Socialist Challenge No. 267, October 1982

Socialist Challenge · October 1982 · 12 pages, 16,653 words read by machine

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Page 1 scan of this page

Challenge

No. 267 29 October 1962

can

the

IF THE MINERS vote 'yes' in the NUM

result will until after we go to press -will be set for a mighty confrontation.

On one side will governmen, neubent on oreaking In

ackbone of the trade ment and showing people that there is no way that they can be resisted. On the other tant, and best organised section of the working class.

If the miners put up by the NCB and force the Coal Board to retreat over pit closures they will encourage and insoire every other worker fighting for wages and jobs.

They will also give the rank and file The right wing leaders like sirs. the The right wing leaders departed and unlamented Weighell, Duffy, and of course Len Murray. have shown time and time again that they have no stomach for a fight. result the Tories have treated them with contempt and simply walked all over them.

In contrast the NUM leadership, with Arthur Scargill to the fore, have shown what leadership is about. They MOVE DIOCUCH IEETES case of the union executive. have campaigned through the journals of the union. At a series of militant and

25p Unemployed and strikers 10p

Miners

deteat

Tories

not be known the stace jobs.

stand the Tory wage will union move-

side will be the most mili-

ment, crack the pay offer

gas and

trade

support As a

LABI puite They

Socialist

enthusiastic rallies they have urged their members to fight for wages and

The fight to call a halt to mass sackings and for the right to a decent

be centered around miners if they vote to strike. This is why every socialist and every militant has a vested interest in them winning.

Right across the workers organised on tail, and on me roads solidarity action not one piece of coal must move. The

electricity depots picketted and if the miners need help to swell the size of pickets,

unions and the Labour Party MuSt TaKe TAB! members and their banners down there.

Meetings, demonstrations and colSupport for be on

for the labour movement must strain every sinew to make sure this struggle is

A miners' strike that wins, the tables on the Tories and push back

•OTTENSIVE The leadership given by the NUM left-wing executive will also show to the rank and file activists in the right-wing dominated unions what kind of a leadership they need and must fight for in their unions.

the

move-

must be

then the

build

whole

will turn

No expulsions!

Lobby the Labour Party NEC Labour Party headquarters, Walworth Rd.

24 November

Bring Party banners Called by CLPs against the witch-hunt

Page 2 scan of this page

Is Labour's 'hard left softening?

BY A two to one majority, the 23 'hard left' Bennite MPs who announced they were forming an independent group at Labour Party conference have decided to rejoin the 'Tribune' group of MPs. It is still not certain whether they will continue meeting, as they have done until now, as a 'ginger' group.

Hard words were changed: Reg Race, publicly denounced

while he has Deen accused of acting

The traditional Bennite left also split at the last Executive Committee of the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy. which

led the battle democratic reform for the last four years. Its best known activist Vladimir Derer has denounced the so-called ultraleft while a group of CLPD officers is calling For recorded whether the CLPD should ballot register

really backs the CLPD line'

Benn says we should preserve existing leadership, membership, and policies.' But the leadership wants to get rid of the membership.

The split in CLPD reflects a fundamental difference on the witch-hunt.

Several officers who inamendment to the register troduced *Tallback at Blackpool have dropped the pretence that this is merely delaying

and are proposing The same resolution as CLPD's model for the

Labour ranty com ference.

The immediate issues are not the most important ones. Throughout last year

independent group of MPs existed but did split from Tribune. The problem was not this, but

public, campaigning tivity. It dissolved into a parliamentary caucus prepare a left slate for the

NEC. It organised no extraparliamentary

did not strike up inks with the rank an

taned to trade union left to prevent the disastrous assault of

Weighell and their buddies.

SOCIALISM

below

Name...

Address

Age..

Union/CLP (if any).

50. London N1 2XP

Socialist Challenge 29 October 1982

Similarly the issue con fronting CLPD WOE NEE registers but whether it throws its full

behind the expulsions.

Despite formal backing or the 30 October cor

тапу CLPD will follow Tony CLUCIS Benn in putting their names declarations. without being publicly and actively involved leading the campaign.

Behind the confusion lies a much deeper issue:

fight Healey and the right wing.

Tod Benite Tele ups the old Bennite left. STONES! TELECAS Cane from millions of workers who wanted to prevent any

"The the existing the existing

policies and the

more Healey-Callaghan

The rank and file want to be rid of Healey and his

WETS not to get rid of Healey's influence but to diminish it modation with the right trum" the leadership withour a lasting split.

It may not be wrong for Benn to run for Shadow compromises will be made in order to do it?

This has led to a series of SECUOIS BHINE perplexed, angered appalled Benn's sup

It led to the agreement' of Bishops Stortford which, Peter Tatchell said, поone agreed to except the cadership. led to Benn's present declared aim of preserving the isting leadership, membership and policies" though the Icadership wants ditch the

JOIN THE FIGHT FOR

If you would like to be put in touch with Socialist Challenge supporters in your area or would like more information fill in the form Send to: Socialist Challenge, PO Box

page 2

membership and the policics.

It may very well lead to a campaign for Benn

LILO •LIC Shadow Cabinet, despite 10-1 vote against this in Benn's own constucey.

Wipe the grin off Healey's face

This last issue most Clearly Illustrates the et's dilemma. It may not be wrong in and of itseif tor Denia crier me 3200s Cabinet, any more than it

for MPs to return to the Tribune group. But what COEBECHHSE be made in order for him to enter that is the ques tion. So far, very real compromises have been made Labour Party programme which everyone knows will lay the basis for a new incomes policy. He has let

without a Labour's commitment to nationalise the banks; EDO SI the House Lords: to renationalise privatised

TROCISLEY without compensation.

These concessions have

As long as Bennite leaders are hamstrung because they Lalk they must not challenge the right wing

blame for losing the next election, the right wing can

Cabinet. But what

simply extract concession after concession, splinter the left, demoralise the left's support, and destroy its gains.

The error is obvious. Benn argues that if the lef fights, it will be saddled with responsibility defeat at the general election. But we argue that the

win the next election Healey electoral disaster. He wants to ditch

PURGE

THE

NEW BADGE! 20p each

Orders over 10 post free

Orders over zu — op cact

Orders over 50 - 12p each

Cheques payable to

Labour History Grou

Serato:

Southwark SC Badge,

PO Box 50, London NI.

Time to forget old acquaintance the activist and ditch policies, like unilateral disarmament, on SUCCOUCHEN CONT pulverise Thatcher

By capitulating Healey, Benn is paving the way for a defeat for which

By Denny Fitzpatrick

ment would re-nationalise

The Post Office Engineering Union leadership had described the one day strike as non-political. But Tony Benn was adamant that it was political. What was involved was a choice as to which government should be in office -the Tories concerned

Labour concerned about public need ensure that this was the real choice, he appealed to the audience to make La nur Conference deal- their business that nationalisation athe Manifesto. included in Just so. In the POEU the Broad Left has fought for Labour Party business and affairs to be accountable to the membership - just as we would like POEU policy to be cast inside th ADOLETTE

Benn ended by asking: What had gone wrong? Why were the gains of th public services being reversed? He pointed to three reasons: We forgot to support each other; we forgot our struggle - 330 if you stop struggling your rights will be taken away and we had not used our socialist imagination"

The example he gave was the mimicking of

the left will inevitably take the blame.

But the arguments that hold Benn back need not

CESCLE which we must travel with or without Benn. We AT A MASS rally of Telecom workers on their day of strike action last week, Tony Benn expressed his confidence that a Labour govern-

posts and telecommunications privatised by the Tories. private firms by the nationalised industries

going further and developing new forms of control.

But what he failed to explain was the role leadersmiD in this. Rank and file workers have wanted to support cach other, have wanted to keep struggling, have wanted to

112110031020 dustrics something different than private, profitmotivated companies and begun implement workers control.

Many rank and file workers leaders are look ing to Tony Benn because they realise the need for a new leadership. They do not want a government o the Callaghan-type which scabbed on the 'winter of discontent. They Benn someone who prepared to he accountable to their demands.

Socialist Challenge supporters agree with this Themselves righting in the sentiment and POEU for an accountable leadership Brian

Golding who are unac-

2180 support witch-hunts in the Labour

should prepare to establish an organised campaigning left that links DOER and CLPs against the witch-hunt; Defend Labour's SOCIET policies by organising mass action to

Benn speaks to Telecom workers

defeat Thatcher; • Struggle to make the rignt wing in the unions ac countable for their retrayals hrow them out of th leadership to pave the way for victory.

HANDS OFF

TELEPHONES!

Page 3 scan of this page

Witch-hunt conference tasks

Why Militant should back the conference

• Unity against

expulsions

• Build a national

campaign

• Organise to resist

ALAN FREEMAN and BRIAN HERON from the steering committee of the 30 October conference against the witchhunt, explain the committee's propoals and what it is hoped the conference will do

AS WORKERS in the pits, steel, post office, water, and health shape up against Thatcher, and as her attacks on working people mount, Michael Foot and Dennis Healey are settling in for a happy winter discussing an issue dear to the heart of every unemployed person in Britain purging the

the witch-hunt is winter won't be a cosy one.

With one week to go, credential applications had been received over seventy constituencies and are coming in thes are now sponsor 19

are now sponsoring including Tony Dennis Skinner Audrey Joan Maynard Wise, and two Liverpool MPs, Bob Parry and Allan Roberts, strongly in favour of the

the wellattended press conference on Thursday 21 October.

The campaign Labour Party Democracy is sponsoring and addresspage spread in their latest issue carries a detail-

letter of application to Labour Party secretary.

the left, including many Militant supporters. It will be read as a signal that Militant wants to strike a deal with the legitimacy to the idea of a register.

But the decision won't change much. If Militan!

ad not applied, the NE

vould still have expelle people.

And it will do this unless a struggle is organised against expulsions. This is why the conference on 30 Octobar. organise resistance to expulsions, is SOLDO Tal

Whatever attitude might be taken to the repister bv different cur rents on the left, unity is essential on the one question, which will determine whether or not the register

eteve whether or not people get kicked out.

