Socialist Challenge No. 262, 25 September 1982
The scan: sc-no262.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
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Page 1 scan of this page
Socialist Challenge
HEALTH 12% WORKERS OHS: KICK OUT THE TORIES
25 September 1982 25p Unemplovsd and strikers Tup
PAY
THE
ith Service Unfor
E Health staffs say: we need
rotection Pay Justi
Britain's Health Service un hoto: JOHN HARRIS
Page 2 scan of this page
The greatest stoppage
Editorial
PO Box 50. London N1 2XP
Phone 359 8180 (Newsdesk), 369 8371 (distribution)
Tories out!
AFTER the Tories' derisory 'a little now
and less later'
workars was rejected by the unions, the
stage has been set for all-out action on
22 September.
The discussion that is going on around 22
September raising
Should this be the first step in a campaign of
industrial action to weaken the government's
credibility and force it from office?
Figures for January to June 1982 show
that even before
dispute and the NHS Days of Action, strikes
ware up 60 per cent up on the same period in
1981.
The groundsweil exists for such a campaighe Tude dby ghess C.
TUC
union leaders ourdoing Enemsares to pui
themselves at the head of the movement.
finish off the government?
The answer lies in the political conse
quences: both trade union and Labour Party
LOBOTS desperately
capitalist ordar.
Secondly, they fear the consequences of
such a movement in that it would give a
But for Thatcher the
Falklands is receding.
Once again the spectre of a hung parlia-
ment with the SDP/Liberal Alliance holding
the balance is floating in front of Thatcher's
eyes.
Unfortunataly the Labour Party is not in
good shape to take advantage of either the in-
dustrial situation or
nakedness.
Michael Foot's declaration that the pro-
posed purge of socialists will stop short of the
rank and file of the Militant rings as hollow as
the Israeli government's promise to stay out
of West Beirut.
loft, right and contre around Michael Foot up
to the next election.
going to lose the election anyway, then Benn
must be seon to give the leadership a free run,
the better to exact vengeance afterwards.
wise heads nodding in London, the mass of
rank and flle supporters of Benn who voted
for his candidature in hundreda of thousands
ars not privy to thasa deliberations.
Labour Party under Benn's leadership would
enter the run up to a general election with
more entusiasm and elan than at any time
since the Second World War.
For this reason the left must not drop its
guard. The organisation of the left in the first
period of the Bennite wave was one of the
most positive features.
It is this aspect that needs to be asserted
now; not only against the leadership's pro-
scriptions. but also as the most effective way
to set a movement rolling that can fight the
Tories and the
government of a completely different type to
that of Wilson and Callaghan. For this reason
by Hackney North CLP on 30 October is vitally
important.
goes hand in hand with the fight ageinst the
witch-hunts and why we say:
"Fight the Tories, not the socialists'.
JOIN THE FIGHT FOR
SOCIALISM
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Socialist Challenge. 25 September 1982 page 2
offer to the health
question.
the start of the ASLEF
Congress last week showed
So why don't they go the whole way and
trying to SnOW as reliable props for a shaky
glow of the
the Tories" political
Tony Benn has now called for unity of the
Bennite strategiats argue that if Labour Is
The problem is that although this may set
For tham the fact of the matter is that the
and gain a
That is why the fight against the Tories
Wednesday's day of strike action is going to see the biggest show of trade union force since the freeing of the Pentonville 5 in 1972. Health workers will be out everywhere for the day. Miners, engineers, dockers, shipyard workers and bus workers along with teachers, civil servants, local government workers will all join strike action. backsliding entirely different mood to the last day of strike action called by the TUC on 14 May 1980.
Workers from art of the country will bo making their way to London mass acmonstranon and many
will be organising I0CEI CHOSHEROE well. • In Manchester there are two trains going to London organised by the North West TUC and one OTERISCO the ACEITE unions. These will be supplemented by more than a dozen coaches.
The call of the more militant health workers is to make the London demo the major focus. Kay Gastin representing the Greater Manchester health shop stewards committee
people at a Tribune rally with Tony Benn ast Tues day. Benn echoed her call
Health have been touring the main Manchester tactories and recerving massive support the engincerig workers have not waited for national directives before deciding number of the biggest factones will he out for the whole day including Faircy Engineering and Fairey Graphite as well. Massey Ferguson CPO will also be out for the whole day.
Many Manchester fac tories are on a week's shut down. But in at least two
these Massey Fergusons BDR and SEl in Heywood, every single worker has donated a El levy to the health workers.
Most bus depots will be bur tor te das.
Even less well organis ed groups of workers are
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since the war
Despite bureaucratic everywhere reports indicate an
responding to the strik call with stoppages, collec tions, messages of support and invitations to health workers to speak.
Sheffield Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Workers meeting of stewards called for a full 24 hour strike.
This backed up a previous call by the Trades Council.
It is estimated that 20,000 engincering workers will join 30,000 local authority
strike action the bulk of
Many tactories, and steel plants are on shut down during this week, but the 2500 engincering and steel workers at the River Don plant will strike for the whole day. In addition to a train going to Local Trades there will be Council local demo. • Birmingham. This is EnC WeeK O1 Saur dOWn But the buses will be on a PAULE Teachers will come out for an hour caretakers and other staff for two hours Bus workers will be on a 24 hour stoppage. This was won after specially convened branch meetingand a ballot of bus crews • Bristol. Dockers here will he leading the action with a 24 hour strike.
Lorry drivers will be out in the morning. There will be mass meetings al BAC and Lucas on the day to decide action take.
Teachers will be out for the day Avonwide
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For readers who take out a year's inland subscription we are offering a free copy of Alan Freeman's new book THE BENN HERESY. The
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News
• South Wales. Massive
PE is organie Wate expected.
SEVE free trains and the C one train as well as coaches. Derek Gregory NUPE divisional officer has called out the whole of NUPE South Wales.
Jill Jenkins, South
Glamorgan shop steward and Cardiff North delegate to the Labour Party conference, told us that NUPE will be picketing with the miners as well as filling the trains
GMWU leader: are not so militant. David Plant of the GMWU, who spearheaded the witchhunt against the left at the Wales Labour Party con-
LAST WEEK the Sun put its cards on the table. Foot mustlead the witch-hunt' said columnist John Freeman in one of the most poisonous ticles the Fleet Street
press has mustered. A pity Ken Livingstone isn't in the Militant. he explained. but never mind the niceties kick him out anyway.
Thanks for the advice, John. You once helped lead the Bevanite revolt, but we've no doubt Rupert Murdoch pays you more. It's always good to hear from real rat because it warns you what's coming out of the sewers.
One tiny point, however. is the Sun goine to register? Will the NEC, in its campaign against sinister outside fluences on the party enguire into the millionaire backing
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By Brian Grogan
ference, is not instructing nis members to come out
It's clear who's fighting the Tories South Wales • Scotland. Bus drivers will be out for the day in all the major cities, following
miners. The two Wills factories in Glasgow will also be out, as will the 5000 shipyard workers in the Clyde lower reaches
The feelings of many Scottish workers were
up by McCahey, the Scottish miners leader. Speaking at
Motherwell to protest at the cutbacks in DCOLLISSLCC DOUUCTOR he emphasised the importance of the day of action for all workers. *The
Pieces of silver
tor the campaign of lies and distortion that appears daily in the gutter press directed with equal venom against or dinary, decent trade unionists and the left in the Labour Party?
Deeds
Along with the rest of the multinationals Murdoch's empire has been taking partin a small, rather unpublicised campaign of late: a campaign to stop a law going through the European parliament would require multinational firms to disclose any changes to their investment plans likely to cause job loss. So far this campaign has subverted every European government except the Greek and French ones. Strange, isn't it. how important secrecy becomes
ALAN FREEMAN
THE BENN
-ERE
health workers" day of ac tion will represent the end of the retreat and the beginning of a working Tors ofensive avernment.
government.
Nothing epitomises better the nature of this governCHERE ERC ESCEN Va that they treat the health worker and the millions that they are prepared to spend on Trident and the Falklands war'
He stressed that the miners see their pay claim in the same way. Despite the productivity and elfi ciency which the miners hd shown, they were still be ing atracked on fronts: wages and redundancies And he hoped
as the struggle with the Tories developed over the next few months, the would enjoy the hearted support of the Scottish people.
when it concerns millionaire profits instead of millions of jobs?
We make по secret of our funds or our intentions. We are supported entire ly by the donations of our readers, and we print them every one of them. And we can't survive without them. Truth, you see is an expensive commodity: lies cost mere thirty pieces of silver.
What can you do to stop renegades like John Freeman and barons like Murdoch subverting your party and your unions? Help us to combat them! Heip support a paper that supports your cause and puts your case week in and week oUT.
Send your donation to us today, to make a regular contribution.
Pay the
Health
Workers
Pay the Health workers badges available at 25p each
20р 50-9 15p 100 and over
Cheques payable to Cardinal Enterprises" and send
to "Badges • PO Box: 50 Lon-
don NI Whi 08c Tom Trade union or Labour Parg branch to order some?
Page 3 scan of this page
We need a socialist
of disease.'
explains how health can be won.
Most people associate
ealth with hospitals, doc tors, nurses and drugs but the WHO definition correctly gives weight to social and economic factors.
In Britain 90 per cent of the reduction of child deaths between 1850-1975 attributed whooping cough, scarlet fever measles took place before the advent of any effective immunisation or anti-biotic
- The Black Report.
therapy. This was because intection was the major cais century. Public healin cause of death until measures, particularly sanitation and improved living standards were responsible for the dramatic decrease.
Inequalities in Health: the Black Report, demonstrated that even today a child of an unskilled worker is four or five times as likely to die before the age of one year than a child of a professional worker.
A superior social system means better health. For example, Cuba is not only in the lead of all other Latin
Paraguay:
Guatemala Peru Chile Colombia Venezuela Cuba
American countries in relation to its infant mortality rate (19.3 deaths per 100 live births: see Table 1) but is lower than the castern district of Glasgow (19.6).
Most medical experts now agree that changes in the way We live would significantly reduce the incidence of major diseases in Britain; particularly cardiovascular discase: chronic bronchitis; cancer; diabetes; infection; liver and gastrointestinal disease; and occupational diseases.
But the National Health Service does not reflect this understanding. When the NHS began in 1948 responsibility for health was divided between local authorities which were responsible for
•A STATE of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence
That's how health is defined by the World Health Organisation. And its what is at stake in the healthworkers battle with the Tories. MARIE LOUISE IRVINE, a Glasgow doctor,
housing, water town planning munity health, and the NHS which was hospital centred.
The NHS took most of the resources, despite success of public measures in health.
