Socialist Challenge No. 200, 4 June 1981
The scan: sc-n200.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
THETORIES Benn interview pages 7-9
No. 200 4 June 1981 25p Unemployed and strikers 10p
Socialist
WE HAVE
THE
POWER.
OLDON
MAGNIFICENT! Despite
KICK OUT TUC,
is used!
total lack of mobilising effort by streets last Sunday to support Peple's March for Jobs. disperined the deep working min hatred of Thatcher's government, and the depth of the demand for radical change. display of solidarity faturday. that the the efforts of the marchers, People's March won't save a single job. TUC and Labour Party, ing class for industrial action to fight redun- dancy and bring down the Tories, the flood of redundancies. Last Sunday show- But one sad fact casts a shadow over all 150,000 people ed we have the power to throw the Tories out. The leaders of our movement must see that it Only a determined campaign, took
Daily Express pay-off to Healey - f8,616 a year
publishers of the rabidly anti-labour Daily Express.
amounting to an annual remuneration of £8,616.
the almost the to the the
determination.
and the led by the can stem
EXCLUSIVE
DENIS Healey, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, receives a substantial 'retainer' from Express Newspapers,
For the benefit of his services - a few articles a year - the Thatcherite newspaper group pays Healey £718 a month,
tiona Unior
NUJ strikes headed demand It which
must manipulating just for
in an effort to
Daily
Benn.
relation to back-hander trying movement'.
coming parliamentary
Hua £20,000 In
Commons, *Freelanci writer,
The bankers' friend has disclosed this informa tion to the London Fred
tione Branion of the
Journalists, which he has applied to join. For years Healey has been a member of the anti-union Institute
JOUNaLISES WHOS members regularly scab on
The Express group is
by Victor MatInews, wno was raisca to the peerage by Thatcher for services to her party.
The latest contribution by the Daily Express to the Tory cause was its rub bishing last week of th People's March for Jobs, with the headline: How the spirit of Jarrow is being trampled shamelessl underfoot today.
It was vicious enough for the march organisers to
• and secure -the right of reply.
was the Expres led the media trashing of the TUC's Day
label, declaring that unelected Lenin (sic) Murray and all the Bully Boys
be stopped BrOT
political and finally taking the print unions to the High Court,
stop them striking on 14 May. ily Express resolutthe of course, supports Healey against
Given that the scale of Healey's retainer bears no
the fees normally paid for articles, his
from Mat
Party tsefrom the
Sunday he attempted to address the
150,000 people assemble in Hyde Park to join the People's March, and when they jeered him he attacked 'the handful of people
divide the
The unemployed will be pleased to know that
on top salary of
£11.750. Healey's Express retainer gives him an an-
income of over
the Register of
Members' Interests, pub
HOUS of Healey lists: journalist, lecturer, broad
He has yet to disclose the thousands he no doubt receives from these other
activities — none of them
undertaken in the interests
of the working class.
Page 2 scan of this page
The beginning
PENSioneds
BILLINGHAN
Pensioners shout out 'Pension off Maggie! PEOPLES MARON 008S 1001 BUILD HOMES
SCHOOL'S AND
A FUTURE,
NOT BOMBS
MISSILES AND DEATH
DE Paul, one of the marchers says 'In Southall, Indian workers gave us a big , gave us oranges and apples on the street
Socialist Challenge 4 June 1981 Page 2
jobs. NDIAN WORKERS ASSOCIATIONG B
- offered to take us
ARTHUR Scargill stole the thunder at the People's March rally on Sunday afternoon with a triumphant call to occupy factories to protect jobs.
The battle against the Tories would be won in the streets of Britain, he told the jubilant crowd.
The demonstration which greeted the People's Marchers was OVCIwhelming not
most enormous gathering since the rally against the Industrial Relations Act in 1972 reaching 150,000 at its peak, not simply because every group of workers which has attempted to stand up
monetarism was there, , but because the climax of the march showed that a mass movement can be built
down the government. However, the ›00 marchers still retur home this week without
Argue
Tom Macafee from Gardner's recognised this when he pointed out that it was no easy task to argue for an occupation against redundancy with such odds as the CBI, the Engineering Employers Federation and the Tory government arraved against you.
But it was vital to argue for that action. Macafee argued in order to turn the tide against en on tole ment and take political arguments that are raised on the shopfloor waen reaundancy discussed
For too long people have 'run away from the political arguments', he told the massive crowd.
It was message the People's Marchers had been waiting to hear since
BRAMH
the send-off in Liverpool. We had demanded that the march went to people struggle, like the UG Glass factory Peasley, Helens, the Laurence Scott workers in occupation at Manchester to give them full support.
We, the marchers, had said that we wanted those get employment or our platforms, such as the Ansells workers who had been locked out in their fight to protect jobs, and not Hattersley and Dennis Healey wao woen m Dower our sued policies which cut jobs.
The crowd warmed to the People's Marchers' view. Denis Healey rightly got a rough ride in Hyde Park as had koy Hattersley in Birmingham.
The the North-west, the Midlands,
By Valerie Coultas,
People's marcher from Liverpool to London and the South-east regions of the TUC backed strongly the LONmunist Party had original-
SICSSCU the political nature of the mar-
but the massive swing to Labour in the council elections made it obvious was with the Tory governlucill Backing
When workers take a stand and fight unemplovment they need the fullest backing the official movement. That means etfective action prevent the movement of all good. even if it does challenge Jim Prior's employment legislation unlike the Ansells strike where officials refused to enforce a boycott.
But above all the TUC has to give a clear lead to all se is edic camer
ACTIC
WHEN WILL
5IT
redundancy and unemployment. Only such
unemployed in action black and white, male and female and old with all those in work
The TUC has had policy calling for a 35-hour week ior years now As Ken Gill general secretary of the technical engineers union TO C Ine crowd last Sunday; if Mit-
promising a 35-hour week
it's about time the British TUC led a real fight for it.
The People's March has proved that the workers have the power. The TUC leaders should use that power to get Maggie out or step down for those who are prepared to use it.
Dennis Skinner, Labour MP for Bolsover made his viewpoint crystal NOW
LEE. JEANI
clear when he pointed out the differential effects of the recession on the two classes in Britain.
"There'll be sion on 29 July,' he tolo the sympathetic crowd 'Of course this political march', and 'I'm not prepared to allow the Tories to trample over m class for the next five years, he added.
many ways Tony Benn. Dennis Skinner anc Arthur Scargil outdid th march organisers with the
their speeches. They certainly roid the crowd what they wanted to hear, but it has to be remembered that it's the ud trump card.
What next
It's the TUC at the mosaental ete mies nor the power of the working class will be used in the fight to defend jobs and force the Tories out of office. But what will they do after the march?
The South-east region is calling for a mass lobby of parliament when a new
leavers hits the dole queues in July. The lUC is talk ing of a march not of hun. dreds but of thousands to highlight further the plight of the jobless.
Unemployment centres are being opened various towns, although TUC restrictions on their activities are cumbersome.
All protests and actions against unemploy ment must be welcomed Yean one are The usefu ployed themselves have i be allowed a voice withir the trade movement. so that thev do no become isolated from those in work as thev tend ed to in the 1930s.
Page 3 scan of this page
of a tidal wave
S MARCH FOR JOS
All photos by Graeme Cookson (Socialist Challenge)
GIRY EBREAKERS* 01-22
DONE
AWAY 81 Westminsie
Peoples
march
WERPOOL-LENDON .. not arsen satisfaction here. As Dennis Skinner suys Biggest bunch of moonlighters in the country
here bring i home to the for sent is wher. Monaghan
Arthur Scargill, president of the Yorkshire miners say
demonstraton as our orme brocess 01 or l0 c rui
the plight of unemployed. The next step is to win the Jight on
streets campai
to campaign to force a general election to get rid of in
Page 4 scan of this page
Union militants say:
Phil Davies on the People's March
NOW!
OU TORES
KICK
JANE
Post office engineers
vote with their feet - HE Post Office Engineering Union's conference * = week failed to debate a resolution urging sup==*t for Tony Benn.
With 700 delegates at-
Ing a fringe meeting 3enn and only 200 at seting with Denis Heaunion executive conterence the deputy ship issue. All on the Labour Party alked out and the exforced proposition erturn the Wembley
OCK CAMPBELL,
• arch secretary of City
ch of the POEU and
person erroad Left spoke to the Na-
Challenge after inference debate on a bour Party. the light of impordecisions facing the Party, the POEU ship did its usual 2 act and made sure " did not reach the rant issues S:: alist Challenge
Phil Davies, Convenor at Schreiber's in Man-! chester been on
for Shen-tie and now faces the
of compulsory unreal redundancy. He is an executive member of the Furniture, and Allied Trades:
'From the very start of this march we realised it Wus political march because unemployment can only be solved by
and getting a government Labour Party deputy and the Wembley decision that most delegates wanted to vote on.
meetings with Benn and Healey obviously dicated to the leadership how the delegates viewed the importance of these issues and in the tradi-
manner elected body they failed to ce me sue
'As far as I'm concerned it is essential that we mount campaign throughout all branches of the POEU giving them all the facts on these Issues. and asking them through
of their branches to write to Head Office to inform it of their decision on how the union should vote at any future Labour conference.
Page 4
now the march
is over...
proper socialist policies.
This is why I think the nor me ceo tender ship of the Labour Party is important ana ine poucy debate behind it. Even though many people are still working, redundancies and short-time loom over their heads.
There's a tremendous feeling of resentment in the country we ve seer that ordinary people Have OUi their houses all the way along the route to support us.
ed into a mass movement
£15m for Rover's
- a joke, but a
dangerous one
By Patrick Sikorski THE £15m offer for Rover Solihull BL car plant from a consortium of Midlands' business people led by the Conservative MP for the Birmingham constituency of Yardley, Mr GilroyBevan, is a joke in terms of the sort of money needed in the car industry these days.
But if this consortium is serious it can only mean
news for the Rover worke. means buying up the Kover name or une cacab. massively rationalising the workforce and producing small numbers of luxury cars or pure and simple asset stripping.
Pave
Involvement the Rover unions in talks with alternative buyers will Dave the way LUE redundancies. One of the most tamous tights against job loss proves the point.
in June 19/1 a consortium of four shipbuilding yards called Upper Clyde
IF WERE LAME
DUCKS
THE TORIES ARI
DEAD
DUCKS
UCS: one
governments
o arme cown ine ones.
I'm going to have a meeting with all the marchers when I get back to
Manchester and we're going to put pressure on the trade unions to organise the unemployed. if the pressure is not kept up on the TUC and the Labour Party leaders ajier the march it'll all come to a full stop.
It's one thing to talk about unemployment from behind a desk Congress house but it's quite another to get the
TUC to spring into action. Shipbuilders declared itself bankrupt, having failed to get government money to prop it up.
Victim
It was the biggest vic tim of the Heath • govern ment's 'lame duck' Dolcv. The 8,449 workers occupied against the closure and began a work-in.
The stewards called for nationalisation or failing that, for a private buyer to take over all four yards without loss of jobs.
But when a Texan businessman Wayne Harbin
an offer for the Clydebank yard the stewards pushed through a separate deal creating the Marathon yard. The other
UCS
of the last
'lame
I'd like to see one-day national starling with ame mainers railway workers and then the
workers to bring JU Well down this government.
three yards were later formed into a company called Govan Shipbuilders.
The private speculators got bargain workers picked up the bill. Cut
Within a year of the end of the dispute the workforce had been cut by
per cent with the loss of 2,449 jobs.
Under the deal signed by the shop stewards with Marathon all unofficial strikes were banned for 4 years and a system of binding arbitration
Was troduced resulting in large loss of earnings for those taking action outside of procedure.
At the Govan the shop stewards agreec to a 120 per cent increase in productivity.
At both Govan and Marathon despite having already sud lines were smashed Terea a pay Ireeze months a pay deal of only halt demanded was agreed.