Will Militant be taking part in the 30 October con ference? Until recently its editors denounced it claiming it was counterposed to their own 11 September rally even though the conrerenei organisers mobilised support for the rally sayin that the two events served different functions.

Militant's leaders now declare they will support the conference. But thes are sponsoning a monon which argues should dissolve, instead of setting

socialists. But the response to the 30 October conference against anything to go by. their

ing the conference, and Militant will be sending a speaker.

The steering committee are to make two main recomendations:

1. To establish a national organisation, with democratic STUCEUTE countable to official labour movement bodies. on the basis of opposition

to To Lion

campaign for the adoption of model resolulions by CLPs and unions, arguine that they wil Beeperpsions and that they

MILITANT HAS APPLIED to register. A four

Jim Mortimer,

The decision will be seen as a big blow for

NEC. It also gives

up a campaign, and send

their own •campaign committe. This is hot the witch-hunt*

vay to get unity

Terence serves a different DurDose to committee. It is designed to establish a broad united

based bodies of the Labour movement, unlike the Militant's steering com

more: And the 30 h mittee which

porters. tober conference aims

tant but the whole of the left - indeed, the whole parthis is not to deny the importance or legitimacy of the Militant's own committee and rallies, which must be backed. But these cannot substitute for the Job or bulding a broad united front. Militant should join the new body and work with it to build

own 27 November regional rallies as well as a network of supporters and affiliates to the new Call paign. This would be an excellent working relation-

which could even-

are disaf-

iliated

A series of further proposals, including regional

PST80158 local support, a newsletter and a lobby of the NEC on November 27, are put forward in a discussion documCLI SUCCTITE committee for guidance to delegates. It is also proposed to change the name to *Labour against Witch-hunt to reflect the involvement trade unions and other affiliated

What proposals essence, an organised, national campaign to stop the witch-hunt.

The NEC is determined to go ahead with expulsions, and will do so unless the resistance to them co-ordinated and organis-

The vast majority of

unionists do not want this

The NEC will succeed only if they carry through CHISORS without a fuss. If they have to disaffiliate twenty or thirty CLPs they will fall to a sustained campaign to remove the right

leaders responsible for the chaos Can such a battle be won? depends WICENCE support can be built up among the af filiated organisations for a stand by the CLPs. That is why the campaign will be

the unions. youth. women's sections and so on and why backing must be won from MP: Pat Wall, parliamentary candidate for Bradford North. The NEC will try to remove all Militant's PCs against the wishes of their constituencies tually lead a single united body. But are there deeper for Mili

leadership's reluctance to join in united front activity?

It unfortunately thinks that it, and only it is the object of the NEC's attack, and that the best wa to react is to build the Mil tant. This doesn't ICEVE much role for people who don't happen to agree with

to defend it; and it doesn't do anything at all about at-

IMBRIDCE

PEACE and councillors.

The committee's three Turner proposals deal with this. Regional con-

are LOCCALE local network, through which CLPs will be able to mobilise the local labour

The trade union committee will fight for a national response from the with tacks on the rest of the left.

Worse still, they hav raised building Militant to such a principle that they are ready for a wide layer of Militant supporters to 1050 Labour membership in advance of a struggie. At emerous meetings of the spear at they made it

they think would be better for Militant supporters threatened with expulsion to leave the Party rather than provoke

EVOL

right wing want to drop nuclear disarmament. We want to win the next slection. fringe meetings, resolutions to annual conterences, and so on: the

being to commit the block vote against expul sions and reverse the decision or the register at the nexe Labour ramy conference

30 October is a landmark in the fight against the right wing's purge: but is only ine pegining a confrontation with the NEC which might lead to disaffiliation

This is a disastrous ap proach. Of course, • at the end of a struggle it may be necessary, because

to accept a particular expulsion. But this is not the same as giving up before the fight starts.

It is like going into a strike for a 10 percent rise with an announcement

cent if it's offered. more expulsions the right are allowed to get away with, the more they will be tempted to make. Only if each and every expulsior provokes bitter battles will they think twice about what they are doing.

Indeed the right wing, led on by Militant's own hesitations, are said to be

nice leaders then

Militant's

This would a tremendous blow to the wnole lent, as wen as in Militant. The job of the 30 October conference is to ensure that every consti tuency where a Militant sul deer is threatened

deliver a cast iron backing not to acceot them expulsion, and that the rest of the Party

bali deliver a guarantee to back them up

This is a battle that Militant must be involved in as part of a united labour movement campaign.

REVOLUTON YOUH

WE WONT DIE

FOR THATCHER

SOCIALIST CHATT 3

Forty seven percent of the population, in the latest opinion poll, want to be rid of American bases. The

Hackney Young

Socialists

oppose witch-hunt

THE STEERING com.

of the 30 Oc proposing to establish tober conference a youth subcommittee to co-ordinate work ir defence of the Young Socialists. So far nearly twenty YS branches nava applied for credentials Socialist Callenge

There resolution on the witch-hunt passed by Hackney Young Socialists to TORTOTO ConTerence which is an excellent working model for other YS branches.

This conference notes:

The continued desire by the reactionary a Tor 17705

rail, stee! and mineworkers. 2. The attempts of the right to auth the this potential

aunching of a wich-huni ir

and THEONS. through mocking Juntouch in the steel, rail and health 3. That this witch-hunt aimed at breaking up

fight

The ine disars ament more

polIcy democracy or Labour Party conference for the last gen years

That the Labour right seek to black the inclusior

Conference believes defence is attack. The pis That the best should throw itself into sup-

for compuigas ike

LPYS should fight to lead the opposition to the right WinE S wICh-nun! in the Labour Party and trade

Conference resolves to: 1. Continue to support al HOERS I SIRENIE GERMS the tories ama light to buid

solidarity throughout the Labour Par-

among youth

LPYS must be at the centre O R an our We decor our opposion to an expur

of consrituency parties in the even

non-cooperation with any NEC instructions.

Support the campaign set i pines the. witch-hume

Steering commites up by the

Movement Conference against the Witchhunt, chaine nantona com parence called by tackon BE Seru North CLP

Conference Instructs the Incoming Regional Committee:

To coordinate YS branches sonachin work with 4. To publicises activities and win support for throughout the Labour Party and union

- movement bodies a massive recruitment drive as the best way to combat those

Page 4 scan of this page

HEALTH:

By Norman Lockhart LAST Thursday the TUC NHS Committee finally decided to consult the healthworkers about taking indefinite, all out action to win their pay dispute. Is this appeal to the members a sudden conversion to mass democracy? Not exactly.

The roasting COHSE leader Albert Spanswick got from shop stewarts u Glasgow the day before, left the TUC with little

al the members it has

to the members. has been increasingly obvious during the three weeks of regional days of action that healthworkers HAVE been looking back to the

nagnificen solidarity

2 September and wanting an immediate fight to win, or else a settlemen: before

thesteembers becomin

union organisation falls apart.

The limited actions so far has secured an increas

ed offer at the expense of local health boards making cuts. seen the explosive

devclopments oi a snor stewards movement in the NHS.

In Glasgow, one of the biggest health boards in

the country some hospital:

the Roval Infir mary) had no stewards COTTELLE at all at the

start of the dispute. Now a

city-wide stewards organisation has begun to meet. The first meeting

attended Dy 60

from seven BOSOPHS CO

ordinated with these pro-

tests spanswick,

defend jobs

Office engineers

Socialist Challenge

engineers about their

against privatisation of British Telecoms.

Was the campaign for

the one dey strike a suc-

Sor the strike was raily

the strike was really

bad, the membership want

more discussion. he in-

STICTOR CONNE

too late from head office

and distribution to the

HOMOCES

arguments haven't been

the This still has to be

lone.

Who's fault is it?

Anne: The POEU national

executive didn't organise

well. They should be more

available to the member-

ship.

Suzanne: The local union

office didn't distribute the

CUICEIV

chough. officers of

the branch didn't come to

our exchange until Tues-

day morning, the day

belore the strike. That was

obviously too The

branch officers don't seen

to unacstand mat we neco

more workplace meetings,

discussion.

Socialist Challenge 29 October 1982

For all out strike

On Friday second meeting drew representatives from 17 hospitals.

A steering committee of one representative from

further meetings Glasgow 50O0 SCHEELS and will call a conference of all NHS stewards Scotland in two to three weeks time.

Task

The main task for the stewards is to turn out a sold vole tor an indelinite strike -particularly from the weaker unions, who can expect tead trom their officials. Building on the support already

PHOE from industry is also im-

preparing the SCOTEE, can

The focus for

tion and getting the support of the otner section: will the national transport strike

November Workers in th

steel and British and other dustries are pushing ahead

with their lisputes DUTCOR

of the same fight DAIL against Tory policies.

POEU march to

THE 20 OCTOBER and Day of Action by Post

resounding coss. Thousands marched in London and many other workers refused to cross picket lines. spoke to five women

union's campaign

B tea. erase one

really on

Labour government being

returned to office. This is

totally useless.

Ann: The Tory's plans 1o

privatise mean that

MHSSETCHCDE

latest management

circular gives instructions

on how to take disciplin-

who aren't totally efficient

for BT's needs and that

SECCOUCU We need to defend

our jobs now and not wait

for a Labour government.

Janice: In our area

GULAGGES aren't being

replaced when they leave

or retire and management

DECSSUEISS

workers to do their jobs

Workers are being

pusorny transierrea

If you look at what our

Labour MP

S0OSO

lohn Goulding has done

you see how useless it is to

wa or a Labour govern-

ment. All he does is talk to

We need to

fight now.

page 4

News.

this have to be used to build all- out action

The fight to get health workers to support all out action is also preparing the battle against cuts

growth of stewards organisations is paving the

That is the best way we

will make Labour Bose policies for BT We

policies for вт. We

want the split between

Posts and Giro and BI

reversed so that it is one in-

- like the

GPO. want re-

nationalisation without

compensation.

There are very faw

women engineers in BT.

Did your workmates

welcome you onto the

line?

Suzanne: The men were

shocked but pleased to see

me arrive The group of

men i had taken up some

time ago because they said

sexually abusive things to a

woman clerical COSSE

when aried at Sake.