The reason and disproportionate allocation was that then, as now, the medical profession had too much in
'CLASS differences in mortality are constant feature of the human life span'
how resources are allocated in our health services.
The British Association agreed to sup port Nye Bevan's NHS bill only if the medical profession rather than the elected Local authorities could control it.
There was 'a discussion between medical profession were opposed to government control in any shape or form and the local government who were anxious to keep their existing powers and if possible extend them.
The consultants The NHS was to be run by appointed
Table 1. Infant mortality (rate per 1000 live births)
94.3 80.7 74.4 52.5
dominated by the medical and allied professions, but inappropriate to our health needs.
Preventative and community medicine receiving only 5-8 percent of the health budget.
Yet it is in these areas that the future of health care lies. Table 2 clearly demonstrates that serious cervical programmes are pursued as in Grampian and Tayside Regions, the death rate from cervical cancer reduced. Once cancer (a cancer of the womb) is established these is little that medical science can do.
For progress in health care we have to resolve the
POVERTY WAGES
NUPEE
supply, and com-
the
health promoting
for this
deciding
a Medical
bitter
the who local contradiction built into the NHS. The form of the NHS associations
is a compromise working class and class interests. "socialist'
won. sal, comprehensive and (still
largely) free; yet it is conboards, trolled by the ruling class
mainly through the channel of the medical profession.
By defending the NHS we defend the basis for and possibility table, democratic health promoting system.
That is why it is wrong to make an artificial seperation between defending the health service and fighting for a better one. The unity of the health workers and the labour suffered fighting for the 12 per cent
where screening
has occured.
cervical
is a model for organising a campaign of action against cuts and privatisation.
Such a campaign would not be purely "defensive'. In raising the issues of pay and
health service
2
WAL between ruling It in being univer- Scotland BONEYSICA of an accoun and deficiencies
vice.
movement in youth.
'THAT improvement in health is likely to come in the future as in the past from the modification of the conditions which led to disease, rather than from intervention in the mechanism of the disease after it
The Black Report.
Solidarity
HELP US
TO
HELP YOU
NO
Table 2. Death razas per million women in age group for car-
cinoma of the carvix.
1968-70
England and Wales 11.0
16.1
Scotland excluding Grampian
12.8
conditions for the health workers, cuts in service and private medicine there are opportunities for increased understanding of the nature of the health service, its
and ways of creating a better health ser-
The users and workers in The the NHS have to collectively develop a plan for a health service to meet our needs as health women, black people, old people, disabled people and
ding cuts
week
One possible structure • Establish for all interested organisa- clinics tions is the Socialist Health Association which is open NHS to all and affiliated to the Labour Party and which is advertising
COHSE
1971-73 1974-76 13.7 13.9 13.9
13.6 16.5
in the process of developing a Charter for Health.
Nationally we have to unite to fight the Tories' plans tor dismantling the health service and the unity of the labour movement behind the health workers fight shows the way
next Labour government must make sure that it does not sell out on
in the way that Wilson and Callaghan did by encouraging the growth of private medicine and introducing devastating cuts in public spending.
We should demand that
Labour government would immediately; • Reverse the public spen-
minimum wage of e100 pal • Establish legal
• Abolish private medicine
out-patient
• Ban race checks in the
• Ban alcohol and tobacco
FOR
CORSE
for al NHS
employees
• Strengthen health and safety at work regulations
In its first term of oftice Labour government should also organise the health service to make it more democratic.
One suggestion is that the NHS should be run by bodies composed of local authority and trade union representatives as well as representatives from women's organisations and minority groups.
But it will require more than a democratic and accountable NHS to improve our health. It will involve radical measures to end unemployment, bad hous ing, poverty, poor diet and unsafe working conditions Good health will only be guaranteed when our resources are controlled by working people and the oppressed.
eS19 in Health, The Black Report
of the National Health Servic
Trom Utha
on Critieal Communist Party pam Coit Care Cute of rate Gra Prepa
Soclalfet Challenge 25 September 1982 page 3
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30 October Conference against witch-hunt —
RON BROWN MP for Edinburgh-Leith is no friend of the Tories. Recently he was arrested while demonstrating against Thatcher's visit to Edinburgh. He was charged with obstruction for attempting =TO give workers pay slip.
the movement after 22 September day of action. He spoke to Alex Baillie. We pr iposed actini on 22 What is your opinion September?
Obviously I welcome it but I think a lot more can be done, HELSE done, because a one-day stop page is not enough. There has to be in effect a series of stoppages building up to a General Strike. That may seem drastic but we
a hard-line Tory government and clearly they are not going to listen to our statements and speeches.
Moderation, reason, call it what you will, has gone out of the window a ong time ago, so we have got to have action.
We've got to build up SUBOOTE for the workers because their fight is our fight.
I know that you feel that OPEN the lost period the trade union bureaucracy has let the labour move. ment down. ference do vou see now?
Now there has been a groundswell of support for the health workers from the rank-and-file of many other unions particularly in the private sector. The
have dodged the issue all alone since this fovernment came into of-
They have back-pedalled and by doing so have only encouraged the Tories to become more and more arrogane The 'boot has zone repeatedly as far as the working class is concerned.
The Tories, because of the lack of fight from the ШI10I leadership replaced Prior with Teb-
and have repeatedly the Tories pick-
off DICTIONa of workers after another and this has been a tragedy for
ON 30 OCTOBER a conference has been called against the witch-hunt by fifteen Constituency Labour Parties, in County Hall, London.
The first move was taken by Hackney North Labour Party, who circulated other constituencies informing them that Hackney would not cooperate the Labour Party National Executive Committee's proposed register of affiliated organisations. and asking them to join Hackney in co-ordinating TOSSECTE We interviewed BRIDGET ELTON, who is Hackney's Press secretary and a member of the Post Office Engineering Union, about the conference and its aims.
Michael Foot has recently said that expulsions should be limited to leading Millitant supporters. How do you view this?
It's not acceptable. still a witch-hunt, and it obviously isn't going to stop there. He's clearly frightened by the fight-
Thatcher a health
Here he previews the tasks which now face
the working class.
What we needed from the beginning ordinated strategy of rea opposition to the Tories because inar is the onis way we are going to stop them — with industrial action - using the strength of the working class.
recent Heain 1974 stopped and i do beheve we car stop Thatcher if we use our HOVENCIL.
Do you believe then that The working class wit St see the Labour Party as the main avenue in the fight or do you believe that certain sections of the working class will look outside the Labour Party in the strug gies that he anedo?
It's natural that certain workers may be bit disillusioned with the leadership of the Labour Party but, in the main, believe that the advanced sections of the working class will still regard the
despite its lack of leader- despite ship.
The point is of course that the Labour Party
SCENSE within
nywa with the must develop links advanced sections of the working class in industry, in the public sector.
This is essential to build up real leadership so that can etfectively challenge the government. It's a question of taking politics class to arm them for the struggles ahead.
How resistance to Tory attacks do think
should be organised at this time?
We have a situation up and down ine country SWEETE Trades Councils in particular have a role to play.
later.
offensive
ship last weekend. this has helped?
Yes. We
was
now
Scum what?
It's also portant to involve
It's ference,
bit stituency next step to
CLP.
We know that they have limitations but I did suggest to my own regional nebong for M. 51 a specia the Labour Party should develop the links with the
back that there has been. But he'll do the first few now and then do the rest
The right wing is on the
and have been since Benn's Deputy leader-
campaign. and they want to get rid of any active left in the party. We say that all socialists have the right to be in the Labour Party.
There was a very successful rally organised largely by Militant
Do you think of
sent delegates from Hackney North, and we thought it was an extremely good initiative, and
obviously very successful. I think the problem
what will happen next? There's a bit of a vac-
after this rally: now
obviously impeople other than Militant in any campaign. We see our con-
which has been called by rank and file con-
parties, as the building a
Labour Party
What next?
Socialist Challenge interviews RON BROWN, MP and BRIDGET ELTON of Hackney North
local councils
developing a Council of
Action: such things
needed in all the localities
throughout Britain
This is the way to
Can you tell us what will be happening on 30 October?
Yes. At our planning meeting there were fifteen sponsoring parties and eleven who sent observers which was very encourag ing given the short notice and the fact that we could only afford to circulate Lon don parties.
We agreed to call the conference proposed opt the end Hackney North
October, and to invite delegates from CLPs unions, LPYSs and other affiliated organisations.
Hackney North was con cerned that CLPs should be able to express their opposi tion separately. People felt that when it comes down to it, it will be the CLPs that are told 'expel this person, and we want them not to co-operate with this. So we think it is important that they have a separate vote that will clearly commit them to this kind resistance.
But we also think the trade union aspect is very
organise just as it was organised in 1926 against the government of that -LIC
We must do this again, getting back to basics. will not be easy, there is no
important, so that - for example filiated union should be commit themselves to con-
tinty su pois districted
Pars will prevent fre NEC setting up rump' parties.
What do you think constituency parties should do if it faces expulsion members,
We feel should be no co-operation at all with the NEC report We want to put the onus on the NEC prepared to break up the party and lose us the next election, they must responsibility for it. If they say you person then we say Then the ball court. Its up to them decide what to do next. We believe that if enough parties take such a stand, and of if they back each other up
the NEC will not be able to impose the register and we can defeat this witch-hunt
magic wand, there is no short-cut to building up
against the Tories
So we must learn from the past. If it was successful then the chances are that it will be successful now The point is of course that we don't have much time to do it and this must redouble our efforts within the working-class community so we can link
employed and unemployed, young and old - in fact all the sec. tions that are important to
What do you believe that the Labour Party should be doing nationally at the moment?
The Labour Party geared to the parliamentary process that understandable. We must
party put up
challenge in Parliament.
We mus clear to Thatcher and her
no
workini cassancepting
working acceping what she is doing
But saying something Parliament is not enough because the Tories nave cou whatever we do or say they will get policies through. That's unfor-
tunate banians that le
Recognising that MILINE theretore take the struggle outside Parlia-
into the working class into our movement and develop all sorts of ac tivity against the Tories.
Now that will mean mean a rinthe press. It will TIGATE SOME of
hings will be said agains Hardie who made the
if ever he was praised by the capitalist press then he couldn't have been doing his job for the working
So we must always remember that! we will never praised by the media if we are going to
fighting campaigning challenge agains the capitalist system. How do you feel the left
we think that afbranches do now? approached to
i their local ideas
planning parties
pledges operation.
I think some of its move is and what do
that there
very
they are
receipt of táke
must expel this
no. is in their about it?
to the Tories.
wing of the Labour Part • should be putting forward its case at the moment?
If the real left means business it must be increas ingly involved in the strugThis means being on the picket lines, being at the actor gates, - doing the the hospital gates oasic work Inat was done when this movement was
Finally Ron, what are views on the witch hunt in the Labour Party?
