Labour Briefing no. 44

WAY

INSIDE: @ Election results, debate & ws

@ Interview: Terry French @Sinn Fein - our reply

@ Labour Party Conference resolutions

@ Your letters

THE

TO WIN!

By ERIC HEFFER, MP

Our successful campaign in Liverpool was run without help from the national organisation.

The nationally-appointed Secretary of the Liverpool Party was sent to the outlying marginals and had nothing to do with the elec: tion in the city, The rest of us were left on our own.

In the past, we've fought our campaigns on a city-wide basis, with all the constituencies working together. So | asked the Trades Council Secretary {a Party member, disqualified Councillor and exdockworker) if he would co-ordinate election activi in the City and he agreed.

Through him we called five or six city-wide press conferences, we organised city-wide car-cades, and at which myself and Arthur Scargill

a great rall were the main speakers.

We filled the Philharmonic Hall to capacity and collected £800 for the 47 surcharged Liverpool councillors, -

Liverpool saw Labour's best result, with an average swing in our favour of over 10%. In Walton, Eric Heffer scored a sensational triumph, with a swing of 11.5%. His majority increased from 14,000 to 23,000. The 34,000 votes cast for Eric were 15,000

more than the combined votes of

‘opponents.

In my own constituency we had three crowded public meetings and numerous unscheduled street meetings, all of which received a tremendous response from local people. Tony Benn visited myself, Terry Fields, and Lol Duffy, one of the workers jailed for taking part in the sit-in at Cammell Laird, who was attacked by Frank Field for his efforts — yet came within a couple of hundred votes of winning Wallasey from the Tories.

Our result is a vindication of what the Councillors have done and what the Liverpool Party has done. over the years. The Liberals harped on about my walking off the Conference platform in 1985. They mentioned it in all their literature. It had no effect.

On all of our leaflets we included an appeal to “Support the 47’ and | inserted a message of support for the stand of the Council in my election address.

People responded because they could see what Labour had done in Liverpool — the 5,000 new houses, the parks, the sports centres, the nursery schools. We kept down school meal prices and rents.

We fought on a working class, socialist basis. We did not dodge defence — it was one of the main themes of our rally. We're proud of our socialist efforts.

(Continued on page 2)

LABOUR— TAKE THE POWER!

| | . ; } j

Labour Briefing No. 44 June 24th July 5th 1987 page 2

General Election feature

This was the way to win!

Continued from front page integrate the social issues into class issues as & powerful force,

Some will pow sant to sesusctate the altack on the left

through constitutional sues

Nationally, the result is a major setback. In. London and the South we've (N0¥8h constitutional issue failed to secure the full Foiical ‘argument aot support of the working Seainst onc-person one vote a, Pita 3 go tap Biytohe Pay nebo es In these areas, the tetera spp doa he son razimatnd was dely Son. ers a: ean 8 Counter productive, mheress ponte Theion Se ane vo in Nomieciaey a: Surreemmpeiaee Tent Weer Nat Kin: tock spoke about finemployment and "the heise tee ee he orn ‘was good. itburean’” within a wid cult of the individual was frac Scplosss omic Seenive: Workers in Brit ening €1P veneers Bec lag ep raee Ae Pe ort eee re ge foot what we mend todo, Lene affce The Manifesto was watered, R= "at Paty conference down, Katempted dodge {25° — (09 many one the me is Tedman’s tax allowance, Saal deceuc” dchate is ee a

should say we will spend the v0" estat ‘it saying tas

linge that mat. 20% only in the constituencies Ses pa Wiles tat but also inthe trade union

‘Amore important change now being mooted is 2 change it the eharacter of the NEC. What they have in mind, I think. i th formation ‘of some" Kind of

ter to people. movement, where It is our job Good new people have how to rebuild @ serious, in entered the Pachamentary {elfigent ice

Labour Party, The Campaign "If" socialist positions on

Group has to bring these com: defence, unemployment, publ rades: together and develop ownership and the social ses ‘much more positively both in- are clear, then we don't have to side and outside parliament. think of crawling to" the

‘The old Tribune Group, for Liberals. The better elements alts faults, was an active force amongst them wit! come 10 us in Parliament, It took the ia- “It's happened before — after itlative on issue after issue. The the First World War, George Campaign Group has got to do Lansbury being the most the same, famous example. This to is be

"Now the election's over, no ing seen in Liverpool. today one can say we have anything fo where the Tory voters went 16 lose in coming forward with the Liberals and Liberal voters

“The real iswe of the election | that Wwe have to. get acrose ‘basi elass politics.

"We have’ to forge a unity of all the socialists i the move ‘neat who share this basic class position around a minimum Programme —"a basic set of {eas — and then go out and say this is what we Believe in, this the only way forward for the working class. It will be dit ffeult. We have 101 to involve

polices. We have to argue Tor ‘what I call the social issues as part and parcel of a clas Drogramme

‘We need to spend time think ing. We need to. analyse the results, Of course, we go on ‘campaigning, but we lick our campaigns to the Strugsles of ‘working people.

The best recent period for Labour was during the miners” stcike, when we won treme:

ous support and would have the widest possible forces won even more ifthe leadership around this. But we have 10 had ven unqualified backing remember that as longa

{othe miners. The strike also demonstrated how i's possible

Capitalism exists class strugsle ‘vt be a realty

Tories trounced in Wales

‘The Tories were trounced in Wales with swings to Labour of over 10% in many seats. Labour won three key South Wales constituencies — Cardiff West, Newport West and Brigend. In addition, the North Wales seat of Ynys Mon {held prior to his resignation by Tory Keith Best) went to Plaid Cymru

Polls were high everywhere. Even in the valleys, constituencies where huge Labour majorities are so taken for granted that many people don’t bother to vote, over 75% of the electorate voted, The result Was majorities of over 20,000 throughout the valleys and over 30,000 in the Rhondda as people came out in force to register their protest against the devastation which Thatcherism has brought to Wales.

Labour also did well in the marginals. In Cardiff Central, singled out by the BBC as the seat Labour hhad to win to oust the Tories from government, the Tory majority was reduced to 2,000. Labour was in second place — a distinct improvement on 1983 when we came a poor third

Here the Alliance vote was a major factor. They polled over 12,000 votes, thus depriving Labour of victory and ensuring Cardiff Central returned a Tory MP despite a massive vote against him. Labour's low key, lacklustre campaign in this constituency, in particular its failure to take on the Alliance, Contributed to the Tory’s success.

In Cardiff West a far more enthusiastic campsign unseated well known local Tory maverick Stephen Terieski. Terleski did not accept defeat gracefully. He enlivened proceedings at the count by throwing > tantrum when the result was announced

Stevi Jackson, Carditt

Results in

Constitutional crisis looms!

‘Doomsday scenario out simplistic. __ physical haunts Rifkind” stated disruption of Parliament” The Scotsman after Such'2 position will not be #0

easy 19 maintain ae it was after Labour won 50 of the 72 £35112 maintain

Scottish Parliamentary “"h2°SSorust, National Party

seats. immediately challenged Scottish Malcolm Rifkind, Labour to decide "whether it Secretary of State for 2 Unionist Party or a Scottish

Party" They charged Labour swith doing nothing ater the last

Scotland, had seen Tory hheld seats cut from 21 to a mere 10 and was perhaps relieved to hold onto as

By Rowland Sheret

‘many 2s that. - tance His predecessor at the Scottish Labour Briefing ‘Scottish’ Office, Defence

‘The defeat of Gordon Wilson in Dundee and the retirement of Donald Stewart, whose former Western Isles seat war ako won NNot only the Tories lost 10 by the Labour Party, weakens Labour, Roy Jenkins lost 10 the. Scotinh Nanional Party Labour's George Galloway in right wing leadership. Among. Glasgow Hillhead and Gordon the 3 new MPs they had elected Wilson, leader of the Scottish was Alex Salmond, Banff and National Party. lost to Joho Buchan, who represents no MeAllison in Dundee left now growing in the SNP. ‘Labour Plans Resistance" Only 3 women were elected 10 Campaign” was the headline in Parliament in Scotland — there the Glasgow Herald. Campbell ere only 2 im. the. previous Christie, General Secretary of Parliament. All three arc newly the Scottish TUC, was calling elected although Margaret,

Secretary George Younger, hhad just scraped through in Ayr with 2 majority of 182.

for a co-ordinaicd ani Ewing ofthe | SNP wat Conservative ‘ampalgn previously. there. as Margaret involving Labour MPs. focal Bain before loring her seat in ‘authorities and trade unions. 1983. Maria Fyffe, lected for

Scotland's constitutional crisis has now arrived

In the UK the Conservative Party are back in power wi 315 of the 650" seats in Parliament aad 42% of the votes cast-a Scotland they held TO of the 72 seats and 24% of the votes ca.

Laboor in Glasgow Maryhill, is 2 well Keown local councillor ‘and a member of the Scottish Executive of the Labour Party

‘Ray Michie was elected as a Liberal Alliance candidate in Seat gained from the Tories in Argyll & Buc. This scat includes Rothesay — delegates Denis Canavan, Labour MP to Labour Women’s Conference for Falkirk West, had raised the may be interexted to note. possibilty of just “such a The 1987 Parliamentary Scenario prior tO the General Election has brought no Election. ‘He demanded then, solutions "for Scottand's that whatever the outcome of unemployed, forthe Caterpillar the election, Labour MPs in workers nor for the sacked ‘Scotland should proceed witha miners. The cris’ of the BI for a Seouish Assembly. Scottish economy continves. It This question mow confronts is time now for the Scottish Labour's $0 MPS in Scotland. Labour movement {0 act

The election of George The ‘community. charge Galloway, a strong supporter of* Scotland's poll tax, is the fri the Scottish Assembly, will challenge 0 be faced from a

sirengthengbe camp of those new Thatcher government. Cay MPs. realif to take acti the labour movement make it Donald Dewar, Labour's ‘Will renewed

Shadow Scottish Secretary, has never been a supporter of

on. The day the election ‘were announced he ruled

decation and housing be more ‘effectively opposed this. time? Gan closures and redundancies

Scotland

Dewar

bbe opposed? Can Guinness be

base their headquarters in Scotland? Will amass campaign for a. Scottish “Assembly” be mounted?

The ‘Scottish CLPs, Labour Panty branches, and trade union branches have much to discus in the coming. months.

otland’s voice isto be heard

as a challenge to Thatcherism, thea they must-agt. Hand in hhand with this will go the necd to continue’ the “Tight "for democracy and equality in the Labour Party. One woman MP. cout o Titty slong way short Sf the minimum of twenty live that should have been returned to Parliament to fight Cabours

Stop press: The Executive of the Scottish Counc of the Labour Party meeting. 8 few days after the Geaion put the creation ol a Scouish "Assembly and the Scrapping of the proposed community charge top. of the demands they will raise with Malcolm Rifkind, Secretary of State for Scolland. Scottish Labour MPs will also seck Srop farther privatisation measures in Scotland and. 10 increase funding for heath and slucation

An Assembly bill will be

presented to parliament after the Summer recess, A. Programme “of action both Inside and outside pariament planned, An all-party mass rally full be held af Glasgow Green on Aupust 29th

Bill” Speirs, Chair of the Scottish “executive, said) that with only 10") MPS the

Conservatives would find i impossible to run Scotland "The Labour Party is determined thatthe ‘isles on ‘which we fought and won the lection remain before both the Scoush people sind the

Gerry Adams re-elected

‘One of the few good Adams increased his results of the election, share of the vote over the along with the result in ‘83 result

Scotland, Wales andthe jj. was

orth, is the re-election decpite “The ““uacied Of Sinn Fein's Gerry Smourt of rescues

Adams in Belfast West. which the SDLP put into

3 2 : $

their (very dirty) campaign; despite the fact that the constitutional nationalist vote was not split between two candidates as it was in 1983, when Gerry. Fitt

By Jean Reilly

stood as an independent and Joe Henderson stood as the SDLP candidate; and despite the call by the so-called Republican ‘Sinn Fein for abstention.

Adams’ majority was reduc ed but this is clearly due to the Fact thet, with Lord Fit out of tho way, the “moderate na. trated on the SDLP candidete, Henarom

However, while the resut in West” Bellest is heartening, Sinn Foin’s overall position ih the 6 Counties = not. so fered'a reduction in its vote over the 17 constituencies that make up the 6 Counties. There was also a marked difference in the votes won in the rural areas a5 opposed to the Sinn Fein did better. Ind ton, the SDLP now hes 3

MPs, where it had one in the last parliament

This situation can be blamed partly on tactical voting "sa Tlonatists “votes. "tactically against Enoch Powell and Barty. though only marginally, En the all for abstention by which has greater Support in the rural areas

However, the main reason is precisely the reason which ted

Sinn Fein to. drop’ abster lionism at the last Ard Fos That's, the lack of a poltical Drogramme and. atrot which can win working. eee Rationalists to" «pasty which fepresents. their” economic, poles! and: national ape tions. In other words, the limited evelopment of class politics within Sinn Fein the Feason for this poor result

leary. there isan awareness of this mong the ieadership of Sinn Fein ond tne activists based in Belfast and

Derry. No doubt discussions ate taking place even now to Imave the party further in this

itection in continuation of heathy” ond. necessary evelopment which has best

{aking place over the past evr

years

PHOTO: John Cha

Labour Briefing No. 44 June 24h-uly 5th 1987 page 3

General Election feature — Editorial

BRIEFING Stand firm — fight back!

The same story ran right upto _The resol: while hundreds of _Yet the fact is that let wing grotesque spectacle of the the Election wiih Giles Radice thousands more workers were policies cam win oul against Labour and trade union tiying 10 squash the teachers’ Sayed to vote Labour by their fierce media “witch-hunts, as ureaveracy cashing in on ‘Srikes, Labour efforts to experience of pov Candidates showed with major setback to the working

Nobody will have worked harder than Briefing supporters for a Labour

victory: and none will be Sonipone “the Chil. Service unemployment, and dereliction cffective campaigns that did mot class to cary through their Own, more dismayed at the Hikes and voions insrocting of dustry and sites in Wales, have aces fo our FY, scesens cynical manoeuvres aginst the aalraphie ‘Setworkers and sections of the "North and Scotland, a — in Liverpool, Bradford, left

catastropt defeat postal workers not fo strike over professional but ultimately Coventry and several London The working class will once

inflicted yet again by the Tories.

‘With more hand-outs already in the pipeline for the rich, Thatcher will use her renewed mandate to press home more brutal attacks on the whole working class: the result isa defeat for us all.

Yet to look at the press attitude to Neil Kini

Ineffective Labour campaign consituencs. Labour's vole mm again shoulder the burden of failed to dent the overall Tory London went upoveral, hough Kinnock's failure: lacking @ Share of the vote, cyen afier held back above all by the leadership with any class ight brutal gears of cus unpopular rate increases vied commitment they will come housing. heli, schools social by arfrom ie wing coueis in under the hammer ofa ruthless sccuriy, pensions, local Ealing, Hammersmith and Tory leadership, tually fovernment, jobs and wages. Waltham Fores), Committed 10 the interests of Ti should’ come. ai. lle "These embarrassing facts will capital

surprise that despite this pot stop a new witchshunt as Housing — already ravaged disastrous "result. Kinnock’s Kinnock and his covhiniers by cut affer_ cu in local

seek to cover their tracks and government spending — is @ exploit the defeat they helped major target area for ane Greate, No sooner was the Tory wate. of Tory attacks. Local Sictory cera than Kinnock authority workers face a fresh

might even belive 1 Shncunced that his scheme for onslaught, with the revival of Election result had go stoping wp the abou Party pans 10 impo compulony other way. Every, leader was relly a teneur scheme, tendering and. Mass Le ceaer a nd thatthe work would go on! privatisation, "Education

‘writer and commentator is

ise for his personal

in the campaign.

successes" like ‘that, who needs failures?

