructed.
Opponents of the arms race have
this opportunity.
November
Some would like the EEC to have a They yearn for a Euro- allowed to do so.
would be highly
Labour Party members and CND
• First, they must ensure that opposition to Euro-missiles and advocacy of a
nuclear-free CULE feature strongly in all election literature, as well
Labour's arguments • for
• Second, they must get pledges from all cancidates mal me Assembly to put forward these positions. If anyone says this isn't the concern of the EEC, point out that the Assembly has already concerned itself. • Third, they must ensure candidate: oppose any moves to make the EEC responsible for defence.
This pressure can be brought to bear in many ways.
If your candidate hasn't yet been selected, that conference is the opportunity to make these demands, and then
favour of candidate. CND group
should publish candidates' replies to
Once the candidate's selected, the
must be kept up. Nothing should be left to chance.
for a future Labour government and its disarma. ment commitment has to be patiently
Strong advocacy during the Euro-elections can help build that support. We cannot afford to neglect
There will always be some who hide their basic disagreement with Labour's unilateralist policy by pleading elec. toral opportunism. They must not be
There is widespread opposition to cruise. And Labour is in the business ol changing public opinion and building support for socialist and peace policies We must give a strong lead. Conviction polities will succeed, nothing else will.
Socialist Action 10 February 1984 - 7
Page 8 scan of this page
8 By Sue MacDonald Socialism in America eh! TV newsreaders calling us brother and sisters', days of celebrating the power of
labour movement call-
by the government
sounds too good to be
and it is!
Born in Flames is set in New York 10 years after the •War of Liberation' Despite the rhetoric about *American Socialism'
presses 'abhorrence at
and Communism'), the reality for the working class, especially women, is very far from pertect.
fact it al sounds
orribly familiar: women brown out Jobs
ake way for the needy
DIARY
these listings are free jor all
por labour movement and
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zavance.
Scaralist Action, 328 Upper Sirzel, London NI 2XP
Thursday, one week prior to
nication).
Labour Movement
CLP National conference County Hall, London SEI. Credentials £3 and £2 for and delegate must be a
eman), c/o Islington South
P 195 Upper St, London
Labour Against the
inch-hunt national council
cuary, County Hall.
Lichman 01 crecue avallable
Broad Left Organising
aference Octagon Centre,
Sheffield, Sat
edentials from George «СТЮЛ
Join the
fight for
socialism
Socialist Action 10 February 1984
Women-active, angry
and fighting back
'male heads of family'; the police force, more reminiscent of your local SPG than peoples militias, never worrying about battering the odd 'counterrevolutionary' who just happens to want a job; blatant and crude sexism used by the 'comrades' on the TV screen.
Then appears the Womens' Army, sick to death of the attitudes and politics of the government and willing ally means necessary get their voices heard and conunue ine danie torine 'freedom of all'. As one of the leading women in the Army says, the essence of revolution *constant change'.
No doubt the left will debate great length Williamson, 11 Sutton Place London E9 6EH.
Disarmament • Youth CND conference 18-19 Feb, Kingsway Princeton College, London N1, 9.30 am.
Sat 25 Pe Trade Union CND AGM,
Delaus rom TUCND, 11 Goodwin St, London N4.
International • Sri Lankan Research & Information Groun will provide speakers on the current situation there for
Inn Buildings, London ECI. Central America (NICA) is • No Intervention a oroda basea coalition ot solidarity groups, human rights orgs, , aid agencies and
barues Vore deals from NICA 20/21 Compton Terrace, London N1 01-226 6747 • From War in the Third World to the Third World War new pamphlet published by El Salvador Solidarity Campaign, 50p Order from ELSSÖC, 29 Islington Park St, London NI 01-359 3976. ELSSOC have also produced a 1984 calencar showing scenes from life in the liberated zones, f3 from same all cos
Name
Address
Age... Union/CLP (if any) If you want more information about Socialist Action or to be put in touch win local supporters send this tornt to soclalst Acuon. 328 Upper Street, London N1.
whether women's struggle was justified, and whether their admittedly anarchistic methods (ranging from 'vigilante' squads
bicycles, armed struggle) were right. with little or no real informaton in the film about what sort of revolution it was, what sort of state it is at present, it is impossible to pass real judgement.
Nevertheless. you (assuming, just for once that 'You' are a woman!) can't help coming out of the film with a sense of ela tion that, for once, women are portrayed aclive. angry and fighting back. For that reason alone it is well worth seeing.