The witch-hunt disastrous for the Party.
It's divisive disruptive and can only help enemies of the Party, th Tories and big business. It will not help us put up any challenge against the capitalist system. I wonder why it's taking place because if we are saying that it Militant or whatever, an danger then misleading people. We are misleading not just ourselves but many of our As I understand it Militant have 3000 supporters out of total member ship of 270,000. Now it 3,000 people can take control of a party then they must have several each and I don't think that's allowed under the Constitution.
But if, on the other hand, the right-wing fear ideas, the arguments from the left, then that becomes much more sinister and If we're going to end up with a witch-hunt and proscribed lists then in efrect we are going back the bad old days of the 50's and 60's. If we are going to go back to those days then it's not going to help us at all.
It's not going to help us to win a General Election and it's not going to win us support working class because the working class are going to become more and more confused as to what is happening in the party. The people who will lap it all up will be big business and the capitalist media.
What other things can CLPs
There were a number of
put forward at our meeting. Some are trying to get regional meetings to secure
of non
another good from CLPs who have written to all affiliated organisations, asking them to take a speaker outlining the party's position. This is
important: 8, has cir own union, for example, culated all branches with a copy of the Solidarity pam phlet on the Militant. On one to all antiated PO this branches saying do know about this, and can we come and speak to you
Lambeth and Norwood Parties, and several others have called rallies against the witch-hunt in which they have also invited local union speakers, linking the issue to the fight against
Socialist Chellenge 25 Saptomber 1982 page 5
Page 6 scan of this page
Issues facing the Lah
1. The Register
and the Witch-hunt
THE OVERWHELMINGLY most important issue facing the conference is the attempt by the parliamentary ship to introduce a register of organisations inside the party. A huge number of resolutions opposing the witch-hunt and defending the Militant tendency have been recieved. issue above all others determine the outcome of the conference.
Foot is determined to appease the right wing by giving them the scalps of the Militant parliamentary candidates
Militant leaders. idea of a 'compromise' on the witchhunt is unworkable — once they have tasted blood the right wing will go for broke. That's why it's necessary to make no compromise on this witchhunt.
Among the most resolutions are one from Brent South CLP which calls for the rejection of the Register, defends the right organisation inside the party and calls for the re-affirmation of the right of Constituency Parties to decide on membership and choose their own ранашисиату cawardatcs.
Similar points are amendment to the ACTT resolution attacking the witch-hunt, by Hackney North CLP. The amendment reects both the register and expulsions. A determined effort will be necessary to defeat the register. At the present time it seems likely that the trade union leaders will through conterence . Then the fight will go on to prevent its implementation in practice.
Socialist Challenge 25 September 1982 page 6
Party
leader- of women inside the
LICULET resolutions Acton, Dulwich, Kensington,
This will Terence of the whole party.
STRENTS important made in the
submitted
force
2. Women in the
As we report extensively on page 10 a number of resolutions will be going forward to ensure the representation
party. In parfrom Harlow, Tooting and British Lambeth Central.
Islington Central, Hemel Hempstead and Peckham argue for five resolutions from Women's Conference to automatically go to the annual con-
nuclear
alliance
3. Nuclear
Disarmament and Arms Sales
Once again a large number of resolutions have been submitted on nuclear disarmament. Most of the resolutions oppose Cruise and Trident, call for the removal of all nuclear bases from
soil and link unilateral disarmement to the creation of a nuclear free zone in Europe.
Two CULCHLOUS covered by the resolutions. nearly all demand an unequivocal commitment to nuclear disarmament in the election manifesto. Foot has given a public commitment that a Prime Minister he would send back Cruise missiles. But he is certain tp oppose a definite commitment unilateral disarmament manifesto.
The resolutions from Brent North and Henley CLP differs from many others in positively including the de mand for withdrawal from NATO. This is eminently sensible.
NATO is an alliance based on
capons British nuciear disarmament within the NATO
absurd double-think.
Those, among whom Tony Benn is unfortunately counted, who nuclear disarmament within NATO, do so because they believe the myth that the Soviet Union poses a threat to workers in the West. precisely the main argument of the multilateralists and the right wing.
More than SIX million unionist are affiliated to CND as a result of their conference decisions. CND is nearly as big an organisations as the Labour Party.
The demand for a definite commitment to unilateralism manifesto must be hammered home.
A new feature of the resolutions unis year Is inc concern with arms sales. Socialist Challenge supports the resolutions from Sutton and Cheam CLP and Sheffield Brightside which calls for a ban on all arms sales. Other resolutions try define, wrongly, the type of country where arms could he legitimately sold! For example the resolution from Merthyr Tydfil specifies countries in NATO and the Commonwcalth as those where arms should be sold!
Britain today is an imperialist country. Its arms sales reflect that and should be stopped. A socialist Britain would give arms to the rebels in El Salvador, to revolutionary Nicaragua and national liberation and socialist movements all over the world.
The use of the "undemocratic and "totalitarian' in many of the resolutions is confusing because it obliterates the class question - we are not opposed to workers states and liberation movements having arms. We are opposed to arming reactionary regimes.
A further positive fearure of the resolutions this year are those pointing to the need for reconversion' plans for the alternative use of productive facilities away from arms production towards production for use.
4. Incomes Policy
After the rejection of incomes policy at the TUC there is bound to be a heated debate on incomes policy. resolution from the Colliery Deputies all but calls for the next Labour government to implement incomes policy, UCATT turns it in to its opposite are Dudley West CLP put forward a First, resolution Ior a
policy AES. But in this resolution the AES and the appellation 'socialist are just a tace-saving gloss. This resolution and that from Esher CLP should be rejected, TASS's resolution, the that incomes policy under capitalism
inevitably holds back workers living standards is exactly right.
Of course in a socialist society planned incomes part of an overall economic package. But a new social contract does not add up to socialism.
Before we get to socialism, we should reject all attempts to construct another Jack Jones style package which will end up just as the 74-9 want social contract did.
trade
NOMEN UNITE AND SUPPORT the THE
TRIKE term
BIRM TINGHAM * CAMPAIEN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENE
week,
amendment from
rates of pay. within the framework of the
these
tion CLP. recognising
growth would be
PUBLIC
SOCIAL WATER
RE STRIKING S
Unemployment
Coventry South CLP provide the way forward to combat unemployment. Their resolution calls for a 35-hour
work sharing with no loss of pay, the nationalisation of any firm causing redundancy, a massive programme of public works - together with the demand for YOPs workers to have full trade union rights and union
This excellent resolution backs up
points with the call for industrial action and demonstrations to win these demands. A similar resolu-
is put forward by Mansfield LORRY DRIVERS
IRANSPORT -TRADING
PROFIT :E437mg
BLAME THE BOSSES NOT THE WORKERS.
Page 7 scan of this page
our Party conference
. Ireland
er a number of years there have
attempts by successive Conence Arrangement Committees co event the issue of Ireland being adeately discussed. We can be sure of nilar attempts this onetheless resolutions from Notgham East CLP and from Hackney orth CLP call for thdrawal and for termination for the Irish people.
The Hackney resolution in parular opposes both the Prevention
Terrorism Act and the Diplock yurts in Northern Ireland. The issue
Ireland is one which successive bour leaderships have preferred her to ignore, or alternatively mply pursue a bi-partisan policy th the Tories — following the tradiinal policy of allowing the Unionists the North to keep control of the etarian six-county state.
Hackney and Nottingham East ovide a head-on challenge to this idition. The fight to win the Labour irty to self-determination sh people and troop withdrawal Il doubtless be a long one. But it nnot even be started without ensurz that conterence repeatediv nas is issue out before it.
7. Poland
year. rights to the Polish workers
British however
self-
for Solidarnose in the conference.
Poplar CLP
demonstration Solidarnosc.
simply used the Polish events for the crude anti-communist propaganda.
The NEC must give a lead here.
niversary of the Jaruzelski coup
gets taken up.
Basingstoke CLP have put forward a comprehensive resolution calling for Just the lifting of martial law in Poland and the freeing of detainees, together wth the restoration of trade union
This resolution, excellent in its intentions suffers from one major flaw
- the demand for the should workers movement to break all links WHEEL with the Communist Parties and official trade unions in Eastern Europe. Not only is this wrong in itself, but it is a surefire way to divide the support
The resolution from Stepney and
contains one excellent call - the organising of a national
of solidarity with
The Stepney resolution has the merit of distinguishing labour movement support for the Polish workers from the fraudulent crocodile tears of Reagan and Thatcher who have
for
But this situation calls for a stepped up labour movement campaign of solidarity with the Polish workers.
The opportunity still exists to call a major demonstration on the an-
this December. Let's hope this call
8. El Salvador
The bloody regime in El Salvador has
celebrating its day' with a big military parade in the sports stadium in San Salvador. On display was the military hardware so generously donated by the United
Everyone in the labour movement
oppose the bloody butchers El Salvador, just as the labour movement has so consistently supported the fight against the dietator Pinochet in Chile.
Alas, only one resolution on El Salvador has been put forward, by Banbury CLP. It is moderately worded, but makes the essential points This is one resolution which should be carried without a vote against.
9. The missing
resolution ...
Resolutions 75 to 131 deal with the attack on the Health Service.
Many demand the restoration of all cuts, in abolition of the private sector in health, the takeover of the drug companies. But only the resolution from Braintree CLP mentions full support for the National Health Service workers in their struggle against the Tories.
Naturally, the submitted before the current battle with the government. debate at Conference is to mean anything at all it will have to turn around the struggles currently in progress.
The TUC was correctly dominated with this issue. Labour's electoral fortunes stand lower in the polls today than they did the last time public service workers led the winter of disconSCUL There remains a nettle to be grasped by Labour's ConTerence the discontent'. The debate on the Health Service can start that process.
So far the pressure from the ranks has forced Labour leaders to tailend the fight. But the likes of Foot and Callaghan explain September 22 as trade union battles aimed solely at a fair deal for health workers, completely -reason why thousands are taking action; to break Thatcher's back.
Labour's only chance is to grasp ship of this political struggle against the Government. If Labour is to win back the good faith of millions of workers, as speaker after speaker will attempt to outdo each other in anti-Tory rhetoric, then the simple question must be answered government is such a disaster for the working class why lead the fight to kick it out? The message that must come from Conference is that Labour is prepared to do exactly that.
for the NHS debate. It should read:
'Conference fully health workers in their battle for a living wage. pride that this struggle has become the centre for a massive battle with the Tories. Conference believes that the Labour Party must give a lead to this struggle by calling for mass industrial action in support workers and to kick out the Tories. The mobilisation of every unit of the Party behind this struggle. ing up of a massive political campaign of demonstrations, pickets and rallies of solidarity in support of the health workers and against the government.