The 100-seat_ General

Election defeat is second

Already plans for reversing the Services face an all-round democratic reforms of (980and —atiack, with the creation under 1981 are being dusted down for ‘Thatcher's plans of a new {Wo~ this year's conference. tier system, and teturn of

For our part, Briefing selection. And a new iceberg of supportes have no reason te cuts arising from cash limits on rene the views we put forward the NHS is about to, wreck only to Michael Foot's before. the campaign began, hospital services in whole areas dismal 1983 fiasco as. the PMStmudze Aino pan'as ot London and ther puts of Filion. Geman There f no reason to believe

Labour's share of the vote, =a 2 that workers will take these despite the razzamatazz and ; 3 ‘ 4 attacks Ising down: certainly the TWihype, was up only 3 per mis ; Side a the et cent ce . {our governments ven ess

’AS dreams of a returned Sonning now than eet Labour goverament have Y Before, ‘There ill be, new been share, the prospect - areas, so Saami

arrogant Tory’ onslaught is coupled with the» near certainty that Kinnock and his team will now exploit the situation to step up their witch-hunt of the left

The only small consolation was the election of Tour black MPs\and the Labour gains in Wales, the” indusrialNocth (especially Liverpool) and Sconland: in particular we propaganda many were pleased Should. note fhe increased To heat even occasional, belated their grievances nil afer June majorities for candidates echoes of a popular ‘note in 1th ispelated with the hard left Kinnock's "appeals ‘against | The disappearance of all but GEne Hetfer, Jeremy Corbyn) privilege; but even this was the extreme right wing union ind’ Militant (Dave Nellis, Growned out by Hattersley’s leaders from Labour's election Teny Fields, and: Pat Wall's tinkering economic polices, platforms and the ragring of sain in Bradford) tehich were ttle more than Arthur Scargill ao. helped

Tl i no surprise that in four moralisic appeals for the Kinnock avo drawing any short weeks, of campalyiing etler-off workers 1 make class lines — and presented 2 Tabour's leaders” found it sacrifices 10. help. those’ less bland, <lassiess. face offering impossible to clay back the fortunate, Not oaly did this litle perspective tothe sceptical

Tory lead, Neil Kinnock was needlessly alienate the Detter’ and frustrated millions of feaping the ‘consequences of paid, but it offered nolead at all claimants, pensioners and low: Tour. wasted years in which he to theunemployed, the low-paid paid workers.

has focussed more fice against andthe pensioners'— who areat "The Election was of course Bir Own left than against the rock bottom already and jo no polarised between the two main Tory enemy. position to. make sacrifices, partes. But though the drop of

“There i nobody to blame for What use are "million jobs” the Alliance vote was enough {0

Labour's Tallore but Neil (0 black south from the inner reduce the Gang of Four to the Kinnock and his kitchen cabinet cites? Will they be amongst the Gang of One, and to wipe out teams They have insisted on workers who get them? the Davide" dreams of emerging

policies and they The real question to be ka second place, it was nowhere fstly excluded us om answered i: did all che media near’ enough io. prevent the ‘every sae. Stunts succeed in mobilising the Alliance once more playing is

the USA have shown thal they and mobilise these forces: SF tax cuts, privatiation hand- shooting themaclves of theit points with wellworked —organise"a' principled socalist

brea

ic dictatorship. from —Thatcherism. They betrayed the and order. Oa none’ of thee mote “unpopular” —policis, Labour Party 10 such a Thatchetism th sane i icherism there can be only

than 19837 and Lambeth in the back: and instead its leaders echoed and against the Left — especially the resignation: instead we sce — :

years -of = empty Labour ~ repeal Tory ant-union Tass” positions Condon ——e

ly than before. with the

Labour Briefing No. 44 June D4th-Huly 5th 1987 page 4

General Election feature

Success belongs

to socialists!

‘One of the best results for Labour in London was in Islington North, where Left MP Jeremy Corbyn, singled ‘out for repeated attack in the national and local ia, doubled his

majority to just under 10,000, increased the total Labour vote by over a third, and mobilised 2 swing of some 5% from the SDP. How did they do it?

special letter ccanslated into Greek, Turkish, Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil, Gujerati, and Hindi. We organised a ‘number of public meetings. At one I spoke with Tony Benn and. at another — jointly organised by the CLP Black and Turkish Sections

Twas joined by Bernie Grant_and other speakers from Cyprus, Turkey, India and elsewhere

Our campaign in Isl- By Jeremy Corbyn, MP ington North aimed to

mobilise all the people who have been most af

fected by the ravages of ‘Thatcherism. At no time did we apologise in any way for the views of either myself or the North Islington party.

We delivered a speci leaflet tothe Irish commu ty. Indeed, the SDP and Tory attacks on my support Chilean Socialist Party’ and for British withdrawal from the Union of Turkish Ireland led many local Irish Workers. All this went hand people — not Party in hand with immense hard members — to join our eam- work by the Party itself paign. Nearly the whole Throughout the campaign Irish community in the con- we were subject to media at stitueney voted Labour. tack. On polling day The

We also. organised a Sun ran an editorial calling

Leaflets on women, health and transport were com plemented by a special letter fo pensioners. Throughout the campaign, we received active support from numerous pensioners’ groups. Help also came From a number of interna: tional groups based in the area, including the Tamil Refugee Action Group, the

E. Midlands

The results for Labour in the East Midlands were affected by a number of factors not present in other areas of the country.

In Nottinghamshire, the UDM extended its strikebreaking role to the electoral plane by on its members not to vote Labour only two days before the election.

This provoked a public row within its own ranks. ‘As a result, in Mansfield, former Campaign Group Secretary, Alan Meale, scraped home with @ majority of only 56

Despite attempts to presert a new moderate Image, Meale was disowned by former MP Don Coneannan who said he ‘wouldn't vote for him (what action against him? and was opposed by “Moderate about Party” and UDM member Brian Marshall

‘While Marshall polled 1,600 vates i appears thet the majority of UM members in Mansfield stayed atleast eloctorally ioyal to theie class and voted Labour

“This war not son Sherwood, the saat with the highest but rapidly decreasing number of pits in the country

HARLEM

‘A poem written by Langston Hughes, Black American post, who died in 1967

By Rick Simon Nottingham East CLP

where Tory Andy Stewart increased his majority from just over 600 to more than 44,000.

Tn Nottingham East, the ‘major influence on the Sutcome was the NEC's Femoval of Sharon Atkins 2 PPC. While imposed Candidate Mohammad Atom Feduced the Tory majonty to Just over 400, there is ‘oubt that hed Sharon been PPC she would now be in ‘Westminster

‘Aslam’s campaign was totally lacklustre and lack. polities. Reports indicate that Rumbers inthe AtroCaribbean community refuses te vate for him and many etivists refused to work for him, and joined the neighbouring campaign of

‘Damnation Alan Simpson.

“This much more high profile and enthusiastic Sampaign succooded in ‘reducing 9 8,000 Tory, majority to just over 2.000,

The almost unreriting gicom was relieved only by the recapture of Nottingham North, Leicester South and Ucester East. whore Black ‘Sections supporter. Keith Vaz, was retuned with 8 2,000 ma}

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up like @ raisin in the sun?

Or fester like '@ sore —

and then run?

Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over — like @ syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags like'a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

fon the voters of North Is!- ington to do anything but vote Labour.

Islington North borders con several marginal const: tuencies and our members ‘were active in supporting the campaigns there. On polling day we sent some one hundred- members t0 Islington South to help get the Labour vote out — and ensure the return of Chris Smith as MP.

‘Our success was based on ‘our work over the last four years as a campaigning Party. T have spent over 200 Sundays with Party ‘members calling on people fon Council estates and elsewhere, taking up pro: lems and campaigning on

political issues suchas Privatisation, health cuts, pensions, nuclear power,

and the transport of nuclear ‘waste through the Borough. The Party must realise that two thirds of the electorate have made up their minds how they're going {0 vote ‘before the election campaign starts. Far too litle work is done between one polling day and the next.

In the course of the campaign class issues — particularly around the bealth service — were raised at last, ‘but for the past few years the ‘ational leadership has been far too obsessed with expelling people from the Party rather than recruiting people toit.

Reactions on the doorstep show that the labels bung on people like myself have little effect, Far more decisive are ur aititudes towards housing, jobs, race relations, care Of the elderly, et.

The West Midlands has long been an area where all that is rotten about the Labour Party is clearly on view. The urgent need to overturn the right wing's control was shown graphically by the election result.

‘There was a complete {ailure to match the swing to the Labour Party that ‘occured in the North. Scotland and Wales. A few per cent was all they could manage, in spite of their grovelling pursuit of the “middle ground vote"

“The media highlighted the slightly increased majority of Hettersiey in Sparkbrook, Birmingham. They failed to point out however, that this came from a swing to the SDP from the Tones — and the result from Coventry SE, where Dave Nelist. 2 Mirtant supporter

Uabour from the To ‘Andrew Faulds, for Warley East, dectared 1 "Any lofi that turns up in the Committee Rooms during the campaign wil got booted ut of the Party”. True. he achieved 2 3.8% swing from the SDP to Labour ~ but ths twas in 2 sohd working class ‘Compare this to the result in Birmingham Edgbaston. 2 heartiand of the Tones. The

Jeremy Carbyn and fa part of?) the Islington North campaign team!

We need to go on the offensive. We now have 10 mobilise people not only against the Tory govern ‘ment, not only in defence of living standards, local ‘authorities, and soon — but Sor socialism.

How do we do this? First, we mast win the Party 10 withdrawal from NATO. A defence policy which calls for unilateral nuclear disarmament while still acting as if the Cold War isin full swing is untenable,

Secondly, an economic policy which promises zrowth but fails to offer any clear means of controlling the country's major industeies and financial institutions will remain unconvincing. These twa key areas Of policy should be joined ‘with continuous campaigning on health, social secunty, housing and poverty.

The next four years will probably sec unprecedented

By Birmingham Labour Briefing supporters

Labour PPC, a Briefing ‘supporter, achieved 2 S% ‘swing from the Tories to Lebour. A strong campaign in Ledywrood boosted Clare Shorts majonty

‘Pride of place has t0 go 10 John (ex-iSpetar, the EETPU Labour Party candidate for Northieig, an area which {takes in the Longbridge Complex and is hardly known forte middie class atfluonce He achieved @ 0.34% swing ‘away from the Labour Party to the Tories — ond so lost this portant marginal. Nice ‘one John!

‘Overall, there was little ‘change in the number of ‘Seats, except of course for ‘generously handing back one {of the Wolverhampton seats, to the Tones:

We could go on. itis true nat some moderate

andidates gained a litte Ground at the expense of the

and everything 10 ‘tea. We need to go on the Offensive and turn the Labout Party outwards and by radical campaigning end this rightist mecton,

The local Labour leadershio makes Kinnock look 3 pinko. They have nothing to offer: it I$ time for them fo 90.

lass warfare in this country. ‘An ever more arrogant Tory

ly a class divide, Our polities in the future must be shaped

government will seck to by that understanding. destroy trade unions and Many MPs labelled. ex- ‘whole industries. Their treme by the popular media candy-floss economy will had astoundingly good soon wilt, and economic results. Chris Mullin in hardship will descend on Sunderland, Par Wall in many people hitherto pro- Bradford, all the results in

Liverpool, show that. sup: port is forthcoming For can. didates prepared to stand up and campaign on. socialist Policies. Theirs is the example to fallow.

tected from it

Like other people I've been studying the election resulis and looking for the patterns. The apparent north-south divide is actual-

Anti-nuclear policy

The Financial Times commenting on Labour's Manifesto spoke of the ant nuclear policy: “It has been toned down to

By Dave Spencer Coventry Labour

Briefing

matters or even natural

the point where it is human fey — on area pees, oe sroouetc But even this whingeing ete shadow of a policy did not

Apologetic, please note. not to the Russians as the Gutter press shrieked, but 10 US Finance and to the NATO generals.

First, we had to endure the embarrassing spectacle of Neil and Dennis crawling to Reagan in Washington for 2 20 minute interview where they did not even mention nuclear disermament but assured the President of thei unswerving loyalty

During the General Election campaign. the whole mora! power of CNO's case against instead we gota mudcled dofence tacts where loyalty fe NATO and a massive fay question of the insanity nd waste of nuclear escalation.

No slogans were raised to cut defence spending tnternationaly to cure ‘Unemployment and to tackle ‘Thira Word poverty. The Insulated from any fink with

Satisfy the Tory press it was attacked as though it (Were the real thing. So we got the worst of ail worlds,

"The public did not get any clear and convincing Srquments for unlateral uclear disaramament, and there wae talk about the defence policy losing Labour the election, the British people not being ready for Such radicalism and 80 on Strange that in both 1964 tnd 1974 the Labour Party won the election with a policy of unilateral nuclear disarmament — promptly ‘gnored by Harold Wilson and Bavid Owen of course. ‘Strange too that the Alliance had the policy which our erties seem to approve of — Sand who voted for them?

It should be clear that the spint of Conterence decisions tnd of the peace movement was in no may expressed uring the election campaign, should a's be clear that the only reason that the right ‘wang 89 Far have nat openly Dppased the policy Is because they feared hordes of CNDers jaining the Party fo deselect them — at the, same time they sabotage any ‘move or cammpaiga 10 ‘promote the policy

Brighton Labour Briefing

After the election, which way forward for socialists? DEBATE John Molyneux (SWP) Jane Kelly (Labour Briefing)

Weds. July 1st, 8pm Unemployed Centre, Tilbury Place, Carlton Hill, Brighton

Labour Briefing No. 44 June 24th-July Sth 1987 page 5

General Election feature

Election images of women

Men never seem to

learn!

There was a wonderful typographical error in The Guardian on Saturday June 13th, which brought a ray of light into the otherwise dismal gloom of the election results.

It showed, under the heading “Women MPs set record", that 141 women MPs had been clected: 121 Tories, 17 Labour, 1 SDP, 1 Liberal and 1 SNI

Even though the 121 were Tories it would have been a ‘great result for women —

By Mandy Moore Member, National Labour Women’s Committee

but of course it wasn’t true The real total was only 41 — 6.3% of the overall number.

have the awful feeling given

these figures demo shall be long gone before ‘wonten see the equal Fepresentalion we should have in’ parliament whether it be in the Tory Party oF the Labour Pany.

‘Ome of the worst aspects of i allie that the Labour total i= proportionately only’ slighty better than the Tory. It should be streets ahead. How can we expect to convince women that the Labour Paety is the Party for "them when most constituencies with safe Seats Sill think that only a minority Of the population (men) can be Mes?

The Party was supposedly targetting women during the campaign. ‘Of all the. major arties we had the best manifesto” commitments and polices for women, indesd the Party's research showed that the Women's Ministry had overwhelming support from

‘Yet what happened? The Women's Minty was launched” at a press

conference right “at "the beginning of the campaign never (a be mentioned again Was as if the Party had a chore’ to" perform which i ‘wanted to got out ofthe may as ‘Quickly as possible so. that it ould get on with the real business of the election. Ax 3 consequence the Women’s Minisiry and women’s policies seneraly “had litle’ coverage

We never even began to get across (0 significant numbers of ‘Women what our policies could mean for them or how they ‘would teanstorm ther ives,

‘Why was this? There were a umber” of faults with the Campaign one of which was the overemphasis on personalities instead of positive polices, and the major problem the Party has when preseating the leadership fof the Party (in ts widest sense) I that there ate no women involved

“There may have been a poticy fof "atleast one woman on every platform’” and it was usualy ne — but these women were Sppendages, ‘never the main spokespeople." The ‘only ‘exception was the Women's Minstry Press. Conference, then the “electorate saw a homer of Labour Women — after that it was men, men, men,

Ii contrast to us both the Alliance with Shirley Willams fand'the Tories with Margaret Thatcher had women visibly in the leadership of their respective Parties. Not so Labour. Indeed the image of women ‘coming across most strongly from the abou Party throvghout the campaign was the "dunifl wife ‘and mother" image in the guise ‘OF Glenys Kinnock.

This election more than any other was notable For showing all three mate Party leaders bur Kinnock more than any — hawking around. their wives (presumably to show ‘what ‘macho, hetro men they are.

7 lot of nonsense is tatked about the “conservatism” of ‘women — usually by men. The vidence actually shows thatthe Proportions of men and women Supporting botk Labour and the Tories is roughly the same. In fact more women voted Labour than men: women 34%, men 318s, Percentages forthe Tories were: women 45%, men, 407 and for the Alliance: women 3isp, men, 25%, However, we inave tort more women's votes than men's since 1979 and we fare not regaining them in the Same numbers av we are men’.

"The Labour Party only made a half-hearted attempt, if that fo target women. Ircerainly dd fot preduce the number of tomen candidates in winmable Seats that i should have, and i managed 10 hide so much good policy that could have won us ‘racial votes. The Labour Party Should be the natural home of women. It won't be, however, Until the Parts": male chauvinis image and. ethos is. radically changed. Men never seem (0

The election of four Black MPs means that for the first time Black people in this country will have people representing their interests politically.

Even if the MPs don't represent specific Black interests it is stil important for Black people to know that there are other Black people there, in

For us, as socialists, it begins to show thet when we talk about equal opportunities, when we talk about minority rights, it's not just words. it means something in practice.

Of course, there are also drawbacks. There's gong t bbe a backlosh, Racism wil be toused in tesponse to seeing Bisck people in positions of leadership

The Black MPs cannot act in isolation. They have to fee! the temperature outside and 90 where the Black commurty Semands they go. Many of these demands will be" ne

Is not been long in

“London Effect refers primarily to" Black Sections and lesbian and gay rights. Bitter defeats can unfortunately lead to witch. hunts.

Homever. just before the elec tiog, Labour's debate oa lesbian and ay rights (ook a Significant ep forward. The leadership desided 10 pie exphit support toa hil bere ant disci nation postion. There was one ‘drawback: this sopport was i pity coun MP), writing just before the lection, argued that “our com fmiment 10 equality has becom: Saiy clouded by all sorts of ex ieaacouy thetbrc: postures. and

es: and these have served (0 alienate many of those who sould probably otherwise have accepted the need to eradicate

By Martha Osamor Deputy Leader, Haringey Council

onal, but many others will be intemations!

‘South Africa will be on the ‘agenda. The Third World will bbe on the agenda. AIDS and how its being used will be on ‘the agenda. Immigration will bbe on the agends.

Within the Party the position of Black Sections “and the ‘Question of equal p00" unites wal be raised again.

Black MPS wil be working doubly hard. They will ave to eat with alt the ‘seuss that ‘other MPs have to deal with ‘Snd all those issues raises by the Black community 2s wel Black people will have high ex Dectations of them,

The national campaign was conducted in such 2 way that we had to adapt it to suit the feeds and interests of fora fpreas and the demands of Bisck people in those areas, The campaign was narrowed down so mach that it 2 it feult te say that actually sdaress those needs and Semands

By Sarah Roelofs Hornsey & Wood Green Labour Party

discrimination (new Statesman. $6.87)

Exactly what Chris means by

xivancous etoric, gestures, and issues” he never explains Presumably he is referring to Haringey's commitment — (0 positive images of lesbians ed 23s in its education service and {o Ealing's former commitment to lesbian and ea) relationships being. equally as valid as heterosexual one.