Rover workers have no interest in putting Mr. Girov-Bevan in clover Ior the rest of his life but every interest in saving each and every job at Solihull.
SRISONo
VENES A FOR
CLYDE
Tory
ducks'
Neil Ward, unemployed executve member
the National Society of
Metal Mechanics, from
Birmingham:
I'm going to talk to my local Labour party in Erdington COCK and NALGO the local coversament union. which sponsored me, and tell them about the march.
I want to set up an acbring our sponsoring trade unions behind the unemployment campaign.
Dene ve ou month and go home and do nothing you've failed in your object. You may
just have stayed at Rome lover.
I don't think the TUC are fighting hard enough their backsides and did their backsides and something. I'd call general strike against the government if I was charge.
The 14 May Day of Action last year wasn't properly organised. they
really got organised at the
TUC they'd get the bạck-
ing of the trade unionists.
The Tories are holding the working class to ransom and they need to be shown they can't get away with it.
Laurence scott
occupation
Frank Stubbs Electromotors snoo stewards People's March for our occupation and want to thank Socialist Challenge and its supporters for all the help with management came to nothing the nume caos
NATIONAL MARCH
AND RALLY AGAINST
UNEMPLOYMENT
CARDIFF
4 JULY
ASSEMBLE: 11 AM NATIONAL MUSEUM RALLY: 1.15 PM PONTCANNA PARK
Mark Shaw, unemploy. ed seaman from Liverpool who marched all the way:
I think the march has brought home to • people how serious unemployment is. It's made people more aware of the plight of the unemployed espe-
It's made people on the march more politically uwure. 6/618 branch 0) the I ransport the march and I intend to get actively involved in that.
I think there's a lot of hemlend ho bother. Fes people might going to be hard to get an unemployed union off the ground but the unemployed have been ignored for too long.
We've been on the outside looking In and it's about time we in from the cold and made our voices neara. I want lo see an unemployed section in every union for a start.
It's only now that emoloved beginning to show an in-
the unemployed terest because they realise it can happen to them any day.
Laurence Scott the they gave us. workers are stepping up their fight for jobs after talks
Page 5 scan of this page
Ireland
the No.1
issue
By Geoff Bell ACCORDING to Margaret Thatcher, speaking in Belfast last Thursday, the Provisional IRA has a 'discredited cause' and is playing 'what may well be its last card'.
an optimist, and in making these pronouncements she is following a long line of British politicians declared that the RA is as good as dead ars
Any balanced assessment or me brogress orld cause of the Provisional IRA would have to conclude that its campaign for a re-unified Ireland, free of all British interference, has rarely looked so pro mising. Socialist Challenge
TROOPS OUT
OVERELAND!
Crample is a lon
International Herald Tribune last Friday which
headlined 'Britons Has Again Questioning Role in Ulster'
It reported the opinion polls in Britain which had supported winerawa troops; Tony Benn's state. ments on delanu and the fact that Bobby Sands, the first of the hunge strikers
was elected 1o parliament during his fast was a major blow to the Thatcher government's tention that the IRA guerTas nove widespread support among Catholics'.
I nere is no poll alsguising that such developments nave been some time in coming. An example can be laken trom ine very firsi issue of Socialist
This reported, exclusively, information about the career of one Tim Creasey, who just seen appointed the British
Were al Officer Commanding in the north of Ireland.
story disclosed that while commander of the Sultan of Oman's armed forces from 1972-75 Creasey had been accused of overseeing the widespread torture of political
accusations which had been testified to by the Middle East equivalent of the Red Cross.
If such story were released today it would at least get a mention on the
of the international Herald Tribune.
Certainly, it would receive considerably more coverage than it did in 1977.
Ireland is no longer the 200th issue, either British pollics or in Ine priorities of the world's
Thatcher is, by all accounts, something of
several
media.
• one respect it was Margaret Thatcher herself who testified to one breakthrough. This concerned the talks she had in DecemoeT will irelands picmier, , Charlie Haughey
Many different interpretations were placed on these talks, on what was discussed ana on where they would lead. But the fact that they took place was the first open acknowledgement by British politician for many years that the situation in the north of Ireland was of in-
to the southern and that search had to made for
'institutional struc tures' which sis pala lip service to the fact that …read was ore Balion
When Labour's Roy Mason was in charge of
the British regime in the north of Ireland the phasis was on a 'military solution'. The lie was that the fighters against British
Ireland were mere 'criminals' and 'godfathers' Although Thatcher has repeated
the SUCH HASCISC OVCI hunger strike issue she and
north Ireland Strins, have nol Humphrey Atkins, left there.
Interviewed the United States on 6 May,
satei everyone who is concerned The funeral of Francis Hughes brought out tens of thousands of mourners
Ireland
HBLOLK :
Nationalist youth have led the struggle against British imperialism
then erad eat sel
together and really
and think now we can find a way forward to the problems that have been here for 60 years.
Such at t evidence that despite everything Britain
thrown at the fighters for
Irish self-determination,
these last 12 years - from
the SAS 10 internment; from murder to torture;
from a compliant British
media, to in this country, the Prevention OI Terrorism Act - the struggle for Irish national liberation has continued. It is
now pulling British society by the scruff of the neck,
complacency. and demanding attention.
The credit for this goes - without reservation
the anti-imperialist movement in Ireland.
Socialist Challenge
IRELAND
TORTURED
Provisional IRA which started as a right-
political now proclaim themselves revolutionary socialists. Whie the H Block cam
pae heroibe inspire by
dividual its political clout has from the mass nature of the campaign.
For the world at large, the 100,000
DCODiC WHu took part in Bobby Sands funeral procession, silent though they were, spoke louder man ine mignties! bomb which has been planned mn me now Ireland
This is not to suggest that the IRA should now dump their guns. The memory of the civil rights
movement and how it wa
batoned and shot off th streets by the Unionists and then the British army should never be forgotten.
The fact that Thatcher allowed an elected member of parliament to die shows what scant regard the imperialists have for the democratic process when it goes against them.
It can also be said that
military achievements
IRA have made Brist up Lake notice, and that the ma• jority opinion Britain for troop withdrawal, • reflected in many opinior
does sten from a
sense of 'war-weariness'
But a military struggle, by itself, will not free ; Ireland imperialist
it might persuade Britain as it has done. to try anc limit its own military involvement by transferring some responsibility to the Ulster Defence Regiment and the RUC.
made in an attempt to preach trom the sideline. of the British left.
Action
It should be acknow. ledged that through the H Block movement the Republicans have taken part in a campaign which has consciously subordinated the armed struggle to the
Whatever the outcome now of the H Block issue the way it has been fought has reactivated many Irish mintants and nas bonnical
educated thousands of Irish people, especially the youth who were not around during the mass campaigns the late 1960s and early '70s
The Irish Trotskyist organisation People's Democracy, in alance with Bernadette McAliskey, argued for this strategy for some years. The thread of this approach can be seen running through the Coalisland
sion in 1977, Bernadette's European campaign, and the Burntollet Commemoration march.
here sea tionally respected as the leading figure of Socialist Challenge BOBBY SANDS MP
We the
riser
peopl
will tut
trat
FREEDOM FIGHTER Block campaign, , and her considerable political influence factor in the successes of
The recent election of two PD members as councillors in Belfast illustrates the respect in which they
are held by importar: *. tions of the Catholic: ing class. Fergus OF: d1s0 d member of tional H Block Cir. tee, won no less than -per cent of the natiora: vote cast in his area
It is easy to ta!!
doubt that the !: gle has Tent. phase. For
Socialist Issuc. lenge's Irish coverage concentrated alerting our reade: simple fact that a wa going that the British villains in that wai
Socialist Challenge
BRITISH
TORTURE
Socialist Challenge ha never disguised the ta:
of the anti-imperialists,
i nal Is why we lee. half-baked notions such the deployment troops in the north: means asserting forcefully than ever tha neither Tony Benn, no:: partnership of Thaiche the Hare of ran de and Haugher only the Irish people ther selves.
No one can now that the opportunitie:
of such principles in British labour movemi
there. Althoug the words 'Sinn Feir translated 'oursele aone alists in Ireland must be seen to stand alone : the coming weeks and months.
By fighting on fo the years they have, in
fusions and the world's cisinteres they have emerged from the dark ness. Now, it's time we did our bit.
Socialist Challenge 4 June 1981 Page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
Paris, May 1981
By John Berger --e gates are locked and the dogs Sen each year for an instant guard their property. -en after the long shift ard the unwrapped wage which is never a present, women in waiting rooms a-d the workshops of towns
nich no longer resemble
drawer of postcards
nd first love letters. •-en tor an instant - en and women taste again as in the childhood of summer *m e tirst radisnes
• stolen strawberries,
-en for an instant
e:uin those paid by the hour
a tree in a park or book • ose leaves were numberless --s is why in many languages
- =• say smiling:
- a first l've eaten this year
make a vs.
East year the seasons return = - mereby the docketed hours Scutland
sianie ai boom For more lie
de Boots well Lane: Hope
ourside saleway
Wales
available 1-0-8 Books, ear sat in town centre
= .-•2RDD: SC sales every Sa ENLISEA SC
m-1pm, Saturday
England ==--
so. Sat 10-4. For 643-0669. a: Fourth idea Sad maide = 5045C on sale 11-1, 'Hole in
sales in E-SHIELD
Latin? Lai
-ESTER SC sold 11-ipm Sal - 1.1 outside the Yorkshire
centrai Te: 061236 4 5 tor tar
-silt se on sate every sa side Jays of Hope bookshor Newcastle 13750 gr • *M: su sold ever orkshire Bank, High Street 1 061-32 5 150ut local ac sold Fri 12-2pm out Arms and every
1.30-6pm; Saturday,
Socialist Challenge
Presidential Election,
uniform weeks and implacable centuries are counted. 9/5/81.
The white face of the clock is never treatened and only for an instant does the first fruit permit a wish.
But there are plants For those paid by the hour
10/5/81.
We are picking the fruit which has ripened.
Our breaths smell of it.
And on our shoulders
out no me over where they are flairing like a dancing skirt over the years to come not for an instant only.
Where you can buy
Socialist Challenge
argate 10.30-12.30p:
TOCKPUR
Jersey a 3909 2364405 (da)
SWINDON FEE SIDE CO sale 11-1 every
La sale Sat tunchrime Centre, and ourside Woolworth sa lenior and British 4.30-6pm; and near Beat YORk: ma sate every Thursday to
Clifford
London BRENT: SC sold Willesden Junction
Ealing ENFIELD: SC at Nelsons newsagents.
London Rd, Enfield Town.
8.30am aro
What's Left 01 59 8180 Books for southern Altice. Tole urgenly needed
Sold not morei small,
and large. All aboc on white 1.50 inch re Orders 10 SCD T-Shirts PO Bei
ques payable!. The
ganisation or branch
rem Spirits,
Man.
International Marxist Group notices
ANT: FACT Sunday
Agenda:
Bullding workers conference. For more details
Revolution Youth notices
CRUISE Missiles bottee Nati
Tei 01-359 8371 for details.
4 June 1981 Page 6
whose skies are subterranean neon above benches their sun postponement their rainfall. They grow from seeds sown before the last concrete was poured. Never do the fruit of these plants ripen twice in a generation.
the winter of history is long.
we are carrying our wishes Ra Marker. sat at nt a Por-
Bookshops Hollynead
DURHAM: City Co-op BOs: South Essex Bookshop. 335 MILTON KEYNES: Oakleat Books,
Wolverit Corle
YORK:
BOOKs.
Walmgate.
TOAST THE ROYAL COUPLE Anti Royai Wedding Badge.