Born in Flames is now show-
Ine Screen on The Green, Islington.
• Chilean art 10 years of struggle. Exhibition al Pentonville Gallery, 47 Lambs Conduit St Holborn London WC1, 25 Jan-18 Feb, 11-6.30. 25 Years of the Cuban Revolution • Britain-Cuba Resource Centre intormation abou activities, subs to Granma weekly review and newsletters from 29 Islington rark at LondonNE. • Womens study tour of Cuba 4-20 April. information from BCRC, 29 Islington Park St, London N1.
Ireland • Labour and Ireland day school for budding writers, workshops with trained
March, £1. Write to Labour and Ireland, Box 5355,
• International Womens Day delegation to Belfast. Warn y-z. women only delegation and mixed picket of Armagh Jail. Information from London Armagh Coup, 374 Gray's Inn Rd Lesbian & Gay Liberation • Nottingham Labour Campaign for Gay Rights
C.L.R. James Allison & Busby, London — £4.95.
itself is characteristic of the person.
In his 83rd year he has retained his unquenchable revolutionary optimism. In the last chapter in the book, which is a speech he made at an American 1 Sup-
Kally free trade union, Solidari-
discussed the prospects o revolutionary developments in the United States ana soul Airca While he has no doubts about a future American revolution, he says: 'I don't know that I will see that. I have been in the world a One TC. Dul l expecl lo comes in the inted are South Africa
and when
I may be away but you can be certain ... I will do my best to come back...
The collection of writings and speeches in this volume traces the evolution (or degeneration, depending on one's point of view) of James as a socialist thinker, • writer and innovator. It starts off WILl couple of short stories he wrote Trinidad in the 1930's through his period as leading Trotskyist in Britain, the United States and elsewhere including gradual abandonment of Trotskyism for some sor ot unique combination of pan-Africanism blended WILd Marxism which owes a great deal to the
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meets monthly. Next meeting 21 March 8pm, Salutation Inn, Maid Marion Way Details: Chris Richardson, 21 Devonshire Promenade, Lenton 0602 780124 • London Labour Campaign for Gay Rights new office at 39
Denham Rd, W9 2AH 01-286 9692 1lam-7pm. (Westbourne open lues- nur
Grove tube. Bad access, help available). • Labour Movement Lesbians is a new organisation of lesbians in Ine abou movement to support each other and organise initiatives on issues inal allect lesolans rurinel information from Sarah c/o Feminist Library, nuncerora nouse Embk, London WC2. Victoria
Miscellaneous • GL.C workshops Employment and training
23 Fel Cooperatives. Black Women's Centre Brixton, .4IA Stockwell Green. London, SW9, 7-9.30 pm.
At the rendezvous of victory
This latest selection of the writings of C.L.R. James is a kaleidoscope of the literary and political life of this outstanding Caribbean revolutionary. The title
spontaneism if Rosa Lux-
readers of this terest will probatty lie in review, the extract from World Revolution, 1917-1936 James's major history of the Third International and perhaps the first deal comprehensively with the rise of the Comintern from the Trotskyist point of view and his Discussions with Trotsky in April, 1939.
Review by Charlie Van Gelderen Of the the editor mentions that : Trotsky described this very good book but he also added that he noticed 'a lack of dialectical approach, Anglo-Saxon empiricism, and formalism which is only the reverse of empiricism.
This extract, The Revolutior Abandoned, however is one of the best descriptions of the events which convulsed France in the 1930's, events which were to lead the country to the classical revolutionary situation where the people no longer wanted to live in the old wav and the rulins class was unable to carry on in the old way. We see here vividly described the ZIg-zag policies of the French CP, who were more concerned with the
For Marxist
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New pamphlet: Politics in the 1980's - The British Crisis.
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Available from The Other Bookshop, 328 Upper St, London N1, price 35p.
requirements of Stalin's " foreign policy than the preparations of the French revolution. This led them from 'united front' actions with the fascist, Union Na tionale des Combattants (readers who want verification can find it in Andre Marty's article in Humanite February 1934), to the Popular Front with the bourgeois Radical Party in 1936.
Then Stalin's greates fear with Naz Germany. He sent Chemadanov, Secretary of In en Communist Youth to Paris to tell the working class youth: there is a war it will unaouoleary be against the USSR rades, is at the front. If in Your duty, com-
• Raffle result Bristol Socialist Action. 1. C Starks 34, 2. R Simon 1300, 3. H McDonald 1214, 4. D Berry 684, 5.