‘Chris acknowledaes that “there is profound discrimi tion agains lesbians and 225 men", Bat the nearest we get £0 ‘rts this should be 50 that lev Bian and gas opprenion fae

This fsa statement of truth, fas the advantage of avoiding ‘any relerence 10 heterosexisan and thereby to. the discriminatory promotion of hheterosewality in our society ‘The problem is thus quite simple © there are some poopie ‘sho happen to have a different

CND leadership and the election

Silence on disarmament

ison, “wil not be indepen: ent. will not be British and ‘wil not deter

During the General Election campaign, the CND leadership stayed silent and let Kinnock run the show.

‘As with ‘the TUC leader ship, there must have been an agreement with the Labour Party to do so.

Instead of using the op. portunity to campaign for END policies and recruit ew supporters, they allowed Kinnock "to. talk nonsense about NATO and conventional arms as though it were a real anti nuclear policy. And the electorate rejected it.

This opportunist. tendency by the END bureaucracy to Kowtow 0 the Labour Party has always weakened the movement. in” November

By Dave Spencer

+Coventry Labour

Briefing

1964, after Labour's victory, Samnty’s edttonal commented

itsin has gone with Labour. It has gone moreover ‘with a Labour Party. which laughed derisivaly at the Con servatives’ declared intention to. continue —bullng an. i dependent British» nwscleat Geterrent which, said Harold

Ir then went on to discuss the new Labour government’ ‘options and conduded ‘Harold Wilson has appointed 3 Minister for Disar mament “with Cabinet rank Alun ‘Gwynne-Jones. He has ‘Soponted as Betomn's Spokesperson at the UN Sir Hugh Foot. These are indica tions that Labour takes dear mament and its place in the world” senously. But ‘no government can de two Rorses. at once in opposite Sirections. NATO is tobe the Sheetanchor of Labour's foroign policy a2 Patrick Gor

don Walker says, Gwynne “jones and Fost” wil find ihemseives in phantom jobs, 3 prestige facsde covering the Some old crumbling interior if en" the. other hand. Harald Wison means business with these ‘Sppontments, that Sheet anchor wil Nave to ge

tt concluded by stating that the ‘ask for END. and ‘the ‘whole ofthe Lat the com IRgimonihe must be Te put the most searching spotight on the NATO alliance” xe

Twenty-three years tater thes task stil remains. This fone reason why the Tories ‘won the election. The CND leadership's stance did not help.

Black MPs raise new expectations

Martha Osamor, Deputy Leader, Haringey Council

The planned Civil Rights civil rights March from Broadwater Farm Ordinary working _ people in October should be given the and Black people have had @ full support of the Labour Par lot taken away trom them in ty. it raises many of the thelast ton years ~ nationally demands we az socialists are and internationally. Individual Goncemed about. The Labour nights and collective. rights Party must play a latge role in have been attacked, The time ‘the movement which wil be has come for us to take stock Isunched from the March and and say that enough is which we hope will ationg last enough is 2 limit to Give some kind of unified voice what you Zen give up ~ after foal those fighting for their that. you have nothing left

Don’t dither: fight

heterosexism!

1nd they obviously equal validity campaigns is ex

sexuality Shouldn't “be "discriminated clusively involved in these deninst because of Civil liber- sues, bur the initial point is tes for this "aiffereat” group is important

OK. but” raising sues that "We Obsiously need 10 build challenge heterosexism soul of support rather than alinate order Moreover, the Positive Images

‘Somewhat surprisingly given campaign in Haringey has been the resent stance of its editor very ential ofall fo were in

‘ohn Lloyd ascxempliied in his italy. involved. — including contribution to the infamous themselves — in implementing London Programme) a recopni- the issue

tion of an clement of the The local Labour Parties, in

discrimination appeared ina particular, whose Manifesto New Storesman editorial the policy it was, were totaly ‘un “cartele. It prepared or the “homophobic

‘fead and racist backlash. There wis “heterosexual” family") aud no campaigning strategy to ox argued that it “has been used, plain the wiys and wherefores Sith spectacular’ success {othe whole local community — Scums, By the Labour Party for to community. groups, TAS, lectoral purposes” teachers, parents. etc This refers to the promotion The.” Council who had cof Kinnock’s nice, clean family adopted the Manifest dithered se It pointed ovt that this defensively. for months while romotion appears to" accept trying desperatly to. backped hat" large feason for cccting dle. ‘The media of course were 3 party i because ils leader ss having’ field-dlay. Out on the fortunate in his marriage steels neo-fascism was worm Ti also argwed that “ihere ap- ing ils way. into. hearts. and pears to. be no. empirical minds courtesy “of “the local Evidence for correlating apolit- Tories who. were orchestrating Gan‘seffectiveness inoffige and the “opposition ‘by playing. ot his or her sexual orientation. people's fears and ignorance The public interest is thas not Irs bit mean, in his situation, served. by eveations which to blame the policy inell and have no Bearing on democratic those atempling 10 support i hove OF course it matters howe an ‘Orone could also add by pro- issue is raised, but Chries sep

by step approach appears 10 he candidate make civil hberies a positive

motions of Soch as whether

has aphotofit family or even step. and positive images a has a family at all hegative one. Sip by step seems ‘Another example from the to be step Fersus step lection campaign was Labour's Asthe pressure of "London “boy meets girl" newspaper ad, Effect post-moriem builds up, with said boy using the rather this argument could develop in Corny fine of offering to carry 10.2 nasty case of divide and Said gir'sschoolbooks. The irl rule. “Sensible” and “respec: Sadly says that she has no books table" lesbian and. gay Tights due 10 education cuts — was supporters are Set agalnst the this the end of a. beaviifel “loom heterosexual romance? “There needs 10 be a united To rewurn toChris Smith's ar- campaign in support of all our ticle he advances another lesbian and gay rights policies lism of some lesbian and coupled with a” coating 3) rights activists. They go too debate and discussion om the fast. Weshould advance step by issue, the policies and the best ‘ep. We should take people way io win support for them vwith us rather than alienating Labour’ Briefing could take them, the ‘lead with & day-school We should not give he im- covering all" aspects. of the

pression that we wish to fight on debate, but to" be effective i lesbian and gay rights instead of would have 10 be organised by the Bread and butter issues of Briefing centrally and not left 10 unemployment, health and Briefing lesbian and gay tsducation. None of those who supporters.

Support postive

Labour Briefing No. 44 June 24th-July 5th 1987 page 6

Building Briefing

Well, comrades, it just goes to show that it pays to be in at the

The winner of this issue's 500 Club draw has come out as no. 001 — S. Smith of Brighton. Congratulations, S., and who says the South never wins anything, eh?

Meanwhile, Briefing is staring with awe at the Political tasks facing us. Aswell as a whole host of union conferences, there's what is for us one of ‘the major regional Labour Party Conferences coming up (London), there's the AGM, and a London-wide meeting on local government. Beyond that, it will soon be time for Annual Labour Party Conference again...

Hf we are to meet the challenge posed by the election result — not only to be part of but also to lead the fightback of the left — we will need the resources to do it. Supporters have been taking it a bit easy during the election campaign — now is the time to get cracking! Specifically, crack those cheque books open, crack open those piggy banks, and send us paper money. donations and standing orders to the 500 Club!

Together we can win — join us in the fight!

SUBSCRIBE TO BRIEFING

Make sure of your copy of the fortnightly Labour Briefing. For an annual subscription send £12 to Labour Briefing, PO Box 457, London SW2 5UZ (cheques, etc., payable to Labour Briefing).

Name

Address

Briefing AGM Saturday July 4th at Polytechnic of Central London Marylebone Road

(Baker St tube)

Admission by Briefing supporters card: available on request to shareholders in the 500 Supporters Club or on payment of £10 (waged) £3 (unwaged)

(cheques payable to Labour Briefing) from: PO Box 457, London SW2 5UZ

Speakers: Mildred Gordon, MP John Wilton, ex-PPC Jo Fawkes, Chair, Camden NALGO Sharon Atkin Jeremy Corbyn, MP

Hanger Dispute Committee, cio TASS, Wessex House, 520 London Road, Mitcham, Surrey, CR4 4YQ.

J.E. Hanger Artificial Limb Dispute

We send our fraternal greetings to all who have helped and supported us in our fight against Hanger/BTR over the past 8 months.

P. Christmas Chair, Hanger Dispute Committee

Keep on Buchan youanéicyouseres”

might no have been directly the have encouncered his barre sect Walworth “Road machine, but (whose pollu have remained proLabour's new professionalism cer: ly

‘ainly reached north ofthe border big demonstrations in Hyde Park. fo prevent any misunderstondines where selers. of thew Socast in the. campaign for Norman Standard shovc the catchy phrase

ES Vote’ Buchan, Labour”) the pollal dnosur musta least ake media marketing men fsisted on the cake!

1 clarification.

he slg, ty aha tbe

ther “Note Labour, Vote

Soca”, or — ic dapewccr The Red Facade ‘cumstances “You'd Buchan well

Shoei oak Prize for the meckest sheep dress

up "revolutionary wolts Ching ring te co sat i irsel g0 to the tub-tbumping iw poit yourself fay,cama Fen a rty tha “Red Front” ica “Theic candidates of course pickWile Labow's policalsratagits cd up 2 predictably dersry vote Yearched for cendy ways wth iu thor I? target consonocnies (pioning voters atl one par= found. the county (oly ie SFuaigigthe “dort knows Knowsley North dd ¢ Red Froot aly hard tne Gancidat op the 500 mar, with Bo nor vote for (Sere) ther 2,852 vores averaging mere Dont yo wan er te 90, tof te Eau ote pe or you, or angly — the sisorate TeceTfertsled keecet ths cman) nods The Socialist Party But behind the adventurist ‘wants oniy socialist votes, ant) bravado and ashy aroock, the Glency of them so tat we can poll content of the Red ow hese who uphold tharetan Fron’ platorm wats feble ait San tae ther a growing i pomiblet get arbor of workers seeing rouge With bo felerence to soca, = to aionainaion or expropra Dowset’s campaign In the ion, no call for workers” contro, Labour warghal cfiegon South bo defence of publ server, tiled, 3 weighty Bo yous, cxplict dscumion of the over Periscope doesnot hve satus throw of capa oe the hat check wheter ernot_ Satine ofthe sa, dno ‘is does represent "a growing politcal line fou umber of workers" compared te ovement, the T383.) National commenters Nerking clas unity” wa snow coral fled co detect 2 mayor Willy reformist on every ine soot : ‘David. Steel could probably ‘Apolial equalen of MF, che ase that: ‘Soci Party pledged that "he are in fivour ofthe widest “Se wal do vetsy nothing for extension of cv libertad for you you wane to change socieey (Se) equal rights forall”

And the Alliance could abso “Revedled: the lecbers

have paraphrased the “Rel Manifes” shriled the ever Fronts! objectives in standing

"The Red Front cannot in ‘acace the immediate outcome of the lection, but it could pve

_gullble Daly Mas a front pase ‘ticle which offered a. passable Summary of oor alternative pro: gramme, with the father exag erated lam tha

“behind the acceptable face of ‘Mz Rinock ir an ugly and revel onary ‘iceberg’ snaoifesto with plenty of supporters to push it through

Meanwhile in Brent East, =

‘amapaign. I would not be surprie cdf MIS was involved in patting

Calling them out "= Putney debates

As Peter Han, leading smocete of the sof lefe LCC. wipes te ea from his face ater’ dsetrout ‘decion defeat. a leat he ed not Same the whole falore ono

peice "Hers admitted that in Patney ee (asi Bactersen ~ and many other

parts of London) Labour's meds ‘Campaign had faled to get ut che ow from what shoud be che bedrock areas the count estates ‘Bot. che rases an interesting

quescon: if they weren'e canvas tg and knocking up the counch

seach. fran, june who exactly Ok Pr How wat chey anys he rents Haw and he bureaucratic Campar (of ths expensive and abortive framagers focur ther attenoors ses of fre” ‘According to Newsine une 4. PO

When duty calls

Tearful farewells and uncon: solable grief marked the departare from ‘ritsh Leytand's Cowley Body Plant ofthe Reverend Tony Williamsoa, Labour councilor and for many. yeats the spiritual Icader of the hardline sgt wine leadership of JPs, which has coo wwolled “the plant's massive TGWU branch Since the war “The tears were nor from shop floor workers — hundreds a ‘whom recently had 1 be physical: Iy restrained by mitane Stewards om stacking Williamson after be overturned = mass mecting ma joey and called eff an overtne ben but from his right wing,

I Spy a soft left

Brigfing was the only serious cur

bie ened ae Se Sa cece pepe cons, who know how taal

‘counterposed fo that of Kinnock will be to replace his skilled ‘ed Hately. ‘mapocuvring from the chair

"Though we clearly stamped the BL management may also 3000, buck pose of our Election Special be feachiog for their hanks: it “Unoticial” and “Not yer ex ¥2% their surprising inflexibility doce by NEC", i proved suff — refusing Willirmon permir ‘Sent to work some Flest Stret sion (0 contiaue in lfectvely 2 Icks and some soft lefts dare a Pattsime role afier he accepted lathe. ost as aloal vicar — which fore

iat eave

Prince Charles

‘Amoog the ost regretful wil Samgen, wiower setekee | Plants potato.

‘ost of their strike breaking and oubleshooting duties 10 ‘Williamson and the Te

vwenor Alec Morton. Now they ould be forced to. work far 3

Significant.

“The otso-bomy Prince Charles recently spant 3 days an a crfe in the Hebridan wand of Boraray

~ toon 2) ose "how pe No Sex Please: faucmewes

We're Tories Piggott donraaariniy of ion amont the Se ot EShnd oy tabard shear. Win do ot the Bord ct Sani pare ‘election have come demands from from a bucket," commented

Sanaa Tory powong xem Gite Macha ing che odds about AIDS and “The question now posed is does — that tins opal ‘this represent a left turn for the Gree ore mde es Sronrcy! Wl Bes Canpet With the Harvey Proctor altar Morar} Wa Ben Campbel in barely out of che press, Thatcher Spend the weekend in a London ‘rabid right” so soon Gn the board boxes to the capital's set Perkimon. ay “Soe Chr tare 2 ber

sesored to cabinet rank, wl 86 onto Maram Toasyl OF Sone Tory oer eee ae

IRs seyle by snsising that com

‘waceptives Be sued only to mir ;

‘ed couples! Nuff said

"Which rates the question : wh ser "scandsh” of al sorts Te ~rpokicars, ad tow ave among MY Reid has ltt Robert Max: wednecked, Bblcbaihng "US well’ Scutish Daily. Record to Ganges, where aan old. join Rupert” Murdoch's Sun framed fnebrenting, — Bewape. me

anal bigot to fd pokucsi In a0 interview with the Risersup these daye! Did hear Giorgos Herald he calned hat

morcbody secon’ te Puleas: ts ticks on Arter Scag de tendency“ ing the miners site were done

in ‘reponse {0 an appeal from

Former UCS shop steward ond Communist Party’ miltant flew

Detailed, the eip ote Labour aati! “Was that Kinnock?” asked the

i ela people dexw ther en dustbin conciusons? repisd REA MLR. ‘The May LC national mailing

recommends Haringey LCC "“deaied ad damning" paper on Haringey's financial cis The End ofthe Road?

Teatcunce and apoitict a. ‘History, man?

tacks on med inv forced the local LGC to withdraw the Purine the election, pies Guardian operand reat a ae amour

reer Scing hr yar Sespconng pol "it Garda loge for be ig uate td yet peak yall ts “acne and dame Sf ere bt aed ing? cameron, wow Se. ses ‘Piise pontive open a ak “mee eel Yanced. Even on the basic ques course of his pledge of allegiance tion of rent rises, the LCC does (the SDP, decried the dominance pation ‘whether it is Jor oF 6f British politics by what he called Teale te Rea rennin oes, Menthe

apt candidate for the dustbin of ee ecsarei [istry — to which moet copies of. “Sad, 2 Febsth of “ierafam!

{Cher cendy te cme” 77 co ehoman ane 7

aeveenededieederernerrenttt

Labour Briefing No, 44 June 24th-Luty Sth 1987 page 7 a

General Election feature j

Alliance tumble

The

_—__= Incredible Disappearing Doctor

Bryan Gould has jibed fut before we all start dancthat David Owen will ing in the sees, we should now have to go off and remember there i one way in

‘eich the SDP has Been 2 great found another country, Success, fullling the hopes of

and I think we ean all be its Ruling Class supporters. The forgiven 2 smirk. SDP was is insurance policy in se of a Thatcher defea, But i

In clectoral terms, the jas outlived its usefulness, fst Alliance has been wiped out. paca" se.yuseruuness.

The SDP not only failed (0 jnassive majority and secondly, vin seats, it lost many of its because the Labour Party has previous gains. In scenes of been transfomed beyond ast triumph like Bermond- recognition inthe last couple of sey and Greenwich, their ¥¢2tS

Sees ee eee Tike many people, 1 felt that Gramatically ye departure of the Gang of cut. Four could only do the Labour

2 2 oe om

The Liberals enjoyed Party good in the Jong fun. It “Their time hes gone”. ralfii on the Bricklavers Arms roundabout, Old Kent Road, by the Independent Camypas more success than their part- Seemed that, al lasts the. bat Liberal’SDP Lies im the Mess Media"Counvilior Pers Corben wes apprehended and exuttoned by the police Jor alezed involvcuen!. ners, but still failed 10 Con- fsters, the public schoolboys, solidate their local govern. the Fellow’ Travellers who

‘eanted. parliamentary saree

Sn decided on the Labour Par DON A § PANI ' By Christine Shaweroft —i'on the tow of a coin al some Mi Leader, Tower Hamlets Gutvidye tea party, were all Oh

Labour Group tne way out, The Party could

A hitch-hiker’s guide = =.=: {-

the Liberals are to the right 1? ory press and other organs Of of the Tories the Ruling Class, the Party

to the Tories’ Ee ee

Sab him in the back. There wom meq has een dumapee ae a seems litle chance that he cantly fey ghee atat stave off a merger Iy enough we don't seein 0 be

legislative galaxy... 9 2:s=:: SSS.

