Socialist Challenge No. 33, 16 February 1978

Socialist Challenge · 16 February 1978 · 16 pages, 21,560 words read by machine

The scan: sc-n33-feb-16-1978.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)

Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.

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Socialist Challenge TGWU leaders threaten Cowley 11 with expulsion PURGE! GENERAL SECRETARY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY

Dear Comrade McLennan:

what we are witnessing in Oxford is unprecedented witch-hunt not seen in the Transportand General Workers Union for some time. As you are probably aware, the TGWUare

union, facing possible suspension and even expulsion, These include Alan Thornelt and Frank Corti, Chairperson and Secretary, respectively, of the largest TGWU branch in Oxford.

This represents, in our opinion, a blatant and flagrant breach of workers democracy, and worse still, a threat to the unity and strength of the union at Cowley. Despite a vicious campaign orchestrated by the right wing and fanned by the local press, Thornett was elected as Deputy Convenor only last December. Bob Fryer, another of those charged, waselected Convenor. Those who had collaborated with management were defeated.

The management, which still refuses to recognise Thornett as Deputy Convenor. recognised that his election as well as that of other socialists to these positions marked a setback for their plan to inflict redundancies in the name of 'rationalisation.

INSIDE

Ernest Mandel and Jean Elleinstein debate Socialist strategy for

Editorial p. 2 Europe p.13

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE

Already Fleet Street papers like the London Evenin Standard have lauded the T&G for WE ARE writing to you in this fashion because bringing its militants into line'. Leyland

manugement and the capitalist press will be rejoicing at sceing the union do their job for them.

The Oxford District Committee the recommending that 11 members at the British T&GWU has been hostile to Thornert and his Leyland plants in Cowley are disciplined by the supporters for some time. Last October sam

unconstitational moves to discipline him. Now a two-day hearing is scheduled for 27 and 28 February. Even before the hearings start, some inefficient official sent oud letters saying that expulsion of Thornett and suspension of Corti were being recommended. The eat is out of the bag sooner than had been planned. What it reveals is that the decision. has already been taken, The TGWU District and Regional Commitlee are prosecutor, judge and jury.

You are General Secretary of a Party whose militants have, in the Twenties. Thirties, Forties, and Fifties been the victims of numerous witch-hunts. When these took place you were supported by many in the labour movement who were not Communists. They acted on the excellent principle that An Injury against One is an Injury against All", We are well aware that you do not aglee with Thornett's political pusitions. But it Is your duty, despite that. to Fighting Racism p.8&9

The Forgotten War in Oman by Fred Halliday The War in the Horn

Up.11

No. 33 16 FEBRURItY 1478 15P throw your party, its press and its trade union membership into a campaign to defend the Cowley 11, and for the dropping of all charges. The position and strength of the CP In the 16WU is well known. That is why your intervention could be of vital assistance to those under attack.

"If there are any complaints against the 11 by the TGWU, and we do not believe there are, these should not be investigated hehind closed doors. Let us have an investigation before the Cowley workers and let them he the judges.

Weare therefore asking for you to join with us in waging a common and broad campaign in defence of these militants for the immediate dropping of the absurd charges and even more ahsurd sentences. What is, in effect, being challenged is the rieht of militants to defend the living standards of their fellow workers in the most effective fashion. What is at stake is the Independence and unity of the union at Cowley from and against management.

Wearcanxious to hear from you on this matter and will publish any response from you in our neal issue.

Yours fraternally, TARIO ALI EDITOR SOCIALIST CHALLENGE

An Actor's View on

Destiny p. 15

British Communists still in Troublep. 7

Page 2 scan of this page

Waiting for the General

HOME NEWS

Editorial 01-3588180/9. respective supporters.

to the upsurge by (memories of C

did not abate,

answers. Cromwell

war against the Eritrean people.

is the terror of Robespierre.

democracy and ront of national seir determination

The national question

by Italian and British imperialiant.

Somali no question about it

sell determination also seems strong.

But impersalist interests again con

lose of Ethiopia to the Soviet sphere of intiuarice.

Arabia, Egypt Ethiopia from Israel!

The Soviet role hao bean digestrous Afler backing

create spheres of

oppressors?

The Soviet atlilude

these movements.

It is a sad thing, revolutionary socists

and peasants. Nobody else will.

11 pou agree with these pri

saries is my ares.

le cever costs. (Telete If not applicable! ADDRES

London NI.

Editorial

Socialist Challenge. 328/9 Upper Street, London N1.

Distribution and Advertising 01-3598371.

For whom

the horn

blows

THE WAR In the Horn is a tragedy: It is a tale of lost

Imperialist powers and the Soviet Union, as well as their

In Februsry 1974 the Elhiopian beagants and workers arose in a remarkable upsurge which ultimately led to the overthrow of the feuda: despot, Haile Selassie. The final plow was delored dy juniorany omeets, ano tasponoce

first wrangling with the monarch romwell and Charles I) and finally removing COLTON TE UCE Joverned with the support of the pro-Moscow Communis Party, but was opposed by other workers parties and a

but continued to gain strength. The Derg finally instituted major reforms, which question the radical Jacobinism of the Derg provided no

the Irish patriots Robespierre retused to sancton compele independence for Haiti. Mengistu continues to prosecute a murderous

The Derg. deapile Hs Marxist rhetoric, represents the most extreme form of bourgeois radicaliem, Its 'red terror

it is progressive against feudal like Pancho Villa and Zapata in Mexico, 11 cannot go beyond that stage. Certainly the revolutionary process in Ethiopia has not yet exhausted itself. But the existing social relations and an accomplishment of all the

especially

now STOHUSHSWOHE attention on the Horn is a product of imperialism's ruie. Eritrea was arbitrarily dragged into the Ethiopian federation

It has an indisputable case for separation. In the disputed Ogaden desert in the south it is again colonia boundaries that are 8: the root 01 the problem. The nomadio inhabitants of the region are

but incorporated into

One into play as the big powers want to re-establish their hold in the area after the

Somalia — from Britain, France, West Germany and the USA, as well as Iran, Saudi

Hence too. the becking for

years of both the Somalis and the Eritreans it has now tumed its back on them lo support Robesplerre Mangistu, the Ethiopian dictator. This is not Russia's Vietnam as the bourgeois press is saying, echoed by some currents on the left, But if is a case history of the bankruptcy of Soviet foreign policy. If you adhere to the Russian strategy

infiuence without overturning existing why not switch sides from one radical nationalist regime to another? Any why not stop helping a

movement and switch to the side of their

Eritrean revolution. But it is worse than that, for Sowlet attitudes have succeeded in driving the Somalls and even the Eritreans, into the arms of people like the Shah of Iran and Numeiry of Sudan, Imperialism is not known for its concern for the legitimate sapirations and demande of

but It is the responsibility and probably us alone -support the struggles of the Eritrean and Ethiopian workers

WANT TO KNOW MORE? sand want to be Invalved in activities. by Secilst Chalfete sap porten la yourares, fille the form below sad send it

1am Interested in more information ahont seti.

1 would like addirional Berate and cocose 50p Seid to Sociallet Challenge, 328/329 Upper Steel,

The power workers threaten ed action looms horizon, but the only possible strike immediately threatening the Government is that of the tanker drivers. However on this front as well, all the necessary preparations have been made

exclusive scoop week, Worker, tails enormous credit, revealed the "Operation Raglan". What has been planoed requisitioning of the tankers (at the point of guns?) by soldiers in an anemoe to smash strike. The recent

breakers glen

Government

RUTHLESS

The blacklisting of British firms, SHEOLDETACHE. and least significant, acceding to wage demands over the 10 per cent limit is another indication of how Labour takes the task it has ser itself: the efficient managing of the capitalist sustem, to face up to rhe facts of the situation. Callaghan and Foo have, till remarkable series of successes The ruthlessness this Ciovernment has dealt with any sign of mass working class

unstinted admiration of both the City COLORED SAO International Monetary Fund True it has also led to prowing demoralisation traditional base of support the country as a whole. activists, in particular, extremely discontented. this has not yet found a serious reflection mentary Labour Party:

The Houseof Commons. and the entire way LUTELIRIS. cisely to isolare and insulate its

outside. True there are some Labour MPs who, in private, are savage and unsparing in their shacks on Foot and Benn. Some have developed a completely niulietic attitude to politics. At least two are actively considering not returning to Parliament this is, in reality, a reflection of their own crists of perspectives

Election

LAST WEEK saw a virtual collapse on the wages front. Union after union retreated before the Labour Government's onslaught. The miners accepted a deal within the 10 per cent norm and were thanked in the House of Commons on behalf of a grateful "nation" by Callaghan. The steel unions accepted, without any concessions from the British Steel Corporation. the closure of a plant near Cardiff, which will create 3,300 redundancies. It looks as if nationally there will be 30.000 steel workers joining the dole queues in the coming months. The engineers and the workers in the water industry also bowed before the Government.

The only UNCT the political alternative Callaghan/Foot

front-page had set in Socialist On the

details thrown the Tory B a military the racist card. She promised & returi collective bargaining experience of the opposed to the principle BELLI ha the strike new heart to Financial

for

seriously

We have

had with which

amongst its in Parts

But

the Parlia

in which it was designed preworld

Callughan,

But

OUR POLICIES

see raisalon hut the lase on the

bay TARIQ and ALI desperately credible

dilenna is Government.

TEST

way it can be Callaghan's overcome is by mapping out a

axis, This even the most criticical let MP. have been incapable of doing in the present period. It is aliciost as though a political paraiysis

side.

DEGE Callaghan's very successes bave Lime.

Party 2115 disarray. Thatcher has revealed Best.

lie Labour Aires Neave has stated that he is

power sharing in Ireland as it is

Shadow Cabine Election. appears to be totally divided

Times has suggested that if Thatcher reached implemented her immigration policy that involved reneging

GREAT STUFF JOE, PUT THE NATIONAL INTEREST FIRST AND FLOPLE WITH The suggle for socialim weis in

1

Ihe hours with that of other oppr od laveral socich- women, black spir, is struggling far their Sheralion

tew orpin of power and defcaling woks incessar means the pomer of the capitalist Malc

2

Indus, with fall rights for all poitica parties and curteets that do noi takr ip arais ozwinsi the socalis slair. The Stalinis mandek of sociallite in the LSNIand Fasten Fusopr hase discrodited socialisme in the pors of millions of warken throaghoul the woeld, We in opposet to them and will offer full support To nil those fighting tur sacialst domucracy

would lose three senior Tor Teaders: Whitelaw, Carrington

Gilmour The paper sungcated that in party

short of talent, replacements might UTCHOSE THENCES

Standate. The Lahour Cios criment has not just stolen a

with most of the Tories clothes What can she do except try and

arrucks an the

The first test of the impact of

Thatcher's racist nutburst will come with the fard North by-clection carly next in preceding by-clections, it in expected that the fores wil win the seat An Inportan indication will be the size of their majority. At the same

towever. it is worth remembering that it will, ar

be only a partial test. Ilford North Is not a tepical

stronghold. The THE WAS HOL 100. Ir has been a traditional Tory seat for many years. that The real and ultimate test, of course, will be the next Cieneral

That is what will decide the immediate future of British politics, For the impasse

on the wages front political importance, and nor

BLACE FACES SECOND

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1978 page 2 Working che polis co the ruling class also he shaken up

UNITY

Socialists will, as usual, call

of a labour government. This

Labour's policies for managing

Tories, but because the Labour Party remains, unfortscately the only mus working class abernative in national politics At the same time it is certainly not sufficient merely to slate our intentions in this regard We have to mount a politica?

ESTEL demonstrate that there exist a

for dealing with the crisis.

Unity campaign to mount an clectoral challenge to reformism becomes of key impor-

decision by the Socialist Workees Party to develop a common front with Socialist Unity against reloracist and the Torie HONORAL DUE METEC the most powerful policica campaien over mounted by the revolutionary left. The fact tha this common front still seem some way off in an indication

we too have not beer totally imatune to the politica crisis which has afflicted every workine class organisation The sooner we can surmount it

but for all working clas

back now.

Page 3 scan of this page

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Page 4 scan of this page

They only negotiate defeats

AUEW sounds the retreat

HOME NEWS

union and management plan.

Theresolution went on to call fora meeting of all Rover Group shop stewards to consider the

and to draw up a plan to defend

Rover."

Itis nowclearthat 12,500 jobs is an absolute minimum figure. Acoording to Edwardes this figure is based on the most optimistic market forecast" and "present levels of productivity -

But Edwardes' speech makes it clear that present levels of productivity are going change, and that he does not by Pat Hickey [Rover Solihull Shop Steward] LAID-OFF workers in the Rover SE 1 plant in Solihull were informed last week that they were the first to receive the benefits of the

of earnings' "security document drawn up by the Joint Negotiating Committee.

The information came not from the won representative, but from the local press.

security of document was overwhelmingly rejected by the mass meeting of

LETS SODA CLUES ILL

977. The latese document onl included MOT COAMeer despite this Joint Negotiating Committee has accepted it. The decision Meeting of converted i was ratified

Kenilworth immediately after their meeting with Edwardes.

The new document, which has

staff scatus of hourly employees, contains this penfor engineers Confederation

minimum skilled rate of E30.

To the

Federation, the unions

backtracks on the original claim.

