Socialist Challenge No. 190, 26 March 1981
The scan: sc-n190-mar-26-1981.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
Challenge NO VIETNAM IN EL SALVADOR
No. 190 26 March 1981 25p Unempioyed and strikers 10p
Socialist
CND
LABOUR
MOVEMENT
MISSILES
CONFERENCE
see pages 7, 8, 9 and 10
9 April.
Haig.
Salvador.
Already
have
bolster regime squads.
the making.
Salvador.
to Britain.
Under
world front. The
ding bids it to
which
is making noises
Chair:
Speakers:
Representative
says that Britain will be 'staunch, valiant, and true.
veteran Korea and Vietnam, now masterminding the US's intervention in c
the ous Green Berets other military 'advisors
been despatchec to El Salvador, together with huge amounts military hardware
the and
A new Vietnam is in
to the working people of E
General Haig should be given a warm reception when he gets
Reagan Haig, the United States is bolstering its role as
cop on US defence budget is being pushed through the roof.
The administration is in the process of rescin
law which foraid to the UNITA forces
southern are trying overthrow the left-wing government in Angola.
The US government
against
Michael Foot M.P
Dr Salvador Moncada
THE US secretary of state, Alexander Haig, is visiting Britain on
It's not surprising that Haig should choose this country for his first trip abroad. Thatcher
of the
notoriand
military death
the crush
the and
every Africa, to
menacing Cuba.
March and Rally Saturday April 25th Stan Newens M.P.
Assemble 12.30pm
Speakers Corner march past U.S. Embassy to rally in Trafalgar Square.
America's ally
And Haig has said that
regime 'anything up to and including an
"Communist in El Salvador.
Meanwhile, the daily civilians and tionists, the El Salvador military junta is far from SECUTE The supported by the over whelming
population, expected second offensive soon.
need for solidarity with
struggle Salvador to be stepped up, to isolate the junta internationally stop the US tion.
Picket Haig!
nursuay yo
.30-7.30pm, US Er bassy,
London WI.
the El Salvador Cam-
paign, Chile Solidarity
Campaign, Liberation
Nicaragua Solidarity
Campaign, and New Jewel Movement Support
Group.
Ken Gill
Led Sulliva Eric Heffer M.F C. Labour Part
Fenner Brockway
General will do
SLO takeover"
despite slaughter of
guerillas
majority of are launch
There is an urgent
in
and to interven-
Grosvenor Square,
Organised jointly by
Page 2 scan of this page
The Social Democrats
Social Democratic leaders By Phil Hearse OWEN, Rogers,
most significant political 'revolution' in British politics.
that Roy Jenkins' his own words,
then crash?
political arena.
The year, 1968 marked a political turning point in whole of WeN Europe. general strike in France, use tone or sukes blan showed that the political situation in most of the main West curopean communes was being transformed by the end of the long economic Dooli
The long period economic recession since ther has hit the British economy worse than its petitors. It suffers both from
world genielai and its historical decline vis-aМОНТАНА ЧА
Paradoxically, the political crisis in Britain for most of the period since the mid-'60s has
example, in France or Italy, while the social and economic crisis here has been worse.
This is explained by factors: the
flalulc British labour movement, the character of the political consensus established in postwar Britain.
Upsurge
after 1968 lacked a political rocus, in of an overall Phet upsurger had or project.
upsurge had 'sponTaneous semi-svndicals character. But once the Tories had come to power in 1970, and the economic and social crisis deepened, the workers' revolt gradually found global political expression.
Given the unique character ot the British ment, where the Labour Party
monopoly working class political representation, any directly political expression of revolt was bound to be worked ax: ic the development of a left
wratie current with-
Williams and Jenkins regard the creation of their new Social democratic party as the
event in
Certainly, only six months ago, it seemed unlikely
dream of a centre party would, in 'take off'. Yet it has. Does it mean that the two-party system is doomed, or are we seeing the emergence of a party which will take off and
The answers need to be sought by looking at the underlying processes which are re-casting the British
the
and
rhythm of the internal debate in of the Labour Party, held back by the failure of the Labour left combat austerity policies of the 1974-79 Labour government. unitarian labour Witn movement and, just one mass party of the working class, much more catch the labour bureaucracy off its guard and force it to the lell unan in rrance Despite the defeat of the Heath
government, the initial wave of workers' struggles 1968-74 resulted in a stalemate two the between the classes during the and subsequent Labour ment.
The second element in the delay of the politicisation of the British crisis was the political consensus which was establish-
ed in test we Second
Second War, Keynesian established a consensus ween the leadership of the major parties a consensus social welfare capitalism with a strong public sector was also adhered to by the trade union bureaucracy.
Because ot its immensely strong ideological hold, consensus, known as skellism', was only abandoned by either political party with extreme reluctance. After all, 25 years it appeared to work at the price of covering up all Ine rundamental probicis the consensus The initiative to break the was taken Tories. the election
as and the
will Won
the
difficult to
from
govern-
...intensify the Tory crisis ing with the organised strength World of the labour movement. 'welfarism' Whereas the Heath
bet- ment had unsuccessfully tried to introduce legislation to 'deal of with' the unions, under Thatcher embarked on a which strategy of deliberate novment and 'hone down' undermine the this strength of the workers' move'But- ment.
This experiment resulted in a rapid politicisation for of the social and The Labour Party moved to the left, and the Bennite current has been immensely strengthened
by bourgeoisie is bhat the Thatcher problem
experiment has coincided with deep recession.
British
political crisis
measureably greater than was forseen. Not
in industrial production of 13½ Der Cell one vcar. the Tories Thatcher's unem- come under
deflation, to precedented industry and
organised the extent
has to its interests.
economic government has leadership pressure from the left. now
viable The overheads
many ardent Thatcherites expected a decline
ship teams.
Following Howe's budget, government aberration? an almost attack from big business, which has found that
of the political cast for polarisation between the major partie: parties no longer corresponds decline
composition
It is lumbered with a Tory
sinasning sections of business and a Labour The
under dangerous DIOC much more difficult than in 1964 or 1974 to rarty las vecil turn to the Labour Party as a
alter- the Scottish this builds up tionalists. he emergence of Labour through 197 struction
of the tive
vative been
that jor debate in British bourgeois circles about the significance of their crisis of political leader-
Is this crisis permanent, or is the polarisation a temporary
other
The debate is complicated by the fact that over the past 15 years the proportion of the vote
both the two majo has declined The was reflected in the 1974-9 parliament where there was no things
break-up Ulster Unionism has removed a stanch
Tory supporters, while the Conservative adjust
virtually wipec out in Scotland as sections of capital
bourgeoisie have defected to the Scottish Na-
held onto power To -79 via thé COll of ar art-working
class bloc with the Liberals -
the 'Lib-Lab pact'
The possibility of a recurrence of such 'hung
parliaments' opens a tempta
tion to institutionalise a system
permanent coalitions via
proportional representation
creating a big Liberal-Socia
Democratic bloc which would
effectively 're-centre' parlia
mentary politics
It would be foolish to assess
the possiblity of the introduc
tion of proportional represen tation as being a certainty. Ob.
viously the two-party system i
an historic gain for the bourg cose
effective mechanism of govern-
We can be sure that they
will be reluctant to abandon
this system without exhausting the possibility of forcing That-
cher to change course and re-
instituting right-wing control of the Labour Party. Whatever thinks, the bourgeoisie will noy Social Democratic abandon the Labour Party to
control of the left. vigorous fight back by the right
wing is under way. led by Hat-
tersley, and aided and abetted
by Foot. The adoption by the
NEC of the 50 per cent for MPs
formula on the leadership election, and Foot's promised offensive against the Militant are symptoms of this.
Transmission
Historically the Conservative Party has been an effec-
transmission belt of bourgeois political opinion. ine question Is is the Conser-
Party still the unique political representative of the bourgeoisie
Are its interests, and particularly those Inaustnia. capital, still effectively represented by the Tories, with their historically strong representation of finance capital, WHOSE interests (as we've seen with the interest rates) are not at each stage identical with those of industry?
Questions of this sort led to an increasing number of dona. tions to the Liberal Party from business HALCI COL the last election
The emergence of a Social Democratic party, on the other hand represents the crystallisation of a current of ruling class opinion which has written off the struggle within the Labour Party as hopeless
But it would be foolish to believe that the right has been definitively beaten inside the Labour Party would be tantamount to arguing that the trade union bureaucracy had
pushed finally and definitively to the left.
Trotsky once commented
politics begins the millions. Millions
The British Tory Party has. on paper, nearly two million in dividual members The Labour
Meres and andreds ed
members and hundreds
COT individual members. The Liberals, if the can't match this, get between 3 and 5 million votes at elections
The problem for the Socia Democrats is that they lack the solid social base of any of the
parties To establish themselves firmly British politics they will have to win the allegiance of either a section of the trade union bureaucracy, or the support of a section of industrial capital
Whether either of these happens will depend above all on the outcome of the present struggle inside Labour Party, and the degree to which the Conservatives can
to demands being made by the CBI and industrial
To win 18 peers and a dozen MPs is one thing.
secure millions votes in election is
Coll quite a different matter.
Page 3 scan of this page
GLC candidate
THE Greater London Council is responsi-
employs a workforce of over 28,000.
remove the Tories from control of the
The from the
VCW
Photo: Socialist Organiser dining room in
County Hall, Westminster
home of the Greater LONGO Council across the river to the Houses of Parliament.
The prospect of Labour GLO has been greeted by the Tory press
with the spectre of a Marx-
Ken Livingstone differs with this vIew.
Marxist
'The manifesto', he says, 'has been characterised as Marxist but it's giving it a credibility on the left which is perhaps a bit unearned.
"The Labour group, elected, will be broadly Tribunite and the manifes-
predominantly reformist
COCHNIC TE These policies have been put forward by the London Labour Party since the 1930s.
What does make it different, he considers, is that the Labour left would use
LILL campaign against the Tory government ana all to speca lie election of Labour government'
He sees danger, though, that 'the left wil think everything is going to change and they will no doubt be disappointed when they see the GLC implementing a completely reformist programme.
But there will be areas,
genever where Labour GLC will have to acry lne dory government, particularly in cutting the price of school meals and
Transport fares.
The London Labour Party has also agreed Lo vooost parliament's likely deci-
Le arisici housing estates to borough councils.
Right
One problem will be the the Labour right. Ken Livingstone ex-
woll, the Tribunites would have IlalloW Lne Labour group. In a situa tion where what we did was illegal and we ran the risk of surcharge, the right would vote with the opposition.'
So how would the left
'We want a council
that campaigns against
the government'
ble for seven million people. It has a budget of more than f2,300m a year and
Londoners will have the opportunity to
GLC when they go to the polls on 7 May. If
Ken Livingstone, GLC opposition spokesperson for Communication and Transport. confront the Tories?
Ken argues will use all that Labour GLC the machinery at its disposal. It would produce a regular newspaper which would explain its policies, campaigning tor the naLOOKALON improved housing programme, and the policy of The Livingstone plan for the first year of a Labour GLC Transport: Any resistance to the fares cut from Call be directed at Tory MPs in seats with large numbers of BR commuters Unemployment: We must introduce a 35-hour week for all manual staff as a firm policy for job creation:
Housing: All revenue-funded improvements must be agreed in full consultation with tenants. who wome rave a velo power scheme. Rents should be frozen.
Local projects: The GLC should take over the funding of organisations such as law centres, communily relations councils, tenants and other community bodies which have their funding stopped or cut by local councils.
Civil defence: We are commited to ending the so-called civil defence programme and to campaign for unilateral disarmament Campaign: The GLC must become an active campaigning body which explains its policies in a sympathetic fashion which avoids jargon.
Democracy: Each constituency labour party and trade union should be invited to send an observer to the full Labour group meeting of each GLC committee. The GLC must produce a free newspaper for distribution CalE organise public meetings in each constituency so that members can report back.
We are in a long dand bitter struggle with the government the outcome of which will be determined miscalculations of the Tories as by our positive actions.
Westminster.
are toppled.
cutting fares.
'We would identify with every industrial struggle,' he says. 'If there is a dispute at Dagenham, Labour GLC members must be down or the cacilities andst be
facilities made available'
When the Liverpool to London march for jobs ar-
Lne capital, Ken wants the GLC to clothe, feed and accommodate the marchers in County Hall.