These and other turn Labour's standing in the working class completely round. course they depend on a leadership: and ours is presently engaged in a witch-hunt and fighting for a new incomes policy...
SATURDAY
Able In Metropole Parade,
Manchester CLPD rally.
resolutions were
tionally Rally.
But if the Salvador
Gardens.
don Spanish Benn, ingstone, real political European
new
Kozlowski
events like Labour Guest House
ignoring the
if this
doesn't Labour
We need an emergency resolution
supports the
Conference notes with
of the health
The open-
measures can
But of
Special
note...
26 SEPTEMBER. 11am Labour CND march. Assem-
forecourt of Butlins Hotel, Princess North Promenade. 12:30pm Rally on beach opposite
Square. 1.45pm Plant room, Winter Gardens. 7:30pm, London Labour Briefing rally at Claremont Hotel. North Promenade. 7pm. Interna
Speakers from El FDR, PLO, Southern Africa. Plus Benn, Huckfield, Hart et al. Renaissance Room, Winter
MONDAY 27 SEPTEMBER. Lon
Herald public meeting. Hall, Winter Gardens.
Scargill, Maynard Liv Knight etc. 8pm. East Solidarity Campaign Zbigniew Kowalewski (regiona leader of Lodz Solidarnosc), Piotr
(Solidarnosc Trade Union Working Group). Eric Heffer. Ron Keating, Reg Race. TUESDAY 28 September. 7.15pm
Committee on -Ireland, Association, 87A Coronation St., Blackpool. Don Flynn, Geoff Bell, Pat Byrne.
LABOUR PARTIES
AGAINST THE WITCH-HUNT
Conference of delegates
from CLPs, unions, LPYS
branches, LP branches,
women's sections
30 October Country Hall, London
Contact: Labour Parties
against the witch-hunt
107 Nevill Rd. London N16.
(Note change of address)
Thursday 30 September 7.30pm Lobster Pot Restaurant Market Street BLACKPOOL Socialist Challenge 25 September 1962 page 7
Page 8 scan of this page
the Executive machine.
dissolve in 1937 to avoid expulsion.
DELEGATES TO Blackpool conference face a nasty prospect: a direct attack on them adopted by conference itself.
Constituency Parties then face an awkward should they implement register? Should they accept expulsions? should retuse and disobey ference?
The problem is acute because the democracy campaign has rightly insisted that MPs should obey conference. True, the campaign has not been fully successful. But can the left apply standard to MPs and another to itself?
Worse still, Labour members will probably now confront a right wing NEC and policy reversals on aporcane issues. block vote. Should they abide these policies and obey the NEC?
This brings the democracy campaign to a new stage. For the first time since 1979 the lent races alsooeying con/erence.
Yet this situation is not new: in many ways it is normal. Throughout the sixties and seventies the Labour
opposed disarmament while its members took to the streets to support it. In 1979 the "winter of discontent' pitted workers against their own government. And throughout the fifties the Bevanite left was a minority on the NEC and in the PLP, often losing conference battles but continuing to fight on its own policies.
The dilemma is simple: The Party is dominated by a leadership which manipulates conference and jettisons working people's interests to save its own skin. Yet no alternative mass party TELS been Socialist Challenge 25 September 1982 page 8
Many were to regret that decision in later years when the left in the party, robbed by their own act of any effective organisation, found themselves hopelessly pitted against
- Michael Foot on the decision of the Socialist League to
Labour's
choice: the
they con- Workers' was followed by
and by Bevanites in the fifties.
Party
imposed by the by Yet there is a third way.
sion, organise.
Moreover, tersley says,
including political parties. which dependent
Labour created, and democracy them from
of this sovereignty
the one hand, plete independence
the other.
- Richard Crossman
Photo: GM COOKSON
every attempt to do so has failed.
The left has reacted in one of two
ways: either it has set up separate
organisations outside the Labour Par-
ty, or it has stayed in the Labour Par-
ty and wound up its organisations.
The first course was followed by
the carly British Socialist Party, by
the Communist Party after 1929, by
the Independent Labour Party, and
now by groups such as the Socialist
Party. The second course Stafford Cripps
Socialist League in the late thirties
democracy
This is to stay in the Labour Party
(and, if one is threatened with expul-
fight to stay in) but also to
whatever Roy Hatthis is not against
Labour's constitution and practice.
The Labour Party was founded as a
federation of affiliated organisations,
The InLabour Party and the
British Socialist Party were in the
Representation Committee
with members on its executive. The
'Since the militants tended to be "extremists", a constitution was needed which maintained their enthusiasm by apparently creating a full party
while excluding effective power.
Hence the concession in principle of sovereign powers to the delegates at the Annual Conference, and the removal
through the trade union block vote on
and the comof the Parliamentary Labour Party on
'The argument seemed to be that a minority had no right to advocate its views or at least to organise in an effort to become the majority ... party loyalty reigned supreme. - Michael Foot on the expulsion of Stafford Cripps in 1938.
British Socialist Party, which walked out of ils own accord in 1901, affiliated again after the war.
The unique character British Labour Party, which is based on its claims to represent all working class currents within its ranks, prompted Lenin and the Third International to advise the Communists to apply for affihation in Britain - as distinct from every other country.
The application was not rejected on constitutional grounds but on hotdisputed political Therefore both the Labour Party con-
WHO STILL BELIEVES
IN FREEDOM?
by Michael Foot
stitution and the Labour left have, at various times, accepted that a party within a party is a perfectly table form of organisation. really in question is the polities of groups being asked to register: the ILP stayed in and the Communists were thrown out.
The Labour Party's provisions have beer tightened up since the 1930s, and new affiliations ended forly vears ago. But the underlying basıs of a federal structure is still there. The Labour Party still claims to represent all shades of working class opinion The register is a political witchhunt, and will be used to give the leadership a blank cheque to expel people who threaten it politically, not because of the wav they organise Indeed the Parliamentary Labour Party itself is a party within a party, and has been since 1909, when it was agreed that 'Conference establish general policy principles, and the PLP shall determine its own tactics.
If one applies the register to the PLP, its members should be expelled on almost every count.
They have their own constitution - the standing orders of the PLP. They have their own international affiliations, with governments states throughout the world — not to mention the international Monetary They choose their own candidates and have waged war to prevent resclections. The only thing they haven't got is their own principles -
of the
By Alan Freeman but then, they have no recognisable grounds. principles at all.
sumost as a part
What is
members views.
membership: and they anyone else exercising the same rights
fortv and unscat inem Even under a democracy,
La woman's right to abortion.
Editions.
shall
and abuse so freely.
For these
Party.
face. Over and above
and
even though a
Photo: JEREMY NICHOLL out of existence.'
in 1954
Socialists, Democracy an
DON'T MOUI
out?
Moreover the union leaders, who
things:
command votes and money, operate
witnut a party • IL Chapple recently sent a quite explicit circular to his members instructing them to fight in the Labour Party to back the moderates'. The block vote is cast with no regard for union
The right want it both ways. They use the Party's leading structures to organise and impose policy on the
wanto sup
as them, for fear they will win a ma-
there are basic rights which no-one should be allowed to take away, for example,
The right to organise is a right of this kind. It cannot be sacrificed under any con-
But it is doubly intolerable to lose ming a right which our own leaders enjoy
reasons alone, the register should be thrown out and there should be no restrictions at all on the right to organise in the Labour
ty.
But this isn't the only problem we
highting to decade change Labour's policy, what can be done about wrong policies it now has? For example, what about its refusal to call for withdrawal from Ireland -
majority of Labour voters want this? Can we do nothing until these policies change? If we campaign around them, will we be thrown
We cannot allow this to go or troversy and free newspapers
- Michael Foot against the proscription
The experience of the Nati Left Wing movement in the 1! shows exactly how this problem! be met. The National Left Wing formed, when the Labour Party t to expel the Communist Party, as counterpart of the minority m ment in the unions which organ nearly three quarters of a mil
unionists for militant ac against the Tories and employers
It fought for socialist policies against expulsions. At one stage u a hundred and fifty CLPstook pa the National Left Wing Movem which numbered disaffili: parties in its ranks. It did two • Through its links with the Min Party, vendorsed extrapariam Movement and the Commu direct action for policies which s blocked by the Labour right
neither walked out of Labour Party, nor disbanded u threat from the leadership. It ne walked away from a fight, capitulated. Disaffiliated parties tinued in existence, promoted t candidates, and fought for admission the Party, prevented the Labour leader bypassing the local labour mover by setting up rump 'official' parl
The tragedy of the National Wing was that in 1928 the Commi Party changed its line and called to leave the Labour Party to for HICH DULLY
The vast majority could no cept and went back with their between their legs. Two years Ramsay MacDonald committed
La coalition government. NLWM had remained in existen a militant fighting body, it could spearheaded the struggle agains betrayal and against MacDon austerity policies, serving as focu a left-wing revival in the Labour
It did not do so: and the
-saw mass unemployn poverty and eventually war, background of gigantic Labour Bon accas
Could such experience repeated? Could the left wing in unions and the left in the party lin through extraparliamentary ac a sup and so dos
Page 9 scan of this page
and free conbe stamped
Socialist Outlook
the Labour Party
socialist policies?
Labour leadership throw out such a movement and period of right wing control?
Alternately can the left, as some in the Labour Party think, deal with the witch-hunt by laying low and digging
The to this depends on another why does the working class sce Labour Party as its mass party? Why is it loyal to Labour? There are two broad views on this.
The first says that the feature of the Labour Party is its socialist character. the Labour Party's unique record of achievement stands out above all others; that given time it can be turned into a genuinely socialist party; and that workers adhere to it because of their unbounded devotion to its cause and trust in its future.
The facts hardly bear this out. The Labour Party's record in 1945 is held up as a beacon, but it was a policy largely agreed by all parties. Most of the benefits were reaped later, under the Tories, and the greatest rise in working class prosperity was between 1953 and 1963.
The Labour Party's 1974-79 is nothing short of disgusting: but the same percentage voted for it in 1974 and in 1979. Nor is there any real cause for most sane working people to think the Party become genuinely socialist, and at least half its su they ers ught ofter voting for it if wise, since only half Labour's voters consider themselves socialist.
The Labour Party's achievements do not stand comparison with those of reform parties in other countries, or even of Britain's own capitalists wnen scized will rerormme balD struck by urgent necessity. hasn't even got as far as De Gaulle who nationalised the major French banks in 1945.
What stands out about the Labour Party is that because it confines itself almost exclusively to parliamentary action, it has a uniquely federal relation to the working class.