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• Defend GLC meeting Thur 9 Feb, 6pm County Hall supported by Socialist Teacher's
International nber: December 1983
THE
INTERNATIONAL
November-December issue out now
Price 75p
In this issue:
Andrew Gamble on the "special relationship'
between Britain and the States
Ken Livingstone, on a strategy for the Labour
left
John Ross, on why the left must reject unity
with European imperialism against America
Chris Palmer on Grenada
Jude Woodward on sectarianism towards women
plus reviews
Order from The Other Bookshops, 329 Upper St,
London N/ or 137 Digbeth, Birmingham.
REVIEWS
this period you make your revolution in France you are traitors...
The Discussions with Trotsky covers what was then called 'the _negro question' in America and ranges over world politics. It is noticeable that Trotsky does not hesitate to criticise the mistakes of his own followers. What is also remarkable IS that here James and Trotsky raise the tactic of 'sit-ins'
'whites only' restaurants in the States, the tactic which was to be pursued so successtully dy Martin Luther King years later
This is a book that deserves a place on every socialist bookshelf.
Alliance, NALGO Broad Left.
Abortion Rights and
Facilities Conference
University of London
Union, Malet St, London
WC1 25 February 1984.
10-5 Registration from
NAC, 47 Waldrum Park
Rd, London SE 23
• Advertisemen
Volumer Nos 75p
ATLANTIC ALLIANCE UNDER STRAIN
Page 9 scan of this page
Licence to kill
News
IN 1981, Gordon Asher Killed his wife. They had
quarrelled about her relationships with other men.
His six month prison sentence was suspended for two years. tremely callous and I suspect calculated, but I have come to the conclusion that having spent 10 weeks in prison and having had the remorse which I am told you feel, you have suffered enough'.
Jane Asher was judged a bad wife. The marriage licence became a licence to kill but only for
'wronged husband'. Two years earlier, a Glasgow woman prison sentence for killing
and drunken
nel husband.
The judge said, "There are various execents
open to a woman regularly
subjected LO.
ment by her husband, but
a licence to kill was not one
of them'.
For these judges,
woman's Diace Is
passive, uncomplaining
servant in the home.
Women who try for
ColiCulle different get
what they deserve.
These attitudes to Gay pride march 1979
'Your conduct' said Judge Mars-Jones 'was ex-
women are brutally reveal-
Women, ed in pamphlet on legal titudes to women published by the National Council for Civil Liberties.
While Thatcher parades the virtues family life, the NCCL reports the single category of murder Is or a spouse or conabltant. Eighty per cent of the
Violence against women is often treated as a private affair • part of a woman's lot. In 1982,
woman wanted to divorce her violent husband. The judge turned this down
'Before such assaults
are said to inflict excep-
tional hardship' said,
'there must be something
out of the ordinary in what happened'.
trials expose
RaDd some of the degradations Rape in malllage recognised and most cases the woman is in effect put on trial. assumed she doesn't know her own mind, untrustworthy and complicit because of her attitude or lifestyle.
By Celia Pugh.
A Cambridge woman finally submitted to a rape
initial struggle ana after making it clear she didn't sex. She was
Wall! terrified of being injured
killed Judge Wild aquitted the rapist.
'Women who say. no
do not always mean no' he
said. 'It is not a question
of saying no,
tion of how she says it, and
and
how she SHOWS
makes clear. she
doesn't want she only
has to keep her legs shut.
She would not get it
AMONG THE
SMALL minority in the
Labour Party not swept
away in the euphoria
surrounding the
Kinnock-Hattersley
leadership election,
were many of those
campaigning for
bian and gay rights. The
image tough,
rugby-player,
complete with his
nuclear family,
hardly one to reassure
lesbians and gay men.
No indication was
given that the new leader-
extend
shin was likely to
Labour's minimal com-
ending
discrimination
challenging the prejudice
that afflicts esolans all!
save do alls respired te.
GOIDES inspired
Labour's reaction to the
Beato uscy by-election and reinforced by Kinnock-Hattersley image, have proven well-founded.
The left upsurge and the development of womens' organisation the Labour Party since alowed LIl-
precidented openings for
taking up lesbian and gay issues. Bodies like the Labour Campaign for Gay Rights (LCGR) started to make an impression at party conference. grown by 150 per cent during 1983 These issues have been seriously raised Young
without force and there would be marks of force being used.'