The resolution from the divisional council of the public employees' union calling on Labour councils to free
worktorce participate in a day of mass action on 29 Mav is exact v the approach GLC would take, according to Ken.
The proposals in the manifesto may not be
by a campaign
over any particular
HOLSCHOO and
the untorseen
Home News
Labour is elected and carries out the policies in its manifesto, the council is likely to find itself in direct conflict with
Tessa van Gelderen talked to Labour candidate KEN LIVINGSTONE, who is tipped to be leader of the GLC if the Tories
revolutionary but they still have to be financed. Where will the come from?
The left in the London Labour Party argue that it shoulc Tales Ken Livingstone agrees: An increase in the rates is a redistribution of wealth. Our programme will cost a Il a week on the rates but cheaper fares will save Londoners £1.50 a week.
Rates
If there is resistance to increase the rates to detend service. will see this on 7 May,' he adds. 'You might
wallt to colle back on 8 May and say, "Now that Labour
devastated in the GLC elections because of our high rates policy, how do you review your position?'
The press Ken Livingstone believes will push two themes during the election campaign the rates and "reds' in County Hall. But he convinced that the election will be decided on the programme Labour is putting forward
'We can defend higher
expenditure and
igher rates. After fou
of Horace Cutler the Tory GLC leader, provisions have been dramatically cut.
Unless we can show a measurable improvement in service rather than just another increase in the size
the bureaucracy, we could suffer a massive loss of support.
Jobs
Londoners will go to massive interase in the massive increase rates in April. his will be will react to this shown not just by the GLC elections. As Ken says, 'At the end of our first year the London borough elections will also be influenced by rate increases in April 1982 and by how effective our policies have been in im proving the quality of life for Londoners.'
The Labour manifesto for London may not be any different from previous election platforms but at a time of savage cuts
public expenditure it
does appear to make break from the policy ' of many Labour councils to implement cuts.
The creation of jobs, linked to a 35-hour week, a house orogrannie. CULS in the cost of school meals and fares must all be paid going to be happy with untall
'The government,' Ken points out, 'has the power to prevent us building new housing. extending the lube, buying new ouses o. undertaking any works of improvement lo nousing or the environment.
"The council will have no alternauve but lo lead a massive and conti-
campaign to mobilise public opinion and force the reversal of these policies.'
As Ken Livingstone
the working class does not expect Labour to be anything other than the lesser of two evils, given its past record. But a Labour GLC pledged to carry out its programme by mobilising the labour movement
confront the Tory government may begin to change that.
The south bank of the Thames may not seem a likely battleground to con front the Tories. There certainly won't be a red flag flying from County Hall on 8 May. And a vote for Labour may not mean
LOP 16J
A Labour GLC promises to bring down London Transport fares
What Londoners are promised under a Labour GLC 025 per cent fares cut on London Trans •More council
La vote for a rates increase but a vote to kick out a Tory GLC.
Yet such a vote, linked to support for struggles of trade unionists, tenants, women, youth and black
people, has to be part of
the tories on bon sides of
these Riser. River Thames
VOTE [DEFEND
houses; opposition the sale of council hous ing.
• The creation of a Greater • London Centen prise board to increase investment and jobs
• Reduction in the price school meals from 35p a day to 25p
• A major expansion of public services London and redistribu. tion of expenditure the less well-off which 'may involve each Lon. don household paying another £1 a week rates by 1983-4'.
LABOUR
DON DIVISION
Socialist Challenge 26 March 1981 Page 3
Page 4 scan of this page
Build the triple alliance
2,484,000 reasons to kick out the Tories
RAILWORKERS are facing a major attack
Management is threatening to shut down British collection and delivery parcels section volves thousands workers.
It want to rationalise the marshalling yards, close stations, and
cut back passenger services. Productivity measures such as one-person train operators are also on the cards.
All of this will result in massive job loss, and the National Union of Railwaymen's pay claim obligingly binas wade rises to conditions and work practices.
Gcorr HENSBY. • Decretary the NUR's Paddington No 1 Branch, told Brian Grogan how he sees the fightback developing in the union.
'The miners could make Thatcher turn because they took an intransigent attitude.
Hensby considers. 'They.
Repared trike for their pera
secretary, Sidney the union's take a lead from the miners?'
Instead, as Geoff explains, the executive nas not line against British Rail.
'It has closure of collection and delivery (C&D) might be acceptable if certain matters which relate to pay A NATIONAL mass demonstration and rally on Sunday 31 May culmination of the march Liverpool to London.
As a national focus for the growing anger in the labour movement against the Tories, and a growing mood! expressed strikes and occupations for a fightback to kick out
Thatcher comes not a moment too soon.
The latest unemploy-
the same time as the plans LUI demonstration were announced on Tuesday.
There are now over 2,484,000 registered unemployed in Britain, rise of 21,000 from last month's total. These are the worst March figures since the war, in a month when traditionally the figures take a steep dive. Knees
The civil service unions and bankworkers are taking achion now tor a lving wage. The response to the
demonstrations against unemploy-
Liverpool and Glasgow was tremendous.
miners brought Thatcher her knees.
Now is the time to mobilise against the Tories.
However, the march organisers are more
Colcerned with mobilising support from the clergy, community and welfare organisations, and even
employers' organisation the CBI.
'The strength of the Socialist Challenge 26 March 1981
on jobs.
Rail's
of which in-
of and conditions are fulfilled. of maniac citell las
La loss of 6,000 jobs.
jobs will be closure.
Geoff
were
employers.
Weighell, and general jobs, as Geoff explains: are openly executive
retirement. filled. They've sold their jobs. taken a hard
that the
will be the for jobs from
march will be its broad base', was how Pete Carter from the West Midlands TUC and West Midlands region of the building workers'
UCATT, press conference on Tues-
Harking back to the dark days of defeat in the '30s, Colin Barnett, TUC North-west Regional Council secretary, said:
'Liverpool, like Jarrow, will become a symbol of the nation's rejection of policies that deliberately create unemployment and
the desire of the British people for a return to full employment.
He rightly pointed out the dangers of the growth
Tascismn, especially among the youth who face
The solution, he said was to will tie nearts and minds of people to an intellectual and practical alternative. In every town on lne route inere will be official meetings putting
Lie i TUC's alternative economic strategy.
Controls
This alternative will be Tues nest of of the
week of alation culminating in textile workers demonstration Bradford on Saturday !! April which will be calling for import controls.
Page 4
Defend our railways
STC
Yet Made that the closure of C&D will mean
This is a conservative estimate in Geoff's opinion, because other
affected by the
The NUR has a no compulsory redundancy agreement with the
But this isn't saving 'Workers asked TO take settlement (redundancy) or early
But their jobs aren't
'Our union leadership has been able to turn our gain of no com. pulsory redundancies against us.' wages
Weighell is full of talk about using the 'full industrial power of
By Patrick Sikorski Nowhere in the official leaflets for this week of acion is there even a mention OI shortening the working week or fighting ban overtime alone a call for a 35-hour week with no loss of which Das been policy since 1972!
A 35-hour week would effectively wipe out unemployment. The TUC's own figures show that an end to overtime would create 700,000 jobs immediately.
At the time of the Jarrow march in the '30s, the movement had suffered the defeat of the General Strike accade ol mass unemployment.
Today the miners have shown that the situation is
Home News
N•U•R
UNITE
WORLD
the union. and the executive is meant to be ooposed the to the closure of C&D. 'Yet representatives have
the go-ahead to discuss with management about closure Geoff Hensby says.
The collection and delivery section is in dire financial straits because there has been no investment over the years.
Geoff is adamant that it is a political decision not to invest 'to allow the friends of the Tories virus ike Securicor to take over this area of business. They're all hovering around like vultures.'
Weighell's attempt to relate
benefits management. 'We need a straight across-the-board crease for 20
Call, 35 HOUR
VEARS Of very different. It was their decision all-out inCustod Thatcher running scared.
That's the message that come out of the march for jobs.
Five thousand workers struck in Liverpool on Wednesday of last week over cuts. The Scottish TUC and the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions al c calling two-hour geenral strike Fories on e aainst the
This is the direction the supporters oI the march take. Otherwise the bells that are going to be rung in the churches on the route could well be for the funeral of the movement rather than victory, over the government.
OF
TENOLLYN
believes. can only afford 6 per cent -union increased productivity. been to say that railworkers will not
pay tor a wage increase by accepting the loss of jobs.
The waymen has formed an alliance with the steelworkers union and the miners — the triple alliance.
Geoff thinks this is very important, but 'Weighell, Sirs see the alliance as a respectheir knees in front of eating or table forum for iointlv 'They don't intend to mobilise the membership. What we need is an alliance starting at grass roots level', he adds. tively challenge Thatcher and her Geoff agents in British Rail. By bringing
NATInA
National march and
rally against
unemployment
Sunday 31 May
Assemble noon at Speakers Corner,
Hyde Park for march to Trafalgar
Square Sponsors include West Midlands, SE and NW regional TUCs. Irish TUC (Belfast), Manchester City Labour Party, Labour Party, NUM, Engineering section of AUEW, Tobacco Workers Sheetmetal Workers, USDAW, SLADE, Tailor & Garment union SCPS.
Trains and coaches are country-wide.
/Um
ERS
'Management says
with We have
The National Union of Rail-
level. and
Gormley and
plains.
'We have to effecand
LIVERPOOL TO LONDON 1-31 MAY
ON THE MARCH
AGAINST
THE
ITORIES
SELL OUT
35 HRS.
NW Regional Council of the TGWU, GMWU, FBU,
Workers, NUPE and the civil service
being laid on
Paddington No1 Branch NUR Public Meeting
Defend our Railways:
Build the Triple Alliance Wednesday 8 April, 7.30pm.
Speakers: J Cogger, NUR ex-
ecutive (London region); Nei
Miligan (Se regional organise
ASLEF); Speakers from NUN
and ISTC invited.
people together who are facing similar problems We can WOrK towards joint industrial action to defend our living standards.
NUR Paddington No branch is holding a public meeting to torge une alliance dl grass fool.
Speakers from the miners stee workers Unions nave been invited, as well as from the NUR and other rail unions
'Thatcher is trying to buy off the miners with huge redundancy
Geoff Hensby plains She's
threatened the steelworkers into submission and
: to get her hands on the railworkers.
"Through OUr local meeting
Scam alon we intend to do our bit to upset her plans.
Merseyside
workers strike for jobs By John Nolan, Birkenhead FIVE thousand workers lobbied Liverpool City Council on Wednesday last week The Council was discussing its annual budget and the Merseyside trade unionists showed their feelings about the massive GULS in jobs and services in the city. tingents. which included Many Council workers COCKERS Tate and Lyle, Fords and worker (Trom
Courtaulds, took demonstrate their anger The demonstration organisec Merseyside Trade Tne
Union Full Time Officers Co-ordinatin! Commit tee part of the paign against unemploylieute ove recent month.
Liverpool has been in the forefront of the fight for surprisingly when unemployment double me natona average and as high as 50 per cen in some districts.
Versevsiot workers are support for the Liverpoo London Liverpoc Council, reporter £11,000 received far and money was coming in at rate of f1,500 a organiser march m Livero war a national alv in ine cr mne cav ir sets or. Friday 1 May and a big turr analy when the reaches London
mobilisation for the march being bog ged bureau cracy, support is building Last week's suc CessTu strike and demonstration Liver.
- SURROrT.
Page 5 scan of this page
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Page 6 scan of this page
By Horace Campbell from Caribbean Times MARCH 2, 1981 marked a new turning point in the struggle for a new social order in Britain. On that rainy Monday between ten and fifteen black people gave notice that their mass political activities will be part of the class and racial struggles of this society.