All bodies of the labour move-
all points of represented in the Labour Party so that the Labour Party as "its" sense of representing all components
'There will be no witch-hunts — Michael Foot speaking at Tribune rally in 198/
IN-ORGANISE
Or would the of it.
vital question:
the
unique
It is argued that
record in
Clear of Cruise
want, will ever new demand in
thought other-
around these issues
state, the multinationals
completely Labour ed.
the Party.
They
view capitalism.
class regards the vital facts:
party in the • It always supports
out.' poodle.
If the Labour leaders excluded a mass current of opinion they would
FOR THE FIRST time in history: so far as I am aware. the leaders of the Labour Party have taken steps to suppress a newspaper That is the only meaning which can be attached to the latest decre Circuated Mr. Morsin Phillips, Secretary of the Labour Party "I am directed to inform you." he says in a letter sent to trade COnSUCHO parties women's sections *that the National Executive
split the party. This is why Bennism will not be defeated just by a witchhunt. Its wellsprings lie in the movement of millions of working people who are demanding a future free from
Missiles, unemployment, fear of sickness and
and whose insistent demands for a better life find expression in a
postwar British politics: the demand for democracy.
Bennism expresses the aspirations of those people who are struggling
and who con front the unaccountable power of the
and banks and want this power to be curtailed. Only if these struggles are thoroughly
defeated will the Labour left be minoritised and smash-
However, what the right wing can do and are doing is to prevent this movement capturing the leadership of
are driven to do this by a contradiction at the heart of the Party: its leadership is root and branch opposed to any serious challenge to
Its own interests depend right on capitalism. This shows up in two
the foreign policy objectives of British capital
'Many Militant sellers make a good contribution to the party. I don't want to kick them
September 1982
Labour's reforms have been financed from overseas plunder, and its leaders have been tramed ov the treasury to understand this fact as surely as Bar-
wooenouse trains a snapping
• When the chips are down it refuses to touch the unaccountable centres of power such as Whitehall, the monarWhich centitute and safeguard the or even the House of Lords British state. After sixty years of social rotors, Labour has not ever attempted a single serious democratic reform. We are now paying a severe
The ban on "Socialist Outlook"
I CALL THIS AN
Conference -racive should-price as all the gains of the last sixty years are wiped out using these very institutions
The connection between these two stands is obvious: we live under an impera stare, dependent on overseas in vestments. If it is defeated either at home or abroad. Labour's leaders would be unable to use it for their reforms.
British capital has let Labour take office provided it stays behind these
essential safety fences.
Labour Party, though based on the working class, thus balances the in terests of two classes.
But the balancing act is getting harder. Overseas income can longer finance social reform, and the Labour Party is running slap bang up against the unaccountable powers it has left intact for sixty years. Class conflict therefore provokes clashes inside the party which become more and more acute if class conflict grows.
The purpose of the witch-hunt is to root out those in the Labour Party who express the most burning needs of its supporters. It aims to stop the
wing losing control to members of the party. It aims to stop those who are serious about fighting for reforms our rulers no longer wish to grant, who are now a minority,
- Michael Foot, World This Weekend, BBC television, 12
from becoming a majority?
How can we find two broad trends thought, corresponding two analyses of the Labour Party. One trend bases itself on the hope that the Labour Party can be won to socialism and its leadership can be captured by the working class. This leads to a constant tendency to unnecessary compromise burning issues in the futile hope of a future reckoning. Moreover it leads to a concentration on the resolutionary struggle for a more and more
OUTRAGE
by MICHAEL FOOT
that the
advanced parliamentary policy at the expense of mass action.
The Militant group, which has carried this to extremes, puts its entire energy into passing resolutions for the nationalisation of 250 companies through parliament. This is a completely impractical policy, because it ignores the real source of the left's strength in the Labour Party - the struggles and actions of its supporters.
The Thus the most critical policy issuc
facing the Labour Party is without doubt unilateral 6,000,000 union members are now affiliated to CND. If the Labour leader. no ship attempts - as it will - to duck
this issue, there will be head on confrontation. Yet Militant, who could help bring this confrontation to a head, have turned their backs CND as a 'petty bourgeois pacifist" organisation, to concentrate instead on resolution-passing.
Imagine how the witch-hunt argument in the transformed if Militant's parliamentary candidates were leading CND activists and campaigned against expulsions on this basis!
The alternative view is to try and construct a left in the Party which is rooted in mass campaigns, mass
1983..? fight? Again,
of the
on today's
them.
DUCESS
prepared
ship lies in ing left wing.
Labour
disarmanent
Labour.
on
unions would be
over 50,
struggles, trade union action. and which promotes in the Labour Party those policies which will advance those struggles. Such a left wing could be very broad in character because it could organise around a very small number of very important demands, many of which are already Labour movement policy, and fight to involve the Labour Party - particularly the youth - around actions in support of
This is ine policy which Socialist Challenge promotes.
However, one further point re mains. If such a campaigning left wing cannot subordinate its aims to capturing the Labour Parry leadership, if Labour's leaders will split the party rather than see this happen, how can a genuine socialist party bo constructed? The answer is that in the
fighting the leaders, a new socialist party has to be
If the fault of the present leader-
its failure to confront unaccountable power, then the only way to constuct a new leadership is to assemble, in a single united organisation within the Labour Party. all those who do want to confront these unaccountable powers, who do want to confront Britain's overseas role, and who do want to promote mass action to win our most urgent demands As well as promoting a fighting left wing, Socialist Challenge also promotes this second task
Those who organise around this task should not see it as an alternative to the Labour Party as a whole and should fight tooth and nail against any attempt at expulsions, or any proposal to walk out on a fight in tho Labour Party. The job is to prepare an alternative leadership through the process of constructing a campaign-
Labour leaders say there should be no 'party within a party' But they have a party within a party
the party o capitalists in the
Party We say Labour's socialists should build another party within a party' -the Party of
UMREGISTERED
SOCIALIST
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backgroung 25p plus p&p: orders
. 15p post free. Send you
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Socialist Challenge 25 September 1882 p
Page 10 scan of this page
'No policies without power"
this year's umber of resolutions will demand more say r women in the Labour Party. With the possibility of a large number of the legates being women, it promises to be an portant conference. immittee of the Campaign for Labour Party nociacy has been ganising for this.
Many of the issues raised are highly coniversial VN PETTIFOR, the cretary, about them. What the women's conference decided AST JUNE'S Labour women's conference vas twice the size of the previous year's.
The Newcastle conerence voted to:
for the vithdrawal of the British leet from the South Atlantic and to condemn he Labour leadership or at opposing tac war • vote for withdrawal rom NATO • support the struggle if workers in El Salvador nd Poland endorse against the lajority of the platform he Labour Party Young
TETORESE outh unemployment.
The conference went in to vote for women to ave a more effective oice in the party.
In particular а moion was passed that five CULULEDES utomatically from the WHAT THE UNIONS DECIDED
EQUAL RIGHTS motions were aimed as nuch at improving facilities for women's nvolvement in their unions as at work.
ASTMS instructed he executive to prepare a eport for JICA conference on the posiion of women in the
USDAW dopt DOS TIVO liscrimination as
of getting SINTE vomen involved in the inion.
The GMWU are to et up creches at schools, conferences and courses un by the union to assist 103e female nembers to attend'
The NUT is to hold a pecial delegate conerence on its caus onsortunities policy and to dopt positive action in he curriculum and in the inion's own organisa-
to counter liscrimination.
-The CPSA voted to ampaign for- proramme of positive acion to enable women vorkers continue vorking: -to improve vomen's promotion ispects and to expand he range of work wailable for women.
APEX is to mount an
SHEE HOTEL! liscrimination against
The TUC Congress eard a speech from Ken 310E Squal Rights Committee we decaree
'If any one doubted
cialist Challenge 25 September 1982 page 10
Labour Party conference a
The Women's Action
heavily involved in
JUDITH ARKWRIGHT spoke to
action committee women's conference to the Labour Party con. ference, again against the how or unc piauorm ma-
joribelegates also voted
for direct election from the women's LUCICES
the NEC of the Labour Party, and that the women's conference should be allowed clect own national committee.
representation of the
pointed to the way in which WOLLICHS isation inside the unions could aid the struggle for a policy which reached out to a mass of women and at the same time increased the impact of women inside the labour movement as a whole.
trade WOWCE unionists, their fight back in recent times pro-
their capacity and solidarity. Lee Jeans, Plessey, and now the struggle in the health serVice. Women have been at the forefront of these battles.
*Some steps have been bur around Congress, Our
HOUSE order. The structures of too many unions prevent women achieving their potential 100 few women hold union office. Attitudes within some unions - and in some journals are
helpful in WELCH 1101 fostering sex equality.
"trade unions mus be in the forefront of women's fight for equali50.- and must be seen
Congress went on to pass policy welcoming positive action programmes inchiding measures to encourage women to take up non-traditional JObS locally based day of
TUC through trade union branches and TUC Regional Councils highlight ways of in. creasing women's participation in the trade union movement.
Information
conferences from LETION.
Labour Rescarch).
JA: What are the main issues on women's role in the nary which wil be coming up?
AP: Well, we have five basic demands; firstly, that women's conference be allowed to send five resolutions automatically to annual Labour Party conference; secondly, that
NEC be elected by annual
thirdly, that there be at least one
all shortlists; fourthly, that women's conference clect its executive: and fifthly, that the women's organisation should be run by women.
The first of these demands SARS good chance of getting through
about women electing their
CACCELIVE places on the NEC are the
It's all very well getting resolutions passed but cannot go out and fight and campaign for them in INCEDOLT movement the women's conference itsell is powerless and ig
How do you see the
organisation of the party developing? What kind of organisation should it become?
I would like it to be like the Women's Labour League from 1906 to 1918 when it
dynamic and campaigning and by
In 1918 the Party came in and took it over because wore and they saw the ele women had just toral opportunity = that's when they started lo appoint the women's executive etc.
Initially, I think the
purpose is to transform
he Labour Party into an organisation in which
Women's Rights
FAIR DEAL
HEALTH
SERVICE
WORKE
women can fully participate.
But what the
COOLE Labour Party role as a 00H00519 CUTECHSO tion to reach out to other women?
Yes. this is very important our le gas o pe run by women to achieve this and i has to nave power
But I do disagree here Surely. year's
105L conference the platform of conference was composed of women but thev didn't agree with us.
Yes because they accept the role that's been thrust upon them I think are quite happy with the
dea that women's sections should just make tea.
You know, women's sections are drawn
along polling districts, cather than on the lines as Labour Party branches and I'm DUES that this is because they were used in election times to write envelopes and so оп.