Alliance” electoral credibility, Briefing witch-bunt, 10. be and the mind-blowingly boring followed, even, by an antiLCC Campaign pitched at the witch-bunt. The talk aow is of

Thatcher will have three eincreasing we of VAT as 2 practices, such as minimum

‘ a mitment and speading membership. a benef compensate only |, With his slim rump of MPs, is : oe re

Labour's natural constituen- jini increase in commodity ep Acts she House of Lords bers ig poll tax.

privatisation programme. and currency chaos fore oe ublicy uly staggering. The table

@ Enlarging that section of ‘deflationary pot - ‘shows average rate bills in some

polices on Housingand local Tog Race a ton si ihe cecal sumone" y gm nui then

Mon! of he obstacle 10 Tottenham CLP a Ss owg'sit Deacopmny “Corporation Provoke dered rian

destroyed: the unions are in jilibrium basis at substantial” [0 lcearet ‘Thatcher and inner city areas, They wil Industry

legislative shackles, with Js than full employment, . re busband Dennis will follow the model of the London Water, electricity. supply and

timid leadership, a relatively {4}, 4h, mamas BOM Se 37.9 meek oo ther @ock- Docklands Development Cor- geheraiion, Bris Airports,

SERcaine wad) Wionel oScoe se eas Situ of hhousine powers subject to Dulwich. Secretary of State for iand 10 international bankers at BP shares, will be. sold off. ie aa poe 203 and implement major changes would save £577 @ year on his market. value is at Keast £3 the Tories lie in the difficulties

iolted by acombinaion of gzumerey” vcr tthe Thay mabe “ng ened” to [Borough Existing Poll Tax Pol Tax] icr"iniuty' dh sing 0

discernible clouds on the in. o" aber sections of the work the General Rate Fund — household household ion geibects

ternational financial scene. Cnscreatisn (“MUS °C ‘beading to steep rises in Council | Camden £440, £1538 £2307

e opposition partics are he big policy initiatives wil - 2 Greenwich oa, £1344 £2016 Benefits

They (olive cic weumce comete Lt poms ee Sages mewn fee! Hackney £72 £3296 £1944 | tajor changes brought in by fy inthe Tons. ontment The Welfare en existing ‘council tenants’ 3 | Homt 134 schiie Seat ihe up. In order to pity for the com- Local Authorities Council ownership and become plush home a1 @ OM Church million an acre Feplaced by loans. “"Workfare {iiiment to relixed icone tax @ The Tork will kxblare 10 tenants Of hooey amorenion Sirect, Edinbugh. ‘This yuppification masked as #,,%0, Be, introduced for the Publi: serene tnevessitated bs procedures that 20 hexondl »0- Minorities, Le tenants whe do utdefined, controls “on local door policy-making at the dic- {Re to subrmil ther services to “eating” issues) Lawson and Obligations under the Race be compelled by law to accept @Local authoritites will be all the real industrial and social ~ “ill be “"no work, no dole” Thatcher will not only hive 1 Relations Act 76, the Health pew lanalonds compelled 10 privatise” Com. needs of the aca, This isa formidable the exnulie side which may finiratively hampered Aso ed. A” socalled “Community uldings, cater servccs. fagpeataf uaeeioeaicn py Uenalised working clas, depen Hand thea vom of concern is a grey area — on Charge (Poll Tax) payable by all ground maintenance, and vehi- problems for. Thaicher., Her $£0t,08 capitalism for marginal

Labour Briefing No, 44 June 2éth-July Sth 1987 page 8

General Election debate

that

did

not work

By Reg Race Tottenham CLP

1K would be very easy to discuss Labour's failure in the General Election campaign in terms of gloss, glitz and roses. This would be a fundamental mistake.

‘The image that the new model Kinnock Party put across is important in two respects: it did not work: and it was symbolic of an approach to polities by the

is deeply

It would be wrong to 20 beyond. this position and argue that Labour should ‘nol use opinion polls, that it should nor present itself in a compelling manner to the electorate, and that it should produce boring leaflets and political broadcasts.

‘At least Kinnock ‘has done fone important thing! he has allowed flair, imagination, and professional skills fo be used on Publicity to replace the clapped Sut old bureaucrats and hacket tes who have “run” every fled Eabour campaign since 1955,

Labour's shate of the popular vote was is second lowest since 1918. The Party won fewer seats than that required for a cred ble™ result, from the leadership's point of view, Post ele: tion surveys demonstrate quite plainly thet tf ts In the working lass and’ on its margins that Labour ts weak

Skilled workers, junior lerical workers, and_ Super Wisors (the C2s) have been ie bued with the tenes of That. cherism more succesfully then lany other section of the popula. tion. In contrast, the inteligent sa and public sector white col lar workers have moved to Tabour over the past 20 years

"To listen. to some comrades talk, one might Believe that the North-South divide was. ab: solute and that it war 2 new phenomenon, This is nonsense Eabour has been losing suppore in rural and “small town sats inthe South of England for tirty years; who now remembers that Labour used to hold Col chester, Sudbury, Chelmsford, Faversham, "Dover, Frome, ‘Taunton, Falmouth and Care borne, Wycombe, Northampton and Norfolk South-West?

Tn the General Election of February 1979, the Liberals replaced Labour as the principal fccond-placed opposition party to the Conservatives in la ‘chunks of Southern England.

is quite ludicrous to regard the. results Inthe “South as Something new, based upon a So-called “London effect”. The facts are that Labour has been doing better than average in big ‘ity Britain for many years, and ‘worse in rural and small iown

the perceptions of individuals’ class positions; to the growth of Service and financial employ- ‘meat at high wages or in non ‘Unionised environments; and — Specifically inthe last decade —

Buta

to specific support for Toughness in government and a set of ruling ideas. which ex Dhasise balancing the books, fiving incentives and punishing those who are scen to be less worthy because they are poor or hetpess

‘The creation of this_new Ideology has Been a deliberate ruling class policy: an attempt fo spit the ‘unity of working clase incrests in Smilat fashion to that of” Tory imperialism,

These factors cam explain 2 age percentage of the dreadful results in. Bristol, Swindoa, Slough, "Harlow," Basildon, ‘Thurrock, and elsewhere. But it is also clear that Labour's results in London were generally very poor. Given the. positive performance of Labour in the finer cities and the level of ge nine ‘deprivation in London, Cabour should "have walked many constituencies in the Capital where there were Tory gains or very poor resulis. Not Al ofthese can be put down to yuppie invasions, racism, oF ress vilification of Labour Founcis’ policies

‘Labour wil never win a ma jority in London unless it tm roves radically” the presenta on by Councils of their pro fressive policies; and it cannot ‘win if it writes off sections of the white working class and ‘does not deal effectively with their concerns -—_ principally ‘ver jobs and the state of much Council-owned housing

"The Labour campaign was Sick, glossy and had low con. {ent a conclusion encapsulated by the decison to scrap. the planned party eletion broadcast ‘a unemployment and replace it ‘with a rerun of Hugh Hudson's Clever portrayal of Kinnock. as leader. "There was a consistent refusal to address clase issues fand Kianock totally distanced himself from London and its large crop of marginal seats.

Kinnock himself is in a strengthened position. There i now hitle chance of tight ming PLP putsch against him, and he wil be able to continue govern ing on the bass ofthe tripod of Stippor! he has built: the fawn ing ineffectiveness of the trade tinion. bureaucracies; the loval sopport of the cemirerght of the PLP, who see Kinnock a3 the best man to ditch left wing policies and procedures; and the Eredulity ofthe centre-left ‘grouping ia the PLP who want jobs and are happy 10. see patronage coming their way

T predict that there wil be a concerted move 10 isolate and ‘lity the” eft by. further Socialis-bashing, more expul sions through the NCC, and the introduction of one person one vote. in Parliamentary. selec ons. This policy in particular will be designed to end the pro Spect of left gains in the PLP and give a greater role in the Selscion of candidates to Mr Kinnock and journalists from the Sum and the Daily Matt

“There will also be atempis ‘0 shed policies that are thought to be Note-costiy". Economic Dolicy is already in ruins: the ext casualty willbe unilateral mmuclear disarmament, which will be ditched as rapidly as possible

“The election campaign, and Labour's anodyne manifesto,

Kinnock mobbed by the media ot the pre-tecion rally held in Islington (se right)

show plainly that conference decisions count for nothing and {hat the only real power that e {ste is concentrated inthe Leader's office and the Shadow Gabine.

“The position of both Labour and the left is perilous. Even-a Kineockite Labour Party will require the destroction of That Gherism’s key ideas if it (0 prosper: the erosion of the idea

have to. be “housewifely

economics” is the only true path: and that people have to {ook after themselves and sod the rest

‘Bunty, we will not be able to secure’ the lection of evens minority Labour “government

Tire have te convinced large Scions of the electorate of the Validity of cocialiet ideas.

‘Only the left in the Party can lead the way. It must seset the Campaign Group to work ac tively in the country for the peo

pagation of socialist ideas. We ‘must relaunch socialism as an Sctive politial fore.

‘We need to rebuild our base in the constituencies and trade Unions, now heavily eroded by ‘Thatcher and Kinnock; and we ‘must rigorously use the selection process 10. select” committed Socialists, and mot poses, 35 parliamentary candidates,

Finally, we should be quite determined 10 make the costs of fright wing attack on the lelt so

huge that it becomes impossible to pay i

TC Will take time, perhaps a reat deal of it, to rebulld the Let's voter appeal and the left itself The politcal weather will change. ‘The future is in, our hands, But it would be tragic sf the judgement of history on the 1967 election turned oun to be that it was the election hich ‘a the re-creation of an uncec lable Labourisn

Win back Tory voters!

Thatcher's most notable achievement did not appear in the Conservative manifesto: it was her remarkable feat of political engineering.

‘She has created swathes of new working class Conse ratives. They showed up their thousands on election night in the swings to the Conservatives in parts of London in the South East, in the hinterlands of industrial Yorkshire and Lancashire.

‘They are-not the deferential, cap duffing kind. They are’ the thrusting, greedy type: earning a good wage and expecting better; owning their home and expecting to sell it at a profit; living in areas where the labour ‘movement culture has been

ulversied by the bulldozers Of “industrial and social ‘change.

Labour's campaign, aimed at reviving the tradioss of the ‘ast, might have warmed the fockles of the ” traditional Labour voter — unemployed, 3 ‘council tenant and/or part of the collective culture of labour but i left these new Conser: vatives completely cold "Nostalgia forthe values of the ‘welfare state was not enough (0 Convince them that "Labour ‘ould: both improve the stan

By Hilary Wainwright Socialist Society)

Garde of the ciucation and health stems and provide the economic prosperity that this Scie secton of the working class are enjoying. Yet unless Labour wine the support of these voters we sould face Con

‘One response to this is to say the campaign was fine, the pro bee was the specie of the left which though physically banisb , under’ howe arrestin Chesterfield, "Bradford and elsewhere, could never be com pletely exorcised

This isthe predominant analysis ‘coming "from. the leadership's office and it ies behind the next stage in the leadership's plans 10 "clean up" the party

"Another response is to ignore the problem and assume there is sufficient support sill untapped ie Labour's clase heartlands, Although there is evidence of = iow turnout. im council estates and among the unemployed, it {swish thinking to assume their votes wuld. produce Labour. victory. On'the whole they would simply produce higher" majorities in Labourheld seats

Anyway, the problem of convincing them that itis worth turning out to vole Labour sil re mains ‘and from. a" different [ngle is similar t0 the problem

‘of winning the support of the more satisfied sections of the working dass. {Lis on this sue,

This brings me toa hired response, the one for which 1 wwould argue. This is to Kemtily 2 programme’ which connects ‘vith the material circumstances of these new Conserv Soters— which, inthe. long term, are not as’ wonderTul 3 they" think. Labour's election Campaign failed to provide such 3 programme

The problem was not the {echniques of the campaign, we Should:not scart at the skills of the “shadow "advertising" ‘oup, ‘but the conten, or Father the lack it. Here the most ‘Sramatic failure was the abeence fof a credible economic strate

At Walworth Rd the party's pollsters were saying thal the majority "of voters. did not Understand Labour's economic policy, and those that aid were hot convinced — not supeising Shoe Labour's main spokespeo ple did not appear very convine od either

They muttered, 5010. voce, about the National Economic ‘Assessment and” the British Enterprise Board knowing that the next question “would be

that rather reminincent of the failed Social Contract and the National Enterprise Board?” — "Well, um... the trade unions have given us their Commitment... the enterprise board would not take on lame ducks.”

“The let needs 10 make good this hopelessness on economic policy. fas the conmponent the altertative principles (or intervening it production {including technology) developed by several left local ‘councils and wade union the proposals for financial controls put "forward by Andrew ‘lyn the beginnings of co-operation fon an international sale actos Burope and wiih the. Third which are an essential asi Tor any convincing socialist

‘The need to pull these strands together into a. coherent pro ramme is urgent. A major in ternational slump is round the comer. The government's Fesponse will be nationalistic, and ant-Japanese. There wil be Strong pressures fora. bie partsan approach. The Labour Feadership. bound as-it Is to Great Briain patriotism, will fail to come up wilh “an alternative

‘9 Hilary Wainwright's book on the Labour Party, Labour: Tale of Two Parties (Chatto & Windus, £5.95) will be out in September The Socialist Society, with the fampaign “Group, the Con ference of Socialist Economists, Labour’ Briefing, END. and others. are orgarising a conference in the autumn on major pale issues, For details contact the Socialist Society, 8 Poland Street, London Wi

PHOTO: Pandore Anderioa, The Next Step

Labour Briefing No. 44 June 2éth-July Sth 1987 page 9

General Election debate

Sugptece—

= ar

Atkins, speaking at the Briefing Socialist Policies e earlier this Sear

Right-wing razzamatazz

Labour has fought a brilliant campaign! Everybody says so. The only problem is that we lost!

A couple of Briefing sup: porters on special assignment infiltrated a Kinnock Rally “at the Business Design ‘Centre, Islington, to see what the Labour Party's new image was all about

‘On the way in, our in trepid reporters were sear ched for Militant newspapers and any other nasty left propaganda. The stewards ‘cast their eyes over Labour Briefing, con: sulted with their superiors, ‘and pushed us through inte Kinnock’s political arena.

We were bowled over by the glossy packaging. the show business personalities Dalooas on ‘cenng

ty, not for polities. ‘The rally corefuly ignored everything that the election campaign had etence potcy. the economy, racism and sexuality. Sate

Sociaist politics was | the flavour of the month ia'8 com: paion med atthe white Reterosexual nuclear family.

By Kate Adams and Ian Millichap Hackney North CLP

The atmosphere was an odd mixture of exaggerated euphoria and unesse, caused By the intimidating presence of stewards and. police. The Sudience was mainly white, ‘nd the whole afternoon took on the ait of 2 moral crusade {or freedom with the emphasis on Christian ethics, You know

sor of thing: we tthe Labour Party) are. good and kind, and they (the Tories) are ‘nasty and uncaring.

‘The crunch came when this was” challenged by ants Seportation campaigners Semanaing to know whether Cebour would close down the Harwich immigrant Prison Ship and Hf the “deportation orser on Viraj Mendis

[As the protestors attempted to. make themselves. eerd ‘over the booming public. ad {ress system they were bund! ed out by Labour Party Stewards. One woman wes Foughes up to the extent that she ended up on her knees Coughing and choking outside the hal

‘A Briefing supporter was iso ejected for refusing to hand over his newspapers on the grounds that he might sell them inside the hall” He was

‘marched to the exit surround a by stewards

These events were foreshadowed by 2 series of similar” incidents. a. week before at the Kaufmann rally, when five people were. af ested after raising questions regarding thr repel of the Public Order and immigration

‘At the close of the Islington rally Kinnock delivered a short speech, carefully timed for the 8.00pm news bulletin, nd the audience delivered. thelr rep turous applause and chors. it was a speech full of rhetoric But devoid of any polities

True to form ‘Kinnock Red determinedly told the left to “shut up” during the General Election Campaign, Any. attempt to challongo or ertcise was quashed, for example Sharon Atkin's deselection for speaking out against racism and supporting. Black Sec: Sons. This kind of censorship lunder the guise of a moral and humane leadership ie frighten ing. Its just taste of things

Desperate 10 save face after Labour's glorious defeat Kin Fock is determined to give the left another bashing. The first move is outiined in pians to in oduce the One-Person-One Vote systom in the reselection process for parliamentary can Sidates "nest way of eliminating pottical debate

Tf we want socialism, not Kinnockism, the. left "must stand firm ‘and refuse t0 be

RS Ee The hard sell that

missed soft centre

By Sharon Atkin

The general electi result was disappoi ting — although iven the

geared to appease the middle ground rather than putting forward bold socialist policies was bound to fail.