After 30 seconds

mutual shock they

now talking for the first

time in six months. I think

that showing we actively

A scene from the massive 120,000 strong London demonstration. Actions like

way for co-ordinated initiatives that can increasingly put the TUC leaders

on hearts,

That why the naBORE NHS steward: meeting called in Sheffield

Post Office engineers turn out solidly against privatisation. support the union means that those members support our right to be

union see us a those

members. Those that are anti-union will feel more strongly against women on the job.

Do you like your jobs?

Mona: Yes, very much. 1 get along really well with

wor mates Bloke don't understand why women do InIs job. First they treat you like they

JANICE CHEDDIE is a youth entrant and works as

MONA CORBIN is in her first year as an apprentice

in Central London.

BRIDGET ELTON Joined BT as an adult entrant two

years ago and is a fitter in the city of London.

V88S BCO BIG

change:

SUZANNE SMITH has finished her three year ap-

of London.

Saturday 30 October must be representative enough to move towards

body that really expresses -rank and The teeling. treated home ey cabe treated but they because you're engineer. Then they treat

this point Gerr POEU branch arrived... from West Gerry: So you're a fitter -you can fit me up any time.

No really, some girl fitters are better than most men I've seen. 10СУ TC g00u a. their job. Women have as much right to work as men - please quote me in

engineer in a telephone exchange in Nort

ANN FIANDER joined BT as an adult entrant two

is now an engineer in a talex ex

prenticeship and now works as a fitter in the City

Support the Healthworkers

Monday 8 November 10.00am Friends Meeting House Euston Rd., London N1 speakers.

NUPE

Page 5 scan of this page

FOR THE first time since 1935, a united National Union of Miners executive has toured the coal field to mobilise a yes vote for strike action.

against pit closures and for a £27 a week pay increase, union president Arthur Scargill has addressed enthusiastic mass rallies in every mining The meetings each attracted around 4,000 miners who demonstrated their support for Scargill with cheers and standing ovations.

Scargill's to the first of these rallies in sown yales was repcatco hroughou the week, You have given me a man date to fight against closures and to fight for a

can't promise you a seat in the House of Lords, but I can promise you a leadership which is in touch with

mise you that we will prie

national conference decisions. That's what our union is all about.

between this response to the union ranks and the experience

other workers drawn out in VICe presi Gent MeGahey's speech to the same rally, Let's face it there have been rements owsectons o the British working class.

When ASLEF strike, thirteen leaders, and I emphasise not the trade -movemen. sold out the workers. Now look what's happened to them with McCarthy.

To cheers, Scargill thundered the alternative ADDO CA O leadership, *The miners

lorce no LONCE

decimated like the 1960's. псу ас по

prepared to stand see the same happen to them as has

British Steel Corporation.

staying Jenkins' 'spark off severe industrial unrest.

picket. 5.00am Meet at Rotherham works and make for Tinsley Park works. About 50 pickets There. 5.40am Police van arrives

sane has one Bre perty and ignore the police re We are stopping all the cars. 5.45am Two more police vans arrive. Still not able to get cars

Scargill's

barnstorming

campaign

In the build up to the 28 October ballot

South Wales and Sheffield

happened to the rail and CICE WOKES cane Tories. If vou go out an et votes, and I know yo will, vou can rest assurco the union leadership wil JIUL DOLLEY YOU Between 1960 and 1972

500 pits were closed and over half the jobs lost.

As Scargill reminded his audiences, this bloodleting had continued under Labour and Tory Govern 1975 37,000 jobs have been lost 12.000 of these in the last year alone.

While this emaciated workforce struggles keep production targets up

high levels of overtime private contractors and loan sharks from the banks and finance houses have been gettine fat. Bet ween 1980 and 1981, E341 million was paid in interest

been an increase of 30 percent in mysterious expenditure items like payments to private "depreciation' and so called 'expenditure on other iters' (an increase of E54 million).

Taking these payments Scaraill CSLITHEES that a cut in overtime from COILE would pay the claim twice over, or create 30,000 new Jobs.

A day in the life of a flying picket

Steelworkers solid

STEELWORKERS responded massively to the call of the steel unions for a one day protest strike against threats of further closure and massive job loss in

The giant steelmaking plant at Ravenscraig in Scotland is in the firing line. The decision to close is now in the hands of Tory industry boss Patrick Jenkins. The ultra modern E400m Redcar plant on Teeside is equally threatened.

According to the Sunday Times the only thing

hand is that any closure

This willingness to fight was clearly shown on 22 October as can be seen from this diary of a flying

are too few police for their - which they have obthe minersen rowing (for been practicin

6 am Still more police arrive.

Things are getting ridiculou now outnumber the pickets. One or two manage

to go to Kotherham for more pickets.

Further evidence of the Tory plans is revealed in the present issue of the national NUM jour-

Trom a Miner Mear old

from three year CHOIRCI which powers: Brind milear programme would explains: have the advantage of TOOTHE portion of electricity pro- substantial duction from the dangers or disrupton Dy industrial action by coal miners or transpor woe er

more evidence is needed to prove that the голся шеспа то такс оп the miners, to destroy their

union. Some miners are apprehensive about the results of the 2s Octone ballot. They are concerned that their cadets waited too long to start the campaign that linked the pay and closure issues as one.

By next week the ballot results will known. Every steel worker, rail workers and hospital worker tied down in a battle with the Tories will be hoping that the miners will give a lead in action from That d MeGahey told the South Wales miners: "The British miners catalyst that can spark oft can be

he fight against the Tor

can

behind Scargill's message that *the government should be as

oyal to our class as the Tories are to theirs."

This the message which for miners means investment in the pits, a four day week. early retirement and a sane energy ponc based on ample reserves of coal, oil, and gas.

6.45am Arrive back Emsey Pork to fnd that one picket has alreudy ocen ar for not giving his tame and address. We heart had handcuffed his legs to nana-rans on ciner siac or tae Yan. They then DOUL across the thiehs with a trun could nolice station at 10.30. MCDE COUL

11.00, he was back on the line.

7.00am More hickets more ponce, more scullies are now implementing thei tactics. They put three lines o

FIVE walks the car ATOBILE gales. We are not as wel Oraisen so some car me through, we'll be better nex time

8.45am Someone through the picket me a

Miners.

How we

organised

North Derbyshire Area (personal capacity)

for £25 across-the-board on basic rates. would particularly benefit the lowest paid

ferences between areas resulting bonus scheme.

The NCB offered us 7.2 per cent if we accepted

'cost unit efficiency',

Ballot result in the

balance

Arthur Scargill and other NUM leaders speak. Afte

Markham Main

colliery about the campaign.

John: I think we'll win it casiv at our bit. We're gearing up now, the union is getting behind it and so arc the men. I feel a lot more confident. It's made me want to

uestion now of taking it ba

DIE. BUT INCESS eminst it. You've always got

John: We'll win them over.

Stuart: We'll win then over eventually. It's just a

back There's too many read the wrong papers.

By Steve Pilley, Rotherham BSC

speed and pulls InTO : of the gate.

About six of nip During the course

transpires general manager!

hit

11.00am Arrive ALr213

all-out strike.

action. They point out that to ОИШШК BAO STARD not me end. sneakers from Socialist Challenge Worker.

2.00 After visiting Stocksbridge, decide to call it

HInE drives fairly successful. Onto all out

action!

Arthur Scargill By David Crowther, Delegate, Warsop Main,

THE LESSONS of our pay claim and overtime ban can be summed up as 'getting the facts across'. The popular press has talked about our claim for 31 per cent. What we really said was

This

the surfaceworkers - bringing them up to E115 a week. It would equal out some of the big dif-

trom the

other words pit closures. The Special Delegate Conference

OVER 4,000 militants gathered in Sheffield to hear

the rally Andy Miller spoke to John Chambers from

collery in yorksnire and stuart Borthwick, youth representative at Yorkshire Main

John: Another thing that's been helping is the over.

LINC DELT That's WOL KIN nOW

back against them instead

Mark Hunter was also at the

Wetieek colliery in the radi

inghamshire orea. He is ver worried aboni the lack of

Mark: wen unto une aer ONE AS WORK tion area was knee deep m copies of The Miner. I went

estimated 35,000 jobs would be ou that the line. This made it clear that Arthur Scargill or our NEC which VY 013 "artificiallv"

ray and jobs. It was th

CB, with Thatcher bac ing them up

From im has start, the waze political issue. This was 1 claim been

Siddall and Margaret Thatcher, both

their wanted to avoid confron tation it WE nave been offered rate and early retirement at 55 with full benefits on top of the 7.2 might well have accepted cent and the men

these issues which were agreed in principle last year, have now beer rejected out of hand by the

cidence that the Tories an

now looking for confron tation with the miners • In 1930 they picked off the

sacked beret

sacked

BL and tens thousands of his member followed him down road. It was traindrivers and health harkers this defeat the miners then that can gives her a whole year's

out to me

meet the WALLS YOU HAVE ACHILYEA achieved Inrouen your acermingon

back today and a lot of them are still there.

So far at my pit we've had a few posters. information

There's of trouble over the

JYcrBaiC Del • 1OU CADCCEI

MUCH Overine to no no t

of orner men against the union because of Steelworker arrested at Tinsley Park on day of strike action.

Socialist Challenge

free run up to the next election

So the NCB wasn't only prepared for industria

action it was ready to pro

Special Delegate Conterence CYCL received a printed letter saying how much the offer WE WORE OWNECI money the men would lose as a result of an overtime ban or strike We have hat much time onslaught from the NCB and the Sun, Star, and

There has only been three weeks from the Special Conference to the won full In that time we've won support for the panel meetings amblea canteen and group our forces for the ballot.

And it's been at pit level that we've needed to convince the men rallies are very good fo

but -to a large degree they are preaching to the converted. The committee men have to go away from them with

posters, stickers and papers

A new thing, which has been very useful, has been that arca and branch officials have been another's areas and branches. This has been good for bolstering weaker areas and pits.

anyone ourselves and to our movement to make sure we are

spirations of the miners: th

DECI the years have bee

COCALIVE determination. There has never been cash on a platter.

you'd think th DELETE ME DIES was imposed b Scargill on h own. But it's not surprising il

because if wo rougnt on une issucs, t we nac cantcen mecting hehen me could win it. We

could walk it.