But political differences exist between women
not just the struc
But we can't have any policies without power we don't lust want to tak to ourseives.
Why do you think there is so much resistance to the demands you are putting forward in the
Labour Party?
I think men feel threatened. Even a leading left-winger I spoke to said he thought the demands would reduce the chance for men and give women more chance on shortlists ete.
Do you see it as part of
left/right struggle inside the party? Surely they're also threatened by the fact that Labour Party woman's conference passed lett wing motions on issues like think we could see WITHH-HUHE towards women's organisation because of that.
Yes, possibly, I think that some women on the right 250 care tae ene of women in the party as unjust
I think many understand that the conference of Labour women was
radical because of what's happening to women
under Thatcher. I think
all sides of the SITELLY OH political divide are more sympathetic to the plight of women.
If the resolution to ensure tat tive resord tions go from Labour Party ference to Labour Party conference passed what issues would you like to see prioritised?
I think the main priority would be women's unemployment and the division of labour between men and women in the workore 3603 31913 women to be shed from the
Secondly, would come the role or women insioe the trade union movement and fighting to increase that
Thirdly, the disarmament question and tinally the issue of the welfare state and the health service in particular, these priorities i would sel
The Women's Labour League took up issues like PETE the poor law education of
and girls and the boys had a very effective campaign around school dinners.
How far does the Labour Party programme which is being voted on at this year's conference cover these issues?
Well it's a big step forward because women are mentioned in all areas of the programme still things left ou for example STATULI minimum wage is not men-
People argue that you couldn't enforce it and that there's no point in having a law but the
Phe political will to feate
political will to fight for these things have to be organised to fight.
At present women are denied that poweriul political pressure
Page 11 scan of this page
Jobs
not
bombs'
the road
Youth CND's 'Jobs not Bombs' march leaves Manchester this Thursday with the support of the North West TUC, Labour trade uPon, CD and LPYS Dran Ches. 30 Labour MPs,
bodies have organised meetings and receptions for the march.
Prestwich: Thursday lunchtime the march is being met by a delegation from a local hospital.
Bolton: the Labour Party and Trades Council have
One steps of the Town Hall.
Horwich: the shop stewards at the British Rail
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marchers hit
the Manchester City hundreds of
All along the route local labour movement
and Engineering Limited are coming out to meet marchers and feed them in the works canteen chorley: local supporters lunch and a short recepLOH Layland: workers at the BL plant are coming out to greet marchers.
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YOUTH MARCH jobs not bombs Manchester sept 23 › Blackpool sept 26.
Preston: the North West Trades Councils Association and the local Labour OTTEN ISCE reception and are putting marchers up for night.
Blackpool: the North West CND are coming to meet marchers and have a meeting. On Sunday Tony Benn has agreed to greet the march at 9.30am outside Imperial Hotel.
On mothere her D CADOLE march which will move off at 10.30 led by the Youth March, and on Monday we lobby the Labour Party Conference Jobs not Bombs.
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NOT RIOT COPS
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Youth,
march to Labour
other support.
ford Park E70 was raised for the march. Engineering, Stockport, have also sponsored a marcher.
march, raising more than E80.
CND
real thing.
barriers that are put up by society.
walk down the streets.
you are not sure you'll get home in one piece
be recognised
ism but all the attacks of the Tory government
home cooking and looking after the kids.
ment is obviously mad
billions of pounds on megadeath weapons
ches and the Tories
down from, like they have in other years
tant on their own.
It's the movement behind them — us.
There are hundreds of thousands
workers in this country
other Peeple to ere yose lives week tock
wouldn't mind so much if they had gone to peopl
fighting for their liberation.
Salvador and Nicaragua.
went to NATO and the Americans marche can change things through action now.
In the countdown to the start of the Youth CND
Party conference at Blackpool union branches all over the north west have been responding with financial and
A number of engineering factories have taken shop floor collections. At Parkinson Cowan in Traf-
Fimons
Eddie, a shop floor worker in the Ferranti's Cairo Mill, ran in the Manchester Marathon in aid of the
Kerry is a member of Manchester Youth
On this march we don't just want to pay lip service to women, we are going to make positive action a
A lot of people have asked what positive action is. Well I think it's recognising that for women who want to get involved in things like CND or the Labour Party, we have to smash down all the sexist
It's all right for blokes. They don't have the kids round their necks 24 hours a day. Men don't have to face abusive comments about their bodies and risk getting beaten up and raped when they
It does put you off going to a meeting when
That's why we want a women's day on the march. A lot of young women are involved in YCND and it's about time they had a chance to speak and
We want a day when it's women that lead the march and the meeting in the evening to have all women on the platform, not just to talk about sex-
One day on a march isn't going to change the world; it won't stop the Tories' attacks; it won't stop blokes being sexist - but it will show that women are going to fight and won't be kept in the
Rob is 24 and unemployed. He is a member of the LPYS, the AUEW and Youth CND.
I'M GOING on the march because this govern-
The system we live in cannot afford to pay the health workers or give young people jobs and ye it's prepared to risk millions of lives and spenc
The Malvinas war showed that the Tories don't just rattle their sabres — they use them to kill people, think CND is great and we should have more marches like this, and stop sucking up to the chur-
A lot of activists I know write off the Labour Party, but we have to keep the pressure on all the time. We aren't campaigning for a Labour Party with good intentions, we want a party with a cas iron manilesto commitment that they can't back
MP's and trade union leaders are not impor
of arms I used to be one. 1 201 paid t80 a week for making guns that would kill peof tears you apart depending on the death of
well. 1 like the fighters in E But they didn't. They
It's hard to convince people that there is an alternative and that we can change the rotten society that we live in, and that's why I'm going on this
CELEBRATE THE DAY OF ACTION SEND OFF THE MARCHERS
small sample of the support coming in.
from Prestwich Hospital.
The launching
workers.
Below we speak to some of the marchers.
was once asked by a guy from CND;
motors for Polaris submarines?'
came clearly. "Whose fault was it?'
El Salvador Nicaragua, Grenada and Cuba.
Socialists to
fighting Thatcher to the death.
day during the war over the Malvinas.
health workers a living wage.
fighting for now.
sticks to its policy of nuclear disarmament.
à nuclear war.
any backsliding by the Labour leaders.
why I'm going on it.
Grand Benefit for the health-workers With: the Chameleons; Tut-Tut; Disco:
Late Bar.
Wednesday 22 September. 8.00pm
UMIST Students Union.
Sponsored by Greater Manchester Health Shop Stewards Committee. Organised by
YCND March Committee
One marcher, a member of the NUR and Oldham YCND, has collected more than 50 from his union branch and work mates and this only represents a
The works committee at Horwich Rail Works will be greeting the march, as will the shop stewards from BL. Leyland. In particular the march will be giving a warm welcome to delegations from hospitals passed along the route, starting from a delegation
social Wednesday 22 September will now be held in aid of the health
Phil Penning is a member of the AUEW and YCND.
While 1 was on strike with Laurence Scott, I
*Why should I support you when you make
For a time I was stumped. But then the answer
Do we blame workers who have no interest in a
nuclear war or do we blame the Tories who want to
It's the Tories who support the death squads in and take action against workers in
That's why I think it's important to make a call on the Labour Party and Labour Party Young end to Tory madness by
That's why I support this youth march.
Dave is a member of York LPYS
THE TORIES spent £1 million pounds a
They spend £16 a week per head of
the population on nuclear weapons, and
they say they cannot afford to pay the
That's why I think that Jobs not
Bombs' is the sort of thing we should be
I'm going on the march because I think that we
need to make sure that the Labour Party actually
All we are being offered by the Tories is the
dole queue, YOP's and the prospect of death from
The situation is too desperate for us to allow This 1
what the youth march is trying to get across and
I'm not a pacifist though, I support the people
of El Salvador in their fight against the Americans
We must fight injustice home and abroad Join the march and make your voice heard! Socfalist Chalfenge" 25 September 1982 page 11
Page 12 scan of this page
NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT CND, Campaign for Nuclear
the disarmament movement, and disarmament and imperialism) we described the direct action cement in CND emergence
product of the decline in Labour's fortunes at the polls, and the content the Communist Party gave to la labour movement orientation. Brian Heron looks at the resolutions for the fortheoming CND conference which underline these problems. "THIS CONFERENCE siders it essential that CND's major effort next year, in par ticular, should directed against the Cruise Missile programme, and that non violent direct action' and disobedience' tactics should be seriously considered with respect Cruise Missile sites... ". So begins the composite resolution on direct action for debate at this years CND conference.
case they should misunderstood, the proposers say in point 4 'Conference believes NVDA (non violent direct action) must always be peaceful, and that any CND member or group planning to use or found by CND Council to have used violence in persuance of the Campaign shall have their membership revoked."
Direct Action, (category resolution 2 on Conference Agenda) is the centre piece of a debate which will reach its November Conference.
From the outset the 'second wave' of the nuclear disarmament had grapfirst wave of the movement in the "50s and "60s failed.
Glancing nervously over their shoulders, CND organisers began to construct the political direction of the campaign. Immediately there were two central problems.
Labour
The first (which is still far from being resolved in the minds of some of the movements' leaders) was - who are our allies?
In the 50's and 60's this was a real problem. Particularly after the defeat of unilateralism at Labour's 1961 Conference it seemed that the only course open was civil disobedience. Inspired by the Ghandi movement for Indian independence, mass disobedience in the form of sit-down demonstrations WETE undertaken designed to morally shock the nation into disarmament. The police often reacted violently.
This time round the problem was solved in real life. Despite all the grandiose plans of the carly days to construct Tory, Liberal, Church, etc. sec-
Socialist Challenge 25 September 1982
tions of the movement, the reality of radical politics in crisis torn Britain rapidly broke through this tangle.
EP Thompson's vision of the "people united against weapons (as they had been in the great popular front against Hitler in the war) was quickly dispelled. con- All radical policy or action found its natural home in the labour movement and its natural enemies in the Tories. It was in the labour movement that the gains for unlateralism could
No other force in society either embraced the campaign (it was "civil treated with virtually unanimous and cold hostility in ruling class circles) or had one cance or me power oF te labour movement.
Government
CND notched up gains in the labour movement with astonishing be rapidity. Major unions passed resolttions for unilateral disarmament with overwhelming majorilies.
And yet there were problems. The labour movement was noticably absent from the national demonstrations called by CND.
But still it seemed that the course was set for a Labour Government unilateralism, which could be forced conference B. to implement its policy through a
the tive for a government which would throw out the missiles and close down the basis seemed very credible.
Over the last year things began to go wrong. The polls showed Labour trailing the Tories. dramatically worsened around the Falklands war. The prospect of a Labour Government diminish. A radical re-think started in CND about a line for the new situation.