The claim was withdrawn before the begotiations got underway. persuaded the ALEW Novem-

ber National Committer

support the 12 month tule

thereby ensuring that

WE DO TO COME DaLL OL

implementation of any agree-

The original claim demanded

a 35 hour woek withmut loss of

200,000 jobs could go

Solihull rejects

Edwardes plan

ROVER SOLIHULL shop stewards have rejected the Edwardes' plan for slashing thousands of jobs in British Leyland. The stewards voted 96 to 67 for a resolution condemning the plan and "the practice of the

management logether voting

believe thal the present market forecast would be realised If productivity is brought to the new levels demanded management, and if the market share of Leyland does not change dramatically, then the real number of jobs last could be anything between 20,000 and 30,000.

It is estimated that for every one job in cars there are five jobs the proposeis for Leyland could 100,000 and 200,000 jobs in the

Joint Negotiating Committee

alty clause: a single dispute lasting more thun four hours can disqunlify workers engaging in industrial wetion from receiving lay-off pay in the whole succeeding quarter.

DISCIPLINE The penalty clause will be used as a disciplinary device by manarement who will be ane to fine workers several weeks Mie wanna recourse to any of normal disciplinary cedures. This will undoubtedly be used to strengthen supervision and the power of the The fact that documents like senior stewards will revive calls CEL SLOT referred back to mass meetings. but Joint Negotiating Committee will follow such a course of action.

It will have to be replaced by a body based on the existing shop stewards and recallable by them.

The JNC is now negotiating paid on the incentive scheme which is designed to create even THE possibility of a fight to win a national pay claim

disappeared last week. of Shipbuilding and Unions climbed down on the original claim for a

delight of the Engineering - led by John Boyd and Hugh Scanion of the AUEW — re-set the target at t60. As JOHN GRAHAM reports, this is the last in a series of

largely pay. The Confed reduced that to a claim to be implemented Scanion only over a 5 year period. then John Bosd has written in ta the ALEW Journal abour the PARCHIME EDUCED there mentioning the 35 hour week.

LIOVEMEI Comminee of the unanimously called for a recall National Committee special chop stewards quarter.

In his speech Edwardes went into some derail on model development in the two new companies Austin Morris and Rover/Jagunt/ Triumph. Signionl 2 ficantly no details were given on

Triumph is considered by many as the most likely arca in the specialist cars section for cutbacks with only the name

by being retained

drastically redoced production being switched toexisting Rover and Jaguar plants.

CLOSURE

The Speke plant in Liverpool andthe Carley plant in Coventy would face the possibility of closure. Already some compowent firms in the Midlands have started rodundancy

pro-

further job loss.

In the context organisations Edwardes plan these negotia-

tions are a serious attack on Leyland warkers Leyland stewards resolutions of no confidence in lies in all districts inmediately

The after the Engineering consider industrial

Despite several meetings with the Enginecring

Employers produce

district shop stewards meetings were held.

Confed comployers, reduced the from E70 to a E6D minusom time rate. In returo for this abject capitulation,

Since agined ics original offer of 2.5 EST for silled workers. This for skilled workers. ditching of the claim was later endorsed by botb the EngineerNational ing Union's ALEW mittee and the Confed.

The most daneerous aspeci

and of the emplovers' offer is that it

SOLIDARITY

trade union

and the

against: with fighting the plans.

CANTEEN

"ALWAYS HONDERED WHAT 'SLUSH MONEY' WAS

the JNC the

We uge pass pay deal start. теріу action

Employers

which failed to any agreement,

officials mel the and without con-

claim

the EEF JOHN BOYD

further This time rate increases ment's 10 Com

grammes and the number will Increase in the coming months.

This is the proposal which

leaders have sanctioned, the Labour Government has backed and which the Morning Star considered

been appeared irresponsible to have voted

Throughout Leyland cars, militants should follow tbe example of the Rover stewards and prepare to fight these plans

towards a national response. In particular this means preparing the ground for solidarity action

plant leatlership largel.

officially

LIFE BAN

Lary of

Elite.

and reject discussion be the unpiceen

cation of this scheme on a plant

level. The fight against the JNC

must be got under way before the begotiations on the 190

land axe-man each negotiate locally negotiated

Increases above the minimum

mUst no! push above the Govern- lot of talk

Whether or not lie Englueering Per linsit.

in the AUEW Union leaders openly endorse this, the fact thar they are prepared to accept such small

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1978 page 4

Defend

Alan Thornett

THISmilitant has fought tooth and nail for the interests of car workers. He has been elected into the leadership of his factory on that basis. Now he faces... EXPULSION FROM THE UNION: In a docision taken at the wardes highest levels of the Transport and General Workers Union an all-out assault is being aimed at revolutionary militants in the

Leyland Cowley Assembly plane Ar least eleven trade unionist: will appear before the weion': disciplinary bodies on the 27-8 February charged with bringing the union into disrepute.

Althouglt too right wingers have been included, the real target is the revoltionary icht,

Alan Thornet is the main

Thornet was recently elected deputy senior steward al the plant. Managercor refused to recognise the result

Now Brian Mathers, Recion al Secretary of the TGWU, ha

informed Thornere that the court will have before them a recommendation tor hus expulsion from the union,

Others, including the secre

the Cowley 5/293 branch, Frank Corti, Tace belts banned from union office Toi

The mores started last ycar, but were brought to a hal around the time of Thorpett's drive election. The new arrack added another militant to the lis, Tony Homer, and fits in neatly with tbe rapturous recepticn given byzanion lenders to Ley

Michael increases in the minimum rate will set a norm of similarly low sellements in local negolinwich forces workersh 12-month

company and plant wage increases at different times. any chailenge to the 10 per cent limit will be 10050 and Ta more Case defeated by the employers and the Government.

Unfortunacely the Broad Left, tie traditional opposition in the AUEW to John Boyd and the right wing clique, has done nothing to oppose this backtracking operation. Despite a

in Broudsheet - th Broad Left's hi monthly pape

and at the

about fighting for this claim.

State.

That response meant the green light for Leyland man agement in cheir campaign to chop 13,500 jobs. But il also meant dealing with a revolutionary alternative lo the collaboration of the Communis Party and the Labour lest sen ior stewards.

DEMOCRACY

So the fight against the vic

ley is not only a fight for deniacy in the linian. bil against the Edwardes plan as a

However time is very short.

recall con ference of the Campaign for

the Labour Movement has been called to plan the inuediate action necessary to defend workers democracy

Given the way in which won Jeaders and management are Perking nanu in hand in LesJand mass action will decide the outcome of this victimisation. Suppor must be sought in

Leyland plants This means immediarely starting to counter the enthusiastic cam-

paign which the press wil make

behind the mmon's disciplnary

Ir is the union leaders working hand in glove with management that Scines the union into disrepute, not those who tight to defend the interests of their members mobilise the rank and file asembership behind this claim.

The Broad Left has carefully confined its opposition to the rishi wine in the exitors ol the ALEW offices and bot-air

National Commicree. With Bob Wright's presidential clection coming up in March, they have been making site that they do not rock the apple-

HOPELESS TACTICS

Such tactics are hopciess.

They make it casy for the right

wing to patch up shoddy pay

deals with the which

makes no advances towards the 35 hour week, and sil leaves the low gaid unprotected by a

decent carbonal minimum time

Page 5 scan of this page

Miners, power workers, tanker drivers expose The real face of Tony Benn

The Swan Hunter fiasco

Tenants clash with Labour Council

HOME NEWS

REPORTS abound that Tony Benn is preparing a real fight over the forthcoming Budget. He is calling for a $4,000 million boost to the economy, twice the figure being considered by the Treasury.

policy committee which Bean chairs, calls for tax cuts and increased public spending, reports JONATHAN SILBERMAN. This, it is argued, will help to provide the necessary economic stimulus to create 1.5m johs. Benn's paper describes the extent of unemployment as "appalling'. It calls for the Government to expand the National Enterprise Board and impose import controls as added attacks on unemployment.

This, it is argued, will help to providethe necessary economic stimulus to create 1,5m jobs.

Benn's paper describes the extent of unemployment as "appalling. it calls forthe Government to expand the National TELLONS OUR ESTHES import controls as added at-

tacks on unemployment.

But the picture of Tony Henn ployment is rapidly fading. Hu was shown by the backing he gave to the miners" incentive. scheme. The deal is certain to result in pit closures and redundancies, let alone its impact on safety standards and the fighting unity of the NUM.

Eneray Minister Benin is also ultimately responsible for le tinker drivers and power workers" claims. The power workers" union, the EEPTU, mat the cimployers on 15 February. The background to their clait is not only the decline real wage. brought about by 211 years of wage restraints, 20.000 1000 the already of some from the industry. Benn's poss tian on increased productivity can only increase thar toral.

A paper, drawn up by the Labour Party's home

The very idea in Bean's document thal pumping money inte the economy will lead autoployment is fallacious, when te строуста are ciany тети ing to invest. Moreover, those

who do invest do so in order to increase the productheir profitahility, not employ BUS POPELES

HYPOCRITICAL

But assuming that Benn actSLIDE ILIES WERENES saying, heshould know that the biziest Bossible boost to the spending power of workers has nothing so do with Dality 19x cut which increase wages by 11.50 per week.

Even by his own standards.

Been is hypocritical. Not only does he tail to back workers struggling to defend their living МЕДДЕ ВОГ ПО AC Cal nives with the most right-wing achieving this. The Government has plans — jointly with the oil companics - 10 break any future tanker drivers' strike through the army requisition-

1,152 workers face the dole

Swan Hunter shipbuilders announced last week its intention to make 1,152 workers redundant at its Tyneside yard. In an area where unemployment is already hovering around 10 per cent, threaten to have severe repercussions for the whole population of Tyneside.

usual the national press have been only to eager to blame the workers.

ing the tankers and taking the place of the drivers.

The plan, Operation Raglan, TWICE CHOSE EASE POLES Socialist Worker. It provides into emergency divisions, with contral nlaced in the hands a! the oil companies themsches! Again, the Minister in charge is Толу Непл.

Beno and the rest of the Labour leaders see salvation in co-operation with the oil com abore up the flagging balance of

mission in The Sun on 4 Jan-

from North Sea oil will not rise to £3,500m until the mid 1980s

- and that's only a mere five per cent of the gross national product,

Finally, the import controls which Ben calls for suggeSt that the solution to the prob IMS OF GENT WOrking class are to be Tound in

This is not only reactionary controls save the jobs of miners thrown out of work by the Benn-backed incentive scheme?

Jobs could be crealed by an emergency programme or use ful public works. Redundancies could be prevented by nationa.ising firms chreatening to put workers on the dole queues and

control. Jobs could be saved by cutting hours in order to share work with so loss in pay. Benn calls for none of this. pace deer hite more native badger little more than a puhat relations exercise designed to boost his own flagging image.

the sackings

GEOFF BELL reports on a job crisis for which as

The current attacks on the workers at Swan Hurtler boldA in December when outfitters ar the yards reluse To cho an overtime ban. The owners of Swan Hunter, the nationalised British Shupbuilding, then

that would transter from the yard seven

North Shields

THE Meadow Well information shop in North Shields has been occupied day and night by tenants and shop workers since 13 January, The Labour-controlled council has refused to extend the contracts of the workers employed there much to the anger of the local tenants who have given the occupation their full support.

Many are actively sitting in while others have been deliver ing Icallets, petitioning. and taking partin street meetings to build further suppor for the

arders for ships destined for Poland.

A ferocious witch-hent was launched against the outfitters. who were claiming parity with boilermakers. SCENSIC foliowing month the reasonableness of the outfitters' claim was recognised when they won = 15.40 a woek fair wages award.

the boilermakers then felt they had to maintain their differential, aud it was because their overtime ban allegedly led 10 confirmation of the loss of the Polish orders that Swan Hunter ocupation. Over 1.600 signatures on the perition bave expressed abragonism that exists between the right-wing Labour Council and the needs of the people in the area

DEWS BICOLEO DE

Tenants. Association,

*These workers have built up confidence in their relutionship with the tenants over the past wear. The decision tsuck them in a political more because they were thoras in the Lesh of the Cowicil.*

Terants have had to fight repeated attempts by the coun CIAO MUSCLES SHOT Their Success mean that tenanti and trade unions sit the are could continue to use its valuable

has insisted on redundancies.

In many shipyards the craft mentality of boilermakers is often deeply resented by other

podasion their insistence oll

has undoubtedly given Swan Hurler management tbe excuse to treaten redundancies. But HUNDREI outfitters and boilermakers are

way of increasing their wages is that both seclions of warkers have suflered more than average losses of carnings in the period of the Social Contracr

SOLUTION

The comparison can be made with the nearby ship repair yard

boilermakers and the outfitters have parity, but they also enjoy considerably bigher wages than resources in the shop and seek advise on issues such housing, unemployment, pen sions. industrial injuries and social scut emilement O tliose involved in industrial dis-

Now the tenant: feel that they have been betrayed by the Labour Party by not being allowed to keep an informatioo shop under independent contrel. They feel that an information shop stafled by the coun eil will be run by mere poppets

This had led to real disillusionment with Labour Party in the arca

Ai Betty Kenny, another tesant says:

The people want the work. ers in, and the council want

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1978 page 5

Clearly this is the solution

outfitters and boilermakers at Swans should be lighting for, but they face in their 'nationalised' couployers a management which is proving every bir as ruthless as the private employers were

Not only 1 management CINE CERE SCC MEISTER

of in Newcastle meht over the len crumbs British shiphuilding is making available, it is also exploiting the willingness of the Communis: Party-dominated trade union leadership Govan Yard, Glasgow, to scab

the Newcastle shipyard workers

SEE LASTWUS SAUD SUWATE accepted the Polish order taken Sway ELod WOWERKLE

was one more indication of the preency for B naticcal trade union response to the many problems facia shipyard workers ep and down LIC SAULE. thent out. I have soted Labour

all my life but never again

The immediate problem fac ine the accupiers is threat of eriction. The council has al ready applied for an eviction order and this is likely to be carried out in the next week. This has especially angered the tenants is they see the Labour Party using the couras to evict

that they believe in theirs as ot right.