The approach of using advertising firms who were more used (0 selling cornflakes and soap suds rather than apolitical message proves that the policies — as far as we were able to ascertain what they were — were bankrupt

This is a longstanding, ‘deep-rooted problem, which has dogged the Labour Party since the 1985 conference in Bournemouth

Kinnock's specch laid the basis for a move against the left and against the Kind of polices which would inSvitably bring a real radical change to society

The discarding of our red flag for the rose was sympfomatic of '3. leadership ‘which was trying to recapture the middle ground who

would more naturally suport the SDP/ Tories.

Yet the SDP vote collaps. ed in this election, showi

Party to win the support of working class people — Black and white — proves we on the left have to £0 on the offensive in order that he next 4 years sees a real development of — radical socialist policies. Only then can we as a Party hold out any real hope of change for the mass of people, ie. those who are unemployed, homeless, sick and who need education, and recapture the Party to the benefit of the

The problems that have dogged the left over the years are not so much to do with ideology but priorities and timing. While I'am op posed to tealignment,. I believe it is necessary ‘for groups on the left to Organise around the central issues that are affecting us all.

it is apparent that in the wake of the election defeat there will be expulsions and attacks on people who were silent and marginalised during the run up to the election campaign. We must demand ‘now that socialism returns to the Labour Party and insist that n0 one is expelled and

hunts 30. that chose people who. Rave’ fought oh toe 19805" with correct, bold

policices Many people have likened Kinnock’s approach to that

of Gaitskell. For a number of us on the left his policies and actions are reminiscent of that former leader of the Party!

However, Gaitskell never became prime minister therefore history has ta usa valuable lesson ditch "policies ‘unilateralism, to marginalise

campaigns for black rights and self-determination, and downplay women will mean whole chunks of society are dispossessed and disenfranchised.

We must question Kinrock. He can’t hide behind a veil “of trade unionists, claiming that he really won the campaign — he just lost the war! When are we going to get a leadership which wants to fight for socialism and develop the policies on home and — international issues which can bring freedom’ to the working class? That's the question we must ask him,

pie eRe Sp

Labour Briefing No. 44 June 241h-Juty 50h 1987 pose 10

Trade Union Briefing

Terry French interview

The miners will be back!

‘Two vears after the Great Miners’ Strike ended, 300 miners remain sacked. Many of the victimised miners have now become impatient with the official, Iow-profile, “don't-rockthe-boat-til-after-theelection" strategy of the NUM.

A rolling campaign of fying pickets of sacked miners has been working its way through the coalfields area by area in an attempt to push the issue to the

fore. The goal is a one day national strike in the autumn,

The campaign is led by TERRY FRENCH, a sack ed Kent Miner, who has Spent the last two years since the strike in prison. Briefing interviewed him after he spoke at a packed meeting organised by the Yorkshire Miners’ Campaign Group, a vigorous rank and file organisation ‘of NUM militants

Briefing What do remember most about sour i ‘Terre: That's 2 difficult one! WC a completely different life You fight hard to maintaie the links with your Family and vow friends and contacts outside But I's impossible. Tt splits you in two, Sol decided to devoce my time to fighting within the prison:

Briefing: prisoner Terry: Wi was an fsue that af ected everyone. then the response wae 10% solid, Bat if ie eae one lad being victimised, mn the rest of them didn want 10 know. U had to be devious and pick the issues, ‘When I first came out and addressed meetings 1 would get so ‘emotional 1 would cry. I don't

Liz French, speaking at the faunch meeting of the South Eas Region Justice for Mineworkers Campaign

that sow

"The Doncaster action pot new heart into. me and.-made me want to carry on, Um a cass Fighter and prowl of it. The fauhorties fegarded me as stanted me ou!

Briefing: Why has the picketing ‘bcem organised im such secrecy? Terry: We were open about itn April, bot then i was put about Oat any. industrial action came about because of the ie Solvement of the sacked men {hen they would Bethe ones that ‘wouldn't get their jobs back on the final teview! Some of the trensay tha twas coming from Sammy Thompson (newly elected Vice President Of the NUN»,

1 checied this. t way a total tie. The Coal Board had said the sort. Every time ‘ee try to £0 public, Area of Fiials scorch st. Romours being <ovead and I want (0 avoid ire situation of branch fgsine branch or the whole thing il collapse That's the only reason for the secrecy. But we have done the sroundicork and in June or July tee mil be able to write to the Area panels and say "we are

cove futures with the help of the te atthe pits then its'a sorry day. T mectings up Sd down the country that there Bre only two sroups of people ee pers as ee ack — that's us, the sacked lads, and the lads at the pit

The sacked lads have been 0 ced by the Arca officals as 4 lever saying. “don't rock the boat, fads, or we won ger these men” their jobs back" And svhat’s happened? The miners Tee been Pier freee eee to breakfast ime

‘Briefing: How do you judge the feelings of the miners? There’ been tts of sporadic action, at Salby. Durham, and Doncaier, fand lot of resentment at the ‘Coal Board's actions

cover the country. I think it ‘Would be easier to a 4. That's how { sce i. Bat | Sisciplined, organised — not ‘Souple of days here and there Ths has to be built

We'll have to do what we did in. "72, "74 and °B4 — and that’s {ke the bureaucrats along with ts. Because i was us that fought those sinhes and. i's oats because we fost in "BS that the bureaucrats have gor the heel on

Briefing: W's been said i the Yorkshire coalfiei ion and anti

Ter.y: When | was allowed out of prison on home leave I spent Friday and Saturday “on the Wapping picket line and on the Sunday I addressed a. fringe meeting at the TUC conference in Brighton for the Campaten Group of MPs

Sa on my left was Arthur Scargill. 1 said, “Arthor, Pl follow you sill the end of the wsorld""”and I meant

He has done us a0 wrong ‘nur Scargill and the rank and ‘sant any trouble

done the

Briefing: What have the fight

Terry: When {attend mectn rash that miners should ect theie branches and eet cesolu ‘Hons for acion going. I sant to the Union. Lion's want to go as tat

ing it. They've ot 10 be hick

Briefing: You axe spoken about geting the NUM back for ‘the ram snd Mie. What do 3

Terry: It could well come out of thie action. If the NUM hase’ called 2 national conference of the sacked miners by the time of the Annual NUM Conference, then ‘we'll have oar own cor ference of sacked miners right

ent door

rlefing: ro you see 2 rake for

source im bringing

ssrarian tack-bitine. pone beewcen the sari lelt oun foo much emphasis on Tro mess, The way that the strike Dolitiised the ads into dite

Eroupings has made the organ

than it was before the strike 1 cam get left-wing lads who

Bu all the RCP and Mitton

Terry French

scem 16 be interested in is ie ‘ng conicol a the NUM

om dos sou see the fight for the sacked miners developing from here?

Terres It been & stl. salts Going their own thing. ont

Briefing:

The ‘oaly. thing. the €

Board is able 10 understand 1 being hosted. “The ont tine they have ever neyorited fy ‘shen the miners come trom

Position of srength sive us that fight. Av the same

jetine the ordinasranh ard Tie miners Feel thir muscle, tel

Beain. And i's works Uniortunately we. are being blocked by the trepidation a the Area officals. 1 we sa Great of ike ant

Lirefing: Wa de so think the Jusice Jor Minewarkers Cis Dpaign has achieved?

Terr: In financial terms quite a

bin 1 might be wane, bul 1 don't see that it's #04 any: jobs back

Briefing: Vid you Keel the abou Parts offered the sack General Election campaign?

following a Lahour sictory the fasee of ihe Sache en wold be reviewed. Pant | have heard fron it prominent. bor politician hat al he ath sei Fel their jobs Be Kimock Si riding om the fence Tae

Briefing: What sul you Uke ‘other trade uaionin to de 50 fuse 90 suppoet?

Teves! ls been mooted that there wil Gome a time when we fought co broaden out 10 include Hanger's, Siletniaht, Wapp. jing, ete, and {ve no doubt that wll happen. But a the moment ‘we are having a sirugele keeping ‘our own campaign on the road especially” financially. 1's patting a strain on or familie, Travelling allover. ut we're do.

Iriefing: How do. you see ole of romps Hike This the Yorshice Miners Campa Group? Tern. Very inpoetant. One of the tise thingy T wrote about Irom nis sas the role af Ihe Support stoups. Looking hack Theants concrete victors we had From the strike 8s the sun froups. The worst hing pss Ble eas tallow. Them 8 Ghintesrate, break up and Foe We had. an reason se sud to Hone, Thes sere $0 inn portant sind should have heen Kopr togcther if for nothing ese but lor when the miners come ‘in and they wil they wil

Delegates to this year's COHSE conference have a choice: to bend the knee before the Tory govern ment or start the real defence of workers’ living conditions and end the steady retreat that has occurred over the past eight years.

“The conference meets at a time when despite the Tory pre-election handout to. the nurses, over 200,000 NHS ancillary staff — and hundreds of thousands of technical and clerical grades — have been offered only 2 derisory 4% increase.

"Yet 0 far the manual unions have focussed attention on timid pleas for a nurees style ‘Bay review body to offer a big

OHSE Conference

Will COHSE mount a fight?

964 rise!

For COHSE to throw in the towel on pay would be sean by the Tones as a green light XG hammer home 9 new wave of attacks on the jobs and con Ginone of the lowest nad health workers

‘Simiary, the threat of fur ther privatisations with orterng ond other services ext in tne for wage cuts and the attentions of multinational Contract firme must be combatted.

The impact of Tory anti union laws must also. be ‘challenged by this year's Con ference. The COMSE practice of electing NEC members from Regions! Councils is under

By Daye Fowler

iegal chotenge — witha treat

te enpose ballots GF course ths Tory concern

for “democracy” extends on gets to elect. the hesith Bovatisation, cuts and ‘New rules to comply with Tory legislation could make it Impossiie to adopt. positive iscnmination “proposals to fectily the appaling male dommaton of CONSE's where over 75% of the

membership s female

‘Meanwhile attempts ¥0 en trench the nursing profession ae an cite within the NHS ing schemes and. entiance Guatfcatons are being inked fe the introduction of mena!

Thelper”sarades on rock bot tom pay, an tot <5 schemes to-enist jobless yout.

The whole YTS. structu: hes depended an union con nwance. COHSE should be {aking the lead in warning of the consequences for health services ifthe Tory plans con {tinue unchallenged. The Seat lish TUC has sready opposed these new schemes

‘Ae 2 union whose: main

Powerbase sin the big Psychiatric hospitals, COHSE iso has most to lose by Tory moves ta force through cheap Schemes which have already tett tone of thousands of pa ents “without. support. "A serious campaign for teal and Continuing eare to teplace the jarge. Victorian asylum is essential Tor both the union ‘nd for the patients,

COHSE’s” deliberations come against @ background of Tooming ers in many areas of the NHS, 95 health authorities fun up against rigid cash limits Signs. after four yeots. in which health workers have

sections of the working class

The need to ink up. with other health unions, wth non health unions, and lacal cam paigns and make efforts to Persuad> Labour Parties to fake an itierest in. health Struggles has never been stronger

Labour Briefing No. 44 June 26th-luly Sth 1987 page 11

Trade Union Briefing

Hangers’ dispute ends

Union leaders sacrifice Hangers workers

Christopher, and John Jones. a “might not be able co pass his By Kathy Pick high offical of TASS, colluded exams". When union office Les Wandsworth councillor, 284 defintely started pressuris- Harrison raised the case, be was

‘AC their meeting on May 18th, a written offer was

presented to the Hangers’ ing the disputes commitee treated in a vet) offhand mam sacked workers, whose Putney CLP However, when the sacked ner. As Graham Crovcher say limbmakers rejected the third “it shows the utter contempt

numbers had failed durfinished. So far no jobs have final offer, union officials ia- and lack of any ‘commitment the dispute from the heen offered, but the firm is ceding Sones and Curscopher | Hangstt. Casey conmuumeat

original 300 10 126 men. taking names of those who met company officia’s and ex. the deabled This time, as had been ex- would like 10 return! chided the disputes commitiee |The May’ 29th social which ected, the men accepted the Management have been from these secret negotiations. had Geos ocipmelly seme

advertising some of the jobs, at The union officals then per the Women's Support Group 12 Tear Nace ttt tery att te Lemden Semere: seated he cate came Do | Satan ena Set hr nl. bu ouch oer Leer'iies orien Sees ors erneae That Be dropped iby the paid’ previously. Jobe which deal: When the? fulltime anion poup ‘Of weck union hierarchy if they paid £208 were being advertzed of didn't. For £120, Sarpeted. The hidden ag Peter Hain was presented ‘ When asked if the General was that ifthe worklorce ida with a £100 cheque foe Putney Thus Cight months of @ exction had been afactorinen- mecept' the final offer the Uatoac Bet oer cone Peaceful dispute, mainly ig- ding the dispute, Graham Hangers’ she would beldeop. Geet menrtethc ew mie Wool nnored by the national press, Croucher of the disputes com- ped in.a similar way to that st Pabour Partie, The presented

ended — with all receiving mite discounted any posible Sientnishe their Women's Support Group about £4,000, whether they pressure from" Kianock. Definitely one major problem th £160 sad arene SaSaR hhad been apprentices or in Graham said the support they for the Hangers” disputes com. Labour Boog io say ihaat service 15 years. Those who had recrived had been from the mittee has’ been the union you sa its pages to all dhe hod had been inlong termrscrviee Labour Party across iis entire bureaucracy Supported with time and money.

Se ee eTvice soccer, ‘Hangers’ management show- “I personally was overuelmed Tor 40 years ecumch He did believe, however, that ed thet caring altitude a fort: whch presented’ oot mr Ps for 40" years ‘redundancy they were letdown by the union night ago when they sacked au Mstks "Sal Shari’ vows pay. hierarchy. TASS has a policy apprentice who is also an am thanking me for all sy support

Although the final offer was that if any dispute isnot Setled _potce He had injured himself’ during “ihe Giseute Seesal ‘only financial and no jobs of- within three months, i probably work. Whea he vcrurned aftcr'8 Gade have beste wrens fered, the general feeling was won't be setled wrecks of sick leave. Hangers memorate the dispute and T that about 30-40 jobs would be After 4 months the General Sacked him on the grounds that ‘hall wear euine sith hones ‘made available after the dispute Secretary of FIAT, Colin the sollege, aanwed than ne

NALGO CONFERENCE REPORT Can left provide a strategy?

NALGO conference in ———__ Le ieee Blackpool demonstrated By Pred Leplat Malan te tire: hen | mca mar creme that a minority that is. ILEA NALGO Stoward ho’ was “sscked Broad Left. A. fourpoge beepered tot on sil aaa ae aiestsocerie Sun wan double poled ite the thatthe belot should occurs’ ding "NALGO's ombigucus Gelegetes at the begartag prs Fosgate 's00n as possible, position on the Middle East by the week. and a 400-strong fr-

f ic This decision marks 3 stop dieatfilating from Trade Union inge mecting was orgensed Fate-capping, privatisa- towards the poltcisation of Friends of loracl while stil with the Morning Star on tion, and the re-election the union. & vigorous cam- maintaining links with Pelest- theme "NALGO Yor Labour of a Tory government. palgn fora “yes" vote wil nian erganieations, ‘This meeting marks. an im-

Bil ea dk hevetebe carted utioowr, "elon wes ns debated portant stop i lunch an The ar eeeeCOn, come the demoratsation and and. delegates adopted a effective ‘campogn fer’ the {fant the demoralisation of conservatism of large sections resokion nifevouroFe united poltica fund. and for staring

the membership and the Sf the membership, Ireland, although gn amend- toraise affitation of NALGO to lack of lead from the NEC. "The “rmiitant” minority mont’ fromthe NEC stating the Labour Pare However, it was able to showed its strength on the that this should be done by Despite the success of the

win delegates on anumber local government pay claim peaceful means wes siso car Left on some issues at Con. Ofkmportant issues against when wos able te musters Ped ThevesciniGrnetcsas fornee, a tenets oy the fecommendations "ot wd te dleosestorect ist of anvepresson andant. stage, to prove” a aad

the employers’ pay offer. if iscnmunation demands. This agamst Tory sttacks on local tne NEC thereby SHOWED tmombersen theft ofthe Ne most Wot NAIGO hese Chace the ne

Sento a Taheen® % tional Local Government Com. most progressive policy on wil clade prvatcation, ihe ‘organise a fightback ities hed opposed the otter, freland’ of any. union An Sale of council estates, the ‘The most important deci- conference might have fe: amendment for Bitch military breakup of "the KER: te sion of conferance was to jected "it. Unforunately. and. politeal withdrawl undermaing “ot \“‘astit ballot the membership for the NALGO has now abandoned.“ managed toobtain the support negotiators, and a tonner extbishment of @ ‘political its low pay campaign. andthe ofa quarter af conference, fark OF the mateo fund, A ‘cant Court injune- opportunity to elaunc!. wil "Conference asocacaemned Sew. tion ‘hed restrained NALGO not present itself again in the the NEC for delaying publics, “The left needs to be more {tom pursuing ite “Make Peo- hear future tion of the Posiive “Action systematically “orpenised in Ble Matter” campaign durng The support of conference Werking Party Report and for the districts Mf the caer and the election period delegates wes won on other its narrow crcwlaton. Dec. sta notional tvel order to

Delegates and the NEC issues which the NEC oppos- sions on this teport were thus present's national strategy fe agreed that @ political fund ed, such as thelaunch of anin- deferred again, despae clewr fighting the attacks or counol as necessary inorder to con. vestigation into allegations by support from the Conference workers. The NEC mosented Uinue campaigning against the Searchlight that 2 fascist forts recommendations ‘Ro such strategy to the con:

goverment, But delegates organiser is currently "Labour ‘Briefing supporters ference, and el ‘by Selo, {threw out an amendment from employed by NALGO and for ware actively campaigning on leave up to sadweual boon the NEC and decided instead his dismissal ifthe cases pro the issues mentioned aoeve, ches to detexd tor natuen

Teaching unions

Crunch time for dispute

r By Ken domes The policy one of creating ‘without imimodaicly vsiip'cae By Ken Jones “Tory tn depth so thal Uing'to the detromeat of hoes sa ep nd Socialist Teachers government policies willbe but- ho don’t benef To ‘Alliance tress by new Hinds of $0 But the opting out scheme ‘Their attack on the pre- organisation andthe seleciity £0 which {our fronigt "ONTO" publicy-owned propery Ras grating te ements lead ar somthing ce.

four fronts: lowed the Tories to create

{aught in schools. Baker now in- priileged minority, alongside

negotiating rights ‘of privatisation. testing. lowered in status.

teachers — while the power These groups — which extend ‘So over the next five yea ‘Many parents and students Of ‘schoo! management is peyond “‘bourgcois” sections of several basic principles willeeat wil Rv obiats nd, Students Preventing the formation of for a school to opt out of the there any prospect for stopping _paign against the proposals that alternative centres of educa- »¥iem of local authority con- the Tories? ‘Operates al every level, “privatisation” to the will battle at local level to de- have been able to deliver wrther attacks.

school system. Selling off fend theie privileges. benefits 10 ‘certain’ groups,

(8TR) J. E. HANGERS

poucy Rc (BTR) ‘SEFORE

tus pare SUPPORTS

Civil Service Unions

Right wing shirk

commitments

After 12 weeks of selective action, the Civil Service Pay Campaign has reached a critical stage.