But if a woman puts up
When guardsman Holdsworth sexually assaulted a 7 year old woman, he in
horrendous injuries. Rape
Justice Slynn remarked, 'It is probable that this girl would have been less severely injured if in fact she had submitted to rape
Guardsman Holdsworth had his three year
prison sentence quashec by Lord Justice Roskill
'The best thing you can do to make amends' he said
'is to go back to your unit
and continue to serve your
country•
Serving their country,
and the class that runs it
comes first for these
"learned" judges. That
means treating women as
second class citizens.
The NCCL pamphlet
rights
Socialists for the first time.
Again for the first time,
have begun to
organise through Labour
Movement Lesbians.
Significant support for les-
activists at
biar ana
NALGO's 1983 con-
the most
Terence was
public sign of advances
made in the unions.
By Theresa Conway
and Peter Purton
Labour's ruling elite handful of
words on the subject in the evel DUl
1983 election manifesto.
Now the signs are that les
bians and gays will find
themselves unceremoni
ousiy dumped if the Kin-
nock leadership is allowed
a free hand. Neil Kinnock
has given new credibility to the long-held party view that Labour has to abandon its public commitment to 'fringe' issues if it is to regain support among its traditional base.
This is defined as the white, male, heterosexual working class voter. The
• The shell Not Gri
Team shit Hot ta There Shat Not in Hol Than salt Mt Kit Sta Shal Nor 9 Tur shall tes I Tha State i 20 gives graphic evidence of the degradation and violence faced by thousands of wollicil mendations centre on male But recom-
dominance lega system, training of judges
No retreat on
lesbian and gay
arguments now heard at Labour Party and union meetings are not only that 'lost voters' can be won back by ditching ally socialist policy of minority appeal, but Labour's base is so inherently conser-
will be lost than gained by campaigning progressive
policies! Unfortunately,
these arguments are finding an echo even amongst those sections the Labour left who have been
making the strongest running on gay rights Issues.
Council
Even councils like the
GLC and Islington who
have the best records on
lesbiar and gay rights,
have begun to draw back
The GLC's 'Save London
Charter', Instalice,
silent on this issue.
Apart from the overall
situation in the party, the
otner reason lol leslanot
has been naivete and lack
of thought. You can't deal
with deep prejudices
proclaiming council
supports gay rights from
the steps of the Town Hall,
without a vigorous cam-
paign to explain why this is
in the interest of the work-
ing don't make any progress if class. You certainly
Labour activists avoid the
issue on the doorstep — in:
stead of taking it up as
they would, say, racism.
Socialist Action 10 Februnry 1987
Thou Salt
r. Not
Hitchet
kikas
and some legal reforms.
While this may limit the worse excesses, treatment of women has roots deep economic and social conditions which need
No progressive policy has ever been won by deliberately keeping quiet about it with the people whose support we need to win. Labour parties and
must point out that lesbians and gay mer are used invisible scapegoats •for sick capitalist society. The law, the courts, and the police tell us that - even if certain strictly limited forms of homosexual activity are now legal - - two gay people holding hands is an affront to public decency, or that lesbians wanting custody of their children are an intolerable abuse of the natural order.
Millions
Lesbian and gay
teachers are, OI course,
bound to corrupi or rapt
their pupils. Lesbians and
gays having a good time in
a pub or a disco are likely
to cause a breach of the By these argumin there
these arguments, the
state give cloak
legitimacy for popular pre
judice. industria
tribunals will defend the
sacking of a lesbian bus
conductor because
might offend the public,
then the 'lads up town' on
a Saturday aren't likely to
think it a serious oftence
queerbash the odd
'fairy
For every open form of
oppression, there are 100
hidden nightmares for les
would have and pays. happened if What
you had taken a partner of
the same sex to your works
Christmas party? Or the
union : weekend school?
ra judginan esomen • Judging bs Polly Pattullo. A study of attitudes that rule the legal system.
Tubirdes, London se?!
Can you think of any situation where lesbians and gay men are not seen as abnormal? We believe the labour movement must openly challenge these pre judices We believe that the Labour Party can be rebuilt as a campaigning vehicle for socialis policies only by understan ding it must base itself on the most oppressed sections of society, including lesbians and gays.
practice, this is far more likely to win back the missing millions than Kinnock's approach. Support and encouragement lesbian gay self organisation the best
raise these issues within the movement. The
Labour left must start to defend giving rate-payers money to gay centres, and select openly gay vall
didates in elections, and
establish
discrimination policy
which is carried through
Understanding that the struggle to end lesbian and
gay oppression is part of
the struggle for socialism is
how we can win the battle.