While the wilion involved (NUPE) has made the dispute official this has not gone beyond sympathetie support

Money and all messages of support should be sent to: 'The Cocupation Conunittee". Meadowell Intermation Shop, 75 Ripley Are, Nortli Shields.

Page 6 scan of this page

care services stepped up

Revolutionary unity conference

abortion bill to Parliament.

As SARAH ROELOFS explains the

abortionists.

National Abortion Campaign groups throughout the country are stepping up their activity in the fight for women to have control over their own fertility.

• Cleveland NAC has joined

WIth Newcastle for regional day care campaign. They are producing leaflets to win support; addressing the

community bealth councils and a ca their demands. •Oxford campaigners have won support hospital branch of ASTMS, the white collar union, and from other union branches for their long standing day campaign. A recent area health ONE HUNDRED and seventy militants gathered last Saturday at Conference on Revolutionary Unity organised by former members of the Socialist Workers Party. Its decisions registered an important advance for all those fighting for creation of a unified and democratic revolutionary organisation. BRIAN GROGAN reports.

remarkable event. This is a time when syndicalist and economist notions of developing the clas

roosived severe setbacks, What is needed, more than ever before, are militants with political and trade-usion

Squatters -

Upping the ante FOLLOWING THE first use of the new Criminal Trespais

Beddoe in Battersea — he was Chat 00d with *resisting eviction" - a campaign is

way to get the charge dropped

In. Wandswarth London, the Lahour Parly anu Trades Councu bave gone on record against the which is seen as the thin end of a

will be all occupations.

WHELICI by SLUCILIN workers tighring redundancies. But the council in Wandswonh started the evictions in the first place.

Apari from motions to Battersea police to drop Die charges, support

organised for a demonstration

Court on February 22nd.

HOME NEWS

Anti abortion bill appears as

Campaigning for day

The anti-abortionists are alive and well. And Sir Bernard Braine, Tory MP for South East Essex, aims to prove it on 21 February when he will bring an anti-

Sir Bernard Braine's bill will be introduced under the *10 minute rule". A vote will be taken to decide whether it should be allowed a place in the queue for a second reading. If successful, it's unlikely to get any further

Abortion Campaign is not yielding to the persistent efforts of the anti-abortionists. The campaign sees that even if this bill does not succeed, any vote by MPs to back its proposals will strengthen the hand of the anti-

authority report to local papers announced that a newly built hospital will not be opening. and that existing services are to

• Carditf is a different story, Campaigners CHAVE WOR victory health authorites decided lo provide limited day abortion facilities. The group is now fighting for extra staff and increased facilities they are open for a mere one day a week. local • Leeds activist Walton reports: In April last year, Leeds Western connunity health council expressed its care concern over the lack of NHS abortions. They did experience capable of educating those who lack this experience.

And here was present a large bulk of the former cadre of the largest organisation British Tar-lefi TREATS AT BOTE WILLE!

The decisions these militants

break with all sectarianism. They decided to the work towards the creation of an

Alliancent a recall conference in Jume. The conference were 1o be: *a) to maintain and develop the positive aspects of the IS polities as part of the wider development ol socialist politics at this time. bito work for the creation of revolutionary organisation with the IMG, Big Flame and other Socialists. cita test all possible fortis of

Nancen JEFENCE CONFETTE South

-USCU

by from non gay

refusal ot Smiths to distribute Gay News.

Satumday: being

thanks to the pressure from area healtl authority to set up a day care unit.

CAMPAIGN

"Our abortion group realised National we couldn't community health council, and Tely

town-wide day care campaign. Those active Th NAC. We were pleased with the artendance and from from the British Pregnancy and council, the Communist Party the Socialist Workers Party and the International recently Groun, when local trade resolutions to send to the health care authority.

In the May council elections the Socialist Unity candidate today has agreed to pur day care into the manifesto, and in one word the Labour Party has also given Geordie NIC SEACY. • Hackney NAC Loodon has called a public mecting jointly with the City and Hackney this, bealth council on 2 March. The wuted actionincluding working wbererelevantto build Socialist Unity nationally by intervening not 00 the just in clections but on biller Fortunately issues in the class struggle, and by generating discussion within it of the tasksof socialists today: forms of ways to the attempt to develop Socialist Challenge as a popular agitational paper of a unified Socialists revolutionary left.

bE this HESITATIONS

The conference inevitably reflected the hesitations of a humber of bruised by their experience in the SWP,

socialist creation of a new organisation.

Plated by Richard Kirkwood and Stephen Marks of the Workers I STOP STOP ENC 2 BACK-

LASH BACK

OVER5.000 peoplemarched in London on Saturday to demand thal the conviction of Gay Hews and its editor be quashed. The appeal againet the conviction starlad on Monday in London. As well as gay groups from all overthe country, the demonstration received unprecedented support

organisations, including anti-fascist committees and lell groups.

At the and of the rally which foliowed the demonstration, thousands of marchere occupied the nearby Charing Cross station and closed down the W HOmiths bookstall there in protest at fast week s The national Gay News defenon com nittee has called for country-wide pickets of Smiths for this

*A meeting to discuss future organisation against attacks on gay people has been called by the National Gay Newe Defence Committee, It is at the Birmingham Gay Centre, 9 Broadley Street Digbeth on 25 February Irom 11am-6pm. All groups concerned with the gay issue are urged to send

have access to it.

the Labour Community Health

local trade when representatives scheduled for discussion.

Service, the health DAY-CARE

Marxist We're now out to get unionists to pass the HERE LO

facilities:

women: • reduce the load on

in East

community WATHS STIL

down per

down amendments.

JOINT WORK

attending

too, was,

anything els

militants who. The

were reluctant to many

Dark u

THE LASHE

meeting will urge the authority to extend the day care abortion clinic which exists, so that ni women in the East London aren

Hackney NAC is petitioning

and seeking support from trade

has been contacted. The nexr action called by local campaigners is a picket of the aren health authority meeting on 9

16175

he Nias in every area ar are abortion facilities o essential if women are to have

control their fertility in practice. Day care

needed * reduce delays in obtaining an abortion, making the whole procedure safer and casier tor

cological departments increas ing the efficiency and quabty of ECLOTE the community's benlth cure; • reduce distress to some shall and patients in gynaecological Students

breadth League and they won the day.

Martin Shaw's more ambi tious proposals to coitmit the conterence to creating a new revolutionary organisation and making Socialist Chullenge its

Were watered of alongside

Paul Thompson of Big Flame

an observer, explained that his organisation,

as this time. only NOISS prepared for joint work. He did not think the time was right for

Socialist Unit election campaign will offer

possibilities for joint work in the coming period.

There is no reason why this, together with other joint work,

cannot form the basis for a decision at the June conference.

OCHERI

person wages DAVE responded to NALOO'S

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1978 page 8

Students:

united

campaign

threatened

In recent months the Tories have stepped up efforts to overrule student union decisions by using the power of the Courts. And now the Government has moved in with a public accounts committee Investigation into the funding of student unions.

A major attack on student union autonomy is underway, and a united response to the Government's attacks is vital. However the campaign is already seriously divided, as REDMOND O'NEILL, IMG student organiser, explains.

come from many corners. The courts can use the charity status of most unions to rule virtuali ANY BON-S MOCESELES legal. And local education and college aurborities refuse even the absolute minimum of funds

for aD independent union, Hundreds of small colleges all over Britain are afauthorities. The Government is

control over their funds, but

Many definite moves it would like the support

the National Union of

The bloc between the Federation of Conservative Students and the Broad Lef - which dominates the NUS national

cecurive, has accepted the

leasures, A: December's NE

Tbe Socialist Students" AlLance didn't let this go unnoticed. They called for a cam-

For mass action OIL student autonomy. Over 200 students endorsed this call and they will ne gathering in Manchester on 18 February from 30 students unions, the further education sector conference of NUS, and the pols-

Unfortunately, another conference centring on union autonomy has already taken place It was scheduled, despise the anouncement of the Man chester conference. Amended by delegates from 60 colleges this confereoce was held ar North London Polstechnic on 5 February, It was strongly supported by NOISS, the stu-

of the Socialist Workers Party.

This confereoce electell a four

SECCOIng committee. with only two additional places for students elected by che Manchester conference, no NALGO militants plan fightback ONE HUNDRED and eighty delegates from branches of the local government union met in London on Sulunday to map out

lighthack, reports They call from a cumberof NALGO branches in Scotland, which submitted a

trols, cash limits, und the sequiescence of the TUC in the Government's policies

The motion, overwhiclouingly endersed by the delepates. called for a special conference

union to overturn support Tor-The Government's pay policy.

It is certaio that a confernice PT Dow De Cance branches indicated that they sould allempt to spotsorit and only 50 are required under

marrer bow many individual

• unions sented there

The eight SSA members who were present argued that cach conference should be proportionarely represented on the committee Thew were detenred by the surprisingly close margin of 32 voresto4LCDSU AGAIN

Al tbe Manchester Con ference, IMG students will be arguing for the establishment of a Liasion Commitlee for the based on delegates from affiliated unions. that any initiatives taken by the campaien should be jointly planned with militants from the Landin conterence

At the same tube. however we will make it clear to NOISS members chat we do not reject i broader unity on che lefi. On the contrary, the IMG is 100 per cent in favour of a united lef

tendency 1

Todes the IMG, independent members of the Natiocal Org anisation of Labour Students. dency cannot be cobbled Let around two or lote issues. It requires a programme answerine all of the major questions facing students, from grants to women's oppression in education.

After all who could honestly say that these questions are any Toss neated to sulenomy cast that of "fascists in the colleges". Furtbermore such a tendenci should be based on individua membership hike the NOISS and the SSA.

To attempt to affiliate unions as a whole to such B seadency would only split the union. So NOISS should make up their minds; either democrane moses caunpaigns around each question, from autonomy to rucism, or a socialist lell dency in NUS on a lull prog Tanute lor students.

On the part of the IMO, se would Like to see both!

NALGO's rules. This repre -challenging the grip of th THAT-WON-CHE union's national esecutive.

But the conference will be weakened by tbe form of the resolution adopied. Delegates rejected the proposa. that the wube should campaign Tor E15 across-the-board, which could have acted as a clear basis lor mobülising rank and filesupport in the build up for conference

Instead delegates called on than the level of increase in earning CULTEDLE being achieved both in the private по дни в нос ассии

the public sector where honus and productivicy deals bave been negatiated.

Page 7 scan of this page

British Communists still in trouble

OPEN FORUM

TEm CONGRESS

Communist Party of Great Britain, held last November, accepted a new draft of the Socialism. In this Fashion, the CPOB donned the

incorporating many of the lormulatios recentiy develoded by Ine French. Spanishand Italian CPs. The question arises: to what extent has this helped to resolve the crisis facing the CP in all arcas of its work?

A recent mectiag of the Party Executive GORDON MoLENNAN Committee, the first since the Congress, gives an indication of just how little progress been made (see "Comment', 21 January 1978).

A call went out to the CP membership 10 prepare for a General Election over the coming months. However it is likely that the Party will only be able to field around 30 candidates This will probably be less than half the number thar Socialist Unity and the Socialist Warkers Party will stand, The votes for the candidates of SU and the SWP in last year's local and byactage were chide than the avcrage candidates. champions socialism thus face her men raped

gloomy prospect being overshadowed by the ultra-left' on bourgeois electoral terrain. The real ARiCa controms many Cr mutant i ether to continue tailending left social-democracy, or

The rensions and divisions in the CP's work On WETTeR oppression are such that the Executive Committee searching unilvie campaignine issue to overcome the "sectional attitudes and differences of view' which have held back the full support that should have been given to some of the women's

The Executive Commitree assessment of the 35th Congress was one of a great advance for ou party! , which probod and deepened our understanding of many of the most important questions of the revolutionary Britain'. Even to CP members, this is clearly MEHTSPUSE Since the Congress a debate central to the

process dominated the letters colmtin of the Morning Siar. Under the head re al arnomit Pach members have been discussing the relationship on issues such as wages, and tbe fight for socialiin. This is a question which should bat been at the centre of the 'British Road" debate and resolved at the Congress In a major article. Jack Woddis, head of the international department, writes: "The problem we face is not that of having too many industrial actions for higher wages; it in the fnilute, so far. of the left, including Communist Party, to find the most effective political understunding in the midst of its

After the 35th Congress

→V*

the struggle For

Lylorming emphasis in original). That the CP faces a crisis Togramcand undeniable.

Up to the fall of the Heath Government in 1934, the CP was in the forefront of every major opposition to "In Place of Strife" through the fight against the Industrial Relations Act, and Heath's incomes policy, the CP put their Broad

the EEC referendum, where the CP was part of an and-monopoly alance aeainst entre to the Common Market. But throughout this period the Party failed to grow.

During the first major upsurge of working ciass struggles since the Second World War, the CP in fact continued an almost uninterrupted decline. The situation which confronts Party members today 1s militants they want to bring into their ranks prefer to remain outside.

A series of important CP leaders in the trade

Tocher, Dave Bowman, Bernard Panter, Farreily, Cyril Morton, and now David Bolton. The split which produced the New Communist Party has further weakened the CP in the white collar sector unions such as UCATT and the AUEW. Broad Left formations dramatically.