Red and biact: on white zup each plus sae. top tor orders of 10 or more postage includedi
Couple, c/o Birmingham's Other Bookshop, Diabeth. Birmingham Bb 6DR Cheques payable to Birmingham's Other Bookshop
8: Dary 01-35981881 0rSteie 01:359 IRISH fraction jointly with Revolution Youth. how on Sun 31 May a nanonar centre al NaNAITHE iraction tional Centre, Sat 6 June. ipm
TRADE Union sub-citee: Natio Office. Tel 01-359 8371 for details
The election of Francois Mitterrand is an important event, but not as important as occurred in France in 1936, time being it is only an electoral shift rather than a wave of mass struggles as happened on those previous occasions.
But it indicates very clearly a shift in the mood of the working class - a strong rise in its self-confidence. Further, from the point of view of the relation of forces between the workers and their reformist leaderships, the situation is more favourable than it was in '36 or '44.
In the first few days since Mitterand's clection this has expressed itself in
There severai definitely an intlos of new Wary
members into the unions
There has already been the f'ac. by the workers.
Thev have raised the ques tion of a ban on new sackIngs.
In some of the larger engineering and dulu mobile factories there were redundancies be declared in the first week
and the bosses stopped them they took the threat of the workers seriously.
Freeze
It is possible that the government will intervene and order a freeze on new redundancies.
The Mitterand government will have to make some concessions the workers, but they will do it in the least costly way for
But they Cadills
substantial concessions, apart ¡cuuticali!. and the most likely thing is an increase in the national
lull wagg Both these things will
mean reversal of the
trend to a decline in wages
the national income. reversal of course
That
threatens the bourgeoisie
time when ine
economic cust Sull
growing and when every-
thing they want to do goes
in the opposite direction.
So the economic on the
Dressure
bourgeoisie to threaten the
Mitterand governmeni are
rather formidable. On the
other hana they under-
shouldn'!
over-react, inal
should give Mitterand
some time
Franc
But the contradiction
between political reasor
and their economic self
interest is obvious. In the
first few days after Mit-
sabotas toe right cl
sabotage,
capital, drop in the stock
exchange, and a run on the
franc all occurred.
It's been kept within
certain limits, Dult li lil
dicates that the capitalists
are givine a cella wall!
ing to Mitterand, that they
not allow him to go
The meaning of
Mitterand's
election victory
'44 or '68. For the 100 lar - busness hus remain as usual
So Mitterand is caught between the needs of the workers and those of the capitalists. Giscard
The poss da tehange in
France wide meaning, and coming
> happen ing in the Labour Party
Britain, means that in two
Cupcal countries, while the working class still economically actensive, ! is piepare political counter-blows which might take the ruling class off balance
until Iwo weeks before the elections. the victory of Giscard was assumed be certain.
Mitterand's win means that an important, MOre backward section of the working generally doe not vOle
mobilised io vote for
Was Mitterand.
The other phenom-
enon which is indicated by
this vote is the continua-
of recomposi-
tion of the labour move-
lucill
Unity
From a political point
of view the musi signiti-
cant pari of ine villerand
victory was the capacity of
the worker: to overcome
the deer divisions caused
by the Communis: and
Socialist Part! icader-
shins
Celebrating Mitterrand's victory at the
Bastille
Mitterrand gets some advice
This victory for unity is all the more amazing because up to the last moment both the CP and SP did everything possible to increase the division - the CP especially by concen trating 1IS electoral cam paign attacking terand.
Joy
On the night of the election, in the explosion of joy which occurred in the Place de la Bastile anc in many provincial town
mavo 350,000 people were on the streets that
among all these people the desire for unity
absolutely overwhelming
The secretary of the CP, Juquin, spoke al the Bastille saying it was impossible to oppose the uni-
the workers.
One could say that this unity weakens the CP
clearly the minority Calico in the workers' movement, in its
Ernest Mandel weakest position 1936.
But should be cautious. This is oniv or the terrain of electoral results. t does not reflec organisational strength from the point of view of membership the Com munist Party is still at leasi
strong the Socialist Party - and especially does not reflect implantation in the factories or unions, where the CP is much I stronger.
The CP militants will ask: how did we arrive at this situation? Why did we suffer this defeat? Al the same time the SP will find
difficult to imple ment reformis So a whole number of CP and SP
are likely distance themselves from
leader ships. Return
What will happen ir the Socialis: Party is likel to be determined by the ar tions government. What hap
in the CP is more structurally determined it's likely to be a return to eurocommunisi policies of Marchais attack divisive deciding whether there wil The bis facior be a CP-SP government is whether there will be an election agreement bet
the (WO main workers parties. I there is
agreement, InCH seems likely that the parliamentary tion of the Communist Party could be drasticall reduced from 90 10 around 40 deputies
In that situation Mit terand could govern rely. ing on the left radicals and some 'left' Gaullists
easier to manoeuvre against the workers
Page 7 scan of this page
QUESTIONING From fighting the Tories
Why you standing for COULY leader of the Labour Party? What have the sucGOOSED of the campaign been so far?
Officially it is to elect a deputy leader. It's the first election on a wacr trancise and peopic fought very hard to get a wider ranchise get grealer accountability We arrived on a wider franchise personally supported, 40-30-30. and I think that is a good franchise
It's testing that mechanism, but the real advantage is two or three quite separate things.
First of all it is opening up policy. Polev is being discussed, primarily union
where it isn't always ustussca. occause licy choice to make. Secondly, the
now inere is a focus for the discussion of principle party policies.
Next to some extent it anticipates the Clause 5 Manifesto meeting because if the party
'Blowing out some
of the smoke from
the smoke-filled
rooms has been a
good thing'
realiv does go for implementa-
of policy through its choice of deputy leader, it will be extremely dif-
I would be very surprised if
ripples year's democratic exercise within the Trace no ovemen o spread far beyond the confines of the deputy leadership.
ny people had suspected.
many people suspected, that there is a body of opinion in the upper echelons of the
there wouldn't be an election who didn't want an election Blowing out some of the smoke from the smoke-filled rooms has been a good thing.
Given Clive Jenkins' statement about the leadership battle vou must be verv en couraged by the decision of the conference of the Association OT Scientific, Technical, Managerial and Supervisory Staff (ASTMS) to support you.
I am really. It's logical, because ASTMS supports the policies in mv election platform. As ine union conterences progress, you re gelling beller decisions on policy as a result of the political agitation and discus sion. For example, USDAW came out for unilateral nuclear
media. stranded on a hostile beach'.
Benn tide unstoppable?'
nounced barely two months ago. disarmament and APEX came out for national executive control or lne Labour rarty ciection manifesto.
So the union contribution to the debate is being radicalised by the discussions. cases. occause iney make a choice on the deputy leadership question.
Trade union militants thus getting involved in the internal struggles of Labour Party, particularly to nush forward the tiaht tol democracy and to support vour Don't think that leaders Labour Party, particularly leaders of the left, get involved in the industrial struggles workers? Don't you that leaders of the Labour Party should be calling for a redund comployment threat
Well, if you say involved in in
TONY BENN
to winning socialism
Last weekend at a meeting of the rightwing Labour Solidarity Campaign, Leo Abse MP accused Tony Benn of having a 'lust for power' and that he was challenging the sovereignty of parliament. This theme is, of course, amplified by the mass
The Observer's political correspondent made a more sober assessment on Sunday. Describing Benn's call for Labour governments to be bound by conference decisions as a 'seductive and appealing message not only to the constituency activists but also to many in the unions', Adam Raphael added that Denis Healey 'looks more and more like a great whale
The Observer's headline asked: 'Is the - a remarkable turnabout from the derision which greeted Benn's decision to challenge Healey an-
The large majority of socialists have enthusiastically backed Benn's election campaign, without necessarily agreeing with his policies. In an hour-long interview, published on this and the following two pages, PHIL HEARSE and BRIAN HERON questioned Tony Benn on major aspects of these policies. On pages 10 and 11 we publish our critique of Benn's positions.
dustrial struggles, then I have all my time. I was up in the Lee Jcall tactory lc I've just sent a message to the Scott trom UCs. to the River In some right the way through.
I've always regarded that as nave the function of a Labour MP
— I'm a trade unionist as well.
But I don't think it's for the parliamentary leadership to tell are people what to do.
It's very who's not directly involved in a dispute to call make great sacrifices. I think they have to determine that, and the role of the Labour Parof the ty is to support them
should supporting of think ment as make an appeal for action to take on the government?
The People's March for Jobs was important because it came out of the North-west; it wasn't even demanded by the TUC
in rather late
been helpful if the NEC ple directly involved.
Otherwise
other day, tion.
workers Don,
has the primary role,
tain dilemma here...
easy for someone
on others many militants
fective action.
of the move. prepared to a whole, don't you
La place to Have tu...
General Council - they came
I don't think it would have
of the
for a People's March for Jobs.
• think the role of leader. ship is to analyse, to explain, to encourage, to support, but not to order or call in that sense That has to be done by the peo- are joint shop
mittees, things wrong, the people who are ac- the tually engaged in doing it are doing it under instructions, and they're not doing it out of their own discussion and motiva
I think thạt is, dare I say it an elitist illusion of the left the idea that you've got to look top to the top. Ón everything else the left savs the rank and tile
but on this question we expect you to give a call. Now there's a cer yUu
OUTL So Can we put it the other way round? At the base there are
who think that that a national lead at this time is absolutely essential
f they're going to have el Wher
For example at Ine nover plant they are
take action Iney nave decided that of ficially in their resolutions, but tney are very well aware you that isolated and alone they don't stand as much chance people, as if they've a national call...
Well I agree... but then you revolutionist
..and then they look to the national leaders...
Then you have to make connecting links across. The tri-partite arrangement between coal and steel and transport is useful, as
stewards combut if in the end you are saying we should replace
government by industrial
'That is an élitist il-
lusion of the left -
the idea that you've
• got to look to the
action, my own opinion is that without winning the argument
can't build socialism.
because a one ov a coub
and coups can never build sup-
whereas I would be
strongly in favour of a genera. strike lo delena a gain, ine laca
there is a short-cut
socialism through industrial ac
tion is one of the great illusions.
Labour ment is elected with a radical
enormous pres-
sure will be put on it by the in-
ternational community, by the
bankers and so on, and unless
can rely on the over-
whelming support of working
you won't be able to
stand the strain
This short cut to power via
industrial action is, I think.
talk, it's not
revolutionary. Here 1 might
disagree with Socialist Cha.lenge, but my own view is tha: you have to do it by conser.: and support people in struggl but not try to establish a leader ship role which tells people yo:
on strike, you defy government over local govern ment finance - that is quite wrong.
But don't you think people's ideas are changed through action and not just through argument...
Yes, but I'm not arguing against action.
But the miners' strikes which took place recent/ had the potential of bringing down the government, if the Tories had stood out against them, was real possibility. Do you think that was a good thing or a bad thing, do you think it
another way.
There s no color mar me miners strike did bring down the government ano created the basis for the government being deteate Don't you think that should the general election have have MPs Supported been by
Well, 1 did support the miner in 1974 and 1972, but I think
continued on next page Socialist Challenge 4 June 1981 Page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
you are seriously decerving people if there is revolutionist talk.
hen only a minority of peop!
1 this country have got hold o a socialist analysis.
They get it through action and struggle, that is not the same as telling other people to go into the battle to replace the electoral could seld in the hope
build socialism vou'd end up with Stalinism.
You mentioned that the next Labour government elected
radical programme should attempt to fulfill the 1974 Manifesto, including a fundamental shift of power and wealth to working peo. ple and their families. Surely this is going to put you in bass fance houses thr conflict with midsorve
and so on. And although we can see the ooint that vou will need massive popular Sur....
You sure will.
Surely you will need something else well, which is your hands on the actual the money, the finance the monopolies, the key levers from that point of view? In other words, surely the first step is to take these things over?