What you can do
Raise lesbian and gay
rights in your party and
union branch.
Contact the following
organisations. Labour
Campaign for Gay Rights,
21 Devonshire Pro
menade, Lenton
NGT (0602
780124), or 39 Chip
penham Rd, London
(01-286 9692); Lesbian and
Gay Young Socialists,
London address
Labour Movement Les-
bians, c/0 Woman's
Place, Hungerford House,
Victoria Embankment
London WC2
Page 10 scan of this page
New attacks on abortion
10 A RECENT REPORT from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) - based on a questionnaire sent to College members but not general practitioners tion in the time limit for abortions, from the present 28 weeks to 24. But the same report makes it clear that a change in the law will not solve the problems leading to late abortions.
Few abortions are performed after 21 weeks. change in the law would mean, almost
abortions after 18 weeks. The women hardest hit by this would • foreign women - four per cent of whom are more than 21 weeks pregnant by the time they have their abortion here.
who deny their pregnancy until • young women it's well advanced.
• older with
partıcular medical blems, or whose condition is not recognised by them
or the doctor
• women with suspected malformed foetuses - - for whom earlier diagnosis still not generally available.
In each case, RCOG
make Tecome gallons
which eter eaglesis for
DelicI diagnosis
older women, more easily
available sex education for
young women, and so on.
But how will reducing the
time limit help!
Most serious of all, it's
clear from the report that
avoidable delay is the most
important reason for
abortion.
Line report shows
clear trend towards in-
creasing use Ul lie privale
photo: MAKA RUSHER (1N)
Socialist Action 10 February 1984 has recommended a reduc-
sector. One reason for this is because of delays within the National Health SerVICC.
By Leonora Lloyd (NAC treasurer)
Delays occur at three crucial times: between the woman's recognition her condition and first visit to the doctor; between that visit and referral to a consultant; ana between UnIC consultation and the operation. Juicially. weeks may pass between each stage and abortions cannot wait.
The first delay, by the woman herself, can shortened bv increased Information and education.
Above all, it is shortened by 'self referral'. It is clear from the report that
who Herei themselves to a consultant, for example gOLg private, suffer fewer delays.
Women present themselves late to their own doctor for fear of the
they'll get, and because they don't know the procedure. GPs delay for a number of reasons. Perhaps they're anti-abortion but not prepared to tell their patient.
Or they may belleve an
KEEP IT LEGAL
abortion for non-medical reasons should be private and not take up a hospital bed. Indeed, they may believe a delay will lead the woman change her mollie
Time limits increase the likelihood of such delay.
if women did not need permission from two doc-
and could refer themselves clinic, delay would be avoided. even higher proportion of abortions would take place earlier.
Delays at the consulfor similar reasons. They also occur because of cut-backs and shortages within the health service.
Women
Changing the law will not help. Increased facilities, with a massive
growth dav-care
facilities in particular, are what's needed. This would
cut costs because it would
abortions, callci
with less after-effects and aust aliva custo
Time limits will be central to the National Abortion Campaign facilities
conference on 25
February. Women don't
late abortions ally
more than doctors
All changes to make a
real reduction in the time
of abortion will be includ-
ed in the action proposals
debated at the final ses-
And we'll be working out how to counteract the
anti-abortionists' latest
moves, which inClude motion in signed by MPs of all par-
ties calling for the Infant Life Preservation Act to be strictly implemented.
This disallows abortion once the foetus is capable being born alive' - a formula open to wide interpretation by
doctors.
Such a move would help the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) and LIFE increase their spying on doctors.
It would lead to more threats of prosecution and
women being denied HOIC the help they urgently
If this motion sucHiccu. ceeds it will open the way
Leonora Lloyd (centre) joins MP's Jo Richardson and lan Mikardo in abortion protest.
to further attacks on the 1967 Abortion Act, either by new bill administrative methods.
The migratest li
fought vigorously. won't be easy - late abor tions are an emotive subWe can be sure of a new series of 'live foetuse Ull the draining board stories in the headlines any day now The NAC conference is the first step in our fight back. Anur move ment bodies and women's organisations must • support it.