ANDREW WIARD The root of the CP's failure? lies in its tell.

reformist progrartime,

working class, within the framework of the capitalist trategy" advanced by Bert Ramelson, in a recent special series of Morning Star articles starts: "Expand the economy and modernise it. Increase wilees social services spending. no link which connects demands such as these with exponés of capitalion and the propogenda for socialism. The working class has fought i has throughout its existence for hetter terms for the

sale of its labour power, for better working and living conditions. The task or socialists is to find ways for the trade union struggle to be transcended into an anti-capitalist struggle. For us the trade union struggle, on wages, conditions or jobs is linked to the struggle for working claws power

the

for process in

has

responsins for the cupatussi coss wan the capitalist class. We thus reject ail talk of the working class accepting any responsibility for that crisis. Such a method

working class, placing no reliance on the trade

The carry through the struggle.

method was not invented by Trosky with the "Transitional Programme' of 1958; it was first developed at the Fourth Congress of

economic sims: Communist 1977

the distant future.

struggle: From SERIE

monitoring inflation.

where many of the

Par

NALGO and the CPSA. In

the have declined

which centres on

BETSUS. STEERSI

and so on. There is

collaborate austerity policy

plan, Derck

through system

1,000,000 cars

SHUU subsidises the price:

the working class as a demands such as Executive Contritte "Import controls

crats and "marker forces"?

the Betish rubog ciass. based

Incidentally this ration control

Purdy

1 / 35 International the programmes of Social Democracy, which had a list of minimum demands "for today" and maximum demands (Le. socialist) relegated to

In the fish: for hieher wases we advance the the demand for increnses to be protected through being linked to rises in the cost of living. Inflation is a product of the capitalist system, which is not the responsibility of the workins class. Therefore working people should not pay for the problems of the hourgeoisie by having 'extensions their wages cut. The question is then posed ol who determines and controls the price indes

We fight for the trade process Leyland.

BERNARD PANTER, ex-CP member anions to do this, on an index of items of proposals of the Andretti Government in Italy to exchide certimo items from the waer indes that the Italian CP was recently prepared to

when promoting

A graphic example of the limitations of the CP's refotatist programme 6 tbe present British Leyland crisis, In response to Edwardes

Robinson, CP sation to he turned convenor, calls for any reorganisation to based on selling 1,000,000 cars, which is the capacity of the existing workforce and plant This is completely copian. In the short term

could only be sold on the reduced. This would require a slasbing of wages

The alternative to the capitalist rationalisation of Edwardes cannot start from criteria of market share of profitability; it has to start from the needs of the Leyland workforce, and

whole, who bear respossibility for the failure of this capitalist enterprise. Instead of participating with the employers in discussing how many redun dancies, or how great a speed-up. Leyland shop stewards should be taking a leaf from the book of Lucas Acrospace Combine, which produced a workers plan of alternative production, for which their workforce and plant could be used. The Communist Party's programme suffers not just from the merbod of the reformists, it

import controls. AL the thar are an assertion of the democratic righr to exercise some mensure of social control over matters hitherto left entirely in the hands of multi-nationals, EEC hureau: The CP thus proposes that workers ally Group. themselves with their capitalist exploiters in demanding that these problems are exported anto the backs of workers in otber countries The fight for import controls hides the role of Party'

and instead feeds national chauvinism which is already enough of a probien in the British working class, ted for Naim's decades on Empire, King and Country. The hinks herween 'amport controls and innig

are too abvious to need The From within the CP. critics such as David London N1.

that: -Simply to JouL

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 18 February 1978 page 7 groundswell ol popular discontent over pa and denounce incooks boldies as uncondi tionally anti-working class does not help to win understanding that volunary pay planning matched by extensions of social control ove

всопоту company, industria], community and national levels, must be part of any viable alternative programme," (Morning

Purdy argues that workers should accept cuts extensions of socal control over the

social control cconomy. This s lie askine a condemno man to discuss what method he would prefer to be exocared by, It falls into the same argument as used hy the capitalist class and their Labour lieutenants who argue that we lace a nationa crisis in which we all have to make sacrifices Purdy proposes we accept sacrifices, but as for 'extensions of social control" in serura. This is unrelated to any fight for workers control -for free access to information by the unions, the opening of the books, the development of THEATRISE WOKER plans, ee. What Purdy means is that the working class should fight for participation un the capitalist decision making

The clearest indictment of this is again British

The Communist Party. recent convers to the haht for democratic riebts never took the issue of participation to the shapfloor at Langhridge to ask the membership if they wanted it. Now after two vears of tame participation under the Ryder plan, we have Micbiel Edwards te organising Leylands at the

Uaf workers" jobs Participation has aided Edwardes' лОс Leyland workers!

These facts reflect the permanent character of the malaise which affiets the Commune Party, There-clection of a Labour Goveroment in 1974 and the integration of tell social-democracy (from parliament and the trade unions) within the overall projects of Wilson and Callaghan, have imposed severe strains on the CP seoloey. For the perspective of a let government consisting of Labour lefts and CF MPs is a completely utopian hope, In fact the CP's strategy appears to be totally unrelated to the developments in British politic

Asa small, cadre organisation it should have

left social-democratic reformism and linked up with forces fighting against class collaborationism. It refused to do so, thas exacerbating its crisis of perspoctives. powerful, any serious left social democrat wil For in a country where social democracy is prefer to join the parent organisarion.

The main attraction of the CP in recent years has boea for intellectuals who have found that it was possible to debate and discuss important issues within the party's press. Many of these issues were not related directly to the CP: political line, but nonerheless it appeared to be à better option than the syndicalism of the Ta: left. Given the recomposition which appears to be taking place at the moment. even on the intellectual front, the lar left could, it it puiled inself out of its rut, outdistance the CP. Then its crisis will become containable.

By Oive Turnbull Hot oll the press is International the quarterty theoretical joumal of the International Marxist

Festured Is a hitherto unpublished Deutscher Engels and The Russian Revolution', and one by Norman Geres on Lenin, Trotsky and th

Other articles Include one of William Thompson on education, a resiew of Tom Ralysis of the role of the Communiet Party in Break-Up the National Union of Studenis.

Internationa costs 50p and is arallable from

Other Bookshop, Stroet,

Page 8 scan of this page

the more it remains the same

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1978 page 8 Between 1875 and 1914 nearly 120,000 Jews came to Britain.

Most of them settled in the East End of London. In 1898, Lord Hardwicke moved a Bill to control immigration.

May of that year, Hardwicke stated in the House of Lords:

*It would be a very serious matter if the type of population which is now to be found in many districts of the East End, where there is a strong alien element, were to become at all a common type in the poorer districts of our large cities.

would mean, my Lords,"

Hardwicke continued, 'that these classes would become to a great extent non-English in character, and that, both an physique and in moral and socia

Conversation

with a racist

CONVERSATIONS about immigration 'causing' and 'worsening' the crisis take place all the time up and down the country. In the wake of Thatcher's racist speeches these sentiments are given an added boost. The reply given by Labour leaders is normally of the variety: "No need to worry, there aren't all that many coming in.*

Far from fighting racism it panders to it. following questions and replies, compiled by ROGER TANNER, are ones that militants cannot ignore.

Spot

a Nazi

LEICESTER'S anti-racist committee has not waited for the Young Nazis to turn up outside schools. With the help of the trades council, the committee has already produced 20,000 copies of a foer-sided leaflet headlined: "How spot a fuscist uf your schaol gate'. will he distribuled by members of the Nutional Linion of School Students and the Socialist Students Alliance.

In Leicester, a stronghold for the National Front, the Nazis hold a licence

HOW TOR

SPOT A FASCIST

AT YOUR SCHOOL

GAT

but he won't

look like this-he'll be in

disguise.

The more it changes,

customs, they had fallen below our

BESCHE by means elevated,

Stepney, Major William Evans Gordon,

Speech demanding immediate immigra-

passes but Enplish Tamilies are ruth

Buy unco C To make room lO

foreign invaders. Out they so to make

room for Rumanians, Kussians and

•Kentsare raised 50 to 100 percent and a house which formerly contained a

couplcot tastilies living in comparative desency is made to contain four or five

which baffle description. It is only a matter of time betore the

population becomes entirely forcign..

The rates are burdened with thi education of thousands of children of lorcien parents. Gordon exolmined Among the thousands who came here This feeds the rampant racism which already exists.

The

Irom the council to sell their baber, and the pitch — in the town hall square — 1s now the site of a weekly picket, which the unti-racist commiltee will muintain until June when the licence comes up for renewal. Haech has been designated in a day of mass action on the picket line, and the committee is urging all anti-racists In the West Millands to attend.

US

threatens

Mexican

militant

A taste of things to come from the other side of the Atlantic, where immigration laws are being used for overtly political ends. The United States Government is trying to use the entry laws to kick out Hector Marroquiin, Mexican militant.

Marroquin was a student at che Lonersity of Nuevo Leon iD Mexico witen he was forced to fiee the country alter false. allegations of 'terrorist activity. His room-mate was shot dead by police.

n the LiS, Marroquin Joined the Socialist Workers Party and Toug Socialist Alliance, supporters of the

the Teamsters union he was one of the

characters, and the competition with home industries extends to burglaries and other cognate crimes. I should have thought we had enough criminals of our

"CRIMINALS" *These are the haunts of foreign prostitules.... A band of Italians, every obewilbalnewhich bersiocrewdy la ine. is at this moment cassing great anxiety to the County Council.... Ibe working buildines are erected not for them but classes know that for strangers from abroad; they sec notices that no English need apply placarded on vacant rooms; they see the schools crowded with foreign children and the very posters and advertisenicaes on the wallsina forcigntongue..

His no longer within the power of an English working man in many parts of East London to enjoy his day of rest..

RACIST: I'm fed up with all your left wing crap. is overpopulated and we shouldn't let any more immigrants in.

ANSWER: But more people leave this country than come into it. There are no serious harriers for white immigrants entering in any case. Ir's just the hlacks who are kept out. Also it's not really a question of overpopulation. but of hos existing resources are used.

The problem is that existing resources hosses, Their aim is to make profits. In times of crisis making profits can only be done by attacking living standards of all workers, black and white

Look here, I'on talking about thing here and now. We have too million when we can't employ those we've got? But who causes unemployment? Is it immigrants? MITERS unemployment are Scotland, Northern Ireland and Tyneside. The number of

leaders of a unionisation drive at the Coca Cola hotling plant in Houston Texas. That earned him the attention

migre, - the Immmigration and Naturalisation Service, after a visit to Mexico to consult his lawyer last September attacks by the INS on foreign workers, nurliculary Mexicans. with startine originality, the Government attern pting to offload the blame for the economic iminigrants without papers. Marroguin could act the rest of his life in jail, or even death, if he goes back, and in migre knows i

is now trying to win politica A dynamic and widely hacked Hector Marcoquin Delenice Committee ha. already managed to win important exclude Marroquiin without a hearing authorities were forced to postpone the

A storm is brewing which, if it be allowed to hurst, will have deplorable results."

In 1905, the Conservative Central Office distributed an official lealle rimed for interrection in a by-clection. It was fairly explicic:

"'Let them come' is the radical cry The radicals hy their obstruction to the Abers Hall are evidently glad to see all foreigners whe are criminals, who suffer from loathsome diseases, whoare turned our in disgrace by their feliow countrymen, who are paupers who fil the streets with profligacy and disorder. Thetidea spelcomethem all

In the same year, W. Haves Fisher Tocy MP for Fulham and an expert on London's sewage system, stated: Just

of sewage. but iot the sewage of th

whole Kingdom. so one portion o London cannot carry the whole of the pauper and diseased alen inmigrancs whocomeintothecouniry.

imeterants there is tiny. Or Take the south of Ireland. Luciploymen: there is much higher than in this country. But there are no immigrants there at all. And remember the Thirties? How many blacks were there in Britain then? Almost none.

Unemplovincal exists hecause this system is planned only to produce profits for a handful of people. Is the sceel industry sacking tens of thousands of workers because of imnsigrants because the whole syscem is in crisis? Just think about it.

But most of the blucks are scroungers. aren't they. It's the health service and social security which brings them here.

I'm glad we've dropped the word immigrant and are saving blacks, because that's what it is, ishit? Now listen. The Tories say that all unemployed workers are scroungers. You don'tagree with that, do you? Well you reunemploved, If you heard chat in

South Africa you could get a job with more money than you ever earned here

bearing beyond the original date of t7 January to allow time for the preparation of an adoquate defence.

The latest news is that Marroquin is to be allowed to tour the country speaking in his own delence. At the cod of December, Marroguiin's lawyer had been told by an immigration official: don't think that illegal aliens have the right to go walling around the country making spooches.

"What's

racism'

WHAT YOU WILL not have heard

Racial Equalies I5 any criticism of THICACC STACIS HE HITS LOTS MENT well come as a surprise to its commis

initial pronouncement on immigration

afonte of their regulur meetings that the CREbad to criticise tier speech. Merin Kees, who happened to be present, nodded in agreement.

Bot all that has emanated from the Commission is a guarded silence. Its ВиГосТин David Lane, a Former Tory MP and SUNSET TIME CHIRT UNSANE CAN Lion. When Pranial Sheth, one of

colated it in Sheth soume, without CRE

The Commission, needless to say. is proving itself to be utterly Irrelevant in

radicals who worked for the CRE's lorerunner, ibe communics Kelpien Commission, have now practieally all

THE RACI

There's OME black

would you go? You shake your head Why not?

Because I live here. I's my countr I've been brought up here.

Exactly. reluctant to leave Most black people are who lik that. They come to find jobs and the leave their countries because tE situation is very very desperate, it that or their children starving to death The countries they come from are like that because Britian went and loote here bocause you were there!

But Thutcher's right when she say: they have a different culture. They de.