29 October 1982 page 5

Page 6 scan of this page

On Friday evening before the weekend, 400 people attended a rally in County Hall commemorating the 65th

anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Ernest Mandel on the international

Freedom, the new Labour left, and many other debates.

programme from

Five hundred pounds

International Marxist Group.

therefore vital socialists.

on Workers Plans, an

inland, £6.50 overseas overseas airmail.

All photos Graham Cookson

Socialist Challenge 28 October 1982 page 6

People's Democracy who also addressed the rally. Below, John Ross (speaking) and Duncan Hallas of the SWP who debated the Labour Party and entrism at the Debating Socialism weekend.

Debating Socialism Weekend success

MORE than four hundred people packed into London's Kingsway Princeton College last weekend for the International Debating Socialism Weekend.

From Aberdeen to Exeter they had come to hear

monetary crisis, Bea Campbell and Valerie Coultas on Sweet

Frances Morrell and Alan Freeman on

The whole weekend was a big success with young and older comrades alike discussing the crucial questions of revolutionary strategy and

the Labour Party and the unions, to the Cold War and the economic crisis.

was raised for the theoretical reviow International, and some thirty people attended a meeting for those interested in the politics of the Fourth International and the

As International's editor Davy Jones said at the end of the weekend event: 'These issues of revolutionary stragey will become more not less important as the crisis deepens, and such discussion forums and the journal International itself are

weapons for revolutionary

* The latest issue of International costs just 75p and contains a debate between Alan Freeman and Tony Benn, Ken Livingstone replies to a critique of the lessons of the Labour GLC, Hilary Wainwright

interview with Robyn Archer, and much more! Write to: International, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP. Subscribe for just £5.50

surface mail, and £12

WORKERSHE WORLD

Above Ernest Mandal speaking to the rally; right Ann Speed of

MILLIONS of

second Cuban revolution,

stylised poster portrait.

This Nothing better

cond front against perialism.

to him.

Arbenz had just been elected.

At that time the

dent of the United Fruit Company.

The result

the State

of war'

revolution:

to make a revolution

to establish a guerrilla army.

*Political

economic

the

dominating it.

fairs,

he was the strategist of the battle o Santa Clara the

Batista from Cuba. mander of the guerrilla column, acted as chiel doctor - and dentist!

resort to "psychological anacthesia" which in plain language means in sulting the

TOUCHES complained about the pain. already become a Marxist as well as a revolutionary revolutionary movement as a whole

'The duty of a l

CHE

people have heard of 'Che" Guevara, Fidel's

in command in the and most would recognise his famous

But what did he stand for? What

achievements?

SUITS up Guevara than his death in Oc tober 1967, fighting in Bolivia. He went there at the height of the Vietnam war to open a'se-

US imFifteen years after his death PAUL LAWSON and ALAN FREEMAN pay tribute

Ernesto Che Guevara was born in Argentina. He decided to become a doctor, and to pursue his studies travelled the length and breadth of Latin America. By accident, he arrived in Guatemala in 1954, a very significant year for that country. The mild reformist government of Jacob

country dominated by the US United Fruit Company. John Foster Dulles, the US Secretary was determined that no government hostile to that company could survive. He had good reason His brother Allen Dulles was presi-

was an invasion of counter-revolutionary exiles, organised by the Central Intelligence Agency This completely changed Che's thinking. He said: "The United Fruit Com-

Department and Dulles - they were in fact one and the

and they unleashed the dogs

What Guevara had discovered in Guatemala was in fact imperialism. He decided to devote himself to the

*to become revolutionary physician one first of all has

Two vears later he was one of the group which landed on Cuba with Fidel Castro. rom the boat Granmi

In the tionalist in Sierra Macstra, Guevara and Hidels brother Raul became effectively the

sovereignty and independence suited:

have its own economy, if it is

foreign capital people

it cannot be free from control

by the country it is dependent

on. nor can it exercise its will it

it conflicts with the interests of

economically dependence.

National sovereignty means

first a country's rant not Cuban

have any one interfere in its af "People's

the right of people to March, 1963

Leading his own guerrilla column, tain

fall which precipitated the flight of the dictator

addition to acting as com-

He comments: "my lack of experience The and lack of anesthetic forced me to

they

In the Sierra Maestra Guevara had

action. But the than one house.

was not Marxist: its aims were vague,

democratic and naformulation. When the guerrilla rebels swept into Havana on New Year's Day 1959, the direction of the revolution was by no means cer-

have the kind of government and way of life they find best

this depends on their own choice and it is only these

can decide if a gore am these chance or of

these CONCERTS sovereignty of national sovereignty are fictitious

there Is no economic in-

television program University in

Che argued that the revolution should be based on the poor. To carry through the revolution the July 20 movement should sweep away the old state apparatus and get rid of the rule of the bourgeoisic. It meant a break with imperialism

revolution proved that Guevara was right. In order to carry through the revolutionary aims of improving the lot of the poor, Castro's government broke up the large landholdings and distributed them; closed the casinos and brothels; cut electricity and paone carns in nair, naivee rents and made it illegal to own more

Page 7 scan of this page

volutionary is to make the revolution' GUEVARA

It was convincing proof of what evolution could do. But the guerIllas had installed a cabinet which inluded liberals, including the prime tinister Urrutia.

Fidel resigned, and emonstrations forced his reinstateent and the resignation of the ourgeois prime minister Urrutia.

professionals

The struggle

imperialism to

osciments COlOnia SI

neocolonialism

politically through

struggle, through a

bination both. cannot be

separated from the

backwardness

poverty. Both are phases

same process that leads to the

creation of a new, rich, and just

SOCCE

necessary to first seize political

power and liquidate the

pressor classes; but later

deal with the

stage of the struggle,

even more difficult, if possible

than the first.

Never since monopoly capiral

took over the world,

most of mankind submerged in

poverty, distributing

among the strongest

tries. The living

those are based on

the poverty Of our

thus, to increase the

standards the

small business people fled. The USA embargoed Cuban sugar: Castro nationalised all US assets. Then, on 17 April 1961, two US navy ships sailed into the Bay of Pigs with a mercenary task force of five American ships, two battleships and three freighters loaded with tanks, artillery

But this time capitalist army to welcome them. The guerrillas armed the people CEOVE OU SIE INVALETS. proved right, and Fidel declared tha Cuba republic.

fore. The new republic siege. Blockaded by the USA, it turned to the Soviet Union to sell sugar and buy oil. But this brought another danger: that the political line of the Russian bureaucracy would suffocate and isolate the revolution.

Che fought Tuence. A furious polemie was tomed around the devlopment of the Cuban economy. On one porters of the economic reforms"

Russia, like Foreign Trade Minister Alberto Mora and Rodriguez, nOW They called for "material incentives" to increase production.

Guevara Ernest Mandel, who joined the debate at the Cuban's invitation — said this would create a layer. Che argued for tives pride achievements of the revolution. incentive should be introduced which divided worker from mitted individual enrichment.

made this a 'utopian' countered that the world level of productive forces was lactor. Cuba should end its isolation by extending it revolution. should building a new leadership, formed in guarded

direct contact with the masses in the struggle for production.

for 'One, Two, Many which led Cuba to launch a world wide armed

mass 1966.

of a 'new man' emerging from the struggle against underdevelopment.

and did not live to see the Nicaraguans

against developed countries we must the im- therefore struggle against im-

perialism. And every waged country falls from armed

won partial victory our chief enemy struggle also contributed to weakening

it effectively and to taking one of the

step closer to mar victory We believe that the present road is full of absolutely that not

predicted for the future superior mind we the palpable result second reality around us. The struggle which is against colonialism has reach-

Led its final stages, but in our era

result of imperialist it has kept tion As long as imperialism ex

Lists, it will, by definition, exert profits its domination over other coun

coun- Tes Loge this

called neocolonialism

countries; Second Economic Seminar of

living Afro-Asian Solidarity. under- Fobruary 24, 196/

when the band, death. and 1500

there Was no

who

was now to be a socialist

Che's originality now came to the

was under

the Kremlin's, in-

sue stood ir

Carlos Rafael Deputy President.

and the Trotskyist the

bureaucratic "moral' incen- and in the collective No

Cuba's backwardness, it was said,

project. Che to ink up the most decisive

Its gains home

Revolution.

From this came Che's famous call

Vietnams'

struggle movement in From it, too, grew his concept

Not all Che's ideas bore fruit. He

Time one the im-

against but we have

danger, danger invented by any but danger of the

domina

domination is

Algiers,

transform the Cuban experience into an insurrection model of revolution; his own heroic attempt to repeat the Cuban experience in Bolivia failed

people ignored his smail leading to his capture and

We clearly understand - and

CONDIOLE frankness - that the only correct solution to the problems of mankind at present is the total exploitation the dependent countries by the developed capitalist countries.

with all the consequences im-

plicit in this action. to the rapid growth of the countries of the socialist and development. although at MUCH SOWEr TALE OTTe ma jority of capitalist countries, there is the undeniable thet a large number OTCO called underdeveloped countries are at a complete standand at times even show Tatas of economic growth below those OT. population growth.

These facts are not accidendance with the nature of core They are in strict accordeveloped capitalist system in process of full expansion which subiects the decendent countries to the most abusive least disguised forms exploitation Ever since the end of the

He did not see the twin upsurges

1968 France Czechoslovakia. He concentrated on the third world, and had no strategy

With the working

storldle in the urban centres of the

Nor did he grasp the vital importance of an organised clash of ideas in a transitional society which marked the early years of the Russian

Mandel had pointed out, socialist planning requires that the people confront major political and cconomic decisions in the shape of

alternative options — rather than a government proposal to be accepted

or rejected. Cuban planning remains

plagued by unnecessary

which the leadership acknowledge.

but have so far not overcome.

The departure of Guevara from

last century, this expansionist and aggressive trend nas been

evident in countless ag gressions against countries of backward continents, but day it is most evident in the fact that the developed powers control the production trade of raw materials of the dependent general, this is shown in the the dependence of a given country on one commodity. turn, is sold to a given marker in amounts determined by the fact needs of that market

The World is hungry, but does not have food, and paradoxically. in the underdeveloped world world of hunger, pansion of food production is discouraged to be able to main tain ine price level. be able to eat. relentless law philosophy of plunder.

must end as a standard of rela tions between peopies

of Traited Nations Converse Geneva, March 25, 1964.