National Abortion Campaig
Conference: 25 Februar
Abortion rights and facilitie fight back against the antı-abortionis Mater sity et, London Vice
, London WC! 10am till 5pm Registration: delegate-f3 • individuals-fl o unwaged-
creche available Contact NAC, 47 Wardrum Park Rd, SE23
answerphone: 01-993 2071
Greenham
attacks go
on LATEST victim of attempts by the establishment to smash women's peace camp at Greenham is Pat Coxon.
Until recently Pat was WOlKel employed by Labourcontrolec Gateshead council. But then Pat was imprisoned for two weeks for refusing to pa fines for obstructing nuclear war Green ham So the council sacked her.
MONT KANT, ...and on,
and on and
on
AS IF Labour councils weren't . bad enough, nasty little publication was forwarded column called Breaching no poce - a corector of radical feminist papers.
This of antics articles tacking the Greenham
wullick. as a symptom
what called
News
Gord GLI
MALE
ORDER
Council officials had refused to give her unpaid leave while she serv. ed her sentence. she was released, Pat received a letter from the council dismissing her for repudiating her contract of employment. The • council's Labour group have backed the sacking
In 1982 the council pledged support for peace 'campaigners after
Gateshead nuclear-free zone. • " be
thought among the front runners for the Jim Callaghan Hypocrisy Challenge Cup for 1984.
ID.O.N.T
S.H.ANT.
Cartoon: BREAC
"liberalisation and demise of the women's liberation movement'.
The shown here from the pamphlet however goes somewhat further than sisterly criticism. - and sexister- It's nicious caricature of the peace women that would br more at home in the Daily Male.
Compiled by HILARY
DRIVER Send contribu at- tions prior to publication to Mal arrive WCCI
Order, Socialist Action, 328 of Upper Stree, London NI 2XP.
Page 11 scan of this page
In the Unions
MOLES
EYE
VIEW
REAGAN
Let's Mole america
G
The Great outdoors
YOU PROBABLY thought that all those US citizens sleeping rough huddled around the warm air grales of the cities had no homes to go
Nonsense. No less an authority than the US President says they 'may well be doing it of their own free will. So night people lock up tneir nouses ments, cast a contemptuous look at their cosy beds and make for the ¿real ouluoors.
stars cowboy films then it's
food then ta fer the case
Then take the case of the soup kitchens which you naive people thought were needed to
Edward Meese, one of the President's counsellors has scotched that lie saying that some of them just turn because 'the food
DOrS
OCCUPATIO
free.' So now you know
not 'Amercian Dream' has gone sour for millions of people it's just that the workers are too mean lo buy their own dinners.
has not lost faith in the future of the US. He knows a mixture of free enterprise and God will do the trick. Last week he told us that he was 'going to put God hack VUlT schools'. Whether the man from above is going to help the kids with their Tessons. whether Reagan thinks the almighty himself needs a course in literacy didn't say.
But you can rest assured God or not, he won't getting tree school meals.
Moles Eye View $s com NGTON. piled BOB PENN-
Contributions should be sent to arrive by i nursday all.
Less pay for
shorter hours?
THE TUC last Friday held a national conference on working hours. ference was a proposal by Len Murray that unions should accept lower pay rises in exchange for shorter hours. Murray rejected a direct pay cut to get shorter hours but stated: "There is a trade off here. It is a trade off between incomes and jobs choosing between pay increases alone or smaller pay increases with shorter hours'.
Opposition to MurNYM policy was led
leader Arthur Scargill who argued: 'I do
believe in the argument we should refrain from pressing for wage increases tor a cut in the working week'. Scargill called for a general ban on overtime to take 2 million people off the dole.
The Financial Times described Murray's com-
as 'typically realistic', and greeted them with obvious pleasure. But only what's good for British capitalism pleases the Financial times
There is no question that a crucial way to attack unemployment is cut working hours. But the key remains: at
whose expense? At a time
when inflation is beginning to heat up again and wages will come under pressure, Murray's position basically that workers shouldn't pay the
whole cost of a shorter
week they should just pay most of it.
According to Murray getting millions off
dole should be paid for out
of the wages of employed
workers, not the profits of
capital.
Len Murray's attitude
is in strong contrast to that
of leaders of the German
race movement.
Ernst Breit, Secretary
West German DGB
union federation, has call-
ed for 35-hour week
without loss pay
reduce Germany's 2.5
million unemployed. Breit
HENRY RO
SHIPYARO
RIVER FORTH Pickets outside the Robbs occupation The centre piece of the con-
workers
also called .for strong "social control' of the in-
of new
didn't create massive unemployment. This theme in Scargill's speech in which
for new technology to be used to cut down the working week, not to create more unemployment.