Black people gathered to give notice that they would not be bombed out of this society which they have helped to build with their labour and to which the sweat and blood of their forefathers have con-
The demonstration was a challenge to the ideas and actions of white supremacy which has been promoted since the days of slavery, and today finds its crudest expression in the political activities of the Na-
Front, the British Movement and
It is the combined and organised struggles of all sections of the black working poor which will drive the labour movement to transcend the rut of economism. Consider the effect of black workers clos-
Transport hospitals every time the racists attack
Black workers should know that the attack on our youths is only the first step,
Line capitalist class youths to be unorganised. But while they murder 13 youths, the Special Air Service
are carrying out practice runs of how to seal off
liaison work with race relations experts. So proud are the police in Birmingham that
Authorities to study how to control blacks. pacifiers who act as liaison with the police are the modern house slaves. They turn a blind eye while hundreds of young men are
Why the Tories and the
cops have gone into the
banning business
By Toni Gorton
AT a stroke, over eight million people have
been denied the
political issues.
month-long bans
William Whitelaw, the Home Secretary.
The ban in London
which runs until the end of
March, followed the Black
People's Day. of Action
when the National Front
declared it would hold a
past the
Deptford where
youth died earlier this
year.
Scotland Yard asked
for the ban on the grounds
that serious public
disorder would occur if the
NF march were allowed to
go alicad.
Leicestershire,
where the New. National
Front was to hold a demo
on 22 March a Dall
Solid larity the Inter- Camthe Indian Workers
Association, and the
Labour group on Leicester
council, backed by all
8,000 signature petition.
Counter
While the local Anti-
Nazi callut. LIC
Racial Solidarity Cam-
paign and the Labour Par-
ty Young Socialists called
tor a counter-demonstra-
tion, there is now a month-
long ban marches in
Leicestershire.
In Leeds police say that
they consulted with
local councillors before re-
questing a ban there. The
NF was planning a march
against manufactured im-
Socialist Challenge 26 March 1981
thousand right to demonstrate on
Three major areas of the country have had on marches imposed by
Youth Against the Missiles and Leeds Scrap the (Immigration). Act campaign were planning events.
Bans are not the only Home Uttice against political activity. It is also preparing militarytype organisation of the police.
In the opinion of the Home Office 'events of public disorder are growing such that very few forces can deal with them using their
Disorder
Scotland Yard recently rehearsal to find out how Ilaliulia.
mini-army of police could be rushed to trouble spots. Flying squads equipped with antiriot gear have been set up in every police force in the country.
The prospect of 'public disorder the Tories fear is fuelled by increasing anger unemployment, nuclear arms, CUL in social spending, restrictions trade rights, and legal racibm.
As long as political and labour movement organisations hand the Tories an excuse to ban political protest, the government will
Page 6
incarcerated, and to permanently damage them placed in psychiatric hospitals when they assert their black consciousness.
This consciousness, which flowers in the torm ot cultural resistance, poses a direct challenge to those who want to build neutron bombs. It is this militarist ideology which leads to the arming of the British Movement, a right wing organisa-
be quite happy to go along The bans are a serious blow to the ability of the labour movement get rid of Tory rule.
It should be clear now that for rightcentrics wing demonstrations to be stopped by the authorities leaas to a massive repicssion of democratic rights for all sections of society.
The right-wing thugs of the National Front, the
Home News
Blacks march forward
NEUCAES
uP
blacks.
cultural
British Movement, and
other groups which
threaten the black 4url
must be taken on
in the streets. action by blacks, Labass mass
parties, trade
Willis women auda ' organisations that we will stop th and bring
BASCI Hallas.
down the government and
the society which creates
the conditions in which
they thrive.
ALIN'
1.1981
FINTNO tion which aims to shoot and terrorise
Black workers must understand that the struggles of the trade union movement are not sufficient in this present crisis. They must join the forces of change. This process of change is clear in the
resistance epitomised cultural artists who wail 'Get up, stand up
By Bob Pennington WHEN the big goes off most of us will only be troubled by minor concerns like how long it will take to burn to cinder. The state has. however, far TOTC difficult problems on its mind.
It is worried that those holocaust unive a nua bir holocaust might two-thirds shirty that the population had wiped out, and that ain had been turned into a desert.
You know how funny people can get over even the smallest things As the secret 'Briefing Material for wantine Controllers' says: conditions in which death, destruction and were commonplace, penalties probation, ines, or sentences vi mil prisonment would longer be effective in dealing with anti-social elements.
And most of the nicks will be heaps or radio acuive rud ble, there will be nowhere to bul Incil
So, as you can see, state does have a problem But where there is a will LICe way. 'Briefing' says, there could keen be penalties like
1984
in the black strengthen the
ple, youths,
and culture. lead to further acts tionalism
the myths of the capitalists
society.
relations pacifiers.
who speak England.
news stand, price 20p.
Lowdown
They've got problems!
nunal labour',
one public disapproval...
suppose 'offenders' could be given useful and tips mind-improving jobs like burying the charred rem
dearest bit harder cutting rations ethic though.
After the ops left, ; there will be few shops everyone is going to be on restricted rations. Maybe the 'offenders' should be
• 01 restricted to no food at all vide been
and worked until they drop dead Getting the public to morale'. disapprove might be very difficult. Firstly there is going to be a shortage of
'In ungrateful survivors are
ikelv to be on the side oi injury the 'anti-social offenders'
I suspect the state is aware of these problems so they have armed themselves with the odd extra power like sullilial y courts with commis sioners' to deal with what the 'Briefing' calls 'capital Cases How they will execute people is not made clear and I understand this is the
, the subject debate at Whitehalkating
The more 'liberal' wing of the civil service is not so point in the death СОШ- sentence; instead they sug-
for your rights! It is not insignificant that the bombing attacks are taking place at the Sikh temples or black peoples parties Today the class struggle is increasingly being fought on the cultural front as groups of young people decide that they do not want to become the mindless Zombies of
Cultural resistance, which has flowed
community, has served to consciousness the youths. But now that black people have been challenged this cultural resistance must be translated into direct political
There is now the need for working peo-
women. Rastafari and the unemployed to strengthen their political resolve to defeat this Babylonian system
Now the kind of politics which is needed must transcend the spon taneous response to racial attacks.
Organisation, discipline and a scientific inquiry must guide and direct political activities, for ours is a rich tradition of strug. gle. These principles must develop so that the spontaneous acts of struggle do not
of repression.
For the slogan Come what may we are here to stay' to register our people must take the lead in internationalising the struggles to show that 13 dead in New Cross is due to the same ideas that cause 10,000 dead in El Salvador. It is this interna-
which will liberate the white workers from their slavish acceptance of
Through the process of self-organisa. tion and clear political ideological development black people will play a leading role in reversing the decadence to build a new
Already the mass activity of black people has shown the impotence of the race
The next step is to render impotent the racists who carry out the physical attacks at the behest of those
of black people swamping
From Caribbean Times, available from any
restricted gest police officers could and exposure to be sent on courses to Chile
and Argentina where they would pick up some usefu on how to deal with 'troublemakers'.
What I do find reassur ains of their nearest and ing about the 'Briefing' is
communal that the old virtues still re graves. It is going to be a main. The protestant work
remains unshaken ana. will relain even are. the Bomb.
As the 'Briefing' says, 'one aim would be to propossible with some form of work sustain
Shovelling away piles of radioactive masonry Cues the public, at least fit and towns obliterated beyond live ones, and secondly the recognition is just the job
for raising morale.
The nuclear holocaust will have taken place to de fend democracy and capitalism, which are course, inseparable. That 1s why we need summar executions.
That is why our so-called representatives parliament have never been LOla about these plans and have no say in Couss onel and controllers will be And that is why after the explosion the 'creation of a new monetary system would be a national mat ter...
After all there is no thirty to forty dying capitalism doesn't survive
Page 7 scan of this page
disarmament while motion 44, right, called for a commitment to unilateralism. Both were passed The Labour right have always used multilateralist arguments as a cover for their support for NATO
By Mike Picken, Labour CND secretary (in personal capacity)
THIS weekend's against the missiles will be the largest labour gathering against weapons for 20 years. dreds of activists trade unions and the Labour Party are meeting to discuss the next steos tor the campaign.
Over the last year the anti-missiles movement has grown dramatically. Thousands OI people have CND and hundreds of new groups have been formed.
Nuclear weapons was a major issue at last October's Labour Party conference and just three weeks later 30,000 people demonstrated against Cruise and Trident missiles in London.
But the rapid growth of the movement will not continue Taken by surprise by success, the Tories and their friends have begun their counter-attack.
Margaret Thatcher has pledged her allegiance to Ronald Reagan's cold war, backed by an communist ideological Within the labour movement the right wing has begun to organise to win support for multilateralist positions. NATO
So where do we go from here? Last aurumn socialst posed the role of the NATO-funded
salancHaestanding inside the labour movement. David Owen and Bill Rodgers are among the committee's supporters. They have now abandoned the labour movement altogether for the dizzy world of credit cards and computers.
But Bill Sirs of the steelworkers, Terry Duffy of the engineers, Sidney Weighell of the rail workers also feature among the committee's supporters. Roy Hattersley, leader of Labour Solidarity, is another sponSOT.
These people will spearhead the fight against the Labour Party and the unions adooting unilateralist and anti-NATO positions. will argue for multiateral disarmament, to take place at the never-never time when everv countrv will give un its nuclear weapons simultaneously
protracted negotiations. Unilateral
This approach of petitions and appeals for world disarmament draws attention from the practical task bullaing a mass campaign agalist vul own government's weapons leaves disarmament up to the good will' of the politicians. the fact that it is the US imperialists and their allies who have stepped up Ine arms race al every stage. so we have to come to grips with the cold war warriors within the labour movement.
First and foremost, we need every organisation of the labour movement
particularly the TUC Labour Party - to take a stand of all-out opposition to the missiles. That means we have to demand that our leaders clearly support nuclear disarmament.
Michael Foot's appointment of Brvnmol John, supportel Cruise and multilateralist, shadow spokesperson on detence is a step in the opposite direction.
the government to send back the missiles and carry out nuclear dısarmament has to be more vigorously pursued than ever before.
Boycott
This of work strengthen baser a boycott of work on nuclear bases
transportation, communications should be ted. , We should support, local councils who have declared their areas 'nuclear free zones'. need to go much further.
conference
movement
nuclear Hun-
from the
joined local
unhindered.
CND's initial
anti-
campaign.
CRUISE
unallenge ex-
and Instead they and US imperialism.
Government
super-power cerence
local coverncal nons.
cils open labour
bunkers and how of goes into civil defence. and May local elections
It also ignores
shores is insufficient.
Reagan alliance belligerent loreign poncy
military aid and and the the Rapid intentence Nicaragua, unilateral annis sales to me Argentina to be lifted.
The South Africa, Labour
ment campaign damaged.
the methods sled ice boycot- and
So the
, too the 42
built into a mighty But we labour novelichil
calist Challenge NO
CRUISE
MISSLE PETAIN OU
ST
HELENS TRANCEA
et Helens Action
LES One?
NIS
It's the same in London and Sheffield - thousands against the missiles
significantly to reduce spending on defence 'It believes that the safety of the British people and of the people of Europe both West and East will be best secured by multilater sarmament in the nuclear and conventional fields circulars and work and expenditure relating to civil
preparations should boycotted by Labour councils and the
We should demand that the coun-
the nuclear books. The movement has the right to know who is to go down the nuclear
much local money necessine should be brought to the fore in the
Setting our sights only on Britain's
CND has to oppose the Thatcher/ and the US's
In Reagan's first two months he has: enormously increased the nuclear weapons budget; despatched massive
'advisors' to the ruthless junta in El Salvador; boosted
Deployment Force; cut off and asked for the ban on • outcners wno run
The US president's latest scheme is to undermine the lett nationalist government in Angola by granting aid to the UNITA rebels. This follows his assurance to the apartheid regime in and
which has now acquired nuclear weapons. If these new cold war moves go unchallenged by the labour movement, the disarma
will inevitably be
The mobilisation of the labour movement against the missiles is the onlv basıs for victorv. Anv idea that
of and arguments on their own are sutticien to achieve these tasks is humbug.
called by CND for October should be national demonstration and
expression of hostility the missiles. We need to build for a joint
Stop the missiles.
Labour & the missiles
UT CRUISE
MISSILE Confusion at last year's Labour Party conference. Resolution 43, left,
Labour Party/trade
demonstration of hundreds
thousands of workers and youth in
October.