Yes, but so what. Our the centurie many different cultures Jave existe together and intermingled. They enrich each ocher. But, by the was, are you sure your culture is exacily the same a. Thatcher'? Where will you children bi educated?

Do they stand a real chance of going

quit Lane's bureaucratic machine

In the closing days of the old CRO they hud set up an internal anti-racis group, which donated small soms or money to such bodies as the Campaign Aguinst Racisan in the Media. A ximilur informal group set up the new TROUSSEHE INSURED KHO HATH spend its time discussing What i racism? Doesn't Lane know!

Building

the

barriers

TWO EAST LONDON Branches of the building workers" union, UCATT, have joined up lo light racism and fascism. On 5 March they will be picketing and leafletting aguinst Nuri paper sellers in Brick Lane, part of the Sunday market which ls in an area with a large Asian population. The building workers will be meeting ap st Shore ditch charch ul 10.50am, and invite Debers to join them.

Anderton's

law

The meeting took placcit Bollon town hal and the picket, organisod by Bolton Trades Council, represented a wide belore the lascists had arrived.

Page 9 scan of this page

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Page 10 scan of this page

A reply to Tony Cliff made a number of points which warrant further das through a campaien to

IRELAND

It was excellent that the So-

cialist Workers Party should be

represented at the Bloody Sun-

day Commemoration rally by

Tony Cliff, its most prominent

member. Is perhaps indicates a

sign of intent to more scriously

relate to the Irish question bs

the SWP which can only be

welcomica. was nope was rein-

forced by the determined and

the SWP participated in the

Bloody Sunday's anniversary,

that demonstration does not

political differences

between those participating in

it, and in this context Cliff's

speech introduced a number of

political conceptions

need questioning.

WOUNDED IN THE DUBLIN RIOTS:

BURDENEL REATNER:

First is the issue of British working class solidaricy Irish workers, Tony Cliff used the example of the 1913 Dablin

enthusiastic response arug seclions of the British

class. Thus, argued Cliff, to is simply not true that workers are not ready to 2o in solidarity with Jrish workers. In drawing such a conclusion qunlifications needed It should be remembered that all of Ireland in 1913 was.

Britain and Ireland

Socialist Challenge published last week major extracts

from a public speech on Ireland made by Tony Cliff, a

leader of the Socialist Workers Party. Comrade Cliff

discussion, argues AILEAN O'CALLAGHAN, Irish

organiser of the International Marxist Group.

legislatively speaking. part of the UK and in that sense soli darity with the Dublin lock-out to more chailenged the narrow 18 COUCHE ideology English working class than a strike in Glasgow would have done. More importantly, the solidarly was win an trial struggle in which the nanonal question was Issue.

on ECONOMIS

With the possible exception of the Chartists, there has never been real mass working class action in this country in sup port of the right of the Irish people to break from Britain which have been, as Cliff reported,

The Daily Mirror

RAIDED HIS HOUSE AND. BROKE It was not only the rank and file who expressed sympathy with the victims of the 1913 lock-oul. Even the Daily Mirror publicised police attacks on members of the TGWU. But such sympathy was not forthcoming eitherfrom the 'rank and file or the Daily Mirrorwhen one of the leaders of 1913, James Connolly was executed for his part in the 1916 Rising.

the leadership of the British with Labour Party who demanded the execution of James Con nOEls for his part on the 19ie Rising, but what protest was from there from the "rank and file' at chat execution or at Britain's part in the war for Irish independence which was to follow?

To Tony Cliff's statement about it not being true that British workers are not prepared to take solidarity with Irish workers, can therefore be scued the nder 'as long as irish workers confine themsches to

One means of struggle which Tony Cliff suggested the Irist

ibe was a Right to

of initiative the SWP has will

indus- COULLER:

soctch comrade Clit stressed not the relevance of Connelly, who

will bear quoting on the type of scheme Cliff was suggesting. *The doctrine that because the workers of Belfast live under the saine conditions as de those of Great Britain, they are therefore subject to the same passions and to be influenced by the same methods of propa-

It may screamingly funny in its absur-

dity:

INCOND LARGEST MIT SALE

MAN WHO SAYS THE POLICE

UP HIS FURNITURE,

Cliff indicated thar one reason for advocating a Right to Work march in Ireland was the possiblities it opened up for socialisis to establish contact with the Protestant workers. Comrade Clf was also to give an historical example of such unity — around an industrial dispore -Catholic Irish workers in LaverTOol I 1911 The dill'erence Liverpool and Belfast is not merely a mattler of geography. There have been examples in

tion.

Work march national

But throughout ha

economistic struggles.

doctrine almost

TOTE BATES.

SELF-RULE impossible while tics in Ireland.

BUC IS

rule. It would of is in the factories,

on Ireland. Hopefully

MOBILISE right to self-determination. of Protestant and ing to change

British between

people.

the past of the tap sections of the Belfast working class unifying for a sort time — specific ally in 1932 on the issue of unemployment. But that unity was casily broken by the ruling will jobs for Protestants and through the Unionists themtwo raising we napons gues

While Cliff is right to assert Connolly who was all the time difference between the claas ruggle and the struggle for

independence!, cannor accept Call's apparent

inversion of this to mean

identification of the politica right with the fight around

It is to the national question that we have to address ourscives in Britain il we are to build a movement that can aid the irish working class. Today this means building a move ment to get the troops out. And we have to do it in today's conditions, wliere the form of struggle of the nationalist population in the North of Ireland is not primarily in the factories or around the immediate eco

The right to work for Loyalists has meant IDe tight or a political state which discriminates in their tavout che riche co work for Catholics is translated Jato a united Ireland, In short, history tells us that unity is

the border

This is why revolutionaries light the arguments put forward by the trade union burcaucracy and the Communist Party in favour of the "Better Liletor All Campaign, aspecifie demand of which is for the right to work This campaige attempts to ignore the major and over-Tine lesture Q Don here

the nalional British which is why it is a creation of a trade union burcaucracy totally ignored by the "rank and file' of all side

Marxists need to decisively reject such tactics and counterpose the absolute right of th Republican

rish people to fight for sell

course be (cages. caster for us in Britain if tbe Irish workers were content with waging struggles which avoided found Britain's presence, but heaven belp the Irish people if they ever docurt ended by saying we nood to build a movement that locker.

ALLO ACE unions, in the locality." Presumably Tony Cliff does not Republican seek to confine an Irish soli- were darity movement to these areas.

The student movement, for example, is at present one of the most fruitlul areas of activin

as wel same outside this commitment Cliff made will now be followed up by the SWP fully participating in the various organisations which are trying to build the movercut.

to be found"

The key to our task is to mobilise a force on the streets in mass action from whatever socfor these forces might come. as we did with Vietnam. Thisisthe

hold of the reformist leaders on this question and winning the this not happen? labour movement to give its full backing to the trish people's It is to this, and not attempt.

the form of struggle in the North, to which

workers might more caxily identify, which we nood to address ourselves to. We are finish, and the problem, not the Trish

TRE SEE HIRES

Just out is the latest edition of Troops Out, the paper of the United

Troops Out Movement. Included are articles on the Better Life fo

All Campaign, Bloody Sunday, the PTA and recent British press

treatment of Ireland. Troops Out is only 10p and is available from

The Other Bookshop, 32B Upper Street, London N1.

Long Kesh

line

Letter

We had a new example

in Long Kesh of "black propaganda' recently. It happened after a tunnel was found in Cage 12 and the prisoners in that cage were divided ap into five other

compounds When the men were removed the prison authorities claimed they

quantity cannabis in three rolled up cigarettes in a tin allegediy sitting on a

The inference was that

prisoners smoking cannabis while their comrades were "knee-capping' and 'chastising' those who did the here

The circumstances surrounding the whole altair werestrange to say the least, and raise a maper or porous questons.

cannabis was being smoked, would it have been left unconcealed and Iring around

*Ir is hard to believe that a prison warder could open a lin containing three roll-ups and immediately identity canpabis

*Why, when the opportunity been was there to destroy the rob-ups, or remove them, did an

Another factor which makes the whole things so absund is chat we were in Cage 12 every Sunday prior to the tunnel being Joundand at nohmedid we legi

whole thing was ridiculous farce from start to

LICITY attempt lo discredit prisoners

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1978 page 10

PS OUT

when support for us outside is

Despite this affinir, morale is

sky high among all Republicans

in here. This is due to a number

of factors related to suocesses or

the political front, such as th

repent anti-imperialist

ference which took place at

Coalisland. There bave also

been many successes for the

"armed struggle', which soems

to be getting back onthe correcr

Fi again

The only fear is that a

recurrence of sectacianism or

and railroad or divert caergies

fion the real tignt apaus

British Imperialism. Unity

among all anti-amperialists is

esscotial if the recent successes

are to be continued.

Ona more parochial level, the

leadershipof all Republicans in Long Kesh is more politically

aware and socialist orientated

Never before. This

leadership contains militants who Tully realise the necessity for a socialist doctrine to

Lion strugale. What's more they - are arenared to etucate aid indoctrinale the men under their control as to this necessity.

The prison authorities and the establishment fully realise this, and it has worried them into looking for of stopping it. Ouly last week the officer commanding, adjutant and public relations officer of the Prove who still have

- were put ob trial, convicted, and transferred to H Block for alleged incidents schich occurred in 1977 while these men were wider alich from bigoted and mercenary members of the prison service

The CO. Brendan Hugbes, who was already serving a very long sentence get on terence

the Terence Clarke, got an additional ten years; bis brotber Searnus, seven, and adjutant Joe Barnes got fourmore. All this will mean that men like Clarke, who was due out this June, will bot be out until around 1988

The sinister aspect of it all is that although these prisoners bad political status, they have Separated from each other. mi Ju H Block and

attempt to lessen their socialist influence amone the young militant activists who up well now didn't have the opportunity to become very politically aware,

I doubt il these activities will bear much fruit as the new

maybe more so. All in all things ire going pretty badly for the Brits at the moment.

Page 11 scan of this page

The war that's been

130 dead - more brutal than

'Britain's secret war.

OFFICIALS of the People's Front for the Liberaton o! Oman stationed at the Front's alices here m Democrat Yemen are koen to reject the idea fostered by London and

Tehran that British and Iranian forces have withdrawn from

Oman, after the military rever-

sals sutfered by the From at the

end of 1975.

They point out that in the

province of Dholar, bordering

ragod between 1965 and 1975

there are Iranian troops

Heirun near the Yemeni bor-

der. and raman Phantom les

at the desert air base

Thamrit, less than 100 miles

from the frontier.

Tranian land and naval forces

are also stationed at Khasab, in

BUT LEI! Oman. i position

From which they mates the cursed the

26-mile wide Straits of Hor-

muz, the strategic waterway through which oil tankers cave

the Gulf, The Iranians won't

leave. The only language they

understand is armod strugsle

Said Masaoud, Aden represent-

ative of the Front told me.

Morcover,

forces present in Oman, (1,000-

1st he Iranians now have an

infrastructure there, ready to

teceive Irooms tbat could be

maved in from iran itself. In a

recent Newsweek interview the

Shah himself confirmed that

the Iranian armed forces were

now capable of moving six

battalions with tanks across the

Gulf within a matler of two or

three hours.

Nor Have the British pulled

out, despite their surrender of

Masirab, the island

evacuated in March 1977. 200

men "acconded" from the Brit

J5m armed tores, and wole

425 British mercenaries still run

the 14.000-strong

armed forces.

The two most powertul meo

INTERNATIONAL

Eyewitness in the Gulf

forgotten

FRED HALLIDAY reports from Aden on the latest in

in the country are reputed to be

Major Tim Landen, a former

inteligence orncer and now the

Tony Ashworn, a black aropa

ganda specialist from JAMES CALLAGHAN, then British Fornign Secretary visite Sultan Caboos, the dictator of Oman

Foreign Office who is working in the Ministry of Information. and who is responsible for briefing foreign journalists who visit the country.

The commander of the army

in Dhofar is a Brigadier Charles

Huxiable. The head of the civil

development programme in the at province, the prime aim of

which is to extend government control into the mountains, is of Marlin Kobb

Special Air Services officer who served in Oman, The Front was forced onto the defensive by the massive intervention of Iranian troops in 1973-1975 and has had to abandon the positions it once helid in the Dbofar mosntains. As one official explained it: It i now not a war of Uberation or even a guerilla war. I 6 a campaign of resistance. There ane sporadic actions from time to time, and this is a form of resistance to the Iranian occupation. But it is not a consistent campaign.

Between 300 and 500 lighters withdrew across the border in 19i3r and ure are about 800 refugee families Jiving in canips and schools organised by the Front. In the Peoples Primary School and the 9 June Intermediate School there are 900 BuDs. and the Front also runs the Fatima

installation named afler the old air base who was killed in a clash with

government forces at Sadh, in castern Dhofar, in 1973.

The Front also has a 45minute radio prograntime from Aden every evening. One night 1 listened ibere was a talk on how the sultan is giving money

to tribal leaders to win them over, a talk on the Omani empire in the cighteenth cen tury, a report on coverage of Oman in the Libyan press, 8 number of poems and and a short talk in Persian, addressed to the iranian persoonel stationed ill Oman explaining the aims of the revolu tionary movement:

One point on which PFLO is especially insistent is on the continued support which it received

and Yemen.

out by Saudi Arabia after it

the establisbed diplomatic relaCROTCH Yemeni a 50-bed

woman guerilla

songs,

gime.

Democratic Despite rumours put

Tunisian general strike

the French.