The programme of rolling 2 day regional strikes has left the government unmoved and. both the main unions involved must face up to the bald fact: only all-out action can win

The Broad Left in CPSA has been saying this vir tually since the beginning of the campaign. While it was recognised that some preliminary selective action was necessary, there was always 3 danger that it would become an end in itself.

This is offactively what has happened. The nature of the selective action has resulted in 2 loss af momentum and has Sivided ‘the unions into {isolated geographical and sec onal units. The task of rever. ‘sing this trend will be 2 big fone, but i must be teckled

Tr also has to be recognised that the job will be that much harder now than it would have been when the option of all: out strike was posed during CPSA™ Conference, just. & weeks ago. At that time the Board Left (backed by the then fightwing NEC) were detested by soft left prossure both within the Union — in the

The National Communications Union National Executive Council elections and annual conference were dominated by the aftermath of the 3 week long strike earlier this year.

4©0n the pretext of overcoming temporary shortages, staff

being recruited ‘on’ short {erm/xed term contracts. Sub. contractors are also being wide iW troduced,

'@ Union organisation is under attack, including withdrawal of facilities and the refusal 10 negotiate meaningfully

f@Most "seriously of all, management is. systematically ‘especially in the strategic City Dorrict.” Elected branch of

By Alastair Wallace CPSA Broad Left

{form of the Kinnockite BL "ea Group — and outside it fromm the SCPS leadership, They argued thet the "Time was ‘not right"" for ‘all-out action, {and put foward the alternative ‘of continued selective regional strkes

Its this strategy which has been instrumental in allowing the mood of miltancy to away Iris sleo, anically Strategy that the new Broad Left-controlied Executive has. inherited. Furthermore, the i

‘are obviously hell-bent on ex ‘racting total capitulation,

The "question is. therefore posed very ‘starkly for both EPSA and’ SCPS: either we take them on or we abandon the, campaign. The CPSA leadership has opted to fight. At a mesting last week the NEC committed’ the union to an all-out strike ballot.

‘The main question isthe attitude of the SCPS leadership, wha have shown no support for the allout strategy” and have talked about continuing teachers-style guerila action,

This is not only tactically wrong — it is “unachievable. Approsches will be made this ‘week to tty to gat SCPS to fall into ine, But with or without their support CPSA must now 90 for an allout strike.

By Pete Cooper NCU

“Geary a major detence cam paign is required, both to de Fend these members and to prevent further sackings.

‘The incoming Broad Laft ex. cutive is therefore faced with a ‘mounting attack by BT. They will, ofcourse, be aided and abeitted by Golding, who wants to sel jobs regardless of Con ference’ decisions

‘has 10 be seen whether the predominantly soft Teft Broad Eett‘majority “i capable of withstanding. these combined forces; but the omens are, not good. The membership: which showed such magnificent unity ‘and solidarity during the strike is'not defeated. But the Broad Left needs to map outa strategy {o meet the challenge of an ageressive management for profi nd jobs

Labour Briefing No. 44 June 24th-buty Sth 1987 page 12

Labour Party

“One member, one vote

Who are the real democrats?

leadership "bas already Qxsord East CLP i mat ae defeat on the left and new elected es change to 2 ment Fak peed inademoves to attack | the (jinn Gericalaty beset oa GC éckgaies, and. indeed

power of the left within sal voting) would be an at- delegates at all iévels, should be the Party are underway. fack on activism in the Party, mandated and votes should be

"At this year's Conference and far’ rom” increasing recorded whenever requited ine another, dtimpt “wil be democracy, would concenirae Gating at accion confercace

‘made to amend the Con-

ower even more ino the hands the current constitution does SF an unaccountable, self oe permit this). ‘Sugg eager ior and pocetings 0 he ite "The argument that some NEC. shou publ ‘member, one vote" system — members, for example thors Regional officials should be for selecting and reselecting with childcare responsibilities, chosen by lected bodies, and be parliamentary candidates. find it difficult” to attend accountable to them

Tes all in the name of in- mectings and are thereby disen- The Parlamentary Labour creasing Party democracy, franchised by the present Party itself, one of the most GF course, but pushed ‘stem. needs to betumed on ts powerful yet last democratic of

yi ead. The Party deeds to chonge should. be

hhardest by the very people 76 enable such members 10 who fought against the in-- fipace. We must take childcare forthe troduction of | mandatory Seriously by accepting ts finan. Shadow Cabinet, real power for

reselection in the first place: Gal and organisational burden. the back benches, and a new, Don't be taken in by their “Taking power away from democratic relationship to the arguments about democracy. meetings will only makethem ir- whole Par « Whilsttheaimofthismoveisto relevant and discourage par. The advocates, of | “one attack the Left, is result would ticipation n Party activities and member, one vote” wil, forthe

be to undermine the par- decisions. ‘most part, not be heard raising Ucipatory, representative system We must resist this proposal demands Of this sort. Their in ff democracy within the Labour vigorously. Ht would not only fetests m democracy is purely {nd trade union movement. tip Geneal Commitee of the ctrl. Many of them have

'AL present not only can all power and responsibilty to been in the forefront ol members have a say in the Select parliamentary candidates, sistance tothe real movements democratic. election ‘of their but would also. undoubtedly for extending democracy in the epresentatves, but the system undermine their vital role as Party, including the movement forces those representatives to policy making bodies — thereby 10 enfranchise women, Black remain democractcally accoun- leaving the field free to the people and youth

Constitutional Committee

The politics of the purge

If the politics of the National Constitutional BY Mandy Moore Committee were not in Member, National evidence before, they cer- Constitutional tainly reared their head at Committee ‘the last meeting of the Committee on May 11th. against & members; Ogmore _UERCY members and 1 trade ‘The membership of one of CLP against 1 member: The Tage gp of the remaining 4 the NCC’s “panels” was NEC against 1 member of trade union members, the Biatantly germmmandered te Blvthe CLP: Bexleyheath Socialist Society member and ensure s rightwing majority CLP against 2members; and the 2 Women's Section Gnd therctore the “right” umerous local government members. Itis obvious from this Mttatlto'the ease beforeit, ©2ses. Ateach meeting ofthe _ that on occasion the left could ‘There are a large number Committee the Uist gets _ hart a majority on a panel —

cl cect waiiey oieberd “Ee and the backlog’ “estes Semogte: rr

by the NCC. These include: STO Ape ted Stevenage CLP agnins 1Dof 70. <ope, with this sivation “II Sowing meting thi its members; Knowley ere sonore “for, Oy the ret w South against I member; the fhe'ufe of she NCC that panes THMESID corresied. Ik was NEC against 2 members of ould contain 3 members (ihe Polted out that the panel con the Wales Regional EC: Bir. minimum requied const <r id, os have 2 woman mingham Perry Barr CLP tonaly) and each of these amber (he hypocrisy

Devon Discipline

1 should take the place of the

what a waste!

really felt teas 3 problem. This

(as not, surprise, surprise, ac Ceptable to them and they pro- ‘ceeded 0 increase the panel size to5 — not, of course, with any

The Labour Party has recently paid the legal costs of

three Briefing supporters from Exeter who were witch-

‘hunted by the local Labour Party last year.

‘Legal action was sought by the three when the investigating committee broke the rules of natural justice. Is not clear yet whether the local or the national party

members. When this was Challenged they denied it was 3 have footed the bill — previously both have denied

responsibility.

panels has to have one membsr from the constituency section and’ one from the trade union

political decison!

‘We are always being told by the Chair of the Commitice that tte have to be "as pure a Cocsar’s wife” (sc) and_be ‘above reproach. This certainly ‘Soesa’t extend to the decds of the ight

“The NCC has produced a ‘guide for “members attending Meetings" dealing with cases. The fast point on this read: ‘members appearing before the ‘Committe should Be at ease in the Knowledge that they are amongst comrades who will treat them as such."" What a joke!

Devon Labour Briefing

‘The deadline for resolutions to 1987 Labour Party Conference is July 24th. Below we print various model resolutions being promoted by CLPD (10, Park Drive, London NW11 78H; Labour CND {29 Stodmarsh House, Cowley Estate, London SW9 6HH); the Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights (PO Box 306, London N5I; and the Labour Party Black Section (47 Queen's Road, London SW18 NP).

If your constituency sends a resolution on the issues covered below, please send a ‘copy to the relevant campaign (addresses given above). Please note that the LCLGR has decided to put resolutions within the general framework of health and education to give them a greater chance of success. and also, following successes of the last 2 years, to avoid merely reaffirming the existing policy.

ing slightly, so that

Campaign for Labour Party Democracy

THIS CONFERENCE resrets taking part in the final selection THIS CONFERENCE resets the NEC's decision 10 circulate provided the above principle of the action taken against Sharon all CLP: and alfiliated Accountability is srietly upheld, Atkin at the Apnl NEC meeting Srganistions with a “consulta- “In addition, many of the op- which she was unable to attend, ion’" paper offering no fewer tions also undermine the role of and believes that the NEC acted than ten options for changing trade unions in the reselecion in breach of the principles of the” present procedure “for process. This is once again natural justice avi reelection of Labour MPs Girectly contrary to the demand I. ased its decisions on one: The NEC's action is in de- of ‘Composite Resolution 3 sided reports of remarks made flance of Composite Resolution tha ‘at a meeting, and disregarded 39 which was carsied DY a "7he riphes of trade unions, the” context in which hese Substantial majority at the 1988 co-operative societies and par- remarks were Conference aad which stated fies and all affihuted organisa. 2. ignored. her undertaking to that tions, must not be marginafised abide by the requirements (or ‘onference recopnises that but maintained ina form which prospective parliamentary ean the sue of reseection is both reflects their importance in the didates, and. took its decision Complex and divisive and that 10 movement and in the Parts as @ without waiting forthe reopen the argument over new ‘whole."” Gariication which it requested Droposals at this time would "None of the suggested and which could have been ob-

Scrously damage Party unity changes put forward in the tained ‘bY het representative and divert the Party's energies NEC's” ‘options adequately before the end of the mete; orm the overriding priory of meets the. requirements 3, gid not formulae. detailed trorking fora Labour victory.” ipulated in Composite 39." charges "which "would have ‘Composite 39" also sated "Conference therefore reaf- allowed her 10" prepare 8 wha fieom thatthe NEC should not defence: countabiity af Memibers of Seat" procedure which undcr- candidates making damaging a Drovided bythe present system” the trade” union input, and Field, despite his lear breach of ‘and that fesolves that there should be no Clause {W (3) of the Rules for ‘ou by the same Bods to which THIS CONFERENCE deplores ding against Labour Party ci. work of the Parliamentary 0 sospend Cit Phil Murphy of Nottingham East CLP to Cabour Party from the Group because he left choose its oven candidate ad No fewer shan out ofthe 10 a council mecting without the £9¥E the CLP no opportunity to ‘options proposing changes in permission of tie Chae It in; be heard the present procedre contain Crucis the NEC to insiract the THeSe actions have damaged

‘ould welcome larger numbers

Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights

For the Education Debate vised to adopt similar polices, CONFERENCE WELCOMES “"Conterence calls upon the 1. the health and safety of the initiotives taken by 2 next Labour government to employees 9s covered by the umber of Labour councils ensure that all bas against es. Health & Safety at Work Act {such as Haringey and Ealing) bians and gay men built into of 1974 and also the safety of to implement the policy of the the education system through members of the publi:

Usbour Party by promoting the curriculum, teacher train. 2 the provision of training for ostive images of lesbians ing, etc, is eradicated as part those workers who will come

decision,

f5nd gay men within their ser- of that’ government's pro- into direct contact with suf Moces especialy within gramme of legislation for ies- ferers in the course of thei ‘education Bian and gay equality employment

‘We ‘recognise the impor 3. the protection trom

tance of presenting » poskive discrimination. of employees Rogectechans cgay ner NEE Wig have either the viruses rough the scot ystems Eausing. AIDS. or Yelated ice againat losbons and Fer the Health Debate: ‘soates; and those: who are Sermon ito be challenged CONFERENCE CALLS for the considered to belong to a high Sodcesstully in society fegotistion with the trade sk gioup whether suifarers Conference’ structs the unons of an acceptebe state or not especially gay men notions! Executive Commies ment on Acqured. immune &, the education of employees hrcenying cut cxsting con Dehcency Syndrome’ AIDS] to bresk down prejudice’ and {erence palsy, to ensure thet which would metde within misunderstanding “about the fi Labour authorities are ad: 3 comprehensive policy travemiseo ef the yruses,

Labour CND

Unconditionsl nuclear disar comes from the NATO allies, ment is an asset and not @

mament — an asset in the in particular from the British handicap in. the situation ‘rms tale: Tory government which is stil where real possibilities exist 10 THIS CONFERENCE welcomes fighting to maintain nuclear denuclearise Europe. Con the Soviet proposals for the arsenals in West Europe at all ference. therefore reaffirms reduction and eventual costs, that's strong emphasis should eimination of all “muclesr Conference beleves that. be given to Labour's nuclear ‘weapons throughout Europe. Labour's policy of returning disarmament policies. and re We beteve that getting rid of Cruse, canceling the Trident jects any shift away. from ‘nuclear weapons from Europe programme and unconditional them.

E'sn important step towords fyremoving af oct nutear the uewoten of al tuceer=. treopone ane maton boss oaipene “warkd-wiae: Cor teckaseg Peer ont eat ions ference notes that the soil and waters in the lifetime wack Gertie fenstance to these polies of the’ runt Labour govern

THIS, ‘CONFERENCE reconises that black people are tinder represented at all levels OF the Labour Party. 1 also bases ecognises that the Labour Par. st make a serious altempt

ate the insttutionalsed

Removal of sl! US bases snd of removing all nucle ‘withdrawel rom NATO: from this country does not CONFERENCE notes that the necessarily prevent the USA

North Atlantic Treaty launching a conventional at, ‘which is inherent in Organisation remains |'fun- tack from bases in Britain, sor British society

Samentally committed to the does it prevent the Pentagon To ensure betler representa Use of rucieer weapons. Con. from "pursuing its nucleat tion and involvement of black ference further notes that policies through the usa of people in the Labour Party and membership of NATO not only facilities in this country, Con. to atrensthen the party's abilly creates difficulties for 2 ference therefore resolves (a challenge racism, conference [Stour government in pro. that the next Labour govern. resolves. 10. -aupport the moting its nuclear disarme- ment wil remove all US bases, cstablishment of black sestions ment policies, but also con incliding ruler, conven: af all levels of the parly where ficts with the pursut of 2 tional and” communications black poople wish 10 establish socialist foreign policy bases, from British sol and them with the right 10 send

Conference further notes Briish waters, and will take delegates 10 general committees, that Labour's existing policy Britain out of NATO. isi parties, local govern ment committees, reyional par Ties andthe National Executive ‘Comimittee-as propriate

Labour Briefing No, 44 June 26th-Luly Sth 1987 page 13

Letters

Write to: PO Box 457, London SW2 5UZ

Setting the record straight on Sinn Fein

Dear Editor,

‘An aticle ened The true ‘Soce' of Sinn Fein? in Labour Briefing 10. 43. proves ‘once again that in wa, truth i the frst casualty. ts author. Mair for “having ‘crammed. ‘more for some time. 1d say theres @ place waiting for him onthe Newsdesk ofthe Sun

ike life self, Labour Brief ing ist? Tong enough to reply to all of Martin's fies. but Ul Select afew gross ones tse the record seaiaht

-Eapvaist united Ireland: oor only. goal isa. free, secular newspaper an Phoblachi/Republican News ‘which sells 40,000 copies every Week, if you want tse wal we relly Stand for

Positive eiserinination in favour of women is practised by Sinn Fein a all levels There are Shin body which are reserved for (¢Far From bing “rabid reac Uigmaries™ during the 36-County leadership, including Sligo Teitim candidate John foc MeGitl, vocierously supported 1 We ako suppor the rights of lesbians and gay men. Far Irom being “Nomophobic™ our members have helped organise 8nd support such eampatans as Gas Heath Action

(¢ Volk the trish Labour Par ty Sinn Fein hasn't got 3 Sekyli/Hyde spit in is per sonality, We have’ the" sine Kerry as in Belfast. But while {Labour's reactionary leadership collaborated in government ‘wth Fine Gaet (descendants of the Irish fascist party, its let ‘Ning: presented the party asa radical aller". How Jekyll and Hyde can you get? Fine Gael i has become: more Fadia, bur its leadersp hase ‘change ils spo. nthe tect fefetendum ‘on the pro-NATO Single European ‘Act i jomed Fine Gael and: Hanna Fat in calling for ayes" vote. tdon't

lunderstand how any socialist can remain in such a party

The Irish Labour Party's blinkered attitude tothe” na. tional question — an acticude Shared By left and right wing in that Party — i partly responst ble for its pathetic level oF elee ‘oral support. Any socialist par. ty which accepts the British imposed partion of this coun tty and parrots Thatcher's hes About the IRA is bound to suf fer" isolation. Ae. tong as socialists such as Martin fail to lunderstand that “the national ‘question is the hey clas ques fom in Irland, they remain irrelevant as his article obvious vis

Yours in strugale,

Ronan Brady

Dubin

A reply was needed

Dear Briefing,

Twas shocked to see that the last issue of 18 handed two" thieds of a page aver to Mi 1unt’s position on Sinn Fein — in the shape of | Mairin O'Beudair"Runals article Whilst it might” appear see tarian, 1 am completely against Briefing “uncrically printing major articles in this waty

Team totally in favour of debate, and if its t0 be with Minivan. then’ paricaarly”on Ireland.” "Milicant™ have ridiculous and untenable posi tion, a mixture of (what they se 88) socialism and imperialism The problem with the last issue

that there was ne debate ‘Militant’ article raised some extremely important points Which meeded “answering. Not answering them was @ politcal error. The fact of the matter is that ireland is one oF the most complicated. issues, with’ mech Confusion surrounding it, even nthe Lett

‘One of two courses. should have been taken: Miluant should either have been asked to Wwrite a Teter or their article should have been answered by 3 Corresponding article

‘Oh, by the way, if anyone who Supports Milita reads this Teter, good luck with the Irish Eabour Party: and tho "°Nor-

theen Tecland Labour Party You'll certainly need it! John Turkic.