Cuba in 1966 to establish a revoluand tionary guerrilla movement in Bolivia

led to many false and stupid rumours

In we world socials

Many people believed that Guevara,

as the most radical leader of the

cuban revolution,

Fidel and that Fidel had had him

murdered

Of course, since his mission was

secret impossible

Cubans to reply and to state just

where he was, except to say that he

another country'. Only when he was

killed was it possible for the Cubans

blockages

Three, argued that

struggles elsewhere

different

most bureaucracy,

was peace in and

which

money to buy

tion. in the creating possible ex-

This is the

of the

project.

Development,

muntar

movement.

had argued with

for the

mISSIOn I 11

to make a full reply.

From his gucrrilla outpost Bolivia Che sent a long message to the Tricontinental solidarity organisation in Havana — entitled Create Two.

Many Vietnams!' -In it ne the way to heip the beleaguered Vietnamese, at the height of their struggle with the United States, was to open up revolutionary

This was anathema to the Soviet

who bitterly opposed the extension of revolution. Their line

Vietnam' promise with the Americans and certainly not more revolutionary wars,

While the Soviet bureaucrats said "make peace', and doled out their aid to Vietnam through an eye-dropper, Che said the duty of every revoluEverywhere Che's message aided the solidarity with the Vietnam revolu-

To carry through the aim of *Two, Three, many Vietnams" the Cubans attempted, in a mechanical and voluntaristic way, to start a revolution in Bolivia. But an isolated group of revolutionaries were incapable of starting a real revolu tion. In particular, the Bolivian Communist Party played a treacherous role, refusing to give any aid to the

On 8 October 1967, Che's guer-

WOLIOCE prisoner. He was taken to the village ol Higueras by the security forces, and on the order of the head of the

warrentas murdered. He died as he lived: in combat for the world revolution.

Che understood that only socialist revolution could start to solve the problems of the oppressed people of the third world: as he put it, the revolution in this epoch will either be a socialist revolution or a caricature of a revolution. And he understood and died fighting for the essence of permanent revolution in our time: only by extending the revolution can its victories be consolidated Socialist Challenge 29 October 1982 page 7

Page 8 scan of this page

By Norman Flynn TWO YEARS after brought to an end the elected government of Hernán Siles Zuazo, a general strike in Bolivia has forced the military regime to resign. On 6 October Zuazo was re-elected president and the Congress of 1980 restored

The crisis which sparked off the was the IMF package of

measures announced in warch. package, which was the MF's universal panacea in search of an economic problem consisted NOTE TIC CACHANTEER freezing wages; and reducing the size of the public sector.

The she rom 2s peste rate quickly to the US dollar to around 260. In a country depenwent on unports or many products, including basics SUCh As POWUCICE milk, this meant dramatic price increases and sharply reduced lving STEELETES Strikes were staged throughout the country.

In April the miners of Huanini ONe man acmes. a general amnesty for people jailed and exiled during TEC following the 1980 coup; a minimum WANG which would be in dex linked; the ending of the permanent martial law WHen was In TorcIne min May political activi ty in the country became more орел and seifdemonstrations were held contident May calling for an end to the floating exchange rate, a

civilian rule and IC SPOUS DEERCOOTE militaries — the squads of armec civilians who brought terror and death

trade unionists and pontical activists.

Amnesty

Later May the miners demand for an amnesty was 'held in Elec-

were LIONS unions, the universitics organised 10 demand autonomy and the political parties gained new life.

The unta. losing the support of the middle classes, particularly in the

unions and the parties to private talks to try to avert the coming confrontation. The Central Obero Boliviano (the COB, the trade union confederation) whose leaders had been executed and whose building the beta during the 1930 had been demolished coup, refused to talk

Having failed to find a BONE COI SO LOR dent Torrelio resigned and was replaced, in musical Cha1g manner, by Vildoso.

pressure for a real chaned

buil: up. or government Employees of the Central Bank went on strike and oCume AC пелвенане of the bank because

Fiad by over nato of

ficials national Socialist Challenge 28 October 1982 page 8

Bolivian workers

take on bosses

a violent military coup

smelting company

Even an attack on the

employees once her

Five truck-loads para-militaries throwing ear gas grenades failed to DECEN SKE.

The Movimento de Is-

ed demonstrations in the cities on 7 September call

rate, a minimum wage and

following Sunday the civic committees for three

general strike demanding

CLOUDHIC development projects for their area and improved WELCE ECLE HE COLLE tion services.

On Wednesday the

called massive demonstrations

CHIL ding an end to the military rule. These were the biggest demonstrations anyone could remember and particularly

LOSESSIVE was the fact that over half the demonstrators were WOTECT

The police and the military kept a relatively low profile and there were few violent incidents. On

stration was called Sucre, capital of one of the southern department. which had called a general

The demonstration was to take the form of a meeting in the central plaza at 3pm. At Ipm the

occupied the plaza and set up a machine gun post. A: 2pm the garrison commander declared martial

the demonstration. During the afternoon four demonstrators were shot dead and fifteen were wounded.

The military junta was disa or the Several HECHHOCTS emerged from a meeting stating that 10 pe handedover torna civilians. The Minister of

television to call for calm and assure country shat the military were still in control.

The day the government resigned and announced that the ConWE WILL WAS COOLE 1980 would be reconvened. The Democratica Popular, coalition of left parties in the Congress. announced that it would accept the responsibility of being the next legitimate

There was some ficulty in reconvening the Congress since the unte had destroyed the records of the clection and many members had gone into exile to avoid the repression following the coup. However the Congress was

convened on 27 September and decided to elect a new president on 6 October.

Superficially it seems Inal une general strike and the mass mobilsations nave removed one or Latin Amies replaced y regimes and replaced

lelt government. There are however grounds for scepticism.

First, there is a financial crisis. The government was unable to meet debt repayments of S50 million due in September and Oc-

Foreign banks are unwilling to reschedule the debt and the military regime was therefore facec WITH SCVETE which it may well have orelerred hand temporarily to a civilian government credit-

tials.

As soon as the government stepped down it was announced that Zuazo, still in exue in Peru. had started to negotiate new credits.

Sccond, although the military formally resigned there has been no removal of garrison commanders, no trials of paraimmide personner and no attempt the interim government to disarm the military forces which took

in the 1980 coup. tar nothing has happened 19 prevent a repeat of the

I coup.

By John Ross WHEN the revolutionary Russia began to seriously develop in the 1890s and 1900s they immediately found themselves confronted with a fundamental strategic and tactical problem. This was what attitude they should take to the reformist working class and capitalist forces which confronted them?

Marxists. Marx and Engels confronted a similar one at the very beginning of their political ac tivity in the 1840s. organisations were only a few hundred people

very large capitalist parties and movements. There were also working class organisations much larger than the revolutionary ones.

Marx outlined clearly in the Communist

Manifesto the answer the question of what attitude to take to these oner oreos. as always Lie answer which Marx gave was a class one. As we can

tion of The working politics working class very simply, 'Communists ...have no in-

from the working class as a

whole as the Communist Manifesto put it.

But Marx pointed out that this defence of the interests of the working class

International

Waving goodbye -president Vildoso making his last public appearance in Santa Cruz 24 September Revolucionar demonstration

The origins of the United Front

organisations in This was however not a new question for

At that time the Marxist

in the whole of Europe. They were faced with

involved two interrelate but different problems

the interests of the working class in the immediate strungles it is pursuing and laced with. These includ example SUCH questions as the struggle to de fend wages, to defend the welfare state, tight nemployment, to comb tions, to gain the right to abortion, and to achieve reforms within the existing system.

Secondly however the revolutionaries have to defend not only these im-

La Paz 7 September Union Democratica/Movimiento de /squierda

What is Trotskyism?

mediate interests of the working class but also it historical class goals as a whole. These include such

its internatonal working class terests and all the issues and struggles leading up to and including the socialist revolution

Marx explained the relation between these immediate and overall historical. needs of working class very simply "The Communists do now set up ans sectarian principles of their own which to shape and mould the proletarian movement.

Communists are

other working class partics by this only:

(1) In the national Serarades of the differen- struggles countries, they point and bring to the front the

interests of the

dependently of all паtionality.

(2) In the various stages of development which the struggle of the working, class against the bourgeoisie has to pass

through, they always and everywhere represent the interests of the movement as a whole.

Therefore. The Communists fight for the attainment of the immediate aims, for the enforcement of the momentary interests of the working class; but in the movement of the present they also represent and take care of the future of that movement.

From this flows a fundamental question of working class politics. On

TCVOILTONETCS would defend the interests of the working class right up to and including socialist revolution. But

cumstances other force might struggle whatever reasons ano matter how hesitantly for similar immediate goals to those the working class was struggling for itself.

In these circumstances revolutionaries had to seek

unite the maximum

forces this

clude, where necessary,

entering into united action with

TOTES: 210 achieve immediate objectives of the working class

Liberals

Thus for example in relation to the German Iiberals who WETC the Nasser's and Khomeini's or his dav Marx wrote that revolutionaries must "never cease. even for a single instant to instill in to the working class the clearest possible recogntion of the hostile antagonism between the bourgeoisie and Ene proletariat.

But nevertheless, 'they fight with the bourgeoisie whenever acts in

the absolute monarchy, the feudal squierarchy: and the petty bourgeoisie.

This necessity of united action, the united front, was lo become a decisive part of Marxist politics.

*All quotations in this week's article a from article from the Com-

Page 9 scan of this page

1983 - Euroshima year?

Spain: Socialists prepare for power

By Brian Heron PRESIDENT REAGAN HAS Rostow to review Cruise missile sites in tain. He has already been to Holland and West Germany. Reagan and Thatcher are in a hurry.

the anti-missiles movement in West Europe regardless of the fact that the damn missiles keep flying into 'friendly' mountains in their Canadian tests. the struggle to get Cruise and Pershing into their esr opo overcome thems bases GOSTaCES. manouvers will be required in the countries concerned.