There were two hasic alternatives. The first was to get stuck into the battle being waged in the labour movement. But here sections of the CND
- parcuary that wing under the political control of the Communist Party, was thoroughly compromised. their reaction to the Benn/Foot divide in the Labour Party was to heal the breach.
And yet this division was fundamental to the struggle of thousands at the base of the labour movement to civil change their organisations in such a way as to win back the confidence of the workers movement as a whole. and thereby defcat Thatcher.
Insofar as Benn found himself opposed to the vast majority to the bureaucratic leaders of the
Parliamentary Labour Party - so CND delicately balanced its national
page 12
PROTEST AN
CAMPAIGN FOR
Direct Action?
platforms to appear "above the fray".
followed mass demonstration there was growing fear that the movement nuclear would run out of breath. And so con-
Editions were laid for the emergence of the second alternative. less likely that the labour movement would stop the missiles stop them ourseives.
the sole political focus for the campaign. Resolution 2 argues in point 3 *Conference believes that NVDA is merely one, but important tactic in our campaigning work, and that it must go alongside other tactics which involve everyone in the movement."
youth question. shows that this issue will bite again. *This conference recognises the importance of Youth CND as the fastest growing section of the campaign and believes LELA terence shall be body of Youth CND within the Con-
Youth CND representative shall sit on all CND National Committees. Youth
is that it is proposed by Youth CND together with Middlesborough CND
CND' conference voiced only by a handful of socialists.
This position
light
Labour Party began Blackpool
and campaigns.
backbone
tractions in the direct action line.
La struggle with the authorities then the youth around the campaign will be in the front line.
the conference agenda is a composite of twelve resolutions. point is the opposite to resolution 2.
of our work in the labour and trade
trade union movement if we are to mobilise shadows in the those forces which can ultimately win
the battle for unilateral nuclear disarHAHICHE
Meanwhile as mass demonstration
If it looked
- we could
Direct action is not presented as
specific building groups,
unofficial) and the
The sccond central problem is the
Conterence agenda Bitter
Fi) Youth CND conthe sovereign
stitution of the overall campaign il) a out on a
On the
The significance of this resolution
Last year the concern for Youtl
The experience of the youth campaign subsequently - its leading role in the
against Thatcher's Falkland war, the Jobs not Bombs march to the
Conference
periences have convinced Youth CND these and oiner ex arsenal. that the way to win youth is to have the right to control your own actions
A mass movement begins with the mass movement of youth. And from ment into the the outset it was the youth that put the ment. perspective of CND. They remain the LETS It
But for the youth too there are at-
Always the first to fight, if it comes to
CND has six million affiliated trade union members, and
The second to last resolution in unions representing
La further two million SIts Sarang have passed motions supporting Conterence carts te centrany unilateral disarma-
ment. Newly affiliated unions include:
movement'
The resolution goes on to spell out in eight points a policy for the lahour movement. Its last point reads cam paigning actively for a TUC/LP inJustrial and political day of action in 1983, including a national demonstration in London, co-ordinated if possible with an International Day of Ac tion in other European cities. small,
This resolution is a perspective for mass political action by the labour movement. It proposes a series of
measures including the of CND winning, concrete commitment to moustar achion ouncia ano
establishing of Labour and Trade Union CND's at the level of every CND branch.
Many delegates will ask why the resolutions on the labour movement orientation and the motion on direct action are contradictory. Perhaps a section of the movement is flunking
confrontation with the authorities? Perhaps it prefers the rhythms and rituals of resolutionary socialism' to action on the streets?
the concert about the direct action orientation comes in the main from that section of the movement who have continually warned of the absolutely inevitable confrontation with our own ruling class over nuclear weapons.
A mainst those who belteve in the power of rational argument to il luminate the minds of Tory ministers, the sociansts have argued the necessity to prepare for the most bitter strugsic ane contronation to lorce. tue relinquishing of Britain's nuclear
And at each stage it is the power of the incredibly large mass actions and mobilisations which has forced the issue of unilateral muclear disarma-
tront FEMAS ORSING political struggle in the labour move-
was these actions which have forced Foot to come the closest he ever has to promising action on The Unions and CND
AUEW Founary section CPSA
NUAAW, before its merger TGWE
WHENE
UCATI USDAW But the centre-right block of union leaders in
'Crunch time for anti-missiles
Labour's commitment to dismantle Britain's nuclear war machine.
Direct action in the context of mass action can often act as an aid to the impact of the campaign. Direct action as a strategy outside the framework of a mass action labour movement approach — is a recipe lor
politically isolated, actions i is a rea retreat from the difficulties which the campaign faces. And this conference must sound the warning..
Amendments to resolution must reach CND national office by 4 Oc tober. CND groups have the oppor tunity to harden out the positive direction of the resolutions on youth and labour movement action.
Already some groups are discussing the necessity for a recall of the CND Labour Movement Conference In the context of the bureaucracies spectacular sell out of the ASLEF struggle there is an obvious premium on organising at the base of the move ment to give some muscle to the official positions adopted in the unions and the Labour Party.
In particular resolutions should be in front of next year's labour movement conferences supporting the idica of industrial action to protest against and prevent the stationing of Cruise Missiles.
Focus
Equally, the international day of action, mentioned at the end of the Labour Movement resolution needs preperation. CND and Youth CND should sponsor on international con Terence OL all European youth organisations committed unilateralism in their respective coun tries to prepare for a huge European
These measures are essential to give a practical focus for the work of ine groups over the coming year making concrete the mass action labour movement orientation which is the greatest political gain of the campaign so far. Socialist and labour movement activists must make their voice heard at CND's conference.
include unions such as the POEU, have bean
ensure that Unilateralism will not go in Labour'
neads two thirds o Labour's conference on a
manifesto: last year it didn't
bing his hands exclaiming
Page 13 scan of this page
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Page 14 scan of this page
Colonial revolution
In the last issue John Ross examined the class character of semi-colonial regimes such as Nasser's in Egypt. Here he shows how the regime inevitably remained loyal to its class interests, despile taking some far-reaching anti-imperialist measures.
panied and followed by a tremendous uprising of the Arab people against imperialism, In Egypt major riots took place in 1945 against British occupation. Suez canal zones started. On 26 January 1962 Cairo was shaken by a semi-insurrection in which British property was burned and fifty Egyptian police killed in attempting to defend it. overthrow of the pro-British regime of King Farouk and its replacement by the Free Officer's movement of which the leading figure was to become Nasser.
On 8 May 1945 a mass uprising against the French started at Setif in BINETE ene French army replied by massacring 10,000 people in five days and broke all illusions in their rule. It was the direct prelude to or great Algerian War dependence which was to start nine years later and end in victory against the French in 1962
WES of this background that emerged the figure of Nasser. Pro-
Robbing
the rich
ALAN FREEMAN reviews Richard Minns' new book Take Over the City.
HOW DO you get control over twenty per cent Britain's industry? Answer: take OVEr BERKS.
Richard Minns' new book Take Over the City for the public owner-
F hillion - Balances Direct Investment 1970 1971 19721973
International
Viewpoint
First autumn issue now out
Contains a major article by Ernest Mandel on
The threat of
Socialism'. Also an interview with Bernadette
McAliskey and leaders of Peoples Democracy on
the present stage of the struggle in Ireland.
Subscriptions: Six months, 95 French francs or E9: one
year 175 French francs or E16. Send money orders
made out to "PEC* to International Viewpoint; 2 rue
Richard-Lenoir, 93108 Montreuil, France.
Socialist Challenge 25 September 1982 page 14
The and of the Second World War was accom-
In 1951 guerrilla attacks on the British bases in the
This directly lad to the
Spelled by this rising movement Nasser's regime took real and imperialist mcasures. refused to enter the United States organised anti-Soviet Baghdad Pact in 955. wat nationalised the Suez canal the following vear and toucht a direct war with Israel and British and French imperialism.
In 1957 it nationalised almost all foreign vestments in Egypt. 1961 most big Egyptian industrial and financial ship of financial institutions in Britain, which take up a gigantic and growing slice of the economy and yet. because of their investment priorities, in many ways contribute most Portfolio Investment Investment by Oil Companies etc.
Inward & Outward Investment
1974 British investment overseas soars as the banks rake it in
World War and the Struggle for
capital was nationalised. It is these actions which explained the incredible
Passer ang pre or
among his life, when in uly 19o0 Only near he accepted the States Rogers Plan to recognise Israel, did Nasser openly come out in lavour of imperialist interests. His successor Sadat completed the process by carrying through the camo David accords and opening up the Egyptian to perialist capital. Workers
Yet all the seeds of the last developments were prepared by Nasser's own actions and policies. While struggles were engaged in WILT MOCKERSHE the Nasser regime, true to its capitalist nature, sought to repress and control the movement of the Egyptian workers and peasants.
Minns' book is the first in a new popular series entitled (guments SOOTEST published by Pluto. Others far inClude Jenny Beale's Get ting Together
and
politics of food by Charlie Clutterbuck and Tim Lans, and n makes Tou Sick by Colin Thunhurst,
SUCHE health policy. All sell a E2.50
Minns" hook relates directly to the discussion on bank nationalisation in the Labour Party. This year the NEC propose the nationalisation of *one or
NaHOTE DELTAS tional Investment Bank.
But as Minns explains eleven years ago the
Source: Barclays Bank Review 1147849198
1981
IVTERNATIONAL
VIEWPOINT
MOVEMEN A M POLANDS
What is Trotskyism?
One of Nasser's first actions on coming power in 1952 was to execute the well known Egyptian Labour leader Mustapha violently suppressed the strike in the same year the major Kaft Ed Dawwar factory.
In 1959 the regime jailed the leaders of the Egyptian Communist Party. The massive working class and student movements of 1968 were crushed by the army.
correspondin its class goals the Egyptiar bourgeoisie, represented by Nasser, was prepared to accept working class mobilisation only provided it was controlled by them.
Systematic repression of the working class and peasant organisations was not "contradictory' aspect of Nasser's policies but absolutely integral to them.
Nasserism was prepared to engage in anti
mperialist action but only
Labour Party was already discussing the nationalisanon of 'ail the banks, in surance companies and building societies*.
This was shoved under the table Labour took office even though the 1976 conference voted
nationalise all the banks.
The book is a good read. I would take issue, however. with Minns treatment of pension fund wealth as just "other money".
wealth not just come from kers hard-grubbed savings. It comes mainly
capitalist profits which they get in high
fringe tax-avoidance daes and straighe unearned income otherwise known as daylight robbery
Eighty percent of us don't save any interestbearing wealth at all. The others are living off our work.