Then you've got to argue abour the pólicy of the Labour Party. I!'s no good me saying thai it's gol to be that way, l've got to persuade the Labour Partv. But you yourself stand for But
I support Clause 4. I think that the process by which you bring rabout Clause 4 has to be first ol all the persuasion of the Party
ot ine relevance ot socialism. and for thirty years no one has taikec abour sociansia On the whole I think
socialist loeas are probably
stronger now, a lot of socialist agitation has gone on in ine
country over the last few years.
The experience of office will create the demand for radical change, and if you say, and l Sihink you're righi, that the in*e ternational financial communi-
ty might try to bring enormous : pressure upon a treshly elected
Labour government. you then
"If you're saying this
is the Allende ques-
tion....! call that
revolutionist tittle
tattle'
have to rely on the support of
Tne race antols. Party and the public who voted the Labour
O vOu.
But if you're saying that
this is the Allende question,
then I wouldn't be bothering
about any of this policy making
I would be out in the fields at
night drilling. I call that revolu-
tionist tittle tattle.
If one abandons persuasion
for the pursuit of arms then
you're talking about a different
ball-game.
The difficulty for
socialist analysts is this: they
have to analyse where power is
the banks, landowners,
military, civil service.
multinationals, Brussels.
But you mustn't use their
analysis of the centres of power
on the other side as an instru-
ment for spreading pessimism
ana nopelessiess allong peo-
On the contrary...
..because actually there is ihe
power to win, of course there's
the power to win.
Socialist Challenge 4 June 1981
But let's take that point. It
major battle for the Was d 1945-51 Labour government to nationalise steel. It was a big major battle that was lost even to nationalise the Tate and Lyle sugar company.
Is it not the case that taking over sections commanding heights of industry and finance, plement your progamme, is going to put vou gerheads with people?
think le ls. butl mnik d ucielmined government with public support can carry the day. there was an attempt military coup against a military government trying to do what it was elected to do, then I think the case for industrial action io
democracy overwhelming.
This whole argument - are vou a reformist tionary, are you parlamentary
extra-parlamentary highly theoretical area. very little real meaning.
Whai is presented as revolutionary is really, I think, a critique not of reform having been tried and tailed, but retorm not having been tried.
surely the ditterence between being
Ilonary Terorist
that the think that a test of strength between which genuinely wants to caruld carreforms what e through
call revolutionary measures, and the capitalist class, is inevitable and that
capitalist class wont give
its power,
monopolies, the houses and the banks...
....without violence ...without violence, without
attempting to use its state
apparatus.
I'm not sure about that. Wasn't
Marx who said that the the United Kingdom was one coun-
WICI C you
about socialism by
means? media,
Only to reverse it later.
Maybe, but that was
and think
siare. evitability of violence which is
really what you're saying, 1l i
believed it, and 1
moment, u wouia icau me lo
abandon politics and get out
my old tin hat and find a se-
cond hand rifie and go out and
drill.
If you did that you would
Page 8
to Im
al log
those
Bai
would be
a revolu-
with
revolu-
revolutionaries enormously
rent. a woulan l government but it would be serious enough
to frighten people. you Il would ( Party and the from their real task. Where the the trade union movement is very Sulg, played a part, not in destroying the big
finance the government great mistake that the far left
and the Tories both make was the defeated Heath, were not prepared to back him in a conflici with the British working class movement Teat na wda blie clę ion, do you imagine the miner: would have been Poe cectoral arce s i is electoral might bring
brought Heath down.
peaceful
The election of Mitterand in France is tremendously encouraging. One of the things which he's promised is the immediate introduction of a 35-hour week. the in- Cov n hee wee a 35-hour don't for a don't you think
would again conflict with the bosses
Well let's be clear. Everything that we wanted to do ín our
QUESTIONING
TONY BENN
From fighting the Tories
to winning socialism
'It was the electoral process which brought Heath down' -above: the miners' picket at Saltley Gate
strengthen the into conflici be serious. lagon, the bankers, divert the Labour can take that for read. trade unions We
as you said before,
this is
British neople who ine pressere because they snarne. the dominant
of great importance.
La strong zowetlicll process which anything, haven't with the manifesto. demoracy. much
be implemented week, that this put you important point of unemployment,
WALDUS PUCE LINE manifesto in goingh o be nen- import
with imply an with Washington, with vectons of the civil service and so on, so you
fudged it in the "79 manifesto; we said we were in favour of a 35-hour week but it
Britain would have lo be on a turopean scale, which was another way of saying that we wouldn't do it unless other people did.
for the CHOW shorter working week, for work
as an element - not element dealing with unemployment is
can't
I couldn't tell you with any
abroad. authority what the next Labour
will do about because SO far we succeeded in dealing problem
That's why we're spending port time on party Until we've sorted inat out tere is no kaowicuge until three weeks before polling SUCN a way
day what commitment there is. rises. and there's no certainty that what commitment there is will
ment.
French
For us, the 35-hour week is
both from the view of solving and also as a means of driving against
Led contro/s, which alliance between sections of the trade unions and the employers.
I don't think that import controls would solve the crists
all 110/i C than devaluation or wage controls have never said so. . But I don't find any socialist theory which leads me to the belief that the free movement of goods and capital is an integral part of in. ternational socialism.
We have import controls at the moment - a poor persor
afford buy from And the planning of trade, and production seems to be perfectly logical
The left critique of import controls, which I fully understand because I'm an internahonansl - lat you use loca
your unemployment, ie lr dsem tirel onto trade dn
If you plan your trade
that you return to
ritts. Mut it ment,
Bút you do it in such a unemployyou are damasing the or the Japanese or the Sorih African workine cias:
If you have nationalised in-
control WI WU AC1 and compensation according to need, some multinational company can bring in cheap goods to destroy that industry under
the guise of free trade - and when it's been destroyed it can Tase c azal
Surely context that you're talking about is one wnere mere is oeneranse workers' contro. a plann
economy while context in which many of mne race unon teasers ane many of the leaders of the CBI are raising the demand is quite different.
case let's talk abou what in talking about, noi take the view thal profection will solve the crisi, Some of the critique of the roi: oftrade planning in the Labou: socialist industrial scems as il it's just what the CBI might argue, but il's noi
One of the points in the five point programme you have put forward for vo rele.
tion campaign is the idea that we should not accep Cruise or Trident missiles and that we should have a non-nuclear policy.
This implies that should stay NATO. Do you support the resolutior carried at the ASTMS con
ference that Britain shouto
withdraw from NATO.
I am basing myscif on co:
ference polcy. I he conteren-
rejecied request ica
NATO, but said that we shou
have a non-nuclear policy, ln:
Canada's. That is à perfect
possible position. The Labol'
Party's present positior
VATO is that we should aim
dissolve the alliance and tr.:
Warsaw Pact and create
European security system.
I don't think that nucle:
weapons are really a defent:
strategy. The Tories
destroying the navy to produ:
the Trident , so we are seeir.
detence reduced order
produce a weapon which cou
used without
neve
destruction of our country
think the non-nuclear defen:= suralea memet orNAtO strategy and
perfectly logical position.
Maybe the Labour Par
will go beyond it and say !
should leave NATO. I think i
unlikely, because there are a !
of people of my age-group w:
remember DTP-WA
when the altempt by the lett
fascion led io the altenipt collective security again
maintain the League of Natio:
and all the rest of it.
generation couldr
possibly sit back and
wharever happens anywhe
else doesn't concern
more.
Page 9 scan of this page
Isn t inere a orcerur argument that being nuclear part of NATO means that you base yourself on the nuclear part of NATO for Britain's defence in ef fect, on the United States?
The Mirroi mented on the Labour Party decision that it made sense; nar Once or onor don nuclear policy,
on the abanaon ine basis NATO alliance.
Rubbish. You could put it to
the If OHHCI Wav.
Will in favour of high plosives which kill thousands of people? That's another argument that's used; that anything short of pacifism is illogical.
We have to try to work out what is the most sensible way of resolving the choices open 1o us. I am in favour of defence and of the idea of collective defence. I am not in favour of a nuclear defence strategy, and I'm certainly not in favour of • the United States power system converting us into a colonial airbase.
I think a lot of peopic are now coming to this view. If we move towards d zone in Eurone we reaily could
would otherwise lead to nuclear ivar.
In Britain and internationally over past tew vedrs we've seen a series от attacks on abortion rights. What can we SLOO these attacks?
Do you think that Labour MPS should have an individual right of conscience on the issue, should they be obliged to support Labour Party policy, which is for free abortion on demand?
support the conference policy. I think the women's movement quite rightly puts control of their own bodies very high on their list, and not being dominated by a male parliament on issues which are fc. ...em.
I'm not in favour of expelling MPs because they may on individual matters find it hard to go along with party poncy. The great characteristic of the
as compared to the right lell-
is that it's not always out for blood if everyone doesn't come into line.
I have an element of per sonal tolerance in these matters towards others with whom I disagree. Ultimatelv. everything else, you've 201 lo win the support of people. The Italian referendum shows that's possible.
Among others, the
for Labour Democracy argues that in any reselection list a woman and black should be included among to those put forward; there should be discrimination. What is your position on this?
it's a ditticult one. l am in terested in socialism and if l were obliged to put a right-wing black and a right-wing woman
list and select them on ine against lent-wing would find that difficult.
The women's and the black should affiliate to the Labour Party and have people at every selection conference. should see that the rights of women and of the black communities are represented in the party when the selection macie.
i think affiliation is what we miners are afrated Madanie should go for have quota for Miners are there in parliament because in where on miners are strongest and they have a strong delegation on the general committee they put a miner in. in areas where ine blacks are strongest you'd ex-
Busybe
TORY TOTHE ARMAGHWOMEN
pect a black to come in, and in areas where the women's group Cam is strongly oranised you'd ex-
Party pect a woman to come in.
! don't rule out a quota, but I think it's a by-passing of the candidate
'If I were obliged to that put a right-wing positive black and a right-
wing woman on the list and select them against a lett-wing man, I would find that difficult'
real issue, which is how to get a
man, class and socialist movement to
express movement through a single political party, movement linked to the
House of elsewhere.
They
Do you think should be affiliated to the Labour Partv there any practical possibility that this could occur? the
miners.
They can join the party dividually, tilt you can affiliare a group that
puts up candidates. You can't have people who are in the party but at the same time, if the! don't like a person who has
Foccis
fight an election. rule
Labour Party and problem about it.
Jane Cante
Many of strength manifest failure socialist Party, from
unions, of revisionism Commons and
the far left
and if so, is
of doing it.
inbut I don't think the prisoners
thing they say are engaged struggle LIUC
VICTORY TOTHEB LANKETMEN
always
going to see regime. the a political
Ireland
Never
Photo: Dave hampshire
been put up as a candidate. so it wasn't in
When group. candidatures is an important one, but there are a mass groups and tendencies in the
there s nu There's not united even a problem about their having their own papers. Look at favour of the ILP; once they abandoned their role as a political party (the
Labour publications, they reaffiliated NEC) came into being and grew the far left groups
because IRA of the nonyears of the Labour 1951. was Counties judgement by a generation ot violence -socialists on the Parliamentary Labour Party during the years
I think it's significant now l've that there is a coming together.
If the left joins the Labour Par- too narrow. ly, as it were, then the influence of the left for socialism within the Labour Party is stronger. and i think that is the right way
to Why haven't you come out in support of the struggle of
Block?
that they in a political manifestly one doesn't
port.
to serve agree with the methods they use
What do vou think of Don Concannon's action in
Bobby Sands with
sing abandon is hungo! to tell
I won't comment on another colleague. My argument on the prison issue is that it is a way of narrowing the argument.