Len Murray's proposed policy for the unions is suicidal. 1 ract should enthusiastically embrace the demand for
shorter working hours to
unemployed. help division and disaster. Murray's policy for
Print union
defies the court
PRINT UNION SOGAT '82 was firm in Northampton.
SOGAT taking illegal Faced with sequestration of union
But The tolr £10,000 fine for contempt of a previous ruling of fines for industrial action.
this and defy the court.
By Ron Brown MP
THE FIGHT to
chairperson.
An occupation committee has been set up and special Ministry petence research submarine, when was in the yard for a refit, has been impounded.
Mr Day, • hatchetperson, claims that he was forced i close the yard because it has run out of orders. But it has been recently revealed that Robb's had a good chance of securing orders from the Suez Canal Authority, the Libyan RASCO Company and Cal-Mac.
Indeed the Libyan ambassador and the lllalids ing director of the Scottish Group who • own the Cal-Mac Ferry Company have issued statements expressing faith in Henry Robb
Clearly the closure is political, particularly as Graham Day has stated that his job is to sell off the fined £10,000 on Wednesday 1 February for banning the distribution of the Radio Times in London. The union took this action against print boss Robert Maxwell who refuses to invest in the Park Royal plant of the British Printing and Communications Corporation - so threatening closure and redundancies.
The BBC cancelled their Radio Times contract
production to a different The court then ruled that secondary action , the SOGAT executive lifted the ban on Radio Times
well ahead with a
SOGAT conference policy is to refuse payment
Ine suuAl ecutive meeting on 2 February agreed to uphold
Socialist Action 10 February 1984
Support
Robb's
shipyard
occupation
save Robb's shipyard goes on. Despite pressure from management, a substantial section of the workforce is resisting closure plans announced by Graham Day the British Shipbuilders'
profitable section of the industry ana close dowi the smaller yards, in accordance with Mrs Thatcher's instructions.
While I have raised this matter in parliament, there Is no doubt that Robb's struggle as well as others can only be won by using the strength of the working class. The men on the other hand, feel betraye by the trade union leadership, who acaulesced the closure as part of an infamous productivity deal.
Unity Activists must rally round at this critical period. Obviously trade union movement
port during the next few
The YTS trap
When the Youth Training Scheme was introduced, the Tories claimed it was voluntary. This was a condition of TUC cooperation with the scheme.
Last year however the Department ment told careers officers inal tney must inion vi young people who refuse participate scheme. Supplementary and unemployment benefits will be cut off from young people who 'repeatedly' turn down YTS offers.
In Sheffield around 100 local government union members are refusing to cooperate with the of Employment in singling out young people for victimisation for refusal to paticipate in YTS schemes.
Careers officers in Man-
11 days. Unity stil strength.
Shipyard workers
particular must put up. united front against the Tories. Otherwise they will continue to be picked off one by one, and destroyed
Mr Graham Day has a hit list of yards which he wants to shut down. He is. after all the new Beeching for the shipbuilding industry. And his medicine will I only create further probicins for th working class.
No yard however big i immune, as we have seer from the crisis affectin! Scott Lithgow. This is wh the Robb men must not b forgotten.
• Send messages of sup port plus any donations t John Keggie, chairperso of the occupation commit tee, Henry Robb Lta Leith Edinburgh Scotland.
chester and Scotland ar taking similar action.
The Department Employment declared las Thursday •that government worker relusing to carry out ll structions to finger youn people for withdrawal o
benefits are acting illega ly.
The 2,500 strong
stitute of Careers Officer
which affiliated
NALGO, has condemne the use or social securi
cuts to force young peop
refusing suppo
NALGO members breal
ing the law tọ comply wi
government instructions
Don Hayden,
stitute's president, in e
fect accepted the gover
ment's ar
argued, think mo
careers officers will be ab
to decide tor themselv
what constitutes
• unreasonable refusal'.
Page 12 scan of this page
Defy law to save our services KEN LIVINGSTONE called on Friday for Labour councils to break the Tory laws on rate capping and the abolition of the Metropolitan GLC.
conference in think we would very much weaken our position if Labour indicated that we would cooperate with the new system.'
Livingstone said it was out the question for Labour councils to begin discussions with the unions about how to cut thousands of jobs. Nor could Labour survive politically if it cut local services to pieces by decisions of councils it controlled.