Proportional represen-

unTATION ERSSHOWAIE doubted benefits for ruling class in West Germany where Kohl's right wing coalition now pushes паск Inc prossurc Cuat was building on the SPD trom spilling over into a govern ment crisis. A big part of that pressure the movement against the Postpone

Elections in Germany have now been postponcd and Britain labour opposi- March In Holland tions are TOW

committed to opposition

to the siting of US missiles

in their territories. If they were to come into govern-

ment they would pose

major crisis for NATO

Britoin is the pivot. Both

Holland and Western Ger

many have previously said

By Frank McBride

sent in

political parties have refused to tackle it.

The military will

however be unable to pre-

vent an almost certain

PSOE (Socialist Party)

victory on 28 October.

Their victory seems

guaranteed

WWITH LITE

government UCD party

hopelessly split. Inflation

is over 15 per cent and cor

ruption and incptitude rife

in the government.

In the uis cartest face his carnest

DOSTCTS.

turned towards the rising

sun, PSOE leader Felipe

wonzaler promises ms par

*Por el Cambio (for

the change)'. But judging

sent Eugene Bri-

Regardless of the spectacular build-up of

1983 remains target year. But

faces formidable big political

they will not take missiles Britain withdraws. Three

Meanwhile huge mass movements have assembled in all three countries (as well as Belgium, Spain and nOW France.) The first stage of the campaign is now over. The growth of a

paralleled since the end of the Sccond World has happened. In Britain ENE1 INOVCMICIL DES WOL the potentially unstoppable powe. of the organised ROOTT TEOVRment. These forces been WOH through the mass actions, leading to a demonstrations WCEN last June which mobilised Ewo million West and a million in BUTONC New York.

THERE IS A CARTOON which shows Spain's political leaders ready on a starting line for the electoral race. But their reflex reaction on the sound of the starting pistol is to put their hands up terrified. The cartoon illustrates clearly how the threat of military intervention is still pre-

Spanish political life and how the

by their record and gramme there will be litle

change. only does the VOL PSOE not •TECC change the cconomic SwAC LCE BU SdIEi dealing with high prices the BETECES OLY SEESEER capitalist CUISI are CN ceedingly weak.

There will be no nationalisations and direct price control. They promise 800,000 new jobs with incentives industry. But given the depth recession and the extent of

March for

The future

CND

1983 will be the second stage of the struggle. Now we must ask how these DOCEUL LOLC LELE stoj Cruise in 1983. In CND two answers have begun to ei The first is given by the people WELD LaYOU HOLLviolent direct action. They urge mass sit downs, Peace

Felipe Gonzales leader of Spain's PSOE

the crisis of Spain's

economy, it is very unlike-

ly that they will persuade

Spanish capitalists IE1-

vest. And as the PSOE will

not force them, prices will

continue to gO -210

unemployment will only

get worse

The PSOE manifesto

still makes no provision

for unemployment

International.

1 Camps and Pickets around bases all of which will bring down the wrath of the authoritic Within the context of big demonstra-

For wave of industrial action, direct action can play an important role. As a strategy it will loseir we look today benefit. In its social programme there is still no Provision for an abortion

They still make no pro

mise purge the administration

forces of reactionaries

KHT AV LODOIS IUH:

crease police resources against "terrorism" in the

What her od ed ke force

Thatcher to make a TECYCTOT Issucs ke wages, we get some idea of the giant tasks involved in pulling the plug on the cenirepiece NATO's Panic

The Economist (9-15 October) commented on Labour's recent ConTerenCe decision unilateralist by saying

Don't yet panic quite Ines WETL-OR SEADOUR cunning constitution allows the shadow cabinet that , to select what items in "programme' to pur TLTG the party s

me Ecoo. That Des iot

Economist does

ir goes on to point out The conferenee also voted by

one not to leave NATO, but that is little comfort. A Britain which turned its back on nuclear weapons would -unlike Denmark or Norway make a horrid hole in NATO's defences.

If these are the stakcs then a few (incvitable) punch-ups wilh me ponc

hardly tickle the margins of the problem. The full strength of the labour movement must be mobilised if the issuc is to be tackled. Unilateralism

pre-eminently a class

Basque region, 120OL

guaranteeing the right to

seit-determination.

is in Euskadi (the

Basque country) that the

election campaign is most

dynamie with

kill-

moad blockent perpe

The Conservative PNV

(Basque Nationalist Party)

will win most votes but the

big question is how Herri

Batasuna — ne TEO•

tionary Basque nationalist

organisation - will fare

• Herri Batasuna is the

party standing for

socialism, independence

and support for the arme

struggle of ETA ('Sover

eignty will not be won by

arguing, but with a gun it

hand')

But a survey has shown

against class issue. But wnat ask many CND activists 'does this mean?

an inkling of an answer to this when we read furthe down the same Economist article. After showing the

WHICICUV Healey Foot could fudge Labour's policy in the awful event they got into

it writes of a second fudge, modelled on its experie 1983 election

the 1983-4 election brought in only a minority Labour Government, the Liberal-Social Democratic alliance would not allow it to go unilateralist .." Heart

At the heart of the ciass atsnsss Dames Lodal is the issue of government On the one side the struggle to get rid of the Tories and remove the threat of the SDP On the other side is the fight to win a Labour Government which can be pressured apply positive aspects of its own official policy.

Mass action and strug gle around any progressive demand, be it in defence of the health service - ог unilateralism rapidly leads to the unavoidable conclusion that a solution can b found only at the level of government.

Tony Ben 6 AlanFree

K-ABDUR?

on workers plans./ an

overseas airmail.

that 40 per cent of the

unemployed in the Basque

country intend to vote for

it, and it is clear that Hetri

Batasuna's support comes

as much from its uncom-

promising B solutions to the TCICOHO!

capitalist

crisis as from its commit

ment sell-

determination.

Despite their dif-

ferences with HB (notabl)

over its strategy of armed

struggle and refusal to sit

in parliamentary institu-

tions) the LKI (Basque

Fourth Internationalists)

have called for a vote for

The a Tories will not make LUTH umateralm A bloc SDP and Liberals would UPCCOCAOSEUD unilateralism. Ever outright Labour victory only set the stage for the bitterest battle to torce inat government to apply what would be its biggest vote winner! The OTESETT icaaersmip or me Labour Party have already made that clear

Biggest

The fight unilateralism to be these facts. We CaSCy need the bigrest possible mobilisation of the labour JOYCICILI WOOCUOD and Britain on Hiroshima Day in line with Labour Party conference decision. Tor this ation pre a pine youth posal for an international Yhish masi indiude tin. include dustrial and political action. Such a movement will be required to force the Labour leaders to stand on their own conference policy.

And through that action, the tight to remove the Thatcherites and to WaLADOU CU CElECRE committed unilateral nuclear disarmament, will TAKE another cnormous

International

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them he vote of resistance

and struggle is a vote fo Herri Batasuna says the LKI. struee vill nendo oe The resistance continued even with PSOE

second party on Friday will probably be Alianza Popular, one of the most right wing of all Europe's

rense o ae perila ted

Able PSOE government collapses amongst popular disillusion.

Socialist Challenge 29 October 1982 page 9

Page 10 scan of this page

UN vote-victory for

Nicaragua: revolution on every front

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Socialist Challenge 29 October 1982

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page 10

ON TUESDAY 19 OCTOBER the United Nations General Assembly elected Nicaragua to the Security Council by 104 votes to 50. This victory for the revolutionary forces in Central America and resounding defeat for the USA, who had been vigorously Dominican Republic will severely inhibit the American attempts to destroy the Nicaraguan revolution.

overthrew the dictator Somoza in 1979 the US has imposed Nicaragua, one which the Tory government in Britain was recently exposed as supporting. In addition, the US has funded and organised counter-revolutionary forces who have harassed and threatened from the Honduran border. Nicaragua declared a earlier this year when it felt outright invasion was on the cards.

difficulty explaining military action, open or secret, against a fellow member of the Security Council.

the election.

This VOTe an

ternational community of

of the Sandinista It's a recognition that its vocation is peace. It's a rejection or inc administration's campaign to succi al the Jevoration and a rejection of the violence of the Reagan ad. ministration Central America. The vote says

they don't believe what the US saying about the Nicaraguan

For the first time the US has been defeated in blocking Third World

By Andy de la Tour ed down.

the country: the victorious

barbaric form of female stitutes there,

by poverty and misery.

The Nicaraguan revolution tells the HOLY the Sandinista victory in Only a month after

July 1979 a law was passed prohibiting and the brothels were closed. The twelve buildings WHIC ACE CECE GOTECHO owned by high-ranking officials ol Somoza s Na. tional Guard in Corinto, Nicaragua's largest Pacific

are now a training and Social Communica-

Nicaragua

campaigning for the

Since the victorious Sandinista revolution

economic blockade on

state of emergency

While this election does not remove this threat entirely the US would have considerable

Many involvement

Toni Gorton spoke to the Nicaraguan Ambassador to Britain, Francisco d'Escoto about

aspirations particularly where they are revolutionary.

If you remember Cuba three years ago went through 150 ballots before it was finally defeated in its attempt to get onto the OCCUILLY Council.

Nicaragua won ENC third ballot.

The attitude of the General Assembly will force the US -10 start dialogue with us as we ve been asking for two years We also hope that Britain will now change its posi tion of blocking assistance to Nicaragua. People REMEMBER The Deerhunter'7 Until the end of the Vietnam war, Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, was probably the largest vice-city' in the world. Teeming with gambling joints and brothels, the city's only function seemed to be to service the needs of Uncle Sam's troops and the corrupt officials of the disintegrating South Vietnamese puppet regime. Within days of the liberation in 1975 the red light district was clos-

To throw off the yoke of imperialism it is not enough to drive an occupying army out of

people have to regain their dignity and their culture, their independence in the widest sense of the word. The closing of the Saigon brothels was not 'puritanism' but a necessary stamping out of a

slavery. The pro most of them teenagers and many of them children, were no more than degraded playthings, driven on to the streets

tions Centre.