This weekend's conference OUTLINED here are the policies of several major trade unions on multilateral nuclear disarmament, the stationing of Cruise and Trident missiles and, their attitude towards the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Almost without exception they show that we have a long way to go!
Amalgamated Union Engineering Workers sup
multilateral
DALI L
EETPU: The Electrical, Electronic accomicanon
Plumbing Union has
never debated one iT
conference delegation 1980 Labou come cice vole• ravor o| multilateralism and NATO and against unilateralism.
AUEW-TASS The ecculica Ine AUEW is in favour of detenti
the arms race.
ference. Supports CND con-
UCATT: The Union of Construction Allied Trades
Technicians Is ll layoul of detente. multilateral disar mament and SALT 2. Oppos-
MBROSE SHARDLOR'S
WORKERS OF THE WORLD CND of paign in 1981
class against Thatcher's madness.
Trade union nuclear policy -
there's a long way to go
unilateral and and General Thor as TGWU: Transport Union is affiliated to CND. Consis SUDOOr unwatera disarmament since ate sus National organiser Ron Todd CND national council and the are annuated lo cry
Wing the
£5bn based
•One
fields. made for producing
called for multilateral
can be the launch-pad for a cam-
directed mightiest ever mobilisation of our
missile
GMWU: The General and Municipal Workers Union
has a at post coince the
Diesels a paper on accid
conterence maintaining present capacity and looking for alternative economic projects to arms in-
ASLEF: The
Associated Society Locomotive Engineers and Firemen
Against Cruise For unilateral disarmament • ГО
new committee dustry to ears rative work workers
NUM: The National Union of Miners conference condemned government for regeneratin cold war atmosphere througl its hostile attitude towards the DOVICI Cruise missiles Calls upon TUC and LP to pursue detente.
The Furniture Timber and Allied
dismaising or at liary
dismantling military blocs, reduced spending
with on arts • JollIca FNTDBAC
UnOI concent siles in Europe nuclear missiles in
Socialist Challenge
1980 Trades
Union
Congress
resolution
CONGRESS is fearful of th consequences for world peac
terests of the big powers and o the introduction and stock of
of new generations nuclear weapons.
It condemns the govern ment's part in the regeneratio of the cold war atmospher and congratulates the Genera Council for their stand agains the siting of Cruise missiles i Britain.
It deplores the position o government to purchas Trident missiles at a cost o
Jane on the nex Labour government to cance the order.
It demands an immediat cut in arms expenditure an the use of funds saved to eas. the disaster of youth unem ployment.
Congress is mic prose
based defence policy that threatened use of nuclea weapons including the neutror
Jane. believes that th safety and the security of th people of Europe both east an west and the preservation world peace would be assures
disarmament both in the nuclear and conventiona
Congress calls for ratifica tion of the SALT 2 treaty fo negotiations for a SALT 3 trea all military blocs. and for the dismantling o
Congress, in welcoming the initiative of the National Unior of Mineworkers to call for ar international Converance mineworkers on peace disarmament, calls the General Council to take new in itiative to alert the union move ment and the public at large o the need for the abolition nuclear weapons and the reduction of general.
blocs throughout the world POEU: The Post Office Engineering Union has policy at present but the na tonal executive is recommen conference that the union affiliates CND with ibind one POT th: POE unilateralist policies
26 March 1981 Page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
THE PENTAGON FIRST STRIKE C
$3bn reactor for new nuclear warheads IN ORDER to provide the nuclear materials needed for the new generation of weapons to be produced by the Pentagon, a $3bn production reactor will nave to be built, according to a study by an inter. agency committee of the US government weapons programme in more than a quarter of a century.
Departments of Defence and Energy in late 1979,
recommended upgrade existing production facilities
nah River, South Carolina, Washington Post described on 5 May 1980 as the big- plutonium and gest weapons building programme the country has undertaken in 20 years
produce new warheads for the Minuteman !!! and Trident I missiles; a short-range Lance missile; an air-launched Cruise missile; a new tactical nuclear bomb; a new strategic nuclear bomb; the Pershing Il missile; and the ground-launched Cruise missile.
is also proceeding MX missile and on a new 8inch nuclear artillery
Anti-missile
Action Guide
WHAT'S against
missiles'
CND if you
have film.show
demonstration.
public
other anti nuclear
event. please send ine
details to us and CND
retouch on Haird ar
Ta 01-58 22935 for det i. 15am
Ms chard hoping, Tumorous
42 Gloucester Ave,
by CND.
31 March: Isington CoD pub
son MP, Melvyn Bragg, Duncan
Clir Margaret Pitt
London N7y of Holtay ki
CND con
throug
called by:
Agains sian Detail Socialist Challenge 26 March 1981 Page 8
The new reactor would be the first built for the
The committee, which was established by the
an expenditure $500m to At present the US has three reactors at Savan-
weaponstritium what the
Over the next six years the Pentagon plans to
warheads for the END de Ashese adan neaorth East Lynne Harrison 01-985 1030.
High Holborn. Assemble 10am
March in Stockton (Bill Rodg CND, 12530pm. Tel. 0642244316.
Easter AntiWar Actions
Goodwin St, Lon
Regional marches Thyme Will Arches in sent or leath caer have as comprehensive a guide as
By Will Reissner ON 5 March, the Reagan administration presented the US Congress with proposals that would increase arms spending $33.8bn in 1981 and 1982.
To present those proposals in the best possible light, at a time when social spending was being drastically slashed, Reagan claimed that the spending surge was needed to stand up to Soviet 'expansionism'.
In fact, in a 3 March televised interview, Kearan went so far as to state that 'it is rather foolish to have unilaterally disarmea, , you might say, as we did, by defence margin of safety deteriorate'.
ming, years military planners to provide the Pentagon with the means to launch a crippling nuclear "first strike' attack against the Soviet Union.
These were codified in Presidential Directive No 59, signed by Jimmy
No Comment
'AFTER all that has hap-
pened, it wil! still be
necessary to nave nosess.
sion of rifles, revolvers and
shotguns. lese weapons
cre primarily required for
killing dangerous and
possibiy diseased packs of
wild dimals hunting for
food.
*And sadly; these
weapons will be niceded to
protect law-abiding com-
inunities from the
unwelcome attentions of
armed criminal elements or
despotic groups.
From Surviving
Doomsday' by C Bruce
Sibley, rublished by Shaw
* Sons, price 2l.25.
Mr Sibley also recom-
mends those looking for-
ward it a bright new future
afier a nucicar war to take
the following items with
them into inch miclear
chelters:
IVelkie-talkie transmit-
ters, cylinders of coinpress-
cel ill, special respiritors
and protective suits,
dosineters (for detecting
rediation), ficid telephores
and a big reel of telephone
wire, small arms: rifles,
chotguns, revolvers, signai
flares and ... packets v
seeds! Cared to the Us 1980, and leaked the August of that year.
PD 59 instructs the Pentagon to develop plans and strategies for fighting and winning prolonged but 'limited'
by innuclear wars. Its underlying thesis is that the would fight such a war by launching a first strike nuclear attack against the Soviet Union, crippling the USSR's ability to retaile
But PD 59 is not simply words. is bacon. development four weapons systems that make a
Frieni i woman launched first
missile, the Cruise missile, and the Pershing Il missile.
With these weapons, Pentagon feels that eliminate the Soviet retaliatory threat in a crippling strike'.
In line with this, PD 59 instructed the Pentagon change the targets nuclear weapons cities to Soviet military targets. This is known as moving from a counter-cies a conniel in forces' strategy.
Although at first glance PD 59's 'counter-forces' might seem be 'humane strategy Occaust spares civilian targets, in fact its
effect is just the opposite. 'counter-forces' strategy makes nuclear annihilation rather than less likely.
During the Reagan claims the
disarmed' actually perfecting generanon or nucical weapons capable of knocking out Soviet missile and
the bunkers.
new The Trident I submarine-
launched missiles and Mk 12A Those
warhead for the Minuteman Ill can now do this. counter-force implemstrategye To fully the however, the Pentagon needed it can the four new weapons systems
mentioned earlier.
'first
The MX missile, the Triof dent II missile, from Soviet missile. and the Pershing
missile taken make it possible Pentagon hopes military nuclear nrst strike agalist ult Soviet Union that LargeLine
more out Soviet nuclear forces on the
ground and cripple Soviet abili ty to retaliate
wo of the US's new 'first strike' force. Above model of proposed launch-plattorm tor Boeina 747 carries 72 missiles. Below, USS James Madison with all 16 missile tubes oper
Pentagon more to $106bn, years that nerstone of PD 59.
US was 'unilaterally , the Pentagon wa:
new threaten all
command
acknowledged strategy,
needed for such strikes
different sites, the MX
previous missile system. the Cruise II together, will 6,000 miles, so the _ for the Us
launch a massive destroy
and-a-half miles. could wipe
The MX system, which the The
estimates will cost quired 1 $34bn and others claim will cost is the si
the cor. As Richard new Burt of the New York Times ex- guidanc plained on 11 August 1980, the range o MX will 'give the United State: Trident the ability, for the first time, to small m
of the Soviet In t Union's land-based missiles'. launche
Led as because enough tended
It could also knock out fortified Soviet command bunkers. and ll
August that 1980 the MX deploy The
'not on v is designed to escape a first strike, it has the accuracy Trident
Ejected
Armed with multiple war- the US heads that can be targeted to hit Navy al
missile f6bi is far more accurate than any
Trident each
, each MX warhead The would land within 100 yards of system. its intended target, and would be laur
everything within two- marine ground
This accuracy and destruc ticularl tive power means that it could nuclear destroy the most heavily rein- so sma forced concrete missile silo. cannot
Page 9 scan of this page
PUSHES FOR APABILITY
tle tank.
On
cruise
of over Tomahawk
sites.
Pershing
curate
warheads,
e missiles. The Germany.
By
and Western when decides.
nd new weapon rehplementing PD 59
to rine-launched Trisile. Employing a bomber, xtremely
alculalc and with a to 7,500 miles, the nissile can destroy paign. y largers designed ast, all submarinessiles had to be usnter-city' weapons welc mul acculate et close to their in-
The Trident I sed that. ntagon plans Dhio class nuclear each containing 24 ile tubes. The prost is currently proore than $30bn for y, with the British anning to spend uf
four or five new marines.
ord new wcapons Cruise missile, can rom bialics. SuO- through
ell Cruise par- systems,
suited for strike because it is
etected by radar.
The Cruise is also extremely chean as missile svstems go. At a cost of $750,000 each - less than the price of a modern bat-
— current US plans call for the production of 4,000 to 5,000 of these tiny but deadly nuclear missiles.
12 December 1979, NATO voted to deploy 464 of the Tomahawk version of the
missile Western Europe in 1983. With a range
2,000 miles, LIC Cruise could hit major cities in the Soviet Union from West European launching
The fourth new system, the
II missile, also scheduled for deployment Western Europe. A highly accurster of individually targeted carrying based in West missiles are to be based in
From there they could hit Soviet targets in as little as four minutes compared to the 30 or more minutes it would take a missile launched from the US to reach the Soviet Union. This obviously increases the Pentagon's ability to launch a surprise attack against the USSR.
agreeing or 572 Cruise. ment of a total
Pershing Il missiles europe the first European-based missiles that can hit the Soviet Union
- Ihe
Pentagon's European allies are helping Washington implement its first strike strategy against the Soviet Union.
It should be noted that
although these weapons will be
on European soil, they will re-
main under the sole command
of the US military, to be used
the governell
In addition to the MX, Trident II, Cruise, and Pershing II
systems, the Pentagon is also
hard at work on other weapons
improve
capability. Plans for the Stealth
for example, were
revealed by Carter during his
unsuccessful re-election cam-
The Stealth bomber is being to be invisible to Once it sneaks
No comment
'WHILE desi (the pressure
of the blast wuve several
iniles from a raciear explo-
cion) is not enough to
of 180 miph would create
ata: collisions ber ween
people and rearty objects.'
From 'Ine ajjecis uf
Nuclear War by the Offic?
Tech Holegy Assessmeni
01 te congress Of ite
initer Sintes, publishen by
Soviet defence it could either drop
bombs on its intended targets
or launch Cruise missiles from
a considerable distance away.