Jects tions with Aden in March 1976, that the price of such relations

first since 1973. for the Omani revolutionaries.

commitment. In speeches sach

of President Salen Robea Ali to the UN General Assembly in October 1977, the Yemenis have underlined their apposition to the Sultan's re-

Yemeni Foreign Minster Mohammad Salch Matich told me that the PDRY would open links to Oman only when all British and Tranian troops had

against

FRONT

Bahrain,

Saudi Arabia,

cratic Front The

strike.

• LEVEE DE LE

by troops.

RECO LEIL.

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 197B page 11

withdrawn, and when an agree. ment between the Sultan and the PFLO had been reached. Indeed far from there being a sellout Saudi bostility has recently increased — as a result of Yemen's stand on Dman, and its position on the Horn of Africa dispute. Saudi aid pro

to Democratic Yemen have been cancelled, and there have been armed clashes along the Yemeni Saudi border, the

PFIO is intent on developing its political struggle throughout Oman, rather chan just the military activity in Dhotar. It estimates that around 300 poli-

Sulran's jails, some of them recently arrested in June 1973, and it accuses the Sultan of trying to wup up casuals pino side Oman over a newly con-

with CHITECT neighbouring Ras al-Kbeimab.

PFLO is opposed to any forceful seizure of the land: it suspects that the Sultan's demand is inspired by Iranian desires so get the land for reasons of military strategy.

The PFLO has maintained

tions of the apposition in the Gulf, despite the dissolution of a unified Guif political front in

working towards a new united front of groups in different Arabian

countries directed monarchs and sheiks of the region.

This front would include the twe underground groups Babrain (the People's Front in

and the Nationn] Liberation Front), the Kuwaiti

Democrats, the Labour Parly

and the Democratic Party in

and the seven

North Yemeni groups who last

August came together to form a new unified National Demo

Of these the majoricy are,

nationalists who radicalised in

the ois a trousht there are

conununists in the North

Yemeni front, and the Bahraini

National Liberation Front is

also communist. The one signi-

ficant group not so far included

in this movement is the recent-

Ly formed Saudi Arabian Com

A TUNISIAN militant

writes on the recent up-

heaval in a country where

the workers have to give

Government three

month's notice to go on

TUNISLA has seen nothing like

the disturbances of the last lew

weeks since its independenco

Trom France in 1956.

Last week's general strike

called by the leaders of Tuni

sin's labour union was the first

of its kind, endiog in confront-

ations between demonstrators

and riot police, later reinforced

Officially 42 people died and

325 were injured, but hospital

sources say that not less than

130 Jost their Lives. Even the

French colonisers never man-

This was tbe culmination of a

period of unrest which started

towards the end of last sear.

After an agreement berween the

Government and the GIT

(General Union of Tunisian

Workers) on a five-year wage

freeze, the union broke off its

alliance with the regime when

the latter tried to put up prices.

sectors miners, transport, Ick-

tiles) was followed by demon. jail.

The PFLO is given diploma ric support by the Soviet Union, and, despite Chinese support for the Stab of Iran's campnign ALEIS 00ESE BACTE gion, PFLO claims it still has some contact with the Chinese

The Front has alsa developed

the Horn of Africa dispute. in the past, it had close relations Eritreans and the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party, whilst the Somali region never allowed it to carry out informa

its most 'anti imperialist' phase INTO 19E TOTTER DE dECEISE Saudi Arabia

PFLO officials have more

visited Ethiopia and discussed with Derg members The PFLO supports the genters

ims of the Ethiopian revolu tion, but insists on the right of the Eritreans to self-determination, including independence.

UNSTABLE

The prospect which the Front how Faces in Oman itself is one of protracted organisational construction. In has lost the military foothold it once had in soutbern Oman, but this was never, in itself, capable of giv ing the revolutionaries tbe base they nood in the more impor-

part of the coun 10.000 people of Oman live. where 650,000 out of the

The overall position of the regime is an unstable one. Not only bas the Sultan failed to make even the most token ges tures of democratisation in bis seven and a half years of rule but his oil revenue has already hegun to decline from its peak ol $1.3 billion in 1976. Corruption, inequalities and resentment against foreign occupation have increased.

In this perspective, the Frant and others bostile to the Sultan and his anglo-tranian prolec

tors, will have delanite poiltica

oppoctunities abead.

Further information: New peb-

Heations on the region of in-

terest indude: Fred Halliduy

Mercenaries: Counter-Insur

gency in the Gulf, Russell Pres

Nottingham 95p; Helen

A House Built on

Sand, A Political Economy of

Saudi Arabia libaca Press

London, E3.50 [April]. strations in the main citles. The

important strike took

place in Ksar Helal, [be very

town that saw the birth of the

present ruling party in 1934

The textile workers aver

powered "Else

security forces which tried to

force them back to work. So the

troops intervened and left the

workers no chance to claim

their rights.

These events led to major

changes in the Governmeat of

Hedi Nouira, first legal heir to

the auling - 74-year-old

dent-for-life, Habib Bou

guiba. The relatively moderate

Interior Minister, Tahar Belk

hoja, was dismissed because he

was in favour of dialogue with

the workers as opposed to the

hard line followed by the Prime

Minister, the powerful head of

the party. Mohamed Sayah,

SUCCICC Minister,

Abdullab Farhat. Seven other

ILTETCISTEMMACO STELESILE

The decision to follow a bard

line against the workers forced

the UGTT to become more

active. Previously the Govern

ment's influcnce was such tha

the UGTT leadership would

condemn almost any BUTCH

taken by the workers. Things

are a little different now, with a

number of UGTT leaders still

suffering an uncxpected spell in

Page 12 scan of this page

Women and the French elections Fighting sexism at the polls

HURST and RIC SISSONS report.

In an effort to win the

women's vote the

reminding people that Giscard,

President, created

Government secretariat on

vomen's questions and that the

Simone Neil lau

wona aoocon ngab anu

facilities,

The Communist Parly (PCF)

prociaims itself to be the only

icminist party because it has

outlined a future law on the

women's question. The Social-

ist Party (PS) recently beld a

national conference on women

MEETE party's

Francois Mitterrand, declared

that be was a feminist!

ABORTION

Recent opinion polls revesl that women do Dor trust lc

political partier. 37 per ocnt

thought that political pacties

are led by men, who exclude

womea troi Ie discussiont.

The official Ligures given by the

parties themscives

number of somen in their

leadership supports that asser-

Hou coc exame toe Fer Das

only 2 women amongst the 21 DCTCE O tEs egeng Door. the Political Bureau.

The fact is that none of the

forward

solutions

position of women in society

None deals assuci such childeure

abortion, housework which women in cheir everyday life.

exam:plc. •the A LOT OF publicity has been given to the "tall of the frane". The franc has fallen by three to four per cent against the other main currencies ot the capialist world, notably the dollar.

Allhough there are certain purely oconomsic reasous for IOISHOVEUHTMEIE reason is political, and linked to the mosshiiy ot g victo-y bi the left in the March-elections. This is so much the case that the Government has leapt at the opportunity to nedic financial chaos if the lett wins.

Indeed, unkind spirits have suggested that Prime Minister Barre and his friends didin't do all chat they might have to hall the slide and even encouraged it slightly for the sake of gaining political points:

working alovement it was a mild but very ITIne cconoitte sabolage of which international capital is capable o if political devcloptients Prance look bike uetora onr o! hand. And: cleat demonstration of the need for contrel over ail miovemients of capital - exercised nor just by a Len Coveramen: bur by the direct action of the workers

Tr international and French capital was gelling alarmaed at the possibility Coveromeat, Hie leadership 01 the Socialat and Conununist Parries (PS and PCFi were Bot doing much to bring suel a prospeti nearer, Dospite taitering bur definite moves towards

IN THE fortheoming French elections women represent 52 per cent of the voters. This explains why all the major parties have been publicly apologising for not standing more women on their elections slates. PAM

Common Programme signed right is by hoth the PS and PCF has mortion hart New legiil DOLLAM

tion of individual liberty and pranted the spirit of responsibility, will

be elaborated."

French women are faced with problein whether to ignore the elections completely. Many argue that the conditions of women will not be changed by either the right, if they remain in power.

leader

the

T TEH

Growing financial crisis

DaNie ducks and drikex wilh the anti-capitalist sentiments and the desire for unity of the working-class.

Last weck the PCF had abandoned the worst of ultra-sectarian line, dropped its

main 'condition" that it must get at

Jeast 21 per cent of the vote anc was reaos lo lake par.m a Governmen: witls the PS. What proposcd agrocment berween the first and socond rounds of the clections on a governmental proeraname IU ELU DOISOTrSAHU PCF candidares standing down Jot cach other in the second round, according to who won best votes in the first round.

YES

class

The PS's reply was: yes, ler:

Stand down for ench orber but ACl leave agreement on the goveriunental programme till after che scoond round. This is unaccepruble to the PCF which wants n definite agreement and the assurancr of ministerial places which goes with it before tetana TunE This wowd CEUTNU •Party Goverment' and bleck oit any Centre-Leit leader Mitterrand

Left

BHREYAEHEULIL have heen encouragod by a speech Prime Minister Barie made abour the posibility of some knd goverament.

The oddi are still an an agrocunity ovet the last couple of men between the PCF and PS

For the left if they come into govermunent.

already declared that "refuse to give votes parties which contribute in perpetuating oppression." This atitude will amone many women disiliusioned with party polities.

A very different response has been Biven choose). This is a pro-abortion graup founded in 1972, led by LE VUIT KEOWA IAMYEE.

deciding Halim, who defended many

doctors whien abortion Hegal.

Choisir has docided to form an clectoral organisation "Choisir la cause des femmes"

DELEGATES at the last congreas of the French Communiat Party.

Francly alarmed

ance igiin form

Mitterrand wants 1o drive the bardest possible bargain. has produced some rumblings witlun his own party not only Trom the its social-democratic current) but also from influential figures like Pierre Mauros, Mayor of LIIC

As to the outcome af the elections, the latest opinion was

polls show a slieht (one cen reresion of the Leti. Bar

DIZC dARMOTC COIEHBLIS un all sides of the politica.

that the elections will not necessarily decide much.

If the 'majori' wins ir wol do so as a atinerity in the country, owine its victury to an electoral system biased in it lavour and 1o the criminal divisions al the reformist left.

If Mitcirand is sempred bi the prospect of some Centre-Left: with its solid bold over organised working class will be leit in potentially daagerou oppesicion. assure their

forms & govermnent with their rag bac of bourgenis allies the Socialist workutg class wil. rapidly start might be to place decands on them.

Aus way you look at it, shor. of a crusting deleat WOTS05 PaTLIC extremely uniscly Centre-Lefr

elections, will be mobiliine fo is Lemanas and looking tor a may oul of the capitalist crisis.

on the hasis feminists in the Common

movement have intends 1o stand

they to the

manageress. lind an echo REFUSED

by Choisir Party, sor do we

March, whien

WY H3 to take a position, bat

CERES (left bulcome of the

kind coalition the PCF

the

If the PS ard PCF

of the w hich s

wook

(Choose the women's cause)

of a Women's concerned..

Programme® 100 women candidates on 12 March. The 100 include lawyers, doctors, In the barfisters, nurses anu even a programme

passcd.

They state: We are not a the women's

want to necome cne. Fdr the second proportional round of the clection, on 19 plus a

inevitably choice will be between the left esch and the right they bave refused

They state: We wilt decide on the basis of the votes and the position of the candidates as far A MEETING of striking postal workers in Paris. Their sfruggle ha.i IOD OUTDO WOWOROWSAMIOM BI IO UMLU R OUL DOsCOanE

as the women's question

We will, however, choose the candidate who will adopt our programme or who comes nearest to il.

first round their includes :10 demands and 12 areas on which tacy would ake icaislpon to to

They propose that Ministry becrested to deal with

-question. In future elections they favoui

representation. minimium of women both as candidates for

party and on its lendership. They denounce the failure of any advance on equa

sugeest thal for one comples should their

the MURRAY SMITH looks at the past week in France.

in su pport

hecause

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1976 page 12

to live topether to

establish the independence of

wamen and overcome the

disision of labour within the

family. All sexist stories and

pictures should be renoved b

the Coveroment Irom schoo

tooks.

Rape cases should be judged

in the most important courta in

public, with juries on whom

wourien are in the majority. On

ESEHHLTO

extension 1o 12 weeks of the

rume in which an aborlon can

be performed.

Realising it was very unlikely

that they would win any of the

legislative elections Choisir sent

this request the major

parlies: 'We ask all parties

withoutexception.jo withdraw

candidates in these

districts where the majority and

oppositio are evealy

salanoed, and to commonl

agree 10 allow Choisir

Cehelodica to nire 1ac 0c

chance of being elected.'

CONFUSE

The Choisir progranme is

positions of the major political

parties, birl it cannor slaim to

represent the women's mose

nient. Forexample Choiur ouly

calls for abortions withie period oE 12 Wocks which

clearly conthebs the

demand the momen's

morenell *Iie right to

choost The cal! Tor.

Women's Ministry has nevgi

been discussed in the women!) JBUYCHII

The major problem with

Choisir is thac il raker nu TONIICH the important politicel issue facing the Freoct working class anc oppressed

cetions af society; the reniova

1 Discard and the risht-win Govermnent: They address their demands to both the right

and the left, drawing

distinction between then

Certainly the record of the

Socialist and CORNUTE Parties is not much better than Giscard. hut the CCICUIH victory of the P5 and PCF would fundamentally change ine Freach political situation giving the women's movement

THIC fasourable posibility winning demands. The formation of a PCF-PS Government woald stumulate the class struggle and

that women's morobeet woudd be better positioned to casure such aKUYCECHHESEAIULAEEE E demands.