It is here that fifty

in the Social Reinstate Programme for Women. Laura Rivera, a night student who plans to SHE WOTKET. IS ONC of the 200 or so who have been helped by the centre. one of the centre's administrative team she says: Wile study a night, I give adult educa tion classes during the day.

Central America.

should now be asking the British government - WI in hell's name do you stand against Nicaragua? Up until now the British government has accepted Washington's charges

our election implies a complete rejection of what the us has beer

It's time the world actually listened to what Nicaragua -Is saying and doing The General Assembly of the United

An example of the nation's people educating cach other. Right?

as terac classes there are workshops in sewing, em-

typine the plan as the

typing. plan at the moment is that the voing women learn a skill so that they may later form an artisans collective sell their products in stores which ther themselves would manage in Corinto and Managua.

Laura adds: *Programme participants nave aiso tomca i we de tivities promoted by the

Some are part of the municipal directorate of AMNLAE

nationa organisation). and others of the CDS (the Sandinista neighbourhood committe The women have also participated in the National Health Days, the militia, night-watch duty, and in the cotton harvest. We feel that since we have been given a chance to better

back something in return.

Women Nicaragua Today" is the title of one of a series meetings abou

Nations has recognised that the Nicaraguan revolution stands against

hunger and 003873099 Lome esses an ool war nor for *exporting revolution - as the US says

We are accused of be ing a military threat to the region. Yet the biggest war weapon that we have dialogue. We want to be gIven the chance to do what is right in our own

Nicaragua and Cuba 1o he

ting on Tuesday 16 November at the Crat House Kens

(pm) there "Nicaragua

dar her topics will mediude

An Introduction

poRticer

Canceron

media, cuirare and sexual

Salvadorean Foreign

Minister picketed

The Salvadorean foreign

Menda visited Britain last Mondav

short notice the El Salvadorean

the Salvadorean Embassy.

At press

answered

ty forces.

country

he defined as

ficulites and

tunities.

formulation

ment to get money out of the EEC

Trade Union conference write to ELSOC.

Park sin London th

country — the right to sel determination, We didn' sufter the oss of 50.00 ai our brothers and sisters to LOSS HUES We think our election will make a definite IT OLIO L Well use our position to de nounce agression, oppres sion, hunger as well as in the Lebano we hope our presence w defuse the situation Central America.

Organised jointly by the Nicaraguan Solidarity CamBritain-Cuba ПЕДС KeSONre Centre STIT Lamau Centre. this MAROOTER background to anyone keen to know more revolutionar processes subor d tier armation Nicaragm Clamaa Centre 14 Brixtor SWI minister Chavez At very Solidarity Campaign organised a picket of his visit to

conference Chavez Menda questions about the widespread murders and torture carried out by the securi-

He said that unfortunately there was a general atmospnere or vioience i tre

due to structural problems, which -ECOnOMIC -and social diflack of political oppor-

of Salvador's problems is course the desire of the Salvadorean govern-

For details of the El Salvador Solidarity Campaign

29 Islinglor

Page 11 scan of this page

WSL changes course

By John Ball, International Marxist Group THE WORKERS' SOCIALIST LEAGUE has formally announced an important change of position on the recent South Atlantic war, in a special supplement to its theoretical journal Workers Socialist Review. prominent in the weekly The WSL's views Labour Party newspaper Socialist Organiser. Dur-

Socialist Organiser FOr self-determination the Malvinas (Falkland) islands and did not supBritain attentih they ain- Argentina against baigned vigorously against British involvement hespecial WL conference This was overturned at

on 5 September, which agreed by a narrow

2 percent majority to 'change our line to Argentine defencism', after

tendency tour-monen struggle. Slogan

The new majority

plains its thus:

self-

The SIUELLE determination is irrelevant and misleading... Were it not for their hostility to the nearby Argentinian

people hostilty stoked

up by 150 years of exclu-

Latin American

3101E

people from

broads ande most

propaganda, MOSE

recently by the Argentine

invasion the most ob-

tion would be for the

islanders develop

strengthened links with the Argentine people and

economy, fighting for full

rights as a self-governing

part of Argentina.

Instead they remain as

an isolated and backward

colonial enclave, cut off

from any serious hope of

social or economic

other than a major im-

perialist military base in

downtrodden appendages

of a country 8,000 miles awali concludes that the

"unwittingly plays into the

By Steve Potter

with its Loyalist majority.

achieved by Provisional Sinn Fein.

Sinn Fein emerged as

the fourth largest party in

the north of Ireland winn-

scats with 10 per-

cent of the vote, shattering

the British government's

lie campaign that the na-

tionalist struggle

result of ISUIRICU

criminal fringe.

On closer examination

the Sinn Fein candidates

VOIC IS even more spec-

West

Gerry Adams finished top of the poll with

9,740 first preference

Owen: Carron in

Fermanagh

hands of the imperialist propaganda machine*.

ported Argentina's claim to the islands, without endorsing Galtieri's government, it says. In its most important the position is that put forward by the International Marxist Group and presented in Socialist Challenge throughout the war. This is a vital and welcome step forward.

Debates among revoltLionary groups often seem obscure and incomprehen sible to the rest of the left. bearing no apparent relation to the real world. But the discussion on the left Malvinas brought everyone in Britain up against the issues involved in this dispute.

The first practical problem facing everyone 300.3 the fleet sailed, was whether to support it or try to stop it. The whole labour HOVELCHI Was divided. Foot delivered his nauseating commitment to Thatcher, and benn witn 32 other "traitors" -as the Sun labelled them - said the fleet should stop.

As far as we and the WSL Foot was the real traitor: a traitor to his class.

Problem We wanted to make the forces who called for fleet withdrawal as bie and cra fective possible along with CND's leader ship. with SOCIET Organiser, the Socialist Workers' Party and much of the Labour left, we built demonstrations and con-

There was a severe problem. The Militant editorial board did agree with the demand to STOP InC War. HES WAS a disaster. and we strongly polemicised with them, re-

The Assembly elections:

Sinn Fein vote tells Britain, go!

THE RESULTS of last week's elections for a Northern Ireland Assembly are a major blow against the Tory government plans and a victory for the oppressed nationalist population.

The original intention of the poll was to attempt to capitalise on the end of the hunger strikers' campaign by paving the way to the reintroduction of the old Stormont parliament

This plan now lies shattered as a result of the spectacular vote

Tyrone also came top of the poll with 14,025 and in Mid Ulster Danny Morrison and Benedict Mellwee 11,690 FUEL Sinn Fein ran on position of boycotting the Assembly and for a British withdrawal. ATICT LETS Sinn said that Ten Canadas they were prepared to meet James Prior, the Northern Ireland Secretary. only il the question of withdrawal or brinsa troops was at tne top of any agenda.

The Social Democratic

questing their supporters

did allis because Mitrant s

refusal to oppose the war held back an important section the

particularly the Young socialists from coming into the antiwar movement.

We joined hands with WSL supporters in strug gling to reverse the YS's orientation against Militant's leadership. But Renue commenda cond problem and this is where the recent debate comes in.

If you want to argue

the South Atlantic, what alternative do you put forward?

The WSL NC majority 'alternative" led directly to the conclusion which SENSELE herself aTCH

Halkandd one fight tor

*Falkland sending the feet tri had determination' wimarawn, no omer prac tical outcome was possible

Argentine recuperation. The left had

this CONTECHE choose, from the two real possible outcomes of the war, waich would advance workers world scale.

We chose the outcome which would weaken

imperialism. The

Labour Party, the main

bourgeois nationalist partv in the norin, were also

forced by nationalist

to boycott the

emergence of Sinn Fein as a revolutionary nationalist alternative on the political

level ends their claims to

DOUBLE

representative of the na-

tionalist population

The only parties unal

will take their scats in the

Assemblv are those of the

middle class Alliance and

Loyalists.

Plan Paisley's

Democratic Unionist Par-

their COnSOOICE

dramatic gauns made

local BUY CLER

ment elections without yet

becoming the largest

Pay a posames held James

Molyneaux's Official

The overall results of

the

deepening polarisation.

News.

fantasy option which wat WSL NC majority chose a

in practice, Thatcher's ideological of

Objectively, this was a scrious adaptation to na

social 1018S. democratic pressure. This is reflected in the way the NC majority relations with the rest of the Labour left. It congratulates itself on

dialogue with the 'pacifist What

The ed nly the wsi conducted was with its revolutionary left critics abroad, nearly all of whom recognised its errors immediately.

We believe that this mistake now that the WSI. has corrected its position, should lead the comrades of the new majority to conduct a serious study of why the WSL made such an error. We ask them to turn the sear

chlight which they often play so gangly on bea

fellow-revolutionaries on themselves

THOr years Cane main leaders of the new majority argued against

oining the Fourth Inter national and its British sec-

the International Marxist Group- claiming that it was a poisoned seen Assembly e

36cl way Tep Hume, leader of the and

John Hume,

SDLP said, is now as dead

as a dodo.

The Sinn Fein ran

political campaign Hun

dreds of workers

the streets with anti-

imperialist propaganda

This was also the ap

well' which mUSI evitably lead revolutionaries into error.

In that case, comrades political rest faced by the most SCTIOIL. British TCVOEUHOHGLY since 1945, why have you had to conduct such a hitorganisation to which you now belong to the IMG positions?

The truth of the matter is unis: une most dangerou pressures operating revolutionaries in Britain come, not from Marxists abroad but from the huge weight chauvinist ideology and insularity which permeates the British labour move. ment as a result of its imperians past and its perialist leaders This

is transmitted particularly acutely by the

Labour Party

This is not something to shrink from, not reason to try and hide oneself in a pure world of one's own.

But it is a reason to understand the importance of a real, living organic contact with work ing people's struggles abroad organised, not vi a federation of tiny sects but via a living,

ternational: the Fourth Internations.

Gerry Adams canvassing during election campaign

proach of Peoples

Democracy, the Irish sec-

tion ol the Fourth Interna

who ran PD can-

didates in West and South

themselves and Sint

ein. Fergus O'Hare wor

298 votes for a revolu-

tionary socialist platform

North Bellast

McAnulty won 144 votes

in South Belfast

CARL conference

calls for mass

march against

racist laws

By Chris Guthrie OVER 300 people from the Labour Party, trade unions and black organisations met on 23 Oc tober and called for a national demonstration on 27 March next year to demand the repeal of the 1971 Immigration Act and the 1981 Nationality Act; the ending of all racist deportations and waiting lists of dependents and UK passport holders; an immediate amnesty for all alleged illegal immigrants and an end to all internal passport checks.