Right now 'military plan-
ners believe that 75 per cent o the B-52's in an attacl : could get
rough Soviet defense
2 Februa York Times reported. But that's not good enough for the Pentagon.
The development of the neutron bomb is also part of LIC US counter-forces strategy. The neutron bomb is known as the ultimate capitalist weapon because Kills maximum number of people while destroying the minimum amount of property. does this by spewing out huge amounts of short-lived radiation, with relatively little blast or heat.
In line with PD59, the neutron bomb is being touted tor use in a limited war in Europe.
In April 1978 following protests against the deployment of the neutron bomb, Carter was forced to cancel plans to place the weapons in Europe. But the Pentagon is still producing the neutron bomb, and Reagan's
There's no point in hiding
under the stairs
US government pictures of damage caused by a nuclear explosion. Similar damage would be produced 5 miles from a 5-megaton explosion!
Secretary of Defence Caspar Weinberger recently renewed the call for placing them in Europe.
In Weinberger's words, the neutron bomb 'is a valuable addition to our forces, which we shall probably want to use.'
PD 59, and the weapons system needed to implement it, are the latest in a long string of Pentagon escala tions of arms systems aimed at achieving and first strike capability.
But Reagan's deploy these new systems is not at all assured here is massive opposition ir Europe to the introduction of the Cruise and Pershing missiles and the neutron bomb.
European workers are not impressed the desire to fight limited' wars that would turn Western Europe into graveyard.
Neither are American workparticularly about spending dollars on the MX
system while facing cuts in real wages and social grammes.
The US rulers will find own that the blems of designing their first-strike system will be far smaller political problems in acnew tually setting it up.
maintaining a
ability
weapons
NEW badge from Newcastle Pentagon's Socialist Challenge support-
ers. 20p and packing, or 15p each for radioactive bulk orders,
vance. (Newcastle badge), enthusiastic 50, London N1 billions
missile Challenge'.
African
atomic
ducted in the were reported However Agency (DIA). counter report,
low-yield nuclear DIA,
ficially released.
eagerness
African top and scientists recent visit South
The delegation, General van mitary intengence
It was
tht a flap
awkward questions.
As part welfare pro- United
To-year-old South technical pro- olate
visas under than their South not bombs"
nature of the reply.
Reagan,
12p post
, payment in ad- embargo.
to: SCD
PO BOx nuclear weapons tests
2XP. Chepayable to "Socialist
detecting them.
New South
bombtest
FOR THE second time in a little more than a year, an unacknow!edged nuclear test has been con-
Atlantic Ocean, south west of South Africa. The tell-tale flash of the explosion was secretly recorded on 15 December 1980, by US monitoring devices.
For more than two months the US Government tomoe to kee• newe of the test a secret. But some details of it finally leaked to the Us press anc
in an 18 February syndicated columnists Rowland Evans and Robert Novak.
Washington had also tried to cover up the previous nuclear test which was detected by a US satellite on 22 September 1979. The official report on the sighting issued by the Carter ad ministration tried to explain it away as a meteor striking the satellite.
the Defence Intelligence insted that the en which drew weapons test. together with the CIA, believes that the test was conducted jointly by the South African and Israeli govern ments. The DIA s report was never of
reason for Washington's to play. down the sianiticance of the blasts is its own complicity in the development of the South
nuclear programme. Many South African nuclear engineers were trained in the United States, and Washington has supplied the apartheid regime with enriched uranium fuel, which can be used for weapons production.
• According to the Daily Telegraph, a
Washington by five officers 'has started speculation that South Africa may have been putting out feelers for
American "understanding ' of nuclear tests planned by Pretoria'.
led by Brigadier der Westhuizen; , head of Waut courtesy calls' on staff at the DIA and the White House National Security Council.
only when they got to the entrance alone oute cartner!
developed apparently the press had begun to ask
of its observance of the Nations embargo on arms sales to South Africa the US has an
visits by senior African military officers. The Denartment claimed that the South African delegation had got their
false pretences the Africans had described themselves as 'government officials'.
But this doesn't stand up: one of the delegation, Rear Admiral WN Du
South African
defence attache in Washington, was
expelled from the US in 1979
And John Fisher, president of the
right-wing American Security Council
which invited the delegation, disclos
ed that he had written to the State
inform them of the delegation. He got no
The South African government has
made little secret of its optimism that
who recently lauded South as an ally against 'communist
expansion', will review the US's arms
Now it seems the South Africans
want the US to keep quiet about its
- the US is the
only country with satellites capable of
Socialist Challenge 26 March 1981 Page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
10,000 marched against the missiles Sheffield meeting against the war drive By Brian Lyons OVER 70 people attended a Socialist Challenge/Revolution Youth meeting in Sheffield following the 14 March demonstration against Cruise missiles. The meeting was held on the theme of ' Monev for iobs not war Hands off El Salvador. bull from Socialist Challenge, representing Revolution Youth, and Jaime Lopez speaking on behalf of the FDR in El Salvador.
struggle against imperialism. "The Salvadoran people are entering a period of historic importance,' the first time in our history the people are united and determined to win their liberation in the fullest sense of ine wora. ristoric aiso oecause lney arc palt ur a much bigger struggle for liberation by all the peoples of Latin America.'
that has developed within the anti-missiles movement in Sheffield. refugees and overseas students from Africa who attended, there were steelworkers from Socialists and many others who are active in Sheffield CND and Youth CND.
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Socialist Challenge 26 March 1981 Page 10
last week in Sheffield - US ' The speakers were Clive TurnBernie Kavanagh
Jaime Lopez spoke about the history of his people's
' he noted. 'For
The success of the meeting showed the militant mood
In addition to the many Latin American Rotheram, Young
By Dave Carter SECRET operations preparing for nuclear war took place throughout Britain last weekend.
thousand volunteers under the control of
UK Warning and Monitoring Organisation - part of the Royal Ordinace Corps - spent the weekend living In 850 hardened 'mini-bunkers' throughout the country.
CND supporters in Cleveland gained access to the confidential details of the operation. We visited one olme six bunkers which ring Tesside to lay a wicall comme morals the half million Clevelanders who would die if the exercise was for real.
We were refused access across private land to the bunker which was guarded by plain clothes police. But the wreath was later
Socialist Challenge
public meeting
'Jobs not bombs'
Speaker: Brian Heron,
Dress onucer or cavour
missiles conference 7.30pm, 1 April. All Saints
Centre, Church House,
Middlesbrough DESPITE 100,000 demonstrators
demonstrators SOMe gathered near the West German
town Brokdorf to against the construction ot a 1,300 megawatt nuclear power plant on 28 February
Fighting between police and demonstrators broke out when the authorities tried to prevent the marchers from approaching the construction site police attacks, some 40,000 protesters actually reached the site.
Work on the power plant has been virtually halted since 1976, when ongoing demonstrations led to a court order stopping construction until the question
Protesting the unthinkable
Down a bunker in Cleveland
laid at another local
bunker, which was
unguarded after a decoy
car had taken our Special
Branch friend on a wild
goose chase.
Peter Smith of the
Cleveland CND said
Aboul unree or four of
these operations are held
every year, but we do not
always get to hear of them.
I appears mey are belg
stepped up.
'Our protest is aimed making the public
realise that the un-
West Germany: 100,000
demonstrate at Brokdorf
of removal of could be resolved.
A decision to protest struction was
December 1980. The dant is be ing built jointly Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.
According
Science Monitor, strators were met by the largest Despite police force in
history all over West Germany and West Berlin....
court ban on the demonstration it was sponsored by more than 50 organisations.
thinkable becoming more thinkable these al c wal preparations.
Asked how the campaign found out about the exer-
nuclear waste received the
CON made on TERe
by the city of The left
the state of
posed to the Christian although
the demonpushing
West German nuclear plants 10,500 gathered from
in town, Despite the anti-democratic three-year
The march solved.
Labour Movement Conference on Missiles
Socialist Challenge Meetings Lunch-time in the small assembly hall at UMIST Speakers from Socialist Challenge, the FDR of El Salvador, Labour CND and Royal Pride
also Immediately after the conference in the small
assembly hall at UMIST
Film on El Salvador with FDR speaker
cise, Smith explained: 'When comes underground activity, Cleveland's moles are the best in the world.' support of the
the ruling government coalitior Democrats and Free Democrats. wing of the Social Democratic Party is strongly op. to nuclear power, Social Democratic baccallonell canton the construction of
The Social Democratic Party Hamburg Schmidt's home voted recently to seek a moratorium on construction work at Brokdorf until the problem of nuclear wastes is
Cardiff CND week of action
By Rob Johnson, Cardiff CND CARDIFF CND's week of action from 13 to 21 March grea success.
The main included showings of The War Game to over 1300 mass petitioning and leafletting in Cardiff City centre where 2000 signatule were collected in 3 hours and a public meeting •EI Salvador. Ine war drive, who profits? attended by 100 people
Alan Harris for the E Salvador Solidariti Campaign and KOT Johnson analysed the war
BELS enec semi-colonial countries such as t Salvador tact with US Imperialism.
El Salvador was also taken up by EP Thompson at a meeting of nearly 1000 people where The War Game was again shown. To round off the week, 1000 people marcnea l torrential rain and sleet through the centre Cardiff the Welsh Office.
The demonstration called for jobs not bombs and ended with a rally addressed by local labou movement speakers, Alan Wales CD; add Darydd Lipman, co-ordinator Ellis Thomas vice president of Plaid Cymru and MP for Merioneth.
With a Pat Arrowsmith reading
CND membership it was a cent increase in highly successful week of action.
Young
CND on the march in Brum
By Phil, Revolution Youth, Birmingham ON Saturday 21 March 700 young people demonstrated against Cruist alia Trident missiles through Birmingham city centre.
The demonstration was a maior success to Young CND, and would have been even bigger and noisier if the weather had been better
Most of the marchers were sudents are ScIol students, together with a large contingent from the Labour Pate Young Socialists main slogans were 'No Cruise no Trident, and 'Jobs no
At the rally after the march there were speakers form Birmingham YCND executive Vest Midlands CND. the LPYS and the Anti Nazi League.
Following the large YCND contingent on the Sheffield march last week the Birmingham YCND march shows that missiles issue the one which youth are organiseing around
important that this mobilisation is given a
and active programme protest ac-
TYCND national conference in Birmingham on l and 12 April.
Page 11 scan of this page
Poland-the bureaucratic counter-attack begins
By Davy Jones THE Polish authorities have nev none to deuse me
to aemocrause te party.
Tears Party
held in warsaw to near speeches
- a Star of David
By Davy Jones 'PEASANTS! Our strength lies in our unity! Let's follow the example of workers' Solidarity. Don't let us be divided!' So read the appeal for the first national congress of Rural Solidarity.
Some 490 delegates packed into the old opera house at Poznan for this
on 8/9 historic March.
It formally united the three organisations ing to lead the country's
SILO
organisation, the Indepen-
Self-ruling llaui Union for Individual Farmers, known as Rural Solidarity.
Jan Kulaj, a leader of the Rzeszow farmers strike for union recogni-
was elected the first chairperson Solidarity, which now claims the adherence of ur to 1.8m of the country's 3.5m small farmers.
The government refuses to recognise Rural Solidarity as a union. Instead it calls it an 'association'. Workers
Speaking on behalf of the national commission
WOTKCES Solidarity Stanislaw Wondolowski told the farmers' conTerence
'We will do everything to help you. Rather it is not us who will help you
allacks on Lech Catholic advisor CaT-
unions but all of us who will help ourselves. because our lnterests are the same.
The unity between the small farmers the workers has deep roots.
When the capitalist svstem was overthrown in Poland immediately after the second World&War,
unempicyment and near starvation were eliminated along with the tormer land ords.
International.
Walesa and Modzelewski more Cutter.
Why Rural Solidarity will
not make farmers rich Delegates arriving for the Rural Solidarity conference.
But the living standards of Polish farmers have not kept up WILI those of city workers. So Iney CHILIE fairer share of the benefits Poland's planned
They demanding more modern equipment and a fairer distribution of state subsidies to agriculture.
They are also asking
BUINKS CU
Poster for the film 'Workers '80', relating the story of last vear's strike wave. The film was banned by the authorities but after mass protests it is now being shown
for guaranteed living wage through government compensation tailures, with higher price: from the their produce alc not demanding benefits at the expense of the Polish workers.