The Tory laws were unworkable it Labour councils refused operate them. The Department of the Enviroment could not
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SOCiALiKE
ACTION
Defy Tory
rate laws!
Councils and
Speaking at the Labour Party local government
Nottingham Livingstone argued,
Scope with running as many as 20 major local councils now controlled by Labour.
David Blunkett argued
that Coutes could 'wait crouching behind dustbins hoping that meone will bail us out after a general election.
Eric Heffer, Party chairperson, recalled the iyzus wnen ueorge Lansbury and Poplar Council had gone to jail
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rather than implement Tory laws. 'In the process of breaking a very bad law they helped to mobilise the people of this country to change the law.
Opposition to Labour councils breaking the law was led by Neil Kinnock -who argued Coul cillors had a duty to stay in office to minimise the etfect of cuts on services and O0S. Kinnock said it was necessary to reject t of 'self-wounding habit turning every daily decision on tactics into an issue of profound principle' an obvious support for right wing Labour councils accepting the law and imthe spending cuts it would entail. • See page 3 'Why defend local government?'
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After his 'comedy of errors', a glum looking Howe
THE TORY MINISTERS are in disarray over the. Cheltenham affair. falsehoods, dispute with ITV and quarelling publicly Treasury Minister Barney Heyhoe.
Two former Foreign Secretaries, Lord Carrington Mr Francis Pym have or less disowned him. Sir Brian Tovey former Cheltenham director
the Foreign Secretary and
Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister. Howe and Thatcher are vehemently Chaling Cheltenham ban had nothing to do with the Americans, while Tovey• says US pressure was a big factor in deciding to for-
membership.
Even the Sun has described the Tory ministers behaviour as a 'spectacle
bungling pathetic incompetence Yet despite the confu-
sion that reigns in government circles, neither the TUC, the civil servants unions, nor the Labour Party have turned it to an
CHELTENHAM:
UNIONS
MUSTACT
Howe is bogged down in denials and counter denials. He is in
with
effective advantage. The civil service unions have halted the spontaneous walkout, and aren't ever calling a day of action until 28 February, by which time Thatcher may have got her house in order.
By Bob Pennington
The TUC and the unions hope a compromise can be reached and believe that they and the govern ment can get together and over talks find such a compromise.
Unfortunately the union leaders lack realism of the Economist which comments: Not to! the first time the Prime Minister and Sir Geoffrey appear to have blundered Sudent Il a minetielc and are now determined to
Fund drive campaign big success
supporters. started off in December asking all our regular friends to think about their financial commitment to the paper. In the light of our difficulties, we said that we would do our bit by cutting back on all our costs. We asked that in dividuals try to give cording to their ability.
Too often in the past it was the pensioners and the low wage earners that set the pace their donations. retrud contributions have smasned goal and reached staggering
Carrington along with Pym contradicts Foreign Secretary blunder on through come shell and shot, until they get a medal at the tar side
Both Kinnock and Labour's spokesperson on Homi Affairs, Gerald Kauffman, have seized on the government's embarrassments have restricted their attacks to exchanges from parliamentary benches.
55 per cent increase. Well
done everybody!
The next thing to do
is make sure that the pro-
mised money comes in.
The best way of making
sure is not to rely on your
memory, but to take
bankers' standing
order. All you have to do
is fill in the form on this
page and send it to your
bank. If you want, send
it to us with the address
of your bank and we will
do the rest. It has been a
good week
coming in, but don't let it
slip. We have just had to
pay a £1000 rates bill,
next week it is f1000 for
the phones, the week
after that our rent is due.
Both the union and the Labour leaders have demonstrated a real ineptitude at kicking an opponent when they are on the floor. The call for Howe's ICS 212101 came SalS from David Owen — of all people!
There is nowa. bis danger that despite overwhelmng popular opposi tion the Tories are going to win over the ban on unions at Cheltenham. So far they have not retreated one inch on the actual decision. The prestige of the government is now totally tied up with the ban.
The only thing that is going reverse the government policy is the calling strike action inrougnoul civil ser vice. And the TUC backing such action with its affiliated unions and breaking off its talks with the Tories.
Meanwhile the Labour Nel snoula picage lls ullconditional support to any action taken by the civil service unions.
BeM Nair
Total £2.622.25
← Socialist Action No. 43, 3 February 1984Socialist Action No. 45, 17 February 1984 →