Hackney, London

Thanks to Briefing!

Dear Briefing,

Whilst writing, a ike ro add’‘that had it noe been. for Briefing, particulaciy the Elee tion Speelal, 1 think T would have lost hear

"Yours sincerely

Zelde Robinson,

London Wis

Sign to release Mordechai Vanunu!

Dear Editor,

If anyone would like t0 cot lect signatures om 2 petition to be sent tothe Py

1 Minister of the release of nse please con. tact Anne Adams “at Dunns Buildings, West Kyo, Stanley, Co, Durham

The petition is being. cic culated world-wide,

‘Yours faithully.

Anne Adams,

Secretary, Stanley CND.

Why vote Labour?

Dear Comrades;

‘What should the left have ‘argued. during ‘the ‘election campaign?

Everybody knows that Kin: rock has been utterly vesless In countenng the potcses of the Alance and the Conser vatives. The left, maintaining {high profile during the cam Daign, should have said ths

The "reason why people should Yor Labour Tor 3 Eabour government. is that in realty the only. people. who an get iid of nuclear weapons and nuclear power are those working in the nuclear yn dustry. the only people who can aise the’ standard of ‘education are. teachers and pupils, the only people who an ensure the smooth ann tng of the economy are those who work in industry and se Vices, health, housing. etc

“These are alsa the anly peo: ple who can guarantee Sexual freedom, women's. freedom and black freedom. Historical ly these are the people who Relped set up the Labour Par: ty A vote for Labour for 3 Labour" government. ie therefore defensive. inthe end to make way for the people ‘who ae realy going to charge the pottical situation,

‘Comradely greetings.

Join Malings

Stratford upon Avon

‘Steve Jomoa

LPYS Conference: putting the record straight

Dear Briefing Tefer to Patrick Baker's at

cle in. Briefing no. 43, May 6th-19th. Patrick rightly says that the number “of voting Gelegates at this year’s Con ference had falion by 20% ‘since the previous year’ But he failed to connect this fo what hho called the “rather disap” Pointing result of 17 votes” that the ‘Black ‘Section ‘can

Challenge the establishment's definitions!

Dear Briefing. A central term in the debate Jn your lerters pages (se Jen Fisher, 90. 2). about ‘“Seanette™must be challenged — that she “has a mental age of Tne This is a definition of the medical, education and social Services" esiacbishment. It is Totally false and is a way the Sate classifies and controls peo ple with a mental handicap who are ia ts insitutions or who. Jeanette is a i7 years old woman, with her ‘own ex efience of 17 years of lite “The ruling cast has 2 long history of cegarding Black peo ple, women, disabled people 2nd. "The working class "as children Let ws mot accept this 238 a term of our debate Jeanette is a 17 scar old woman, I know nothing else bout her, only ‘about how

others are controlling her Hie S Lynn, Hackney, London

Just a warning

Dear comrades,

enclose some stamps, although Te not at all sure t's worth

‘Working on the assumption that cach stamp is worth one fenth of a penny (which L expect |S roushly right) and that there

2-20 Briefing supporters each sending in 10 stamps a week (which 1 suspect 8 an over timate), then it would take bout sears to accumulate £50 ‘worth of stamps.

By thistime sou won't be able to move in the office and £50 probably won't be worth much

If imy. calculations of estimates are wrong, that's OK, but just chought you might ke to be warned

‘Yours comradey.

Dani Atrens,

Watlord, Herts

didate achieved inthe election for tha YS representative on the NEC. The fact fe that there are. very significant factors which led to. me. polling the Votes which | did

Independents

First, there were fer fewer Independent YSs\— in other words fewer floating voters who were prepared to use their vote inteligently and not be fed Tike sheep to vote Mil: tant but rather vote for the im: Portant issues that | stood on, Ke. support for’ Black self organisation and Black perspective on Labour Pity Boaliey. support for women i {he Labour Party to elect their own candidates at Con ference, support fo! Black Yyouth in struggle, support for Say men’ and lesbian. rights, Support for the. freedom fighters in Azania (South Arica, in roland and in Cen tral America,

Abstentions

Secondly, the Labour Coorainating| Committee Selegates abstained” trom voting for the Black Sections candidate. Kingsley Abrams last year secured a. large ‘amount of votes from the LEC as they have said that they Support the night of Black peo. pie to organise In the Labour Party —"yet LCC delegates this Year did’ not even bother to repister a vote!

Thirdly, Socialist Organiser, in running a separate. can’ Gidate, spit the vote in what would! have. boon 2 united Lebour Left Liaison campaign, They alse rane dity, petty ‘and’ wholly” sectarian cam: Daign "with vicious personal attacks.

Lastly, Briefing, who gave invaluabie support to the campaign, wore unable ta transfer this support to actual votes 65 there were no. Briefing aetgeton ot tis year's

These. then are the real reasons for the dectine in the ‘vote forthe Black Section can didate. Nonetheless, we ran an excellent campaign and Coming Second t0 the Militant Candidate i Linda Douglas ‘wore 10 resign the Black Section would have for the first time 2 representative on the NEC) is a real and significant achiovement “and. is an im Provement upan last year

Yours comradely,

Stove Jomoa,

National Youth Organiser,

Labour Party Black

Sections,

Home News

Civi

An informal steering group has been set up by the Broadwater Farm Defence Campaign to build a national march and movement for civil rights.

With dozens of youth in prison, including the three Unjustly convicted for the Blakelock murder, and dozens more still trial, the Det paign is continuing its vital work for local people.

But only a national campaign, involving commun ty groups, trades unions, and others can mobilise the kind of support necessary to defend working class and Black communities from” police attack

‘The Civil Rights march will be held in October, on

Broadwater Farm still fighting Rights March

By Haringey Labour Briefing

the second anniversary of the uprisings at Broadwater Farm, and will proceed from Tottenham to Downing Street.

Leaders of the Broad water Farm Youth ‘Association will be visiting

the US in coming weeks to gather international support for the march.

Representatives. of, various left groups and ‘community campaigns in Brixton, Hackney. Wolverhampton and Man: chester are all participating in drawing up plans for the march.

Trade Union and Labour Party support is essential. in the past. the labour movement has too often let Britain's Black communities stand _ alone. Make sure your CLP or trade union branch or other ‘organisation gets involved now. Contact the Civil Rights “Campaign. c/o Broadwater Farm Youth Association, _ Tangmere, Broadwater Farm Estate, London N17.

Viraj Mendis - here to stay!

Labour Group freezes

On May 18th the Labour Group in Manchester Ci ty Council decided not 10 let Viraj Mendis start his Job as Immigration and Nationality officer until the Home Office gives im permission to stay in

Britain.

Viraj_ Mendis has now been in sanctuary in. a chureh for ‘more than five ‘months. He cannot leave the church without “being ar rested and deported 10 Sri Lanka, where he faces persecution, imprisonment and possible death,

A judicial review of the case thas. been Mendis is the church,

This is the official excuse for the Labour Group not giving Viraj Mendis his job. straight away. They claim that he can (Only do the job if eis able to

post

By Finn Jensen

travel around the country But Viraj as appointed co the job.a couple of months age and there is nothing in iis job description which specifies that he has to be able to travel. His office in the church has been acSepied as a workplace by the health and safety authorities The real reason for not giving him the job is therefore. di ‘The City. Counc has under tremendous pressure from the Home Offic, from the right sing media, in particular the Manchester Evening News, land from racists in general. Instead of standing firm against this racist pressure and defending is equal opportunity polices, the Labour group Backed” down. Only. a" few Uabour councilors absined in

the voting, and none. voted {against the proposed new condi tion to his appaintme

When you please your enemies, vow lose your friends. Before the Labour Group took its decision, ‘the ‘Clty Labour Party ad already voted in sup. port of Viraj Mendis starting his J0b immediately. NUPE in the Town Hall supports. the ap ointment, NALGO has written 8 etter (0 the leader of the Ciy Council, Graham Stringer, ask ing why Vira} Mendis 5 not allowed to start his work

Ata press conference on May 2tst, Graham Stringer could not Say Wwhy he had not asked Vira} Mendis whether he would be in terested in jobshare as a temorary solution. Stringer would fot answer whether Vira) would have lost the job if he had Sarted i Before he went into Sancturay. But he ad the ourage to state he sil supports Viraj Mendis:

Labour Briefing No, 44 lune 2th-July 5th 1987 page 14

International Briefing

A socialist view of Sinn Fein

‘The racism and chauvinism

Apart from its stylistic in- wyick 9 divides and disarms elegance, Mairtain the British working class are

iy the result of Britait's

O'Brudsie’s contribution part

to the debate on Sinn imperial past Fein (Briefing no. 43) was Brains sow only «eso

fall of inaccurate and un- (2.5 cam “have supported generalisa- changed since the Victorian era. Souk Neverthe, sort itn TKnande no attempt to pre. onalism must mean absolute, : ‘Pre though not uncritical, suppor’ me (erp imciigehs for those groups ating i movement. Objectively, it aicns Pm puts him in the same camp Within the British labour 45 the Tory and right

img movement it has been extremely

Labour imperialists for dificult to raise the quextion of

whom he fecls such pas. I'cland in a principled fashion,

Tionate and pevnine score,” when unvillingness 10 condemn That he is Irish and uses

the IRA was (and 1) construed Irish phrases in his article dhe rere large measure to the disastrous ness of his arguments, but rather the corrupting effect by the Republican Movement in Britain throughout the 1970s socialism in Britain. Ieis also and ito the erty 1980s, fone more proof of the sad, /=,,such a, climate, some wins the support of sections ee Oe a ‘of the population in those working class bearing no rclx Socialists all agree that im- class which benefits by the soc perialsm isa bad thing”, tarianism of the Orange State Party and its sister organisa. at Whose expense the. Profions throughout the world testants receive their privileges. ment, wilingly colluded with amples of this kind of idealism the finperialst policies of their is inh Milan's call for The degree of resistance tots tect workers from sectarian a “own” imperialism is always a tacks. Where will the workers health of any social democratic Shost Brothers? Harland and party ‘Woolf? The UDR? sce clearly how British im- trish Labour Party who have Deriallam hinders thelr work, managed to break the party weakness “of working class radical alternative for Catholic ‘Organisations, and how i and. Protestant workers. in Kinnock's floundering on the Party is a pro-imperialist. anti fuclear weapons issue during working class party. his “general” capitulation” fo tcipant in the Angio-Irish Deal, impecialism tnd: the party was forced 19

Canada

Support grows for NDP

By Marv Gandal, Ottawe ‘and’ District Labour ‘Counc ‘delegate 20 the NOP conven: tion in Montresl, taken trom Labor Notes.

For the first time since its founding in 1961, Canada’s New Democratic Party (NOP) : has become a serious °Pp0sion, to Canade's contender for political 'Nfocr of ‘the ‘convention power. therefore was 2 restfvmation

“The party is the political of existing policy. The arm ofthe Conadien labour policies. taken as 2. whole,

Movement, which played Would see an NDF gover movement, which played ment, tke other labour and

Socialdemosrate govern formation. oo

monte world-wide. work ‘The NOP currently holds hot to replace capitalom Dut 30 of the 282 seats in the to manage it better and curd Canadian parliament. But its excesses its standing in public opi- This hasn't affected the ‘nion polls has skyrocketed NDP's lebour support, which Since the last federal eloc- _"emsine slid. The NOF com. tion in 1984 which swept [ands the allegiance of most the Conservatives into stewards and politicaliy-active power. ‘workers becauee © serves the “The. Party's convention in immediate interests of the Montreal earier ths year wes labour movement in 2 way flominated by discussion of that the parties promoted and Guebec's notional nghts, im. Sponsored by the corporations luding secession ‘tom the cannot Canodian confederation “About 315 of the 1,400 “The party's policy, while delegates were rade unionsts faling shor of" the Quebec Sent by ther affliated unsone section's demands. ig some or labour councia. The largest important areas ike language eontingants came, from auto fights, towmelly recognises and steel, the tradibona! bas Ghaboc's “untaue Cherscter” tons of NOP support and “right 10 feely determine Labour's concerns — in ite own future” end would creased public spending ond Province within the exsting jabs, ex retorm, equsl py lor Constitutions framework ‘work of quel valve, opposs “hore was less debate than ton to. free. trade. with the the party programme. In the ube services, and the cor tunhona’ “surrounding.” the porate np-ofl_ of pension party's nse in the pols, the surphises wore at cared NbP‘cttis weaker thon it has and goneraly received new been in some time. The party unenaus support Ieadership, "scenting. "power, A more contentious resolu Sought to ‘svod “the “ap. tion Gesigned to. strengthen pearance of division ond the party's cal for 8 shorter fetromed from its customary work week was assigned 9 4ttempts tc rol back some, oles Fig prontyea.pevey teached the’ sronger pore Blast a got considers electors bm im particlar, the NOP's formal

a "adcition 1 opposing Canadian membership

By Francis Devine

iSpre the coninion, not bevase Of pressure from is left, but father because the continued Coalition ith. Fine Gacl was ‘estroying its electoral base. Its share ofthe vote inthe last lec tion. Slipped from 9.4% 10 64h

is an indisputable fact that some members ofthe Republican Movement are anti gay. don’t doubs that there are those in ts ranks who are racist to some degree, and obviously Sino Fein's position on 3 woman's right to choose is Spportunist

But exactly the same crtiiams can be made of the Labour Party and the British working clas. Should socialisis therefore refuse to support the Party or the working cass?

‘With my omn exer] have seen British and Irish lesbians and says marching up Belfast's Falls Road in support of Republican

POWs, I have ako seen siiking ‘miners, native Americans Palestinians, Nicaraguans, and

Black South Africans. warmly ‘emonsteations in Rep Belfast In London I have heard Gary Adams speak on the com:

‘moa oppression and common ch people with Interest of Irish and Black peo. whom the painter Of this slogan

ple in Bia ‘would have had most comact ‘Finally. where do Gritish were young English working socialist “delegations —" in. class men in British army Tfading Black ‘people, lesbians uniforms. ‘The painters’

fad gays — sleep and cat» they are in Belfast and Derry?

political consciousness may not fave been very well developed,

‘According 10 Mr O'Bradeir. im ut at least he o she understood ‘he homes of Irish bigots! realty better than Mr “The Irish working class, and O"Brudair.

in particular, the vanguard Sian Fein is distinguished

‘hich supporis the Republican {com most political organisa Sovement, is sophisticated tions by the fact that it the past Cnough 10 distinguish Detwees five or six sears i has rocruted ite frends and encmic in Bri- lange numbers of working class tia. Bot let-us concede that people, and in particalar. work Some Republicans sometimes Ing class youth fal to. make the right Obsiowly there will be difsinctions. ferences in poliical deselop The old wall slogan “Ireland ment, not leant beeen urb for the ish — England for the and ural area, since the par pigs" is an obvious example. is in the midst of a long-te

NATO. the party takes 9 Strong stand on other foreign Dolicy issues. The convention Featfrmed a variety of nuclear disarmament policies. It called {or the creation of @ nuclest \weapons-tree zone in the arc ‘Ee, which is rapidly becoming ritarsed

called for comprehensive mandatory sonctons. against South Atricen and. Candian government support for the Rirican National Congress and South African trade urvons. It

‘The Sti Lankan government suffered yet another serious setback recently when they ‘were forced to call off their military offensive in the Jaf- {na peninsula, after the Indian government indicated im no uncertain terms that

opposed “United Stotes in | they could mot stand idly by terventionist while the Sri Lankan Air tral Americ’ Force and. Army ineocmetle iscriminately bombarded

Big Business parties ore en- | violating Sri Lankan Air ee lating Sri 1

Supporting the Sandinistas

In the labour movement as a whole support for the ‘Sandinistas can be shown in a simple and very practical way. After last year’s Labour Party Conference the NEC agreed to send a container of ‘goods to Nicaragua as a sign of our solidarity with them in their efforts to build a new society.