When Rural Solidarity organiser Jan Kalusz iven Times reporter farmers would hold back produce to force recogni-
peasants
demoanoung restoration of capitalism
CHOI Cao tall ent presend dozens or
The average farm is ontarmers agea over plough horses, few poor farmers are similar to terests of the workers and
union, Rural Solidarity.
Con sale at 1985 Books
Bartlabe, rom i shur at
Market, London BRISTOL: SC on sale 11-1, 'Hole in
«More Cheltenham Rd, Montpelier, Bristol BURNLEY: SC on sale every Sa
11.30-1pm St James Si
SHESTERFIELD SC supporters sell days 11.30am-12.30pm Maraciplace, satul COVENTRY: available from
Dundee City Square outside Boots 4.5.30pm, Saturday 11-4pm. Friday
Saling broad say ture EDINBURGH: SC sales every Thurs tas End. PrincesS. Ake available
Book: Better
ENFIELD: SC GLASGOW: SC sales every Thur/Fr
Cresswell Lane; Hope morning at Rides riers sell st eve HAMILTON: SC 5.30-5. For more into ideas Paal 7 Clyde View or John at 54 Eliot St, HEMEL HEMPSTEAD: SC sales in WEST 10 TOM. March to Hump Ackings Sugary. 4
speakers rom Say London Worker sean Exclusive John Lennon poster!
c/o Po Box 50, London N1 2XP.
Where you can buy
Socialist Challenge
HILLINGDON: 130-12.00 outside Wool worns da Saturda HUDDERSPIELD SC Saturday supporte Piazza. SC also available a KILBURN: SC sales every thursda Bron, Dial Wic Kios: A50 01 Thur and Fri evenings and Thur mo
S Bookshop. 001230 NEWCASTLE: SC on sale every Sa
NEWHAM: SC PADDINGTON
SWANSEE
Newsfare and outside Woolwort
sales Fri 6.45am. a WOLVERHAPRONSC poo an Saturday near Be Ra and British town centre from lam.2or
Is your town or city monton
Tunis sates column readers interested
11/12 April write Now in tasteless dayglo - please specify
Just t1. Bulk orders (over 5) are post free
Orders and money to: The Other Printshop,
Socialist Challenge 26 March 1981 Page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
Women's Rights _International-
Nurseries join Namibia battle
By the Women's Festival Planning Group ON 9 May, the second anniversary of the Tory government, celebrating with a National for Women's Rights against Tory Attacks. It will be forces, to share experiences, to protest against Inese erode our freedom choose.
In Patrick Jenkin , we have a social service minister who believes that 'if God had meant us to be equal he would not have created men and women'. His hatchet job on social services is robbing us of independence, with women being forced back into the home to care for other vicTes ortue Culls sick.
One of the organisations supporting. festival is Oxfordshire Women's Aid, provides refuges for battered women. It says: We deplore the policies of the present government, which have not only obstructed our attempts to alleviate pressing and extreme social problems, but have also exacerbated those very hardships. •We suffer directly from cuts to housing programmes and social secily emergency and exceptional needs payments — and the closing down playgrounds.
'More insidiously, the rising cost of school meals and medical prescriptions combined with the gradual erosion of employment for women, are placing heavy burdens on all of us.
By Sue Gower and Dale Gash NAMIBIAN women who are fighting to free their country from South African rule are making demands which guerilla wars.
They want nurseries and child-care centres to free women for training and education. And they have asked for bulk consignments of sanitary towels, tampons, and contraceptives.
In the camps set up in Zambia and Angola acal wiln Ine exoous refugees from the white tyranny in Namibla, Kon er emphasis is on communal life.
here are Commur al kitchens, where people take it in turns to cook.
There shared responSocialist Challenge 26 March 1981
we are Festival
a day to rally OUT
policies which to live as we - the old, the young, and the
the work. which
olanlll.
especially
pre-school are unusual in sibility for child-care, collective cultivation, and communally-organised health services.
All this Is a far cry
Ninety , per cent of black Namibians are contined to 'home lands', which occupy a third ot the country - the least economically Women in the front line of the Namibian struggle
Page 12
'Morale has been lowered and courage sapped at a time when women and children need all the support they can gain.?
Women are joining the ever-lengthening dole queues at twice the rate of men, while James Prior's Employment Act restricts maternity provisions and trade union rignis. government spends more money on nuclear weapons and less to protect us from battering, rape, and unwanted pregnancy.
Hemel Hempstead National Campaign says: 'We think it's important to sponsor this festival as NAC has already proved that an organised campaign of opposition can
"Tim Sainsbury changed his about using his private members' bill to restrict the '67 Abortion Act, largely as a result of seeing the strength of opposition.
'The Tory government is cutting family
clinics, hospitals, ana Taken with rising unemployment and increasing poverty, these cutbacks make unwanted pregnancies more likely, and distressing for those involved.'
On 9 May, women from across the country will be coming to Starcross school, Islington, Nort London, to lake part ın workshops. hear speakers, watch videos and theatre groups, browse around stalls and exhibitions and listen
viable land, needless to say Men al c sent off to work in the white-owned KULCS, factories and tarms. This Shamena how Nahambo describes life in the 'home Jands': 'Mothers have to stay at home doing everylooking after the children and even doing the work men usea to do.
have to ask yourself "Why Dv vC WUlC I left alone with my children, working on the
lan ca ale by musing after
'The answer,' she adds, 'is the contract labour system. The women are really suffering while
Women's festival that
won't please Thatcher
to music.
CUaLs
Women's
The aspects throughout the day.
racism, Abortion
mind
NAC, nurseries.
MP, Rights even more
their husbands are used as
cheap labour.
To maintain such gross
injustice, 80,000 South
African troops are based
Namibia, imposing
martiy pressiono lesst
martial Not
Icasi
among the interests they
defending the
Western investments
southern Africa, , including
those of British com-
panies.
As one woman activist
in the South- West Atricar
People's Organisation
•We believe that
puls ll.
the gun is the only thing
that will bring liberation to
southern Africa.'
Namibian women have
played a leading part in the
Jam Today, Tour de Force, and the Rain-
be among the bands and Theatre group, Lottie Bloomers and Mrs Worthington's Daughter: are among the theatre groups. Films
women's rights
Themes for discussion include the right to work, women and children, the welfare state,
violence, and Children's events will be organised all day, with clowns, inflatables, face painting, and more.
At the end of the day we are having a big ralstrengths as women, by iniling speakers from focussing on fightback women's struggles throughout Britain.
Come and join the many women and their organisations who are supporting the festival
the National Union of students branches of NALGO, ASTMS, and NUPE, the NUJ Equality Working Party, Jo Richardson
of Women Women in Action, Women's Fightback, Women's Voice, Spare
~ to name but a tew.
The final details of the day, including discussions on our future fights as women against Tory attacks, will be organised at a special national planning day in London on 28 March to be held at A Woman's Place, 48 William IV St, London WC2, 1-5pm. We
resistance to the occupaOrel cull y 1959 they vere in the forefront protest against the forced evacuation of a black township in the capital, Windhoek.
During the national strike 1971-2, they played a key part in implementing the boycott of services run by the apartheid regime Netumbo Nandi, member of the SWAPO women's council. DullILs to the increasing involveof women Ilicall metings and demonstra-
tions during the 1970s. gomeliucs. she says women were in the majoriAs result, women LV.
the Ada,
on all SaoWi
sexuality.
in on
leaflets now!
IA MIBIA
UIDE TO
CAMPAIGNS: CANUC, MEDICAL AID, POLITICAL PRISONERS
Cttee, 188 North Gower St, London NW1. began to join men in the jails.
"Today', Netumbo explains,' 'you Will find women at every level of our movement's structure.
'But whatever has been achieved so far must be seen not only as a victory against the existing social and economic structure walch discriminates against women in employment and education.
Prejudices
'It is also a victory against the prejudices among some of our male comrades. SWẬPO women's council delegate the conference, held last year, said: 'Experience has show that often after the liberation struggle, left out of participation in
governmed which they SUCDCUr bring about.
It is by the involvement of women in SWAPO's organisation and by raising demands to counter
FESTIVA
WOMEN' S RIGHTS
BET TERỆA
MAYA™
-BANDS - FILMS PLAYS MEETINGS EXHIBITIONS ETC FOR MARE ANORMA T/O P TEN T KAL-NBAN NS COMD
want to make sure the ideas represent as many women as possible, so please at-
If you can get involved in the regular weekly planning meetings, come and join
Monday evenings at 7pm at the festival's address: 374 Gray's Inn Rd, London WC1. Order your posters, badges, and
ACTION
SWAPO, REAGAN/HAIG, INTERNAL SETTLEMENT,
Price 40p plus påp, from: Namibia Support
women's traditional role that the women acuvist. aim to aid the liberation struggle and to shape the society which takes over from apartheid visits to Britain members of the womens Culacu linked women's struggle •nere lo unal or Namibian women.
They point out that the government WICS undermining the gạins of struggle in Briwolieu , tain is reinforcing the opNamibian pIcSsl women through its economic and political support for the South African regime Now is the time to support women in Namibia.
Reponding LuCu demands is the best way o f helping Inel maintain momentum and is an essential nart of out own battle with laliperialism.
Information and solidarity work for Namibiar women from:
SWAPO Women's Campaign, c/0 188 North Gower St, London NWI.
Page 13 scan of this page
THE SLIMEHOUSE FOUR
I WROTE 'The Gang of Frauds' after watching the report of the Slimehouse declaration on the telly.
I look forward to the day when more people like David Owen are driven out into the open by truly socialist policies, and when the Labour Party will one day be run by the people for the people and not by handful of Westminster.
I'm not yet a member of the International Marxist Group but I buy Socialist Challenge every week off one of the lads at the factory where I work. I find it an excellent working-class unlike the popular daily apologists -and I have started trying to sell it.
The paper is an excellent way of drawing people's attention not only to tne Tories in the Con Party and their anti-worker attitudes and actions, but to the Tories in the Labour Party, who are the real intiltrators
PS. Enclosed is f2 for the Fighting Fund.
The Gang of Frauds Come look Ye at the Gang of Four, The people's hope, the people's choice, Press your shell-like ear to their door, Fleet Street's dope, the bosses' voice -Listen to the noble noise of Shirley and the Limehouse boys.
There's Woy the Boy, the workers' Shovelling down caviar and sipping brandy, Discussing with his banker mates The dweadful level of interest wates -Pontificating over if and when Woy the Boy will wule again. When we sit down to our small feast We should remember this at least, Champagne hath charms to soothe the savage beast.
There's Doc David, the black man's mate, Tucking into his well stacked plate, Thinking of the time when he took fair elections to Zimbabwe, OUT in a fortnight - the first issue of a new-look INTERNATIONAL, a journal of Marxist analysis produced by supporters of the Fourth International in Britain.
A new political situation has opened up for revolutionary marxists. Thatcher and Reagan have created a new cold war alliance. The holocaust has re-emerged, generating a mass mamenu movement. Allne same time the economic ICCCOSIUIL has levels of unemployment
By Dave Carter
TRYING to write a football col-
umn for a socialist
reminds me of watching Mid-
dlesbrough struggling to
an FA Cup Semi-Final for the first
time in history. The willingness
is there, but somehow the whole
idea seems highly improbable.
Now that Boro'
chances in the Molyneaux mud for yet
Season. Lucre
Teesside over Craig Johnston's delayed
action transfer to Liverpool.
Two years ago, careerists
spokesman
be a lie -glee,
International
undreamt of for almost fifty years.
The traditional shape of British politics has been shaken by the establishment of a new centre party and the crises of the two major political parties
These profound developments have forced the whole workers' movement to look afresh al overall political and
Middlesbrough sell-out
newspaper Cassert
reach Middlesbrough.
Boro' have blown their itself. uproar The
Liverpool pinched Agonising over why truth can prove to
Wondering when his time will come To bring democracy to every one.
Hark at Billy the pacifists' kid, Dining his way through fifty quid, Explaining to his colonel friend The wav to avoid a nuclear end -'The answer's simple,' he says with
strategic solutions to the problems confronts.