If all that we are allowed 1o discuss on Northern Ireland at
moment supposition is that the future of Northern Ireland will continue to be one where the prison population wil! continue in its present form, and
they dress and what their status
My own opinion is that it's
question and that one of the incredible tragedies of the present situation is that the labour movement has not really been allowed to vote on
The Labour Cabinet hardly
discussed Ireland think it discussed it during the Ulster workers' strike. I tried to get a discussion on Ireland in
Cabinet. including the question without success. When we discussed the pie manitesto we were told i was
•The Labour Cabinet
hardly ever discuss
ed Ireland'
too late tor us to sav anvinine
set up a study had small preliminary group of members of the NEC, and 1 and oihers got an agreement that the objective was to bring about a
and independent Ireland. That was ruled out in
whole range of solutions. When Tony Saunois
Labour Party Young Socialists representative on the
brought his resolutions conditions, which were not limited simply to the
prisoners, it was defeated I think we now nave to go for the whole thing; that the Six
were of
elected in 1918 were in favour of independence, and partition was brought about by violence.
always concentrated this aspect. I think the rest is
It doesn't get to the real guts of the problem.
Yet the prison issue is the
focal point of the campaign
establish that it _ Is a
political struggle
I understand that, but my job is to transmit that message; not to
get involved in the trigger to get
that message understood
did strongly urge the
policy. I didn't make much of it publicly , but I put it forward in the Shadow Cabinet and in the
stage man was dving, it didn't seen
me to offer anything im mediately, but it did highlight the fact that the British policy was lolailv Induculale
We say to them you can't shoot. You shouldn't starve yourself death You shouldn't stand. and it vou do stand in an election you can't
The blanketing out of a political breakthrough was highlighted
I pointed out that the whole of British imperial history was littered with people who began in British prisons and ended up
The real question is
how do you break
out of a situation of
which at least a ma-
jor part is caused by
the presence of
British troops, who
are alleged to be
there to solve the
situation
as prime ministers having tea
Oueen including Mugabe, the most recent exam. to statesman via an election.
That argument didn't carry much weight with colleague because they didn't want face the real question, which i how do you break out of situation of which at least a ma
caused by acii i presence of British troops w!' are alleged to be there to sel the situation.
Perhaps the first step as to s put it, breaking out,
to break from bipartisanship, at least at the level of suggesting that there alternative policy. The leadership of the Labour Party rapidly moveo to shore up the bi-partisan policy.
I don't want to comment or. other people. Undoubtedly the election of Sands was extremel! significant apart an!thing else because it was in telligible Peo.
saw it as the death of a British MP in protess agains his prison conditions
general of the United Nation. Mrs Ghandi, the Pope, and the European Commission Human Righis came in begat the process. I think my interVICH. my speeches and the Labour Committee on Ireland meeting helped to break the shell.
One can see the whole thing on the move. It takes a little time for that deep feeling to express itself, not only in the Labour Party. You mustn't think nothing is happening is happening By the end of the year, you'll find Labour Party policy
totally different.
The which has
gone on in the Labour Party
has made positive advances
and looks like making more
But surely in the end that
depends on the organisation ano support of millions
Those
fighting for democracy have
reach and identity
themselves with the strug gles going on.
If you put it like that, I'm with you 100 per cent of the way.
I don't want my argument
about revolutionary language
against reformist language to
confuse the fact; we cannot
build socialism In Britain
without the solid support of
When have
nothing on earth can stop us
Socialist Challenge 4 June 1981 Page 9
Page 10 scan of this page
Our differences with
OUESTIONING
TONY BENN
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE supports | championed Tony deputy leadership of the Labour Party. quite inadequate,
long-term plan for achieving socialism.
in-hand with criticisms gramme.
reformism and any socialist politics.
The role of working class leadership
Benn explains that in his view the role of Labour leaders is to 'support struggle', but not to 'order or call' it. Leaders of the movement, he says, should
support', but allalyst. caulalll. not directly call for mass action of the working class.
In our view this is a travesty of the role working class leaders should play.
To to workers faced
Say a ith Tory attacks and mass :edundancy: 'Do your own :hing, if you take action wel The movement has to be given a • ead about what kind of action can actually defeat the ruling
Workers in a factory faced with redundancy are much less likely to take militant action such as occupying if no one else in tne country will lake Silllla. action. The Labour Party and the trade unions can play an invaluable role generalising and popularising the most rective means of struggle.
No one, of course, should order a group of workers into
They will only take mass action if they are convinced that this is the best way forward. But if the Labour leaders were golng arouna une country hammering home the case for suca achon. of militants who want to fight, who want to mobilise against Tories, would be immeasurably strengthened.
It is the working class which
Slave the and sovereignty — not parliament.
main in the hands the capitalist state — even one with
CERLEC is to but the power oi life or death into the hands of
Winning socialism
Tonv Benn's suspicion of mass working class action the. decisive socialist advance is reflected in
DOS LOIS how about winning socialism.
First, is extremely reticent about nationalising
the banks and the Iinance houses the first crucial government committed socialist change would have to take.
It's good that he supports Clause 4 of the Labour Party constitution, which pledges control the commanding heights of the economy.
But then he says 'the experience of office will create the demand
Socialist Challenge 4 June 1981 Page 10
and Benn's campaign
As he rightly points out in the interview, the campaign has opened up a debate on policy and democracy in the Labour Party, and especially in the trade unions. This can only be welcomed. But we believe that Benn's programme is
either as an immediate way forward for the British workers' movement in the struggle against the Tory government, or as a
Support for Benn's campaign has to go hand-
of his political The interview makes clear the deep gulf which exists between Benn's brand of left
form of revolutionary
for change', implying a more gradual strategy Previously Benn has beer associated with the notion of planning agreements with the big monopolies. This would inLabour working with firms to plan inbut would short of full nationalisation. overwhelming impresson is unat ne consucis mal une nationalisation of the decisive sectors of
process But this would be a aisastrous strategy full employment and to plan ine economy it is necessary to have control of industry and finance from the beginning.
The ruling Cas multinationals would take advallace ol any de d their continued control economy lo sabolage ine altions left Capital would flee the country; an investment strike would take place. the multinationals would transfer production to SOCI COULCS. societies and the banks would refuse finance for investment.
More importantly, all these forces would use any hint of delay to launch a tremendous
de-stabilise the government and try to overthrow it.
build mass popular support — as Chile showed make Sure working class in terms of rising the living standards and equality were registered rapidly. It would imply a strategy of centring power in the hands of the workers organisations The view that it's the role of the workers to take action and the task of the Labour Party simply to support them classic repetition ot the old industrial/political division that has plagued the movement. other counines workers parties often organise directly in the factories not in Britain? Together with unions, the Labour Party could set out a programme of action to mobilise ment against the Tories. of
go Industrial action to bring down the Tories Tony Benn argues to fully against industrial to bring down the Tories. He says that it would amount to a 'coup' and that we have to rely on persuasion and port' The implication is that we should wait for the general election in 1984. interpositien. ff il were se counterposition. threaten the Tories, a wave of
has for the
prowould
To create
and the
USE of the
government.
other ane ouelle to keeD and
would be to
the
more is a industrial strike acton, polentially leading to a general strike, would the thousands of workers. It would have to draw in why would rapidly advance in such dynamic
carried out by a small minority the move-
wave of almost unprecedented Workers, resuling in crushing millions upon millions defeats in the county council elections. date carry destruction of British industry forceand mass unemployment. They action have no mandate to rule.
Benn's argument is tively that industrial action used tor political ends challenges Mass sup the norms of the political game,
the rules of democracy. up a false point that the ruling class does
ROL
and
bosses' 'rules?
In Tony millions more becomes constitution situation. This state machine. ATON perience, tiago, has The Tories are now facing a
They are hated socialist the battle against
of the laws They have no manon with the Unless taken, the fice confusion effec-
right wing. parliamentary weaknesses.
But he himself makes the
primany rely. on parla
Saltley Gate in the '72
'Workers have to rely on tneir own organis ation; lett: The movement has to be given a lead'; below: imoor contros i ac. tion - American workers wreck a varanese cor, nont Polaris -be no socialism in alliance with imperialism. elections why should the workers abide by the
paratus.
Benn's account, the mobilisation of the workers
subordinate to the the — the ruling class'
Bitter exfrom Saltley to Sanshown that the workers have to rely on their own organisation to carry out ment
measures, be they in the Tories In now or in the implementation
of socialist
such action WCC 'experience of ofwould create alienation, and disorganisation against in the workers' movement and give the initiative back to the
Tony Benn's arguments on
major In the interview Socialist Challenge pointed out that any left goyernment trying which, to carly vul soclalis nicasure.
'There can would inevitably face a showdown with the existing state ap-
Tony Benn says this means
inevitability violence, and if he believed that he would give up politics and 'drill with a rifle in the fields'. He counterposes "mass public support' for a 'determined' socialist govern-
This scenario gets everything upside down.
Chile in 1973. the Allende government undoubtedly had mass public support. Just eight days before the coup, a demonstration of 1½ million workers took place in Santiago
support
reaction. But despite this mass support, the government was easilv overthrown D' the armed forces.
For revolutionary socialists, the inevitability of showdown with the ruling class
directly through its control of as Benn says, rules
decisive (army police, courts, monopolies) and not just through parliament means that the workers must be prepared beforehand for this
Tony Benn says he : would
action restore democracy But by then 1 against millary coup would be too late.
Preparing tor a contronta tion means organising workers
factories righi from the beginning It means
the police force the army, the courts, and the civil service. If this is not done inese institutions will obstruct socialist advance every inch o the way
And it means organising the workers to resist any attempted
with force if necessary CUUU as an integral part of socialist surditoy
'decisive confrontation' doesn't necessarily massive violence. In Brtain the armed and DICO
Page 11 scan of this page
amount TO total of about 250,000 people. The working class numbers TOOT million. No coup could be successful if these milions WCTO mobilised to use industrial aition. nuge tions, and if necessary force to stop it.
But none of these forms of resistance could or would occur if the working class is roid by its leadership that such things are unlikely or impossible.
They can and will occur if growing pubiic suppori fo:
eft-wing government translated organisation and
Without it. most massive public support sunk. Ihe answer is to use nass working class support mobilise ior DOWCI and employ workers' power LArOW back the capital.
Import controis
Tony Benn
it is a usetu ster thai Benn rejects trade proteition as a strategy lor solving ine crisis. But there is an ambiguity in what he says.
He argues that trade planning should be used to proteci nationalised
this means a state monopoly of trade under government decisive sectors of industry are nationalised under control.
If he rejects import controls self- under capitalism, fine. mass should make this plain to the
trade union leaders, who quite definitely rely an with the CBI and the bosses to win import controls. Otherwise to
the sliding over from one conception of another is opportunist.
We believe that the alternative import work-sharing and week now.
NATO and nuclear weapons Nothing.
inan nis position weapons and NATO.
Britain
the American brella
witn the system' ifwe NATO, nucical weapons or hol
stake here.
NATO
joint socialist
alhance socialist
If anything,
crush a socialist Britain.
Union.
We support
Alicacd bases
perialism.
DONCV
imperialism.
Positive action and abortion against it in parliament.
This view of the
as forward issues for
is a class Issue, damenta which stand for
We workers' movement wing reaction. a socialist which the movement
disastrous workers'
Abortion
But ne regular attack.
the acalls alliance abortion bill.
labour
and fight import controls to
genuinely, right to choose. 80 350hs 1S 35-hour
tions that
right-wing
in Tony Benn's argumentation is more illogical
on nucicar against. a 'nonnuclear' member of NATO, we would still be effectively under
nuclear um- women just as Canada is. It would be impossible to break
'American power were stil in had waelnel Ireland
There's a major issue at The
status for is an imperialist alliance. There's no question of
alliance between Ireland Britain and US imperialism's international police Torce even or one онелі
were desirable to have an
Soviet struggle, as alls Union, which it isn't, it would be impossible to have it with a are force which is anti-socialist and anti-working class in its whole The
A socialist Britain could on-
international policy. which would have to include in- 1ha creased trade and a completely
relationship with Soviet Union and East Europe.