The conference was supported by the Labour Party and the national executive of NUPE and was addressed by ine genera. secretary, of the civil servants union, the CPSA.

AVEr SOON OF BIC AR dianed our Ast racin DOLLO out racist

don't only affect black people but will be us ed to attack the civil rights of the whole working class.

Two big issues were the use of immigration laws to deport black people and

Immigration

therefore:

Immigration legislation of 1962, 1966 and

Led on race nationality

necks and removals

March, 1983

SOT nationality legislation.

For Jurther information con tact Edithna Sr London SW9 9JP.

Birmingham

NALGO shop stewards from Birmingham

Reactions to the elec-

tions in all reactionary

quarters were of universal

dismay.

James Prior, while try

ing play down

significance of the vote

admitted to The Observe

that the people of Wes

Belfast given the

government a kick up the

backside. James

Molyneux of the Official

WHO SA described

Sinn Fein victory as more

horrible an outcome than I

previously imagined.

Ann Speed, a leading People's

Democracy, said in Lon-

don at the weekend:

"The result is a tremen-

dous vindication of the

mass campaign behind the

H-Block prisoners.

shows that far from that

having been

defeated it has paved the

way for the possibility of a

political alternative basco

the mass mobilisation

of the nationalist popula

split their families and the introduction hecks in the NHS and: the Social Security offices Speakers from the London Immigration Campaign and the Brad

Committee pointed out that while a number of anti-deportation cases have been won, far more ELECTIO up They number two or three a day. model resolution was adopted for use in the trade unions

oranen condemns current governmen discriminates agains black people and should be phis Nationality cu and resisted by tne whole trade union movement, Wi

Call for the repeal of the 1981 Nationality Act and th 2 Call for an immediate moratorium on all deportation: and removals and for an end to all checks on identity bas-

We urge trade unionists to refuse to process work connected with such

We pledge our support tor any u dividuals who physically resist their deportation and

4 We urge our union executive/conference to endorse this resolution as the basis of policy for our union, pro

policy to the membership and to call on the TUC to spon

a demonstration against existing immigration and

Socialist Challenge puptic meeting Fight privatisation in

Defend public services Thursday 11 November at 7.30 Dave Benlow from the Wandsworth Dust

dispute with video

Birmingham's Other Bookshop 137 Digbeth, B5

tion. Peoples Democracy is proud to have plaved a part in this victory of the nationalist population.

elections have highlighted the war which Britain continues against the nationalist population of the north and highlight the daily repres NOW TACIES PURES thoman Ban Plastic Bullet tional Plastic Bullets conference to be held Manchester on 26 February next year.

Peopl pealed for donations to help Democracy has

TRave in ine econonsover £100 was collected Socialist Challenge rally London last week senter donations should 03514129 with DELIN.

Belfast BT11

Booksho CO. 6 Avoca Park PD EDITOR Belfast 1 Socialist Challenge 29 October 1582 page 11

Page 12 scan of this page

Sectarian murders

heighten tension

THE ELECTION of five candidates of the Irish Republican movement to James Prior's ill-fated new Stormont assembly is clear indication of the real feeling inside the Nationalist community - a complete rejection of British 'solutions'.

other Republicans, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SLP) was forced to adopt a policy of boycott of the new assembly. Now all the representatives of the Catholic nationalist community will thus be assembly. first meeting.

in any event, Prior's assembly was never going to have even the power of decision-making that Dossessed OV the average

council in Britain.

But his attempt to impose

sharing' system has led to further catastrophe for imperialism in Ireland.

The essence of power sharing' always been the allocation of a few seats or offices to

community - or rather SDIP politi cians in exchange tor TaCI acceptance Loyalist domination of the

The bigotted and blinded Loyalist politicians don't want powersharing because they

sion that some system of guaranteed representation for the nationalist com-

Socialist Challenge

FUND DRIVE '82

Rally raises £500

Socialist Challenge celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Russian Revolution.

Appealing for money Valerie Coultes explained that she had spent the last week rushing from one Pace the another and

the and distributing Socialist Challenge leaflets, boosting the struggles of the health workers, miners

supporters Bingham s

SUPONECES papers last week, such

S-L: the demand read Socialist Challenge.

Meanwhile our regular supporters are being asked to raise their monthly contributions to meet ever-rising costs. And

C00 10-9u: (14280000M90 0 80 00J03S1D9H Published by Cardina. EM:amnson PO Box FI London Ni

Socialist

Challenge

Sinn Fein

poll victory

Because of the campaign of Sinn Fein and

absent from the It is dead as a dodo before it holds its

munity means giving away real power. it doesn't The essence of the six-county maintenance of Loyalist and imperialist domination through scctarianism - the systematic exclusion of the Catholic population *rOm Line centres of economic and political

The election of five supporters of Sinn Fein to te assemory - including leading Irish Republican Gerry Adams brilliant political coup. It means that the Republican movement 15 establishing itself as much more than ine armed delence of the community. but is effectively challengmonopoly

SDLP. Sinn Fein has conOVER five hundred pounds was raised for

at last week's rally

many of the Socialist Challenge supporters'

SU05 are now due for renewal, weil be writing to ask you to renew mediately.

Our thanks to this week's contributors:

HARD €29.55 Rotherhan icwnam 130.43 ЗИниспесь 48.50 Birmingham 8 Hendry 23.LA0

Nottingham 256,00 Total £759.48 Total after A WHENS C3764.57

solidated a base among the masses in the North.

The continuing need of the Catholic community for armed self-defence was

Illustrated week by the savage sectarian murders carried out

thugs. The time member of the state TRA kidnapped partsecurity forces in South Armagh, whom they later CRECUECU

In retaliation, Loyalist ussassins kidnapped Catholic man not involved in politics Joe Donnegan - and so badly beat him to death that he could only be identified by his WHICH followed by the shooting down Fein supporter Peter Cor. or unarmed Sinn

rigan

3 vears 300 British troops were sent to Ireland

*stop bloodshed stead they defended Protestant rule and the bloodsco nas occi unccasing Only if the Irish people an given their national and

rights united Ireland - will the SUMERIC CHU

That requires the withdrawal of British troops and the right of the Irish people to determine then own future More analysis of Irish elec BOB SEC D.

ALAN FREEMAN

HERET

coked

By Bob Pennington

Street investment

things, rather

more fun.

Concannon, ahead.

A wildly enthusiastic Mason described it as *tremendous breakthrough Which COTTEN snag was De Lorean the breaks. After what

"searching investigation" the Labour stumped up the cash. The invest days orked took out that the governmen Pes milion needed to see L up €33 million of th the gull-winged sports car on the road.

Every job created cost £26,000 which is 19,000 a toD more than cre pai out before. With searching investigations like that, shudder think what would happen if Concan non ever carried out a slapdash one.

It was a cosy arrangement. The British governbook normally costs €3.50

TION (Usual price 22.95),

De Lorean: all

THE Economist called it 'daft'. The Eire government rejected it as baing too much of a risk for the taxpayers'. David Healey, a leading Wall

analyst, recommended punters to put their money in booze and other

than De Lorean, saying, return would be the same and they would have

But others knew better. The fact that the few days before he American market was already saturated with caught trying to deal in 24 flashy fast sports cars like Ferrari, Maserati, million dollars worth of

did not deter secretary of state for Northern Ireland, Mason or his perceptive minister of state, Don

from giving De Lorean the

ment put up the cash and SUCCESSIL stood to make the killing. it Cash was poured into the Donomicss pi. Meanwalle the high-flying De Lorean lived it up. Just as the venture was starting he paid • record breaking three and a half million dollars for a 35-bedroom mansion in Bedminster, New Jersey.

His directors and he got fees of one and a half million dollars annually. which the receivers described as being rather extravagant for the directors of a company which couldn't sell cars.

As cash got shorter and shorter, and the creditors moved in, Lorean clung tighter and tighter to his own nersonal fortune which is estimated to be around £15 million, but then good con men never

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Alteratively we are offering Henri Weber's book NICARAGUA - THE SANDINIST REVOLU-

ALAN FREEMA

Let me take you

for a Ride

use their own money when

can spend that supplied by governments, just

acning to make capitansm and free enterprise work. 'the and fall of the De Lorean The ultimate decline empire was obvious from

Labour's cocaine that the British Roy government finalv closed down his Belfast go- tion. The FBI had tipped them off that De Lorean had started dealing in new

TASTITE

Now a trail of debts totalling somewhere in the region £100 million have piled up, and 2,600 Jobs in Belfast have gone to the wall, an area where near 50 per cent of the male working population.

An unrepentant vasor and Concannon, a silent forme minister, Humphrey Atkins, and a Prior, who pulled out the plug just in time, kept this

going until it irrevocably

tell apart. It is easy enough TO NECTARE AC TASE! tion that swashbuckling free enterprise has for the Tory monetarists. And why they hung on to De Lorean 5 coat tails right to the end.

Why is it however that

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cians get entangled with the most sordid of the

capitalist buccaneers?

Before this HEH. wing businessman took Mason

and Concannon for a ride VE DUESDE THE DUTIE had given the treatment to

many other people in Me DOur movement an those two crooks Sir Eric Miller and Kagan had been big buddies of Premier Harold Wilson.

The opportunism and single minded carecrism of

businessmen obappeals to ta type of right wing Labour politician who sees getting on — to help the people of course - as being the key thing these business people succeed is obviously

they have "made it

Perhaps one of the sickening aspects of the De Lorean affair is that the Labour Government was cutting back in the welfare same time it was doling out dollops of money to him.

just never entered Vason's or Concannon heads that money could have been put into socially UscTu projeets nke nean and education, and still created jobs.

But then that's the funny idea which only the odd ball left have unlike our practical men of the right Inland: 12 months E14.00/6 months £7.00

Surface & Europe £17.00/Air mail 824.00

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