There has been a flowering of reformist schemes and Eneones based the Alternative Economic Strategy. fuelled successes ot the Labour eft in the battle for party achoctary.
Revolutionaries have not been so quick to grapple with this new political situation and theoretical and political problems it nas created INTERNATIONAL aims to develop a revolutionary socialist pro-
News
our best player, Graeme Souness, whom Middlesbrough had taken out of Spurs
and transformed into midfield maestro in Division One. Souness is now hailed as a superstar while playing no better than he did at
Having taken Craig Johnston from the Australian outback and developed him into a worthy successor to Souness,
lars are trifle aggrieved that history is about to repeat
villain of the piece restauranteur and former dance band leader Charles Amer, chairperson of the Middlesbrough board of directors. To
'When they disarm then so shall we' -Talking of that longed-for date When he'll take charge and sit and wait.
Lastly there's Shirley, the feminists' friend, Anti-abortionist to the end, Tucking into a murdered egg, Eating its mother's deep-fried leg, Lecturing on Europe's role
gramme for Britain. It will carry theoretical and analytical articles along with polemics and discussion pieces.
The next two issues will appear in early July and September. In the autumn we hope to further expand the journal, particularly its international coverage The first issue contains the following articles:— • British politics in the 1980s by John Ross • Poland: at by Oliver MacDonald • Cuba by Jean-Pierre Beauvais • Reviews by Margaret Cons Harison, Michael Löwy, John Denny Fitzpatrick and Ric Sissons.
Future issues will include
Amer and his colleagues football means becoming a civic dignatory — and a good season is one where the books balance.
Annel masterminded Johnston's move to Liverpool over the head of Boro' manager John Neal, and has even admitted that he tried to sell the
• to Leeds at Christmas for £1m. This fell through because didn't want to go.
Indeed throughout the whole saga Johnston has seemed reluctant to leave Middlesbrough and has insisted on staying. until his contract expires in May.
Boro' fans are now asking about the futures of David Hodgson and Mark
Never again!
arucies on • A new stage of Anglosm relations • Disarmament and the struggle for socialism • The economic programme of the Labour government • History Labour's youth movements • Crisis of the Communist Party • Pornography and censorship • The Monarchy And much, much more
INTERNATIONAL costs 60p and a special rate of £3.5l for year is available for new subscribers Write to:
INTERNATIONAL, c/O PO Box 50, London N1 2XP. Make cheques to 'INTERNATIONAL'
La profit?
mid-table team directors Craig without his agreement.
directors is monev Newcastle Johnston recently resigned impartiality?
In putting fishermen on the dole -Prices watchdog wondering when she'll watch the prices rise again.
The moral to this poem's plain -They've conned us once
JOHN CUTTS, Stockport
work. white rule.
Socialist Challenge
Proctor who play alongside Johnston in the England Under-21 team. Will they also be sacrificed so that Amer can show
The next departure from Ayresome Park may be manager John Neal who is unlikely to want to manage a mediocre indefinitely while his sell off Boro's young stars
The main concern of all football witness the three United directors (including League President Lord Westwood) who because they were reluctant to stump up f16,000 apiece to stop Newcastle's slide to Division Three I'm sorry if Socialist Challenge's first football column has been dominated by events at Ayresome Park, but what did you expect in a left-wing newspaper
International Women's Day in the doldrums GOING on the Interna Day march this year felt so in. troverted. as though the women's movement turning inwards rather than outwards. It's abou time we really celebrated ine day witn a mass. na tional march.
Reading Cathy Porter's history hallene day (Socialist Challenge March) made me realise how far we've moved from original content, of working class women's strikes Shouldn't we be going outwards to draw in more women from trade TO US , local occupations
sections the Labour Party, and community groups, as well as the local women's groups?
Perhaps if we'd really built the event in a big war we wouldn't have had to abide by the imposed bar — although the irony of a state ban on the NF march ending up with Our celebration being banned may have brought home to a lot of us the danger of calling any form state censorship, whether against marches or pornorgraphy.
Let's hope the NaLola Festival for Women's Rights - and against Tory attacks - or 9 May will be a start o broadening the : women's movement and that we car get started soon to buil International Day 1982 as a day that all women can join in, nationally.
JUDY WATSON, London E5
Jeremy McMullen
Employment law under the Tories
Pluto Press, £1.95 This book is designed to provide trade unionists with an explanation of new laws introduced by the Tories. It covers women's rights, the closed shop picketing, and union recognition and is essential reading for all those fighting for their rights at
Alex Callinicos Southern Africa After Zimbabwe
Pluto Press, £2.95 Based on research and interviews conducted during the elections which brought Mugabe to power, the book traces the background to the new phase in the struggle to liberate southern Africa from
The Other Bookshop 328 Upper St, London N1
26 March 1981 Page 13
Page 14 scan of this page
Labour MP KEVIN McNAMARA has launched a Labour discussion paper on Ireland. The paper has been widely discussed in the pages of Socialist Challenge, and as part of this McNamara's welcome step to socialist perspective for the north of Ireland.
a meeting week, are published here.
Ce tricotion welcome the publication this discussion document as a sign that for the first time,
Nous ne pro blem of the Six Counties under the carpet and prelena unal Il s all tue laull of the para-militaries, the NEC has been prepared to examine problems created for the party and for these islands by the tragedy of Northern Ireland.
LET IRI
HUNG
STRIK
D' Brien
ialist Challenge 26 March 1981
savage attack on the Party national executive's
debate Kevin contribution is establishing
Extracts from his speech, made at
on Wednesday of last
That, however, is as far as I can go because the paper that has been produced dangerous, foolish paper, a Unionist paper, , some might be a litunkina to call it an Orange paper.
It is a paper in which Enoch Powell and the Uister Unionists must delight. It is not a socialist paper.
The whole drift of its yn la Rose, loft, from the New Cross Massacre Action Comtee, was one of the speakers at a meeting in London last
day which plodged support to the Irish hunger strikers.
Page 14
argument is in favour of integration of the Six
within the Kingdom continuing death and tragedy in Nor thern Ireland.
The consensus view of the Northern Group of Labour MPs is that the long-term interests of the United Kingdom and Ireland lie in the even. tual unification of the two
Istall Ireland.
The major problem in Northern Sureaud LOC constitutional The Istallu was 1921, so as to take account of the wishes of a Loyalist minority in Ireland to opt out of a united Ireland and to retain links with Great
DON'T LET IRISH
DON* MUNGER JAKERS DIE
Ireland.
Labour NEC on Ireland
Dangerous and Orange'
Britain.
Northern Ireland is a constituency which was deliberately arawn to give a two-to-one majority In favour of maintainin,
link with the against an 80 per cent wish that the whole of the island of Ireland be independent.
Loyalists
The effect is, that by dint of a sectarian head count, the Loyalists have been presented with lasting majority in the Six Counties, maintained
programmes vast emigration and deliberate discrimination against the minority. states the argument that Yet the NEC Kesh.
day, Patsy O'Hare and Raymond Peter Mc Creesh also went on hunger strike.
Socialist Challenge recently talked to FERGUS O'HARE Belfast. As a member of the National H Block/Ar magh Committee, he one of those responsible for organising the
behalf of the prisoners.
Fergus also
member of the Irish revolutionary socialist orga-
Peoples nisation, Democracy.
Action
The National H Block/ Armagh Committee regards work in the trade
portant par culteid,
portant. that end,' said Fergus, 'we're organising a Day of Action hope wil hal which we
have as muct success Shan she Day of Action re more,
called on 10 December when, certainly in Belfast, the number of people who came out on the streets was greater than any trade union day of action which has been called by the official trade union movement.
Those workers who did come out in support of the prisoners last time were from the rank and file of the various unions. although individual union leaders expressed their support for the prisoners' Caus.
Saturday 25 April,
prisoners - grant the
Northern Ireland should return to majority rule - a return the practices
and resulted in the present bloodshed and economic disintegration.
The policy of the Labour Party government from the fall of the former power-sharing executive of May 1974 was to draw the conclusion that the only option was Direct Rue while concentrating on improving the economy and security But there was no advance on the political front policy which, of necessity, favoured the Loyalists. The result was that many members of the Northern Irish Social Democratic and Labour
The hunger strike -
organising to win
THERE are now four Irish political prisoners on hunger strike in the H Blocks of Long
Two weeks ago, Frankie Hughes joined Bobby Sands on the protest, then, last Sun-
Pti SOCIALIST REPUBLIC ON NE TA SUPPORT THE PRISONERS New issue just out.
*Support the Prisoners Make the British Concede *H Block/Armagh Strategy for Victory *Reviews: The Troubles and ctory to tne Armasn Women ilable from PO Box 50
There was other of-
Fergus: number trades councils passed resolutions of support, as did the two largest unions in Ireland - the ITGWU and the ATGWU. 'But when we called for industrial action it was left rank and file workers to organise themselves and to Lutile out in many cases in the face of opposition fron the official union leaderships.
National Demonstration
Support Irish
five demands
Called by H-Block/Armagh (Landon) Committee
Party were antagonised. and relations between Dublin CanO Westminster were not as happy as they shoulu nave been
Chicanery
The in actiul ceding to Unionist demands tor extra seats ir the Six Counties as a prize for continuing support for
minority labour Ine zovernicul plete alienation.
This was a complete reversa of orevIou.
polices, and was as cynical
political chicanery to retain power as the country has ever seen, and one which the Labour Party is likely to continue sutter Fergus O'Hare
"That was why, in one sense, the positive sponse of workers throughout the country the nucer sunke suronseolne national committee. It surprised, too, . a number of trade union bureaucrats.
The National H Block/ Armagh Committee has also been encouraged by the impressive participa
campaign. magh youth committees were set up during the last hunger strike, and these Fergus believes, were a real step foward:
"The youth committees were the first serious attempt since the early civil
penod youth to listen to what LiIcy • have to them get out and put their ideas into action. This is a very important aspect of the whole campaign.
Also important was the support the hunger strike received from the women's
an international level, and
savs Mergus
Northern Ireland
The next steps?
many years to come. It was
complete sell-out to the Unionists
There has to be a new departure The new socialist approach 1 would urge would be to scrap the discussion paper.
Let us • start from the CORCCD of the island of Ireland and work out from
rather than looking at the Six Counties as some SULL of imperial relic. the interests of all these islands, the sooner the Labour Party starts on a
approach to Ireland's British problem, the better.
2058
'the committee is looking to draw feminist support magh jaiprisoners in Ar- women Unions
But Fergus's closing remarks were directed towards trade unionists in Britain:
'In view of the statements which the TUC have put out on the situa tion in H Block, it's worth stating the official position of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. As agreed at the 1978 conference, the policy is that prisoners should not be forced to wear prison uniforms, should not have to do prison work, and should not be penalised for refusing to do either of these
'When the TUC or the British Labour Party state their opposition to the demands the Irish political prisoners, they are theretore going against the leadership of the Irish trade union movement.
Page 15 scan of this page
...but Lee Jeans fights on
Setback for women in
health union
By Geoffrey Sheridan THE health women make up just over three-quarters of the membership. tional executive. There were three women on the 29-strong NEC, but defeated in recent elections.
be re-elected, says: (ere which women's views ought to be represented by both women and men, such as part-timers, cuts in community services, as well as pay and equal opportunities, because we are the fected.'
their gross under-representation, COHSE's structure or policies active enough, so we cannot complain too loudly about not being adequately represented.
tive in the union, making up 24 per cent of branch secretaries and 25 per cent of annual conference delegates.
on the national executive are reserved for women. Among the gains made by this form of affirmative action is that an additional two women have since been elected on to the NUPE executive.
Teachers accept
7½% without a
fight
By Ken Jones, Socialist Teachers Alliance AT A special Conference last weekend, the teacher's union rejected a fight for its pay claim of 15 per cent. Instead delegates cepted a pitiful 7½ per cent. thousands sit teach where
Icallicis al c WOrTed inical unemployment,
should have argued wages did not mean fewer jobs. But there was no senious Call Dalzil Ovel the pay claim.
Claim
The executive accepts that the deal leaves us which will certainly picase tne Tories.
Instead of co-ordinating the claim with that of other public sector which would have laid the action, the executive bleated
No non-union shops!