NATO forces
would be used to threaten and Irish
Al here can be no socialism in alliance
There can be no socialism which plots with with its imperialism against the Soviet
the opposition auspices. o ruse ano noent doo lae demand for the withdrawal of
But we oppose root and branch any idea of a 'non-nuclear defence policy' if leadership, Tas means du dance wilb B-
socialist defence It's would be aimed against
We strong v disagree with Tony Benn over positive action
He says that although he supports party policy for free abortion on demand, he is not
of taking any action against MPs who on an 'important issue of conscience vote While
contrast to the Campaign for Party Democracy, which put forward the voie on
the re-selection. We stand for the view that abortion
one ol democratic rights all Labour MPs must
In Italy the recent reteren-
best dum on abortion became a vital
strength between the and rightIn In Britain, any the labour can only lead to divisions through shoulder which the united strength of the movement can be dispersed beyond
comes under Last time the TUC led a huge demonstration
Corrie anti. The policy of the movement should be to defend and extend the '67 Act
the necessary of mass resources and facilities that do, revolution.
mean woman's
Benn hedges his support for positive action with qualifica-
after all, there are.
blacks and anti-
Obviously there are. But that misses the point.
These sections of society are structurally discriminated
Their coming to the fore in the Labour Party will express the radicalisation of
More blacks and won't mean more
party, but a more radical party.
question ot political the hunger strikers concentrates all the issues pos
Crade rur tony Ben does
Benn does not back their demands.
Support for the hunger strikers has demonstated to the world the political nature of the
and that the Republican inmates of Long Kesh
prisoners an army fighting for national liberation.
six-county Northern Ireland state. created by Krish imperialism, rejected by a
who want a united Ireland.
much IS evident Sands' election and the voting in the recent counch eiections
The future of Ireland is thus a question to be decided by the
people themselves. The British state has no right to ımprison Irish freedom fighters, to occupy any part of Ireland
troops, or to send in troops from anywhere else, including under United Nations
The silence of the British Labour left on the hunger
is a major scandal and disgrace
good that Benn has taken issue with the bi-partisan policy of his party leadership His record is better inan many But he still fudges the vital issue of suppori for the kev aspect of the struggle going on in the
damental question of the right of the irish people to decide their own future
March separately. strike together
Socialist Challenge some individual points in Benn's programme, i is clear from what we have said wrong. Yet Benn's campaign to deputy leader of the Party has the inestimable merit of taking on the right wing, and of organising a fight by the left to democratise the Labour Party ano ine trade unions
This campaign creates the
conditions socialist policies and winning ine whole movemen to inem.
hartle against the right wing, against the agents of capitatism in the movement,
stand shoulder with supporters of Tony Benn. But if we are to go
defeating the right towards socialism. need a very different strategy to
isself, hisis note tales which
defeat the Tories or put socialism on the agenda.
We'll need the programme action socialist That's Socialist Challenge will strike together against the right wing with Tony Benn, but march separately under our own banner and programme.
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Socialist Challenge 4 June 1981 Page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
The great Spanish
Above, and opposite, the scene at Bologna railway station after fascist bombing By Davy Jones IT'S not just in Italy and the USA that the ruling class plots to hang on to power eliminate position. The past weeks have starkly revealed how far the Spanish state apparatus is riddled with right wing sympathisers of the old Francoist regime.
Following the unsuccessful attemp.co Millary coup in rebruary. Lieutenant-Colonel Tejero, the far right -ave multiplied their
The recent Barcelona bank siege
:as now been confirmed by the Spanish Prime Minister as masterminded by exreme right organisations.
Each member of the bank gang was promised 5m pesos and a one-way ticket :o that haven of democracy, The gang's job was to demand the release of Tejero, and the publication of a communiqué in two major newspapers.
More worrying was the attempted government cover-up of the whole affair. While hostages released from the bank have claimed that the assailants were well armed and spoke in military jargon, reinforcing the idea that they were members
the intamous Civil Minister
Socialist Challenge 4 June 1981
Capitalist plot
cover-up
socialist led by
provocative ac-
asserted that Arecita.
Guard, the Was found originally
Page 12
in Italy
By Sophia Silj THE ruling Italian coalition government was forced to resign last week, of a secret conspiracy involving nearly a thousand leading personalities political, economic and military elites. Three cabinet members were among the plotters, as well as 30 other members of parliament. All are said belong to an ex'clusive Vasulli lodge, Propaganda Due, . O P-L. the aim of which; aLVI ding the magistrates exposed the clique was to 'destroy the constitutional order of the country'.
Some British media accounts of the scandal have tried suggest that P-2 was little more than self-help society, mutual through which members of would assist the careers OI fellow-memsomething which Masonic oddes throughout the world specialise in.
Villa
But it is obvious that much more was involved.
One indication is ine type of people who were members of P-2. According to papers seized country villa of the lodge's masse included LICU Gelli, these Justice. Minister, Sarti, Trade Minister, they went 'delinquent elements with obscure motives.
The government has also denied that there were as many attackers as originally claimed, supporting the thesis that the police may have 'failed to capture certain members of the siege gang: the Civil Guard members, perhaps?
Just as the government was trying to put the lid on this right wing scandal came a new revelation. A large tunnel
under • the road. where a military procession was to have taken
International.
uncovered
amid revelations
the country's
Enrico Minister. Franco and Labour Minister, Froshi.
A host of high ranking generals were also members P-2, including General Rafaele der ce,
commander Guardia di Finanza, paramilitary force specialising in border control and anti-smuggling operations.
Fled
Giudice was already in prison for tax evasion when latest broke. His former Chief of Staff, who had the mem bership number 482 in
Among others named
as lodge members are the head of the Defence Minis try s military security organisation, the chief of the Ministry's secret potencence security service, and General Carol Dalla Chiesa, one of the top generals in the Carabin-
Italy's prestigious police force.
Altogether, about 20 officers of the Carabinieri
place last weekend, none other than King Carlos himself. It is clear that the tunnel wasn't there to make sure that someone got a good view of the march past. these outrages drawn by Prime Minister Calvo Sotelo is the anti-terrorist laws. These will be aimed against OV... Guard, the very forces who lie behind the
latest intrigues and plots:
are said to have been involved in P-2
The outgoing government is the 40th Italy has known since the war. The reason for the rise and tall of countless coalitions is the refusal of the bourgeois parties to include the Communists
The Christian Democrats by themselves have 38 per cent of the seats in parliament, and so are forced, maintain themselves in 10 presided over by
Needless to say, the conclusion from
need for stronger
'extremists', and implemented . the army, the police and the Civil
Masonic lodge, P2, was linked to fascist terrorists
look for allies among the smaller and often even more right wing parties
The Socialists, led by Bettino Craxi, are Dal ticularly right wing social democrats, with the resuli that they only have around 10 per cent of the seats in parliament The Communists have 30 per cent
It is the strength of the Communist Party and the prospect that eventually they may be at least partners in government, which helps to explain the forma tion of groups such as P-2
Although the Italian CP has repeatedly watered down its politics, the
economic and ponucal icaact. of Italy obviously feel in need of a 'guarantee' in the event of
interests being threatened by the "democratic process'
The links that P-2 appear to have with Latin American right wing circles suggests that essenually ine organisation is ir the business of implementing a Chile solution Italy, when the bankers and generals feel such a step is necessary.
Licio Gelli
What has been exposed Italy not some
harmless Masonic lodge
whose members indulge in
the peculia rites
associated with such
what has been
revealed classical
capitalist conspiracy.
Several leading capital-
ists have already been
rested for their member-
ship of this secret sociely.
Bank president Robert Calvi is among them, as is Carlo Bonomi, the head of one of the largest investment companies in Italy
Geili, P-2's boss, has in the past given some indi cation of what his gang of banails and parasies were up to Two veals drun said: 'Italy's political par ties and institutions just do nol do ineir loos, we need good people to work together straighten things out.
Control
The Milan magistrates who exposed P-2 declared: 'Gelli's strateg has been to bring under his control a large number of power-
sons and thus down the separation between political, ad ministrative. , and military and economic spheres Gelli constructed a very real state within a state.
Gelli himself is wanted
of spying for on charge. the right wing junta Argentina, while his seized documents suggest that P-2 also has links with the Saudi Arabian regime and
right wing Yaou organisations in Italy and throughout the world.
In this context Gelli, in
message to the Italian Prime Minister
Arnoldo Forlani, warned
that P.2 list members was made public there would be serous l
ternational consequences'-
, Forlani only
in ine event.
agreed to the publication
of the list wnen the mag
istrates who discovered
threatened to publish
with or without the Prime
Minister's permission.
Forlani also resisted
offering the resignation of
his government, although
three of his ministers were
among the plotters, until
forced to do so when. the
Italian Socialist Party,
who partners
Forlani's Christian
Democrat-led coalition,
withdrew their support.
Page 13 scan of this page
US government - at war with its people
By Tom Martin in New York City IF YOU'RE a criminal then you have
certain rights. But if you're a 'subver-
sive' - forget it. testimony of former FBI agent Arthur Greene in court here on 15 May.
Greene had been called as a trial witness by the Socialist Workers Party and Young Socialist Alliance, who are sulle the United States government and its agencies tor $40m damages in compensalon illegal acts against them …neE skyists are also seeking an injunction to bar further illegal government activity against them.
Greene's job was break the YSA natNew York. in cours
court openly admitted to carrying out between 75 and 90 such 'entries' in the period 1960-66.
But then he ran into a problem, because Judge
Thomas P Griesa insisted on a little background information.
were considered MCLEOUS proper, and WICH proper? Didn't you need
search warrants breaking into private
premises?
Powers
Green replied that, yes crimi-
nal matters they were told
that a search warrant was
required. But ne
recall ally such instruc-
in
domestic security. He understood that the FBl's
authority here came from
the executive powers of the
President, starting Will
Roosevelt in the late 1930s.
This was pretty serious So the judge asked
stutt l
what evidence of illegal ac-
had been un-
covered. Did the FBI find
that the SWP was plann-
You have got no rights
That was the blunt
ing bombs, organise kidnappings, em-
sabotage or Dalk similar activities?
Well said Greene, 'one of our highest objectives was establish whether the SWP was violation of the Voorhis Act'. This Act, passed in 1940, makes disclosure of membership fists Cull pulsory for any organisation with international
SWP does not pay dues to or cast decisive votes in the Fourth International, although it otherwise collaborates fullest degree possible. Eye
Greene's story about the Voorhis Act keeps cropping up whenever governical agents take the stand. And the judge feels he's being taken for a ride. es Mandigo took this Charles Mandigo took line the previous day, Judge Griesa could hardly conceal his impatience:
'Nobody could ever contend that you would have to have a 40-yearSW and YSA to establish surve alice ul the
they violated the Voorhis Act or the Foreign
Agents Registration Act.
the
1s quilt callial FBI didn't have the
this sagatesu
subject — they never proscculcu anywiic.
But if events in court
sometimes resemble high
lies behind
Tance.
them deadly serious.
Former FBi agent Ureene
spelled out what the
governal means
"subversive activities'
Who's on the side of his FBI 'wanted know government and not'
The implications of this are staggering. It is no secret that only a quarter of the American electorate
Polls Reagan. show less than 20 per cent
Washington's support tor intervention Salvador. And the latest budget proposals, include cuts in retirement benefit, are cutting into Reagan's limited support further.
What is more, the opposition to the administra-
out onto the streets. Every
whether. its focus is vador. nuclear power, the racist killings Atlanta, the Equal Rights Amendment, the rail cutbacks, miners' general outburst against the wav society is oraerec today.
Action
Even the burcaucrats are being forc-
en to recponor age Aru
CIO federation just announcea nationa
march against the budget cuts, lls first such action
since 1975.
people are
'subversives' according to
ureene s action. And
other developments con-
firm this was no slip of the
International
Just days before the SWP suit opened, FBI agents W Mark Felt and Edward S Miller were pardoned by Reagan after being convicted break-ins in the early The official statement pointed to 'their good
that were necessary to preserve
securit Intelests our record demonstrates that they acted not WIll criminal intent, but in the helief that thev had grants of authority reaching the highest CVES of government.' Which is ex. actly what the SWP/YSA suit is all about.