INDEPENDENT

The programame of the joint revolutionary slale, made up ot the Ligue Communiste RevoTutionaic IFreuch séction of the Fourth International), the TONTITES Commutistes pour 'Autogestion, and Organis tion Communiste des Travail leurs, takes a dear stand ou tite MOC SODCSIN

Ib demnands include an ead to al Tors dises dictimination cqual pay for egen work: abortion on demand, paid fo by Social Securicy, for women inclecing miers and im migrants: agains SExisL violence and rape. for the establishment of batterci wonicn 'scentres.

Jt also cleariy sates that theg

independent cmited woncn's movement,

consider the building of this movement-to have decisive weieht in the Scuesle tor: so0ia5as Uli mately, we are fighting to ge lle workers moterient as whole, the workine class, to take up The demands •HEIL strugtie of women aguins theis apprcssioe and CERCI emancipation.

Page 13 scan of this page

Ernest Mandel and Jean Ellenstein debate What strategy for socialism?

SURPLUS VALUE

"Eurocommunists'

ERNEST MANDEL

The October Revolution was the first breach stimulus to revolutionary struegle in both the advanced capilahist COLITICS and in colonial countries of America, Africa and the

an historic event immense significance, like the French Revolution of 1789, whose traditions il continued, developed and surpassed. Having said this, bur duty today in the West, in 1977, is to study critically the general und specific teaturer of the October Revolution and to think seriously about the nature of the Levolson and revolutionary process hereand now If we leave out Crechoslovakia and the German Democratie Republic, we are dealing with economically underdeveloped countnies. predominantly rural societies where archaic, mediseval forma of life still exist; which are culturally backward and which, not unimportantly. have never bourgeois democratie revolution. To this, we nust add the facs that in these countries, the state pinyed a determinins role in their economie and cultural development and thus civil society was not fullyconstituted. Iewas, 8s Gramsci would say, "gelatinous'

Thesespecific features were responsible for a certain number of characteristics, peculiat.to these revolutions and theic roads to building socialism. Ai a result of these historical circumstances, could say that these countries have taken an escatially

This can be seen marontal rosa to societe very charaderistically in the course and after math of the October Revolution Itself. I den't say this in a contemproons way because can 1 imagine any other road possible for these countries given what they were and giver the conditions in which the revolutionary process crolved.

Ir's not a criticism 01 these

experiences. 1 am sayins this simply to stress

Towards the end of last year an important debate on socialist strategy took place at the Free University of Brussels in Belgium. The three speakers were Jean Ellenstein, a historian and theoretician of the French Communist Party, Ernest Mandel, a central leader of the Fourth International and Didier Motchane,

leader of the left socialists inside the French Socialist

Party. We print below Mandel's opening remarks and Ellenstein's response. Next week we will publish a

passage from Kautsky to demonstrate how far the

have moved to the

ATHAT ARE the most important lesso Y of che 1917 revolution for the worke movement and the working class today? What was unique and specific to that experierice, and what was - to employ a provocative term — of universal significance?

Our starting point can only be the profound criss of ibe international ushered in by the First World War. impossible 10 begin to succestion of social revolutions over the past point. Speaking rather schematically, we can say that the outbreak of the Fiest World War capitalist system, the end of ats historically progressive fonction and mission. The rents million who died in the First World War nake CALTECTS on this Tutile:

However. the second follows logically from the first is whether the Russian revolution was an historic exception, a thunderbolt in a clear sky, or wheiner it was only the beginming of a series of crises for the capitalist regime which would threaten mope and MOTE seriously the political and economic heritage of the human race?

Fo this question my reply is unequivocal There was absolutely nothing exceptional in the Russian revolution from this View. Quite the reverse. The crisis of the social structures of capitalism has beent a permanent phenomenon sance the First World War. The second leson, and this was grasped by the very first revolutionary socialist critic of the October Revolution, Rosa 1 uxemburg, Jies in JOHN the lact that Lenin, comrades in a period of revolutionary crisis dared to lead the working class towards the seizure of nower and the establishment of the dictatorshipas the prolctariat-

the necessity of taking them into account and judgine their historic relatively, slace, as Trotsky so beautifully put the i, The skein of history seems to be unwinding liseil il reverse, Df successful socialist revolution in a single capitalist country.

To the present day, the only exumples of the revolution in the western world have beee the hundred days of the Paris Commune in 1871, andthetens of days of the Cierman Revolution in 1918-19. Lagreethat at certaintimes berween 1517 and 1920 there existed in Furope a revolutiomary situation in meaning of the words, as a frontal assault against the Stare. But it isstill nometheless true that For 150years, since the revolution of 1848, we in the west have been chasing a mirage of revolution. So we must ask ourselves whether MILLILS the October Revolution does bot represent a single experience rather than a model or an example. My answer lo chis question is of course the opposite of Ernest Mandel's. We must conceive, elaborate and develop the concept of a new type of revolutine, of a new way of gelling to socialism, in oruer to create first and forcost, a socialisin This nes revolationary process is of course noca social democratie onie. From this point of view, the criticisms Lenin made-of democracy in 1917 and 192) seem to me still perfectly correct. Itis nora question of gaining dic power through a fea reforms and of runing thesystemin tiesamc old way. The point is nos to run the system but to destray il and create socialism. Fronthis point of view my aussier 1s hot, and cannor be a social democracic one. 11 cannot be, t would say above all, the reply which Lenin gave which was rooted in his times andantheworldasheknew it.

Today the conditions are radically different historic from an historic point of view. The key to this new experiment must be an examination of the

This leads questions. First. a nothing revahilionary

in 1919, Italy in 1920,

right. France, and between 1973 and

Raly What are the

capitalis system

Parliament, understand the

and the transfer HULE without prasping this essentin]

totality hankruptey of constirule berween

point somewhat partially negative

question which

Hitler's

entire cultural,

Once again let us consider example point of reasorably

days and

their workers. unemplos ment rate of 255g etc To come and we have not had a

the traditional differens kald

social JEAN ELLENSTEIN

relationship revolution in The

historical process.

us to two other lundaciental are revolutionary crises something entitely exceptional, characteristic of backward and underdeveloped contries. or are revolutionary crises a periodic result of the structural crisis of capitalism and is such entirely relevant to the countries of western LOTT Europe? Secondly, what is to be Soue when one is faced by just such a resciationary shoula My answer to the first question li that there

specifically Russian aboul crises. crises in Russia in 1917 Germany in 1918-9, Hungary in 1919, Austria

again in Germany in 1923, in France in 1936, Spain in 1936 and 1937, in Taly between 1944 and 1548, Greece between 1944 and 1946, in Mas 1968 in led 1o

1975 IM Portugal. There is at present a revolutionary pracess developing in Spain and 1 hope chat in The coming years we will once again see the development of such a process in France and

taskis of the workers! novement in such periods? The principa lessons of the Russian revolution is that thi central task is the seizure of power and the destruction of the bourgeols state. I dent

but the repressive apparatus, the apparatus of the bourgeois

economis and political power tothe working class, cot 3n th sense of workers in the big plants, bur to the

who today collaboration The tion of the couriries in the West 750g and 90% plEhe

historie balance-sheet TELLES not hinge clear. We can have encless discussions on the majority

consoquences Russian revolution and what followed. Bat let us not forgetto examine what happened in the countries where the workers" movement could CETOTEL have seized power and did not do so. What is the balance-sheet of the refusal of Germar Social Democracy to seize power in 19183

seizure of power and 60 million corpses! That's something rather differen: lo more and Stalin, that's the price which the Europear

had to pay tor that refusal the Chilean Who can sincerely, honestly anc 70, co dead il Allende had seized nower as he that there would have boen working class could have done with scarcely a shut being posine an fred at the end of 19727 Allende did not do this and the result is Pinochet, 30,000 dead in

something appronching

economie genocide imposed on the Chilcan class

year in and Yuan Cul with an working class • third question. The

fundamental divergences in the heart of the workers" movement do nos hinge on whether

berween reform and that We nave

understoodthem until now. The main problem

and nove towards a new conception of the

revolution which will be based on profound

relotes of the econonc and social structure

These will constitute, on a relatively extended

time scale, the revolutionary

So this process is the opposite of those which

have gone before and will be based on

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1978 page 13 or not democrado forme are nocessary ta estall the dictatorship of the proscianat or workers power. Everybody at rhis table 15 agreed on a certain number of principles. We are against the one marty system; for politica) pluralisa; for the right of everyone to be able

parties, political tendencies, aguiest the iden that bade unions

be transmission heles Tor a political party: for crade union independence not only Today, but also under the dictatorship of the praletariat and we are for the maintenance of all democracic rights incleding the right to That is not what the differences hinge on Our differences are strategic; between two autually exclusive strategies. There is the stralegy, in my opinion the correct one, whiel

the October viclery. which was supported by the majority of the urinan Inbouring populatios in free, secret elections with universal suffrage. Those who supported the transfer of power to the soviels reseived bercen 65% and 67% of the votes in al the hip towns. This cannor by any stretch of the imagination be conceived of as a minorits strategy within the working class.

The question is how to unity the wago

combativity, avoid anything which can divide or demobilise the morking class, It is a stracegy to unity and mobilise the working class which must care for both the daily and the historic noods of the workers, and whick refuses to sacrifice the

bourgeoisie. bougeois parties for electoralist reasors. 11 15 u coberent and interlocking strategy. it does

absolute nathamentars permanent beeemonic weight in society, but it unfolds in thost situations which periodically arise when this colossal force can transforan the relationship

The other straregs, which opposes isel! 1o the first. under the pretext of giving priority to politics, which it reduces and identifies with cocoralism and parlamentarisat

with ibe bourgewisie and the bourgeois parties, accepts class collaboration. , mintstecia) collaboration and as an inevitable consequence breaks the unity, cohesion and self-confidence of the

Ils not therefore a question of counter-

insurrectional poaceful Straleay, le in a strategy of unification and extra-parliamentary mobilisation of the

toiling masses counterposed to a stratesy ol

collaboration. Cue leads to the Rec and the self-organisation of the the ouber to Weimar-tope

situations. 1o Popular Fronts, to Chilean-type

Unidad Populars and to terrible and blood

defeats for the workine class

dentocracy. Let no one tell me that it's only a

question of the parliamentary or electoral

rond. les a much broader conception of

democracy, a thorough going, many sided

democracy waich must include the conomic,

social, political and cultural levels and which

can only mean the management by the people

oftheit own affairs - self management.

In our countries, in France particularly, the

revolution will he democratic. pesceful, lega

and gradual or it will not take place

Page 14 scan of this page

COMMENT

Slur on Welsh

In Socialist Challenge (12 January) -was predominanily and rightly concerned with the racist articies of Muger McKinnon and the problems of Irish and Scottish nationalism, we were appalle to see in vews from Nowhere the sub-heading "Racal Welches on Sanctions".

References 1o Raquel Welch are all too obvious; nevertheless, objectionable stur against the Welsh who are 450 1 determination.

We realise that racism of all kinds has hecome part of the language of imperialism. However El is the responsibility of all real socialists to challenge and change this language and the deep-rooted prejudice it implies by refusing to employ such racist surs against any oppressed nationalities belter than the remarks of McKinnon himself and will do nothing to further the causes of internationalism or of revolutionary socialism in Wales, ALISON WOOD, KEVIN WOOD, Bristol

Ideology &

technology IN HiS letter concerning the nuclear energy debate' C. Gardner manages to make a totally obvious point and yer to show a very useless understanding of what he temms 'a political question, not simply a technological one'.

POr o cobre 1K. - ecological groups follow from this and are well known. However his original approach to the nature of lechnology is seriously unheipful. Yes, obviously, it is the 'social relations" that this is not a one-sided MCLANTEI movement developing (how? by sugestion is made) and people then utilising it

either the ruling class or a transformed What of the pressures around the development itself? This ncludes the reasons for why money is allocated to certain areas of rescarch as 'obscure area connected to this of what stage the ruling class is passing through down to the psyches of male scientists. These conscious and subconscious distortions of human creativity mean there are no technologies 'in themselves" as Gardner talks of.

The whole qucstion of why nuclear energy, as brought up by Gi. the same page (warfarei is bence skired by Gardner. A very relevant example of the effect

-DIE theoreticaily is the whole issue of contraception - the direction it has been developed in and the methods available show health of women, and this fact being on the woman can capitalist wish determine their own reproductive role.

Socialist

Challenge

EVENTS

NORTH WEST

Mance: tirg Flec

meerings. Duplicating Peities

BuRY Socialist Challange grou Wheathat peteury Whilalled (near Whitelield bus and SOUTH MANCHESTER

shopping intermator tom 051 23e

NORTH EAST

MIDOLESBOROUGH Chie Salar contana Cente

which

the "joke' contains an

a struggle Tor self

in essence, no and the combient or

question technology "evolution', no other

whole range of ideological

what available

regard for the

hardly be male women

DUNHAM Socialiet Chelenge graup ast ort 2 March: wi

stalls Trem 1.

YORKSHIRE

HULL- Por detalis Challenga 482850 ORK Socialist Challenge mercin Housing Crisis: ald Jenkine of the York Communits 6 Marker Pub Bares Fast

SCOTLAND

Queen

murch imernational UST-SCE BAES ABERDEEN: Societat Chalanga teu Jim cn 43050 (a/16гBpml GLASGOW chool. The light assinst wo-an appreasen and the Mistory of the socialist movement. em Forter detale Them Ce1.-221

BRIGHTON

North Gineel, Erigion.

SOUTHAMPTON Sociaist Challing

YOUNG NATIONAL FRONT

TOIN HERE A CLACION CALL TO THE FRESH & HORTNY

As the leiter we are criticising was so much

relations, confidently in such terms, we are surprised that the most basic reciprocal interaction missing trom the insistence on the potities of tecnological control.