By Pete Clifford STRIKERS occupying the Royal Pride furniture factory were evicted by High Court order last week.
ney were sitting In to hion lent inerr Cam TOP FAgnition of their union.
Ders established sit-in the
that to hire cheap labour
The manager refused
to accept t union rights and sacked the strikers
support nas Tooded in with collections being taken at many factories in
Manchester delegates
TrOM all over une coutury contributed to their fund.
Salford MP Frank Allaun in to back up the strikers saying That uney were fully instite- in striking ans
non-recognition their union'
The strike committee is caming or more suppor
service union COHSE, in which
now has an all-male na-
all of them were
Norah Baldock, one of the women who failed to
are Many issuco onl
ones most
But she tends to blame women themselves for
rather than 'We are just not
Yet in spite of all the obstacles, women are ac-
In the public employees' union NUPE, six seats that we could not have achieved anything better without a sunke and une membership wouldn't stand for that'.
Critics
Instead of defending the it es of its vibers, members,
flas susochuca ornicers LamloclI eachers ASsoCianon because Loev organised suD port for joint trade union ac-
The six want support fron
Il NUT branches and labou
Eight Labour Wallpall MPs, includile 1 only bell. have already given their support.
Picket the NUT executive when suspended NUT the appeal members
heard: Saturday April. ramalon
Mabledon Place, London WCI.
Just our — Dejence com mittee Bulletin. Copies obRoad, e indon 2220. tainable from: Wheathill for their fund and picket on ut basis unal ue wnore laDour movement must make cear is oooosition to non-union shops in the
contributions
Anson Rd
Manchester Daily nuyd Pride. Greenaate. Salford Sorry!
TWO proofreading er-
rors crept our Pront pase wel
when we said industrial
productionl nas declin-
ed by cent. ine
The quote from Ber-
nadette McAliskey on
12 should 'Historical reatity
is that there will be no
Ireland while they (the
British Army) are here.
By Des Tierney WORKERS at Talbot's Linwood plant last week rejected their Joint Shop Committee (JSCC) recommendation to occupy the plant to prevent its closure. The factory will now close by the end of May with all 4,800 workers made redundant. was instructed to seek the best redundancy conditions from the company.
It is estimated that the total redundancies caused by the closure will rise to about 10,000 — in an area where unemployment already stands at 25 per Celil " as well demoralising effects on other Scottish workers fighting to save their jobs.
the wake disaster the union leadership has been quick blame the workforce rather than own policies for this decision.
Jimmy vuge or une scol tish TUC explained that it was 'the fact that the government and a large section of the media believed there was no possibility of forcing the company to reverse lts decision .
Milne's remarks SULT up. the approach OI Ine union leaders throughout
they have opposed any
action in tavour of an attempt to mobilise "Scottisn public opinion' against the French-owned
Copies available from Building
of tainable from the same address.
Home News
The Linwood disaster
Stewards'
The JSCC
company's closure plans.
Immediately after the closure announcement the shop stewards' committee leaders defeated a motion оссиру against the redundancies. Instead they decided to show how profitable and effecient the plant could be by accepting the company's plans to run the plant 'flat out' for three months.
Point
Jimmy Livingstone, the TGWU convenor, bragged openly: 'We intend to work normally.
We'll show LOCu wild throughput is. No one is going to point the finger at us. No one is going to say that we are the wreckers.
The second mass mecung showca le cucci of this bankrupt strategy over 30 ner cent of th workers voted to accept the closure.
Only at the eleventh
LEEE
20 NUT SWA Women at the Lee Jeans factory in Greenock are still in occupation to save their jobs.
Building Worker
LATEST issue out now. Produced by and for rank and file workers in the building industry.
Worker, c/o 223B Queens Road, London SE15 2NG. Copies
Building Workers policy statement ob-
hour did the shop stewards change their approach and Cano an occuoaton. then it was too late. The seeds of disaster had beer sown long before. The on-
way to have saved the Linwood jobs was by mobilising the entire workers' movement in struggle nationalisaLoll linked to a movemen to kick out the Tories.
Support
When the Talbot Action Committee called meeting to assess support TrOM olne workers' mood was mistakeable Shop stewards from Govan shipyards, Rolls Kovci and elsewhere all urged Talbot workers to 'take up the cudgel', to 'go into battle was repeated that Linwood was where 'the line had to be drawn'.
Leaders
The line wasn't drawn at Linwood and it won't be drawn until the leaders of the class unne actones realise that concerted fight
azallist 1 cuulluallcies, involving massive industrial action, must be linked to a movement to kick out this Tory govern. ment.
LEE
V.F.
SIT- IN
Hackney*
2 Hammersmith & Fulham
Kensington & Chelsea Newham
Greenwich*
5
Hackney tenants plan
rent and rates strike
By Geoffrey Sheridan TENANTS on the Nightingale estate Hackney, East London, dre organising for a rent and rates strike.
Hit by rent rises imposed Creater Tory-controlled
London walen owns une seven towel nocks on the estate.
colosal spare one is
nackacy coulicu. , lic lelalil: intero lo willo• oole creases.
The decision was taken at
of some 200 tenants
Towers Tenants Alled one
HILLCC They ale canal. that the Lc ane mne loca council freeze rents and rates at their present level
Nightingale is a typical
Jous
Socialist Challenge
RATE RISES
55.1 53.6 52.5 52.0 51.7 inner-city estate littered with Lar oate smashed panes, and lifts that routinely breakdown. Yet the rates and rents increases bring the cost of a one-bedroom flat to f30 a week
The action committee l now organising a petition on the estate, in preparation fo
backıng in the local Labour r arules.
Six Labour councillors voted against the rates rise the highest in Britain - anc
execulive Hackne NOTIN agreed organise and suppor rent
Nightingale estate is in Hackney Central where the CLPs general com mulice will colsluci a Sillllid proposal later tnis montr
Such action could spell the end of the Labour left's high rates policy By Des Tierney 'WE'RE disappointed that the workers didn't occupy. but going make any difference to us. speaking on behalt of the Le McCahill Jeans occupation in Greenock near Glasgow
The • occu sauol is nuw l its eighth week and SuDDOr continues to pour in.
Over £3,000 was pledgec al a COLESA SHOD sicwalu: conference in Leith last week
which gave a standing time
plant, owned by Vanity Fair
'We intend to stick it out
Torv governmen
system that puts profit before
people,' Bridie said.
The majority of workers
at Lee Jeans are young an
They are determine
to near tor men loos. una o said Linda, when some has right Socialist Challenge fast week women
Carount 'Womer
have as much right to work as
the men.
Linda said: 'It's not jus:
our jobs. If we win or Talbots
it would realis
Somebody has to make a
stallu.
Tupport it con get a
the support can gel
Scottish shop stewards
conterence messeo lie nc
tor weekli levies from
labour movement to sustain
the occupation.
And womer
themselves want to tour the
country to build support.
in Caro for a long me
be in here long time
because there's no way we't
Come to cl
Messages of suppor and
donations to: National U'nior
COLOM garmen.
Workers, 534 Sauchiehall S:
"Glasgow
26 March 1981 Page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
BERNADETTE:
BERNADETTE McAliskey -weeks ago was on the brink of death following an attempt to assassinate her and her husband Michael - is to contest the Westminster by-election for the managh and South Tyrone.
The election will take place on 9 April, and in an exclusive interview Ber-
told Socialist Challenge why she would be a candidate:
'I'm standing because its time the mass mobilisa. ton was turned against Maggie Thatcher.
'There's no living this country, with soldiers and jails, and no money, and no jobs, and no peace,
And there's politician Drenared to do anyuning about it but complain.
'So it's time we landed the Maggie's feet West-
Bernadette's election campaign will focus particularly on the hunger strike in the H Blocks of Long Kesh prison. Three
IMIGRATION
NATIONALITY
THE
BILL
DEMONSTRATE
Socialist
Challenge
WHY I'M
STANDING
who just a few
constituency of Fer-
Irish political prisoners have now joined Bobby Sands who started his protest at the beginning of March.
Said Bernadette: 'By polling day Bobby Sands will be 40 days on hunger strike, so the whole election will be crucial to the outcome of that strike, and the election campaign will be geared around it.
The by-election is caused by the death dependent Republican Frank Maguire. Frank's brother, Noel, has nounced his intention contest the seat and his campaign is being backed by the Catholic Church.
Noel Maguire has played no part in the struggic lo win duman rigals lor the Irish political prisUlcis. His candidature is 'CONGRATULATIONS, children can come!'
Thursday morning agonising five year struggle to bring her three children to Britain
Amidst the frenzied activity that followed the call Anwar was besieged
flowers and telephone calls from all national and local news-
she found time for few brief words with JENNY FLINTOFT.
ANWAR: It's proved it's worth fighting. It's proved that the Home Office wrong to
Volo claim that black people always tell lies.
It's the Home Office
London N1
seen very much as an attempt the Catholic Church to stop Bernadette, whose left-wing soc-
the bishops.
Another non-Unionist candidate could be Austin Curry of the northern Irish Social Democratic and Labour Party. The SDLP has also stated its oppostion to political status for the Irish prisoners. Crisis
Bernadette Socialist Challenge ane
Comene! possible accusations that she would be splitting the non-Unionist vote:
'When the chips are down, with the political
crisis reaching the stage it is,
the aid of the Catholic of mine to come to Church and middle class Catholics and help them to find an inoffen-
Catholic SCHe back to Westminster.'
Til keep on fighting
for black people -
Anwar Ditta
Anwar, your
These words from MP Joel Barnett last ended Anwar Ditta's
that's been lying for five years. I hope all black people will have the courage keep fighting. and hope
that have been
the open will do so now.
But God knows what we've been throuch - now it's like we've been born again. I felt when Joe Barnett told wonderful.
The children will be coming soon as possible; as soon as we
By Dick
Withecombe,
GMWU and Oldham
West CLP
FOR a year now.
Socialist Challenge cent attempt on her life, standing in Tyrone. the mass movement to Westminster.' can get their tickets
What did the letter Joel Barnett brought from the Home Office actually say!
As the blood tests and tissue tests shown on the Grenada TV pro gramme indicated that tney are your children, immigration officers will be instructed give them entry clearance.
And the Home Office hopes will have a good life in this country.
Does this mean the campaign is over?
We still need to raise
There are enormous debts. I'm still appealing for But I'd like to thank all those that have helped me. I've had support from all
CND supporters- support
Socialist Challenge!
has consistently built and publicised the anti-missile movement and CND.
The paper has given a clear lead and direction for the type of mass moveDespite the injuries sustained in the re-
Bernadette is the by-election for South She say she is standing to 'take
over the world.
I've just had a phone call from Denmark from close friends seett my children in Pakistan. It the in Denmark.
My friends have been celebrating all night and I got a letter from the Archbishop of Catorebury heard written before my coloren cole come. said sincerely hope. done listice that will be
And what will you do now?
Well, of course, I'm concentrating on getting my children here.
But Il keep on fighting for black people.
ment that we need to build
movement that organises mass action and
which is primarily based on the labour movement
and youth reflect the ¡ournalistic
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skills of the editorial staff but the participation hundreds of Socialist Challenge readers within and leading anti-missile ment.
I've seen this in my own experience in Manchester.
When Manchester Against the Missiles organised a 2,000 stong
Blackpool on the eve of the Labour Party con ference, was Socialist Challenge alone that motivated the march and local supporters in Mancheste that helped organise it.
On the march and during conference, the tireless effort of Socialist Challenge accumulated wide sponsorship for a call for a labour movement conference Motivated Challenge supporters the proposal won the overwhelming support of CND's national conference Building up the Labour Movement Conference Against the Missiles, Challenge has been the only paper to carry consistent coverage All® this has made me realise the role of the paper even more.
For me the choice is clear: do we want to build a Illass movement, ao we want to build mass ac, do we want to base ourselves primarily on the and labour movement? so, then all ,anti-missile acuivist should read, sell, and help finance the paper inat nas argued for this approach from the start; the paper that has been unrivalled in its internationalism, its coverage and analysis of the war drive and the expanding revolution in Central America and the Carib bean.
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← Socialist Challenge No. 189, 19 March 1981Socialist Challenge No. 191, 2 April 1981 →