Reagan's statement explains that menca was at war in 1972'. That is not formally true: no such bill had ever passed Congress, nor nad ine Anchcal Dcu ple voted to go to war. But it is true in one important sense: the American government and waging war on the democratic rights of its people.
As opposition develops to its policies the White House is stepping up that wal Today new executive order - Ine salt kind of mandate the FBI used for 40 years to spy on the SWP being drafted for the CIA. The New York Times 01 14 May revealed that one source 'believed the new draft would permit the extension of covert actions to be undertaken by the agency within the United States cumstances'
One possibility, according to the paper 'would
infiltration Ine
disruption of a political group consisting mainly of
Americans but that is led
by foreign nationals, or a
group suspected of being
agent of a foreign
power. This could include
groups promoting "soli-
darity" with or sympathy
for such foreign guerrillas in El Salvador. Bicyclicity left-wing
Spying
The purpose could
hardly be clearer. But a
major obstacle to achievshil. Others who had filed is the SWP/YSA
legal challenges the
government's spying
have been
bought off with out-of-
court settlements. But not
the Trotskyists. i ney are
fighting for an injunction
which would declare
such harassment illegal.
The US government,
as this trial has shown,
tries to trick and cheat the
people of the United States
on every possible occa-
sion. = the 'executive
branch' of the wealthy few
who run this society, and it
is loyal only to them
Every day the trai goes
on is an education in how
the capitalis! class rules
and how working people
can fight hack. In that
sense, getting out the facts
about This case is a historic
opportnity
the socialist cause today.
ONE of the most riveting pieces ot testimony yet heard In trial was the deposition of John
the 113th Military Group in Evanston, Illinois, read out in court on 14/15 May.
shows the length to which the state agencies will go to harass socialists including direct association with far-right organisations US Legion of Justice. an edited version of his courtroom statelicilo
Chicago nolket penetrated the YSA on behalf of thi
debrief this out the knowledge in the Chicago Police Department. you know about the individuals that standard oroccaure
working against, you can counteract their activities..
Based on information he obtain ed, we were able to create a marital situation or create a situation among
married couple members of the YSA that we eventually broke the marriage caused interna
organe pied
who was a high school student from gaining entrance to the University Illinois. we contacted Security of the University of illinois
Circle Campus,
unveisily
Socialist Alliance, a member of jus oldles about every orgarisa!!
Anyway, somy for the Univers of becoming involved student tivuies.
all cycle gang, to break up a nirosillino Day
minated
contact that one of the military in
telligence agents had with
that gang. Me introduced nir to re
and i attended one of the
meetings
They were
in neli political
they
couid to Arised them to disri phear Army And on
used
Angels type thing would go on the
Occasionally
WELL TU BEL COME RILL ONIN FELLA.
NICETO SE YOU!
ANY FRIEND OF THE PRESIDENTS IS A FRIEND OF MINE!!
Big Brother's
Dirty Tricks
the
formerly an agent with
Intelligence
.. LICOC extraordinary were leauti tions
like the Below is
agent. with thad Wild inverne t one
individual, with. always superiors These more unem nocket and back, report on it
who 3 up and it within the file, checks precluded a YSA member
y of
Can we cer ground membersme United Young would spy it h
that the individual was
activist base.
We employed the use of a motor.
Justice
march at Grant Park that ter
speeches through that they 113th in in Late in
in Arlington Heights
right-wing proclivities assist the United States with paper.
one occasion, We offices of , and another body Grant Park, with guns; dressed in
paraphernalia Hell's almost
BLESS OUR BURGLARS! street when a peaceful demonstra tion was takine diace dna tua contact with une no violal: VILE whom I was acquainted as a result
investigations and throug and i would try to create paranoia on the part of they
One of the methods I would use is I would point out a member
, and through conversation, convince the leader of
organis one or mese souls. tions that the individual is an FB
The idea was to parry one radical
that's all, by mak … think tne ones agent There were petitions passed around. Oc casionally I'd rip off some petitions
were already signed and eventually got me And I'd fold
anc stick I'd take walk away. copy the copy, I disseminated it to other agen see whether or not any of th
names were familiar to them, and i
I gather • informatior from these individuals and open up a
and Ther wea employment add that person to the list of people we would watch.
One incident I recall, involved member of the SWP. The Army had determined that this individual had a
very strong military '50s. including military telligence unit. and we attempted tr
recruit that individual by saying we
blow him as a governmen didn't come around and start working tor us
The result was that he was in fact
an FBI penetrant, so we lost our
I had seen them (the Legion o - eds) on the stree
times osservine demonstration ac
tivities in wich the tor was invol
I became aware were involved in concern the evening, that there were ine out
And went out Bringing in cardboard boxes tilled arrect superiors severd individuals
contained records from the YSA The men were
members of the Legion of Justice
10 During the ero cool gay
of the work done by
Special Operations Chicago con
cerned the YSA o. SWF
Socialist Chailenge : June 1981 Fage
Page 14 scan of this page
By Raghib Ahsan WHEN blacks exploded in Bristol and Brixton, there was joy and sympathy in the black communities. not find a single puppet to these actions.
These frustrations of blacks, especially youth, in the face of economic difficulties and the growing racist harassment by wing groups. . arld War, large numbers the Second
:immigrants came to Bri-
from the third world
" neloos unar wate + orkers refused to take, as
drivers. ancillary • r i iOsDiC and clothing in-
Sic parts of British like Ford's ind Dagenham hirds of the • black. Black minale the texthe ransport, and engineering inRacism
Racist views which British i society kept blacks in ine . al jobs, or left them
he job at all, which is
savingly the situation
voung blacks born in
country.
Airording to the 1976
i.al and Economic
Report, 62 per
• ck worke dre
anised compared to 48
cent of white workers.
traditionally look
re organisations of the
London Immigration Action Group Public meting
Deportation
& repatriation
12 June 6.30 Friends House, Euston Rd, small hall speakers
Cynthia Gordon, Nasira
Akhtar, Jaswinder Kaur,
Campaign, and Tony Bunyan of State Research on
Internal survemance.
Cinthia Gordon is West Indian and Nasira Begum
is Pakistani
tion. Support their campaigns to stay in this country. Demonstrate for
Cynthia and Nasira
6 June Manchester
Assemble 12.30 at the corner of Princess Rd
and Moss Lane tast. Moss side. For coaches
from London phone Satnam 01-485 6672.
Ligil: 15 June, London,
¡isemble ipm at the High Court, Sirand opposite the
Immigration Appeals Tribuna!.
Venus ot Vasira Bezum, s9s Sreckport Ro. Longsigh
fanchester 12 TCC. phone 061-225 5111
Cintia Gordion Action Group 14 Cradwel! Walk, Mos
Manchester.
galist Challenge 4 June 1981 Page 14
Black workers
will be in the
forefront
The state, press and media could
disapprove of
events illustrated the anger and
the police and right
labour movement, the trade unions and the Labour Party, as being 'on their side' although there e O SOW IO In 1955, the TUC elaborated its policy or race which was used for the next decade. It called blacks to integrate with whires.
Twenry years later, following the National Frent's electoral cesses, the 1977 TUC con- sul passed another COHE. ihis tilit against fascism.
As a result of struggles like the Grunwick and Garner's Steakhouse WICE black workers were central, the ¡Uc set up an eoual op portunities committee which devised model TelLO HacC LOCl cluded in all agreements with employers. Unions
But according to one black trade union leader, 'This equal opportunity clause is not worth the piece of paper on which it is written.
Begum, Nasireen Philippino Domestics
- they are both faced with depora-
Nasira's appeal will he heard.
nerr dejence cenemidees i Ritis, -cüre
The Transport and General Workers Union, une arsesı une
has only five or six full-time black officers. There are no blacks on its eleclcu execuuve co be l, haddhit ovillack.
be a handtul of black delegates out of 1,200 at its biennial conference June
The engineering union doesn't have any full-time black officers and none on its natonal committee all the posts are elecied. This pattern generally
trade unions.
i he most significant move to overcome racism in ine unions nas come from the London division of the public employees' union, NUPE, which has set up race relations committees with black majorities as part of a campaign which involves publishing a pamphlet on race.
The crisis of British capitalism is hitting blacks hard, marginal and tecnno ogcalv. Dalkwaru industries are eliminated and cuts in the social services take hold.
Midlands
In the West Midlands, unemployment among blacks has tripled in the last year.
Birmetals, for example, a well known foundry works which employed a large number or blacks nas closed all its plants except
opelali with a reduced labour lorce, concehtalng pir duction at a single modern plant in Derby.
The :ory b he came in ancasne wnec dt ex he incus." aue to lack or investmen and its consequent inabili.
unports.
Anti-racism
J. LYONS
WORKERS
And the crisis is forcing black wolcl to take up 'home work' which, according one estimate, pays on average less than 20p an hour.
in car nures merchant and landowning classes, supported by the Lyons Tetley workers greet People's March in West London
churches and the courts denied the humanity of COHICK peopie in order lo justify their enslavement.
Deport
Today the same forces headed by Thatcher send armed police into factories to look for 'illegal' imnisanls. y deport black women like Nasira Begum. and turn a binc eye to constant racist attacks blacks in the streets or in their homes.
They try to make the white worker blame the black worker for the loss of jobs.
In this they are aided by the labour leaders who see the British working Cass a.> • and male and don't fight against racist and divisive ideas views
Black workers, by the very nature of their double
blacks and as workers will be in the forefront of coming struggles against this system. Strike
The writing is on the
ol!. The wansfeic ..i icti more recen: v al earpods
black ane! ¡cildil lii lii dam!
Peoples
march
GREENFORD
Some industries, like Lyons Tetley have a majority of Asian workers
Increasingly, blacks are taking e caes which af. action variety of fect them as blacks and a: workers.
The Black People's Day of Action which was supported by over 15,000 during working day showed the anger of black people over the racist murders of the 13 black youth In Deptford and about racist violence in general.
There have been other demonstrations around issues of immigration controls. police harassment, Atrican days and solidarity actions with struggles in their countries of origin.
Black workers have joined with white workers on the big demonstrations against unemployment in Liverpool ana London
The black movement is in transition. Blacks, paruculariy ine youth, are breaking from the reformuSu misleaders of thei community. They are regecting the attemnts of the state, through its Councils
I won't die for
W'hatcher
* STOP • CRUISE
MISSILES
Gros Gruise Misalios
aric: 200 : Sox 30, 100 Boca icn% x5 Croup.
for
jobs
for Racial Equality to co-opt and strangle the new militancy,
far, this new militancy has not found a political leadership although components of it are to be found in various groups and campaigns.
The bulding of a black movement that can provide duiswel. political issues that coniront black prupie. lead them in action and develop the fight acanisitcs ahd indusriail desend on
industrial muscle of black workers.
* *
MARXIS
87
July 10-17
This year's courses include:
Women's politics: A Century of War and Revolution: Debate:
within Marxism: The Labour Party: Modern Writers: Mapping
the Missile : Working for
Marxism: Classical. Marxism;
Black Liberation: Sexual Politics: The Anatomy of the
Revolutionary_Left: Advanced Economics
and Writing: The Fight for Socialism in Eastern Europe
Imperialism and Revolution Today: Ireland.
MARXISM 81 vill be held at ane Queen Mary Collage
Mile Eno fosd. London. E? Irem 10
335b ior turther defails.
As one black writer said recently 'consider the enec ol black worker: closing down Londor
Transport and key hospitals everv time the
attack black people.' suruggles of the conn ute linking the ly with the workplace as well as with the labour movement movement will be buill. i that such
must be led by black workers.