Take two families of two adults and two kids. and the other E250 a week In 1980 the Tirst spent on average E2.21 on pensions. The other spent sixteen times as much. Minns implies that only top managers will oppose bank nationalisation and then only because they will lose personal power.
But all wealth, • even corporate wealth, ultimately owned by people - mainly stinking rich people. They WIll claim
that if we redirect investment priority; the "old ladies eadin Labour will be hit.
Already decided to compensate shareholders in privatised companies — in case "pensioners suffer Labour should have fought to re-establish universal state social insurance, abolish all private pensions and use the principle of need, not wealth,
if it simultaneously crushed working class organisation. In both these aspects *Nasserism' corresponded totally to its capitalist class character.
Rogers
By these measures however Nasser ensured the victories of Imperialism and the regime of Sadat which followed.
By crushing the working class and peasant organisations and leaders. Nasser struck at the most consistent anti-imperialist torce in the country the only ones prepared to carry / through the struggle to the end. By weakening those classes he prepared
dismantling of the anti-imperialist gains which had been made
Nasser's acceptance of the Rogers Plan in July 1970 was followed by the opening up of Egypt to
waven cadenation rise
wave denationalisations. The World Bank, in to decide compensation.
Minns also says, as he has done elsewhere that profit is ideological. ideology of maximum
does • not product the return' he says on page
but the returns don't half help produce the ideology Twenty pe cent profit on a hundred pounds is two red notes and five per CENT IS TYC green ones, and if you are offered a choice betweet the two, your decision will depend not on 'ideology but plain old boring greed
I can see them now: the city gents driving from ideoloRical mansions Surbiton in their
return for loans, was given the right to supervise the operations of the Suez Canal Company
The limited land reform was reversed to allow eviction of tenants, increases in rent, and the reseizure of land by
Finally Israel was recognised Camp David. All this was prepared through the repression of the Egyptian working class and peasants.
Support
The correct attitude for revolutionaries was to support Nasser's anti-imperialist measures
No matter what his repression against the working class, when Nasser Toughi Isracl in
956 and 1967 every sing) revolutionary had to sup nort Eevot The 3I25SSE nationalisations of 1961
totally appplauded - and far more ideological Rolls and Mercedes to take ideological champagne expense-account lunches
the colden Triangle. Give us workers a bit more ideology, say I.
A similar problem af fects Minns' arguments about overseas investment, which as he rightly points out has contributed massively British in-
decline. But happens because Britain is
mperor power any finds overseas investment more profitable, while Bri tain's workers have not yet been smashed.
You have to attack the militarism which sustains our overseas investors, it you want to stop this.
Nasser
nationalisations demanded.
But support for these Darin the framework of
in the framework understanding that on the most fundamental tions Nasserism would not
imperialism. Abovi all it served imperialism" interests in attacking and repressing the Egyptiar peasants. wile particular working mcasures had to be en thusiastically supported and defended against imperialism, revolutionaries had to oppose the regime as a whole
Next week we will look at Khomeni's Iran
CONSUME!
Moreover if you try to re-orient financial priorities to suit workers needs, you will hurt the rich and there ain't no was round it We aren't jus ngoung corpordic powe but greed: the depravity of Britain's degenerate upper classes, grown fat on cen turies of plunder and ex ploitation. This lies behind Thatcher's viciousness and Labour's cowardice.
Yes , let's take over the City. But don't imagine there won't be a fight, or we'll have as much chance as Robin Hood with rubber arrows Take Over the City' by Richard Minns, Pluto, €2.50p
Page 15 scan of this page
Where you can
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NO RIGHT TURN, a fringe
details
Metro Hol EAST LONDON Troops Out Mois
Belfas and a defendent from Brad.
October Banquet East London Socialist Challenge Splendid food, auction, Disco and bar. Guest speakers from Central America 136 Kiers from M Martin PO Box 36 Cheques to Hackney Book Club
Thur, Faling
snewsagents.
invited.
McConville's room Books,
discuss the new Labour left
and women's liberation. • John Harrison on the British economic disaster
Gelderen discuss the lessons of the GLC
Labour Party • Mike Davis on exterminism and the cold war
movement today.
celebrate the 65th anniversary of the RUSSIAN REVOLUTION with •ERNEST MANDEL •BERNADETTE McALISKEY
Friday 22nd October 7pm County Hall Waterloo
DEBATING SOCIALISM
23-24 October Kingsway Princeton College
Sidmouth Street, off Gray's Inn Rd
London WC1
A WHOLE WEEKEND debating a programme to beat the crisis. That's what is taking place on 23-24 October at a forum organised by the Marxist
journal International.
The weekend will start with an introduction on the world financial and economic crisis, the context for Britain's crisis.
The presentation will be by Ernest
Mandel, perhaps the best known
revolutionary Marxist authority on the subject.
The rest of the weekend will be given
over to discussing the different facets of the crisis. • Frances Morell, Alan Freeman and Labour Briefing will • Bea Campbell and Valerie Coultas debate Sweet Freedom
• Ken Livingstone, Hilary Wainwright and Tessa van • John Ross and Duncan Hallas debate entryism and the
• Pat Hickey, John Deason (Socialist Worker) and Alan
Thornett (Socialist Organiser) on the trade union • Perry Anderson and Bernadette MacAliskey also Admission to the weekend costs just f4, f2.50 per day.
A creche is provided and food will be available.
Write for tickets to: International, 'Debating Socialism', PO Box 50, London N1 2XP. Cheques payable to International.
Socialist Challenge News
Granet Mandal latte MacAliskev
Socialist Challenge REVOLUTION
SOCIALIST PAPER FOR Y Socialist Challange 25 September 1992 page
Page 16 scan of this page
A policy for Labour victory JOBS NOT
rise. That was the
£1.800 million pounds already spent on the war.
At the same time there are an ec mates ohe million young people out
nany whom, particularly black
CUCA are resigned to a life without a job
The Labour Party conference has a golden opportunity to ride the crest of the widespread opposition to the Tories brutal treatment of the healthworkers and to put out a call that can rally a mass movement to sweep the Tories out of office.
In many respects the Labour Party already has policies that can form the basis of such a mass movement; what is missing is the will and determination on tne part or lne Labour leadership to stop witch-hunting the socialists and tart attacking the Toric and their SDP/Libera allies - the real enemies.
The following policies command broad support in the labour movement: AOELEMURSAEHEBURSN mentl Introduce a 35 hour week without loss of pay. Start a crash programme of public works to meet social need and employ the jobless. Ensure
W ULICEL. empioy ed through positive blacks and youth action. Che-nanoma se concerns "privatised' by Lne T OHC * Defend living standards! No wage restraint. Freeze prices and TCHILS.HLCEEOSC DEICHIL CHL introduce minimum
Sharply increase wealth tax. * Stop the Bombl Scrap
nucicar systems. Tell the US bases to get out. Withdraw from
Hogisterad as a newapaper with the Post Offien Published by Cardinal Enterprisas, PO Box 50, London N1. Printed By Enst End Offset (TU) Ltd, London E2
Socialist
Challenge
THE COST of the Falklands war will continue to conclusion of the Shackleton Report published last waek. British tax-payers will have to pour another £40 million pounds into the islands' economy on top of the
NATO and our colonial poncing roic narucmany in Ireland and the South * Defend and extend basic rights! Repeal all racist partcularly the Immigration Acts. For community veto over the police and the disbanding of SPG-type bodies. Fora women's right to choose, through 24 hour nursery provisions and the right to Iree abortion on demand.
However these types of policies cannot be WUL through the institutional reform of capitalism as concieved by the TUC-Labour Party plan.
The banks and the big monopolies will resist them to the end. For these reasons the labour movement should take the firet steps to break down this resistance now. opening of the hematitu. / The demand for the the great corporate institutions can be the basis for the drawing up of trade union and Labour Party plans for the nationalisa tion of the commanding heights of the economy under workers control.
But above all it means that the present block to labour movement advance - ine tories - naveto Dc tackled by joint trade union and Labour Party action; through the labour OVOCIIL building aro su hertie vane
support healthworkers to a mighty effort to force the Tories from office.
Only this can open the road to a Labour government committed to socialist policies.
BOMBS
SCHOOL'S AND A FUTURE, NOT BOMBS MISSILE'S AND DEATH
BUILD HOMES
Lebanon massacre their dirty work.
Genocide
THE MURDER of over 1000 Palestinians in the
Sabra and Chatila refugee camps on Friday is
the work of israel. No one should be confused by the fake 'shock and surprise' of Begin.
Israeli troops stood guard around the camps as
the Christian militias - whether Phalangists or
those of Major Haddad matters little - did
It is inconceivable that Israch troops a quarter of a mile from the camps did not know that over people were being killed and, to quote on Isracli olficer "heard nothing
According to last Sunday's Observer *autoritative Israeli sources acknowledged last night that the entry of Phalangist forces into the camps had been ordinated with the Israelis who jointly planned the operation.
This barbarism was deliberate. It is part and parcel of the overall plan ol Begin and Sharon to throw the whole Palesti HILES Lebanon.
And to do just that they are using the time honoured Zionist methods, the very same methods that were uScO when the state of israc was set up massacre butchery, genocide The message from Israel to the CHERRIS what awaits you - unles you get out!
The scale and horror o Ine massacre 1s cirTiCuI E0 comprehend. Women anc children were shot out o hand as they ate their sup
No one was sparco Babies were riddled witl bullets
The Israelis claimer they were goine into Wes Heirut to preserve "order" Now we know what Isracl order looks like. It mean: the military crushing of thi Lebanese left. It means : free hand for the assassin in the fascist Phalange.
Reagan has been quick
as well as the to Wes
israel troops into Beirut. The matcin 9
illing of civilians durin the crae nvason destruction of Beirut, th sennove against left wing militias, and now
massacie werc com pletely foresceable.
Once Israel committe all its military might to thi struggle everything follow ed. Reagan and the Unitet States government knes of the planned assault of Lebanon weeks before 1
place. TE Sociali Challenge predicted it si WECKS BE OE I CauCE then was certain] ABILENE to the Whit House
The United States ha armed Israel to the teeth It has exercised no effec tive pressure against Israe rat all Reagan's crocodil tears will not be matche with effective actio GREUES IS EI DECCISCI
because Israel is the mo effective ally of the Unite States in the region.
The Isracli invasion o West Beirut and refugee camp massacre come in the wake of th assassination Phalangist leader an president clect Bashi
Gemayel last week.
No socialist will lamen the OOS HE of Bashi Gemayel in the explosio at his party's headquarter
Beirut Gemayel despite all the claptra talked in the Western pres about his moves toward
Toonomanon , fascist thug.
← Socialist Challenge No. 261, 18 September 1982Socialist Challenge No. 267, October 1982 →