Burbura Hill, Cuthy Shelley (London NWI) Thatcher's racism ASCATHOLIC CHRISTIANS, we have never believed thar if is compatible with Christian sucar Leane o suporta committed to tite upholdine of the unrisbreous system of capitalism as the Conservative Party "However, in Mis Thatcher's statemen on immigration of 30 January, we see in its most extreme form yer the racism Fascism within that parte. It is a phenomenos which is lar more dangerous than that of the

outside Ubowe Bar Post Ortice, Bengale

Inn, Vincent

MIDLANDS

LONDON HUUTHALLS abou: Tumpike Lane tube Mich nese settiement

Street

GREENWICH LEWISHAM Socialier

SOUTHWEST LONDON S00l hallenge sipporiers meet we НеКЕ І ДНІЯ:

London SWI

BLOOD grealer and talked "liberal' guise.

was parly which 1s

and creeping berself with these fears:

WEBC atuantes n

point.

Targest permissible figure

Bethnal

Bethal

DAVID RANDALL

ROBINSON

Priest, Se Peter, Clapham.

it's OK

• ГИГНЕ ІНГ

"HE WOJLD LIKE TO THANK THATCHER, ANDERTON AND THE B.B.C. FOR PAL THE HELP TREY'VE QUEN OS IN RECeNT WEEKS."

National Front, since it is more respectable, has

financial backing, and assumes a

Mrs Thatcher's position is not new. Since the carly "60s, the "mumber theory of prejudice (.e. the fewer there are, the beller race relations there will be) and the belief that black people are undesirable per se has increasingly dominated the legislation of the two parties a way of avoiding racism inside Britain. But che ambiguous: onis isolated individuals such as the late Sir Cyril Osborne, Ronald Bell and later Enoch Powell ased openly racist language

Mrs Thatcher's speech represents che culmination of this process. No longer is the Tacist basis of her programme veiled, although it is 'people' who fear the demise of the British character and of nur way of life. Nevertheless, il is clear that Mis Thatcher explicitly identifies

DESD DE MIM DELUS characteristics. Every country can take some the richness and variety of this country. matten the mooriy tireatens to ciccome d Dis

ne, people get Inightened growing support for the National Front: her solution is not to fight but to surrender, to concede the basic ideology of the NF at every

For it is clear that what Mrs Thatcher is offering is pure racial nationalism, She muy seem more genteel than Hitler: that perhaps is pert of the "British character'. But she and her opulation of Germany was 1 per cent whe

tareen: Kevd ADLINGTON, Assistant Priest, Si Mutther, Destion Cure Arte Re Rei Rehabillation Centre, Aldgale: The CHRIS IRVINE, Assistant Priest, Si Mars, Stoke Newington: The Rend R.G. KIRKBY Ficar of St Paul, Bow Comoo: The Ren

"riest-in-Charg

Mement Notiine Hill: The Revd BIl

Assistant Priest Chaplain for Mission 1o the Bishop of Stepney

Socialist Challenge -

1 HAVE noticed within the paper various hias" existe in its articies (f by this term it is meast the Socialist Challenge is developing clectic analyses and debates then the asserto hould be made explicitly and suhstantiored ? Jowing that the paper is separated from issue raised by the class seuggle, In the main CarlGardmer(London NW6

applied

of reasons. First.

conception of the world...

newspaper

another.

presented often relatively

maust not be in the future. ANDY CELLEN (London) enthusiasm for lim

Tound it a literally hopeless experience

class mudiences, recognition in the characters, location. unusual for TV drama

tradition

vica that arl

be betray reality"-

The

process deconstruction of teatrancementand

with the slawish copping

Be shine ora TERRY

socialises the

SI

Team

MESESIS

FICH

the rest of us.

despairung lacalon.

the world as it is

ПИСА ПИТЕ RAISMHE

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 16 February 1978 page 14

herwever, this does not appearto be the nature of the argument which is being levelled

Rather it appears that the label 'intellectual

vulgar and barrow

we are all in a sens

'intelectuais' witbin our own spheres of worl and other activitics. As Gramsei par it.

man(sic) carries on some lerut of intellectua activity, that is... he participates in a particula

and Theretore contributes ter sustain or to modify it.

Second, the acusation of intellectual bias begs the question of the content of n socialist

relation Specifically, under what conditions and in what

forms can such a newspaper mediate struggle and activate aid progressive class fraction around political and idcological issues? This question can only be resolvod afler asking

The arrival of Socialist Challenge Socialis Unity on the political sone was a

hybrid ¿isaffection witl traditional, Inflexible adherence to what wal

strict Leninist politica

The new political formations which have grown from this disaffection offer the pocential of political advances precisely because they recognise that a political vanguard acknowledee that socialist consciousness has it conditions of permination within a diverse and cultural torcain. It has not been in the past, and

the function

Socialist Challenge/Socialist Unity to indaig

n political chauvinism at the expense of th self-activity of chose groups within such a terrain. Such a policy can only result in politica. oppartuniin of the sort which E currearly heing implemented hy the Communist Party

The Spongers - a

hopeless experience

Allen's Spangers in your Under Review" column, 1

pessimistic. demoralising And that is the way Ithink it would be "read' by mast warkinu

despite a degree of sel. dialogue and

Bat that effect is, 1 helieve, intimately linked

Within tat •progressive in its time und taken job of art to depict reality, lo minute and honest detail. Such a practise is based on the bourgeois

reflects" reality and should atlempt o passively demonstrate whats?. Ams suggeation of what is possible — "what could

-is impermissable, for that would be ro

But for Marx The philosophers have onis nerpreto me world, te job is in change 1' Surely then the same responsibility rests equally heavily on dramatists and all creative artists' And that means that within their art there sus!

CICISICH present reality demandins new fores. Me cannot be content

the esclation" of a sapposed objoctive truth

Within the framework of a naturalistic production like The Spongers, opposition or resistance to capinslist oppression can only take

depiction of politica] orthodos political struggle When ta reality such rexistance is not present (though Allen ignores the campaigns against exise, even in the Norte West) the artist or

the pervading mond hecomes despair - and fe despair. True the forces which oppress Pauling in The spongers are identifinhle economic and political poe. But the marralive depices her abject surrender to those ruthless, barbang and semingly inevitable forces. In the absence of any resistance, the vision ol an all powertal historica, fite te-enters, as in the tragedies o Shakespeare or ibe novelsof Thomas Hardy

despite Jim Allen's sympaths for the working class The Spongens bourgoois "reality" and a bourgeois world

The conne remark ditae bavie sie shouldn': have done ir (killed herself and be four children). She should have stuck it out witt

pur that this is bow oppressed people think. Bur socialist artists are siot obligedto simply pichere

This their joh, like al revolutionary activists, lo transforma ic, to point to the future. And that task demands a cinar

Page 15 scan of this page

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Page 16 scan of this page

SOCIALIST UNITY

Registered with the Post Office as a nesspaper. Published by Relgocrest Ltd. for Socialist Chullenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London NI.

Ayresome ward in Middlesbrough.

This by-election has been

caused by the fact that th present representative of the working people of Ayresome, one William Purvis (Labour) has not shown up at a single council meeting for the last six months! result Cleveland National Front has forced a by-election.

This is the second lime in three months that Cleseland NE bave soccessuEl: demanded a by-election in the Middlesbrough district. It is Par face often nine

black Teeside.

It is to counter this racist

OUR FUND DRIVE

SATURDAY, May 23. 1 Socialist Challenge supporters should keep this dale After obe year of Socialist Challenge, we will be bolding our first national conference. This will be open to all supporters of the paper and will discuss the success, or failure, of the paper since its launch hist June.

Full details of the agenda and arrangements will be

the next weeks OnSunday 28 May the paper will be presnising a mator nobrical and social event in London This will inciude political dis cussions, on themes such as 10 years after May 68, and social events — music, theatre, food, and stalls, So this weekend at

Fascists force by-election

PREPARES TO

FIGHT BACK

FOR THE FIRST time the people of Middlesborough will be able to show their disgust with the present policies of their Labour Councillors by supporting the socialist alternative being put forward by Socialist

Al a public meeting last week called by local supportees of Socialist Unity it was decided to stand a candidate in the coming council by-election in the

campaign by the fascists of the a Tight back entrane fightback against miserable record of the Labour group who have followed every twist and turn of Callaghan and LICELY have decided to stand in this clection. the MILITANT

Last Monday's elected Alan Theasby as the Socialist Unity candidate. Alan long-time militant in the Teeside area active in the Cleveland Anti-

All the end of May is one not to be missed. nouncing the results emergency appeal Toe 13,000 This money is urgently needed LO DOML KCED DOr CICOlOTs BE bay, and to allow us to improve too quals of the naper desperately need another jour. nalist and more technical equip ment. So far our Sponsor an- Journalist SULACED

Socialist Challenge

Fascist Conubitice. He was a former member of the Labour Party and an active member of the T&GWU for several years working on the buses. He has iso worked in the shipbuilding and steel industries in the area. and knows what it is like to be on the dole. Presently he doing lemporary clerical work.

CONTRAST

The aim of Socialist Unity's campaigo will not only be to put forward a programme of fearlessly socialist measures to deal with reactionary the present crisis in the interests of working people, but also to Show what practice. The campaign will he giving a platform and building support tor local struggles particularly against racism 1ascism. Ene campaign wul be democratically meetings open actively support the candidaanti-fascist ture.

If clected, Alan Theashy will make himself directly respon

brought monthly bankers orders totalling E32. Our target is 6120, our readers to dis deep into

RICIES Socialist Challenge Groups to begin organising fund raising events

Our thanks this week to the following supporters for their

the appeal: bas N. Doggett O. Ellice R. Gimpel R. Purdie

Sheppard F.R.C.

M. Sellers K. Kohler Anan F. Landon

SPECIAL

OFFER

* Russian Revolution

Deutscher, design by Darid King. 50p

1978 posters from Paris, May 1968. 4 colours, E1.

Subscribe for one year to Socialist Challenge [E10] and receive a calendarior 1978 free

Set of 6 postcards of Peter Kennard photomontages on South Africa, Ireland, 1974

strike, and Chila. The set 21,

Socialist Challenge supporters badge

more 16p each, post free.

All availabio Offers Socialist PO Box 59, London N1,

by DAVECARTER

black

Jenny Chimore.

Shown it

covering

this means in

Party will simply be

encouraging 1 and will

TUTE all with who directly

the Ayresome ward.

Socialist decided

S. Field Total We would urge all

for local

same time

CHITECALY

our head 5.00 3.00 5.00 5.00

10.00

5.00

10.00 G. Youldon 5.00 B. Armstrong 2.00 F. Van Xilef 13.30 D. Herman S. Kennedy I. Wilson

P. Colbeck ADon Total

by

Calendar, 13

Name

Address Seveso. USSA

20p each PAus Orders of 10 or

trom Special

Challenge.

sible to the organisations of the local workers movement and

community. and will reveal all the workings and deliberations of the council.

This is an marked contrast to the campaigns likely to be run by both the Labour Party and the local Communist candidate

The Labour Party has already

COETULIC interests and democratic righrs of the people of Ayresome by inactivity. Their responseto the Purvis growing activity of the NF has been to live the racist mire cl the fascists a stir themselves.

The goal of the Commutist

votes in the box' and will not be aimed

and actively building the local struggles, nor

ENETESCITES accountable to mee Ings of the working people of

9 March.

Unity has also Latiour and Compunist Par- approach

£83.30

Tbat makes us £83.70 nearer our t3.000 goal. In two weeks IN over €180 has come in to bolster the emergency appeal. At the

our normal fund drive is srill going strong

If we are to paint the Taclin

must arrive in the post. Thanks Tence Socialest

above water. The largest of tiese was for 275. Offer perishop with to The person canse into The share premises and left a sealed envelope for the paper. That we later discovered containod E75 in cash. To that supporter and all tbe Following our thanks:

1.00 40.00

20.00

2.00 6.00 2.00 75.00 Road, 15E.50

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_Ahroud: Airmail, £16.50. Surfuce, £10 per anaum.

I enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of

Complete and return tor

Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London NI.

Tom Robinson speaking at the 5.000-strong Gay News Delenc

demo last Salurday juat before he sang his top hit "Glad to be gay!

ties to have discussions with a view to avoid splitting the left and anti-fascist vote.

Sociulist Challenge urges all Done and eide Medica

actively participate in Socialist

Unity's campain leading up to

If you are for a fightback against labour's policies, I you are for alternative socialist WH SMITH

WE GO

made it into W.H. Smith. This Tellowed Smith's agreement te take socialist Challenge for two month cial period in 10 o its London brands.

Al the last moment we were infurmed that the paper would have to be libel read The first issue due to be taker by Seiths failed to get the go ahead from the libel lawyers. However las week's paper cleared the libel

the following Smith's SHASHCON. Brent Cross Shopping Centre, Char-

tion Road, Edgewure, Fiaebley

Cinders Kings Cross Railway Stacion, St. PanCheques, POs and Money Orders should be made payable to "Socialist Challenge".

measures 1o those of the Labour Goternment; if you want to help defear Malcolu Evata auld his fascist friends in Teeside, then you can help hy

donations. Howeser sinall, 1o: Alan Teashy, 41

Thoratree, Middlesbrugh Cleveland, offers effet ring tave Care information 000642 87699.

cras Railway Station, Finchley Road, South Hampstend, Vic torn Railway Station, Waterloo Railway Station.

For the bext seven weeks Sociulist Challenge wil available from these shops libel lawyers willing.

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