Socialist
Challenge
REVOLUTION
Industrial Workers Conference London 21-8 June
The Socialist Chal lenge/Revolution industrial workers conference will discuss the role of black workers the fight against racism and how white workers
solidarise with their struggles
Bigger and
better!!
Seven days of Ideas, Discussion and Debate.
Book now to make sure of your place at the Socialist Worker Student Organisation annual summer school.
the State: Introduction to The mass Media: The Politics of
: Literature - Women
17 July (Friday io tle io 3WSd P9 Box A2 1onion. E2orng0i 006
Page 15 scan of this page
Abortion Rights
Debating
our
future
By Judith Arkwright TONY Benn is quite right when he says it's not enough to fight ine lories and bring in Labour We should all demand to know:
Labour back to power for what?
wewomen Hogic ake to know what Tony Bonn thinks Labour government would do tor
The Tory coverenient's restrictions o" abortion nghis are being implemented door. We base to felt this with a clear ¿emative: establish woman' right to choose both in law and in practice.
Labour Abortion Campaign is putting forward motons for ins year's Labour Party conference, which Will commit the party to this alternative. local health authorities
parliament in this session.
The Campaign wants our coverco take ovel al private abortion clinics and to provide all abortions free of charge on the health service.
At a time when the decrease in availability of NHS abortions pushing the cost for a private abortion up to f200, this demand is vital LARC is also arguing for abortion National Abortion
Campaign
National
Conference
Saturday/Sunday 13/14 June UMIST Students Union, Manchester Discussion on positive legislation contraception and in-
ternational situation
Details from: Manchester NAC, 9 Birch Hall Lane,
Longsight, Manchester 13 OXJ
Scottish anti-nuclear
youth plan activities
By Doug Maclean CAMPAIGN for Nuclear Disarmament organisers are expecting 25,000 people on the Faslane to weekend but some think it could be as many as 40,000, such is the support that CND has in Scotland.
The endorsement of unilateral disarmament by both the Scottish TUC and Labour build up.
CND branches are already planning
their campaign to get thousands to the 24 October demonstration in London beginning with Hiroshima week in early August.
Several Young
flourishing in Scotland. The strongest is
in Edinburgh with 50 youth coming to its
weekly meetings.
a future
BACK
Rights
begin lo
to provide
areas of the country.
a future
crisis control
doctor.
In tarant Glasgow march this Party has contributed to the
CND branch are
The weekend of ac-
righ POIN THE _ABOUR ABORTION RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
ЛАВС
day care to be provided by law in all
If a doctor's 'conscience' means he or she would baulk at women exbody, they would be required by law over Thel own
women to a sympathetic
Supporters of LARC also argue issue of conscience for MPs voting
Sorry,
we don't
employ
ladies
National Demonstration 6.7 June
@ Marchforthe
aND future
Foslane i Clydebank m Clauge See overleaf for Itinerary • For a nuclear free Europe. • Jobs not bombs •Stop Trident • No Cruise missiles Published by
tion against the missiles planned for 27-28 June includes a march, against the Missiles concert and a Scottish YCND conference.
LARC: fighting to commit a labour government to free abortions on the NHS
What right do they / have to deter mine women's lives? Like the rest of the left in the Labour Party, LARC wants a party which implements policy passed by conference.
The first major discussion these issues within the party will be taken at the Labour Women's conference on 14-16 June, where LARC 1s holding a tringe ticklills emergency motion is to be put to the conference demanding support for a
Ms A GUEST is taking a complaint of disOCA to the Industrial Tribunal, scheduled to be heard on 3 June.
She had applied for a van-driving Job only lo be told the firm, Alpine soft drinks, does not employ 'ladies' the job involves lifting neavy weights, dirty work and working long nours Christmas They said it would be physically CITTCUT as the jumping in and out of the van is not suited to the female and the lifting would cause back strain.
This firm does seem to have heard of the Sex Discrimination Act which states that Target Britain Rock
ABORT M
IMPAIGN
huge campaign around the Facilities Bill.
we fight to achieve its LARC's proposals are adopted by the Labour Party would herald a massive that has to be launched throughout An the labour movement: in the trade
Umons, i une women s movement and out on the street.
women must not treated ditterentiv trom men when applying for a job.
Claim
'Obviously some men and some women are more capable of doina this tvpe ot work but to categorise it into
female Male unlawful, said Ann
womens ren officer for the National Council for Civil Liberties which is supporting Ms Guest in her claim.
Ms Guest herself points out that no one
male Or female should be asked to do a
damage to health. 'Ten years the Se)
Discrimination Act was passed, it's scandal that this case sort
The Silent Killers
IT NOW looks likely that
chemical weapons will stand
alongside Cruise missiles and
Pershing missiles as battlefield
weapons. These weapons are
like nuclear weapons, in-
struments of mass murder.
They aim to kill the maximum
number of people in the quickest
possible time without destroying
buildings or hindering the approach
of armies. They are human insec-
tisides.
It is not difficult to imagine
how the increase in the number of
battlefield weapons
missiles, 'mini-nukes', the Neutron
bomb, and now chemical weapons
— at the generals' disposal, in-
creases the likelihood of war.
The ability to wage 'limited'
nuclear/chemical war now appears
to be NATO's goal
no such thing as limited nuclear
war. All would be destroyed.
The crucial question is how do
aims? If
conterence
campaign should bodies sponsor us with
Tories!
20th June Edinburgh
Tory attacks
discrimination is conti-
nuing.
The case being
IN GAS AND GERM WEAPONS - Cruise
— but there is Weapons.
St, London N4.
Socialist Challenge
The experience of the camra against the anti-abortion Corrie showed us that this is where the .: tles are really fought and wor MPs should be picketed c: street meetings held, and resolu: the Facilitie be put to labour t We need a camp:: will take us forward to HomaR s nentlo choose dn trol our own lives
€ Tenners Against the
Festival for Women's Rights against
financed by the Equa Opportunities Commis sion
THE SILENT KILLERS NEW DEVELOPMEHTS - BY DAVID BAYS
From a new CND pamphlet:
The Silent Killers - New
Developments in Gas and Germ
By David Bays.
Available from CND, 11 Goodwin
4 June 1981 Page 15
Page 16 scan of this page
8 months on
IN October we launched our most ambitious tund drive ever. We asked for £100,000 to buy centre for Socialist modern printshop and bookshop.
= merged our regular
fund the X) drive. I his nelps : our campaigns and per. which relies on contributions. supporters this ind sought £80,000 activities and direct to our
drive nas been a io your dedication = growin of Socialcountry. We've :30.000 €7500
nationally. :85.000 next year reach of buying ing. We're on the
Secured
First WC of all been ed the lease on and comhalf our renoinITly with that's €11,000. nk we can purbuilding for of which we
£40,000. :5000 more, and
and buy an office
a've also put £7500
he printshop: it needs
ler £2000 to stabilise
We've brought out
and very popular edi-
theoretical
-nal International at an
al cost of £800. It will
i ming out bimonthly
* now on. Stock
Our major weakness is
We've put
COOKSIOD.
:500; but needs =*: another £2000 for an
lae race or stock Lu
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Give-away bulk also available.
Write to: Islington Research Group, c/o PO Box 50, London N1 2XP. Hurry, before stocks run out!
BENN
education proper socialist
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local activists
Our fighting fund has
reserves than we expected. of vul
Printing the paper alone
now costs us £350 more
each week than in October
- only partly offset by the increase We've
taken bold initiatives to
boost the fight against the
.Monthly
.And on the same date
in the month thereafter.
Enterprises, PO B0x050, London NI PO Box 50,
Tories: we were the driving force in both the Labour Movement Conference against the Missiles and the Women's Festival against the Tories. Placards
We've tried to ensure inal your paper policies have presence ployment demonstrations in Glasgow, Liverpool and London our 13 -nOUl week placards alone cost us over £500.
In spite of having to cut back on staffing at our national centre, we've had
full time organiser South wales Tor a year. and we've opened three local ottices bookshop in Birmingham
But most important of all we've tried to turn our
weapon for socialism, able to reach out to new left-wing forces
the factories, Labour Party and the antiCruise movement.
this COSI money. We aimed spend £9000 in campaigning expenses between Oc-
1980 and July 1981.
The final bill will be nearer £12,000, but thanks to you we think we'll cover it. Cash
Our £100,000 fund will stay open until March next
We need a minimum y cal of £12,000-
- 0 1 u E you, our local supporters, Without is ve l start to make ac get ll
hard-won OSC oul gains.
But we also need cash for our campaigns and our paper. In July we'll be reopening the fighting fund. In addition to our regular subsidy. we want to expand! We need at least one more national and
local organiser. 1101 C We're looking for a total of €6000 extra every quarter.
That's why we're asking carefully about increasing
You've but us on the road to expansion with YOU! donations, whether 50p £5000.
not keep us on the road with a regular donation? Extra
Our most consistent supporters, the IMO each give us between f5
much as €30 each
month. From them we're looking for an extra €1000 every month. But we're disu asking thousands of independent
think about ¡caucis. their contribution
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sociaism. from two hundred readers
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Keep our Challenge go
ng with a fiver a month
- IRISH
By Penny Duggan THE issue
standing the four hunger strikers and
didates.
The prisoners will mainly be contesting seats
the border al-
ONIC standing against government Foreign Minister Brian Lenihan in Dublin West Other candidates will also take up. prisoners cause Neil Bianey's dependent Fianna Fail Republican Party are fielding candidates in ine border counties not covered by the prisoners
But it has been left to the revolutionary organisation People's Democracy
challenge Prime Minister Haughey in his North Central Dublin con-
Talks
Vincent Doherty member of the prominent National H Block Committee and PD Dublin will be standing there. In Limerick another PD mem bel nent labour movement activist Joe Harrington is intending to stand.
The platform of the PD candidates challenges the bankruptcy OI the bourgeois nationalists over the prisoners, calling for the expulsion of the
SAVE In enDUNERS
HBLOCK
PRISONERS
STAND IN
ELECTION
of the H Block prisoners will dominate this month's elections in the south of Ireland. The National H Block Committee is
five other H Block and Armagh prisoners as can-
Charles Haughey British and breaking off the Thatcher/ Haughey talks unal une prisoners' issue is resolved. They will also challenging the economic and social exploitation of the working class PD are hopin locat Block Action DOIL from the Groups local ; on the basis of their central involvement in the prisoners' campaign to date. . Bernadette McAliskey, acting as press officer for prisonels tallials, has already announced her support for Doherty's candidature.
SUPPORT RISHI
BRISH AMBASSADOR OUT.
Doherty
Leaders of the major political parties had hoped this would _be a normal "bread and butter' issues election. And Haughey, long considered the most nationalist
The people of Belfast elected us as
opposition to the British government.
political domination of Ireland.
struggle forward.
rule.
made to Haughey at the polls.
Dublin
49147310.
200239032
National H Block Committee member Vincent - challenging Haughey in his
tionalist politicians, is particularly vulnerable on the prisoners SSUC he H Block candidates intend to ensure that he gets a rough ride throughout the election.
HELPUS
CHALLENGE
HAUGHEY
By John McAnulty and Fergus O'Hare
People's Democracy candidates because we stood for the 5 demands of the prisoners and focussed popular
We stood four square against the quislings who attacked the prisoners. Welinked the hunger strike to the whole issue of imperialist economic and
We outlined a strategy of mass action which alone can take the
Now our comrades, Vincent and Joe, are standing in the Southern election and we will be active in the campaign for prisoner candidates. Again we plan to show the mass support that exists for the prisoners and the mass resentment against British
To do this places a severe strain on our small
We appeal to you to contribute to our election tund to ensure that a clear challenge is
Cheques to: People's Democracy Election Fund Pay to: Bank of Ireland, Upper Ormonde Quay,
Sorting code: 90 06 15 Account no: Send to: 38 Clanawley Roud, Killester Dublin 5.
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