‘The Container Appeal was launched at the end of March this year. and will run for about six months. ‘The Central America Labour Group is encouraging all sections of the labour movement to collect money to help fill the container with goods requested by the Sandinista government, as part of the “Nicaragua ‘Must Survive’’ campaign.

‘All money should be sent to the Nicaragua Solidarity Campaign, 23 Bevenden Street, London N1 BH, with cheques payable to “Nicaragua Support Fund (Labour Party Container)”. Further information about the container is available from Tim Young at the NSC (01 608 0414)

‘Support the Sandinistas! Oppose Reagan's terrorists! Support the Labour Party container for Nicaragual

‘Tamil areas.

Central America Labour Group

trouble =

evolution. But even now i its ural camainn divorce and abor fiom are being dixcussed and won are being told wht sexism ws in sociely and inside an Organisation.

Tnesitably, these discussions are ala higher level in urban areas, but how. mans farm fabourers can Insh Milian, claim ay supporters? These issues are only part of a process of politicisation and radicalisa tion of the Republican Move tents membership, a process tihich' is handicapped by the Movement’s history and. the iment complete lick of Political analysis before the 1980s

Yet despite what Mr O'Bradairsays, ever inils worst Periods, Sina ein never sug-

Jayawardene in

ican «1987 Bloody Sunday demo, Sheffield: fighting British imperialism in Britain

ested that the Protesiants be ‘driven into the sea It has fom realised that miliary scruB Bk alone. isnot adequate (0 fichieve a united Tren, What i has not yet acquired is 9 political strategy 10 achieve Eiht Fredoms aa the debate ou that strategy ithe one it which [ih Sodas should Be participating

‘The strugele for trish Freedom canals be won by the working chs. A suuagle

sins nipetialivs fe now Being Tough bs f section o at cass ‘Within this strugee a large vom ponent of the tuture leadership fF the Irish socialist revolion. ‘Seine mace. This revatution is Coming and its coming from The stcugele against Brisk imperial

space.

The Sei Lankan ruling class has always jgnored the epercussions of their actions on the South Asian region and hoped thal either he United States or China oF ‘some’ other power ‘ould come to their aid im the Sven of direct military action by the Indian government. They have been taught a sharp lewon

"Tis incident has also disarm: the right wimg opposition

ee, the Sei Tanks Fresdom Party of Max Manderanall trick has been campaigning For Songer malitary measures aeainst the Tarail guerilla fighters in the north and cast.

Despite the ellarts. ol the government and other right ting forces — the SLEP and IVP — to whip up anli-Tami and anticindian hysteria ast masses of Siahals poople have hr alicd tthe chauvinint Ban her. A demonstration aginst the tndian’ government by. the Fehlist Tones atiracted a measly 2000 pope,

Meanwhile the opposition repremive. polis growing fot only on the Tamil areas but

sdoninanily Sinhala dareas inthe Sout The pri tion ‘of traditional “demonstra tions ‘and allies on May Day fesulted ia castes with “the Polise which Ieft 180. people dead,

Workers who were brutally supprested through mass sack ing and repression have begun tor flex their muscles again, A Station athe tight wing opps: How led by the AVP have begun to organise cir own armed troup and have attacked Se Army and Air Force barracks 10

ith Perera

A proces political dismiegration. is “aking place ‘with more and more people in the country beginmine io ovubt the aif the Taawaren tovernment to rule the country Inthe ‘coming months thei weakness. will ecome seh mote apparent. when the ferillas who left the areas in Yaded by the Sei Lankan Army return fo harass then

tis impossible tor the Sx Lankan aemy To gain full von trol of the North even wih Mh auvstance of exSAS_ avers find. the. Kael Mexsid whe have bgen working wath the Se ankan Ary forthe fast These

‘Meanwhile the eowatry’s ing. The eowernmctt's abit 10 ‘iain Torcien Toars and gan From abroad is becoming mare dishealt, The Finance Miniter ‘sno has the thankless task-of Boing begging Tor funds Tron stittionss has warned that the present rate oF defence expen Sitwre carnal go am witha Serious “feperedssions 10. the

Tr ivextimaed thal 35% of the budge now oes othe “wa Against the Tamil guerilla, The army’ and the police are stretchy fd to the limit They will 01 be Able w hal the disintopration of the political structure

‘he government iy secking 40 put olf the elections yet again Sn the pretext ofthe “war su tion’ The Ft tscluding com fades’ of the’ ‘Revolutionary Marais! Party. have called for 3 United From fal work clas Sepaniations fo theo ott the bankrupt Jayawardene

PHOTO. Wayne Faginros

Labour Briefing No, 44 June 241h-July Sth 1987 page 15:

International Briefing

Sanctions against Apartheid Labour movement must take the lead

On June 27th, the Ant

‘Movement (AAM) is holding a “National Convention

His purpose is to get different" organisations

point of across, fo adopt a declaration and programme Of action on sanctions.

This isthe" first opportunity for AAM activists to discuss the failure of the AAM national leadership's campaign for “the formation of a parlinmentary majority committed to a manifesto. for sane tions”, and the inability. of the "movement to make southern Africa an issue in the general election.

By Philip Ward Walkley Labour Party, Sheffield (personal

capacity)

The Campaign for the Manifesto for Sanctions was launched at the AAM AGM in January. Delegates were prevented witha six page Socument on the morning oF the discussion.

‘After sik mimutes “discussion”: (3. speeches. for, none against), the meeting adopted — without 4 vote 3

Polley for the election which allowed "the Labour Pat leadership to get away with 0 mention of South "Alrica throughout the whole of the election campaign. Instead the policy was directed at exposing those (mainly Tories) who had for given verbal support Yo the With the election of the Tories, a campaign OF pressure

fon the government to put pressure “oo the UN for Saeiney compeciconee Sanctions isa.” dead ~ end Although the collaboration ‘of the Tones and British eapcaism ‘with “Apartheid. South Africa should Be exposed. much more emphasis needs to be placed on ‘mobilising the ‘unions against ‘Apartheid including calling fo ‘orkers sanctions

‘A serious campaign by the whole of the AM on is instead of “the ‘current shettoising of trade union work)

fecessarily means deemphasising the Consumer Boycott Campaigns. "While

trade union action against trade weith apartheid is more difficult fo organise than consumer Boycotts (especially with the current’ stare ofthe. labour movement) it is only. the frganised working class that is in a position to. force the government to break all links With the Apartheid state.

In some areas — or example with ‘the National Union of

Minenorkers (NUM) in respect of coal, ad in toca and the health serece in relation {the use of Shell oil and South African food — the unions have Started to organise for workers? Sanctions, ‘But itis clear that ‘most unions are not ready to {ake action against-employ sho pers in supporting South Tris accessary to Build up 10 this, and at the same time five so Support to. the Struggle of the South African nd. Namibian workers, by the ‘AAMC unchiog a national campaign of solidarity with COSATU, “its “afhitates and supporters “and Namibia Support Committee's campai jn solidarity with the National Union oF Namibian Workers (NUNW) and is unions. This action ‘clude: ‘@fundeaising for the unions (hich Rail Against Ay doing in order to help fund 3 fullsimer for the SARHWU?: ‘ea much more rapid response

{0 disputes in South Africa and Namibia example, solidarity with the BTR strikers, ‘ahere very litle has been dor inthe 18 monihs of their dispute: fo. campaign for the rl Moses Mayetiso and his MAWL comrades threatened he death for alleged ‘links betwcen union branches ia Britain and Sou Africa could be built ‘eal! of these actions sould be promoved ifthe AM was able aed willing 10. organise fational tour of COSATU members and i€ COSATL was open-an office in Britain course, some of these proposals may atthe moment be Giiheut “to organe for This is an hat the AM Icadership uses when opposing ‘more militant campaign against Abarth. Te appears 10 be used as 2 okescreen to hide the AAM Icadership's unwillingness £0 40 anything that may disturb che leadership of the TUC. The situation in’ South Africa and Namibia and the needs of the Unions there demands a break sith the campaigning paiterns of the pas.

‘National Convention for ‘Sanctions (AAM) Saturday June 27, 10am ‘Central Hall ‘Westminster, London

AAM AGM. November 28/29 ‘Sheffield Delegates from national ‘affiliates only

Escaping apartheid

Katfir Boy — Growing out of Apartheid, Mark Pan Books,

“Kaffie’’ is a term of contempt used by whit South Africans when talking to or about Blacks: “Boy” is any male Black, no matter what his age or the age of the white person addressing him.

Kaffir Boy is the story of one Black growing up in the ghetto township Ale andra. But is it also the story of the tens of thousands of Alexandra, Soweto, Guguletu, Crossroads, Langa and ali the other townships where

‘almost lievable conditions of urban squalor and poverty.

The author paints a vivid picture of life in these townships, a life where sometimes @ crust of dry bread was a luxury.

He writes of the desperate struggle to keep a rot over their heads, even if wasp roof which lets the rain in ang Covered a house whieh lacked the most elementary. needs Stich’ ae heating, suneane ‘water ot lavatories of father riven to drink ana brutality by the savage conditions of fie

By Charlie van Gelderen Brent South CLP

‘existence: of a mother whose Strength kept. the family Together and thanks to whose Setermnation he was able to jet the education which even {ually enabled him to “grow ‘out of apartheia’

The townships are the con. ontration camps of aparthers South Atnce. Like the Ger mans who lived in Ftler's Thied Resch, ‘the. majority of white South Afticans would aim ignorance of the reat

Conditions in these townships ‘baas” or “madam” is like

hhouseboy" of the git”

‘Apartheid laws prevent free entry by whites into " Black “areas. this book gets past the censors in South Atnica, Ro one wil be able to 90.0% pleading their innocence

rom the tender age of three ‘or Tour, Mark Mathabone was 3 witness of the terror regime which aparthesd imposes on the Black poopie. Alexandra's ‘ne of the oldest urbon Black Settlements in the Rand area in the past few years white houses" had moved aver closer

‘A dekberate policy ot horassiment was set in motion {0 ty and drive the Blacks out of thes homes. There are gn descriptions of ‘daly noice faids accompanied by acts of Savage brutality. Sex or age made no. diterence. They ore al just "Kaffire

By the time he was seven years old. the author had Become so conditioned to ex pecting pre-dawn ride thet ‘ach time his mother awaken ed him in the middle of the ight he would spring up i flat and ask"“Are they here? Paidn't hear any. noises, thinking that the police had i Yaded™ the _neighbouriood. ‘And. on many occasions it turned out that they had,

Through the author's own of the sorsidness and ffimness of life. im s Diack Township. We begin to unders:

tand why Moses Mayokiso and other Block leaders set tees to enabie the people to

{ake thoir destines into ther own hands and why they 31e now on Wal for ther ives in the aparinesd courte,

We lve, with the author trough the ‘schoo! ond stu

ing of the fight aganst the ‘acist tyrrany of aparthesd, @ fight which has gone on Luncessingly ever since — the heady days when the dusty Stests of the townships feverberated ‘with the crv ‘Amandla! Awethu! (Power & ‘Mark Mathabane toyed with the idea of joining Umhonte We Sizwe and traning to be 3 guerito. But. in the end, he Sscaped from aparthess ‘rough winning a tennis rship to Princeton University” inthe United States. He had previously been banned by the Black Ten nis Association because he Took, part in white organised This escape route, of couse, i closed to all but handful of Blocks. The pot holed playing felds and near. starvation diets of the Townships give I tle oppor tunity for sportepersons to develop their talents. Those, (2 Mark “Msthabane, who ‘managed to break through the face Darter and ste "taken Up" by whites become token Blacks, ‘the Uncle. Tome of South African sports,

British workers in solidarity with South African workers

Boycott South African coal

now!

place a ban on imports of South African coal on the agenda of the Council of Ministers’ meeting held in Brussels on April 27th.

Japan, is at

‘Australia whe erally imposed embargoes on South African et

By importing this coal the FEC, Japan and other countries are support

exploitati Africa's mines, ant the whole repressive system of apartheid.

The export of coal provided South Africa wit 13 billion dollars of foreign exchange in 1985.

Black coalminers’ wages in South Africa average 286 Rank (approx US $143 at the commercial rate) per ‘month and their working conditions are unsafe and oppressive.

joint statement ‘ntervational Federation, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions and the European Trade Conlederation.

APPEAL

Briefing has had a request for our paper to be sent to the following anti Apartheid organisations: COSATU (Confederation of South African Trade Unions). Metal Worke Educational _ Department, CCWASY, SALB (South African Labour Bulletin), MAAWU (Metal and Allied Workers Union),

We are appealing for donations from individual Briefing readers and. sup: porters’ groups to finance these subscriptions. Each sub ccsts us £17 for one year, out if you can't afford'a whole £17, pleese send what you can, so ve can. start” sending the subscription off.

Labour Briefng regularly

covers events in South

Africa, and building direct Tinks labour’ movement bodies is very

important.

Please don't assume that somebody else will responding to this appeal and just tum the page over!’ Get your cheque: book out, and send in a contribution as quickly as possit Cheques" or postal orders should be made payable to Labour Briefing. marked South Africa appeal on the back, and sent to PO Box 457, London SW2 SUZ. We will thank contributors. in the next issue of Briefing — please state if you wish to remain anonymous.

Labour Briefing Ni. 44 Jue 24th

Lesbian & Gay Legislation Conference

Determined to fight on!

Five hundred people attended the Legislation for Lesbian and Gay Rights Conference on May 23rd-24th,

Mt was the largest gathering of its kind in

since the early

‘and the most dive ever held, with different sections of the lesbian and gay community and many organisations in attendance:

The turn-out shows the anger and determination fight current attacks on lesbian and gay rights.

‘At least one thied of those at the conference were Women. There was ako a Significant number of black and minority ethnic lesbian and. gay people. Black lesbians and gays, drawing on the strength and confidence gained from their recently developing "self organisation, made their demands known for the first time to a wide section of the

The voices of many other sections of the lesbian and Bay movement too often silenced in the past, such as lesbians - and gays with disabilities, and ol lesbians and gays, were al heard at the conference. The call for the conference came from the Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights, the

g258 S85 _Nggeeaezo $283 225 833325239 2g2336 2 233°33 —3° #2 $22s8858 g3S22 gi*igioss 282 = 2z2 28 ggeidae 5 = F338 ge'3513 23 e868a Sa enze ersegacs 223 ,358953 25332293 eeeess 3 fatsess2 eaases o es sRses> £2992 g83572 52 |3e efit rit Fae es $o282 agegsises | 58 B peeetieass Si8se8sass3%52- [at 3339228255%2832 [G2 Beez" "2 goteers | ~ 5 B3i363 223 3382s bones Bsssss E8O87TOFF3 2543 _FoF3 SESSSze°essh2sse5e yizi_seo3ee733°2° = do eras ees ses" Fe seg bse sea easzesie . 33 o, Fes° 8282023 22s FF oci2e2 23, 23° acieeiizes ses gc eggiss tags 8 oS easeassagsssek 33 paezze Fae eeL R3gzaE_f E222 eoeg 2275 gigede es 22 aepeee. oeugzis p23 ee ggh8e3 So5s822 gag” es septa. Zee 8gf 2222523 Segreee geshe8s 2832333 = Sika" 5282963 £ g82c3

Campaign for Homosexual Equality, and the NCCL

National trade union sponsorship. came from the CPSA, GMBATU, NUM, NUPE, the Probation Officers, ACIT. TASS, FBU, BIFU, the Scottish Courieil of NALGO and the Scottish Council of the Tuc.

In the opening session, lesbian and gay people who have suffered discrimination gave moving accounts of their experiences. Ken

rc acre with egal equa By Theresa Conway and fateh neonkn nn Jamie Gough A large suber of workshops. took place -—~ of apport fom ds of the law in which Ricardion, and Geeemenen ores eg the’ Pa faking on board the Labour’ Party sould bring different experiences of the legisative proposals of specally oppressed. groups © ““isbian ‘and’ gsy of lesbian and gay people. Movement into Parlament. Many of ‘these workshops David Stel tent slg Sete very productive ia David Owen shortly after poltcal and technical issues the conference said he did st stake a beea hoped that she

Livingstone read an

conference would be able 10 agree abasic charter of demands around. which to campaign. In the event ny people those from oppressed gr there had been insufficient discussion to produce suc! However, the conference overwhelmingly agreed 10 continue the discussions with the aim of producing a charter for lesbian and gay Fights, while continuing Fight spec It was agreed that efforts needed to be ake the discussion all After a sharp debate, th right of the caucuses of th specially oppressed to velo any proposal was agreed. ‘The failure to agree a had a number of causes. The

conference had been

Printed by Lowy Lid; 21-25 Beehive Place, London SW9 7RS, Publshed by abou

PHOTO: Vanda Playford

organised from scratch in six months by a nevly-formed campaign — a very short ime in which to discuss the many issues involved

The conference discussions were made more difficult by dogmatism and sides, by issuing of Uhimatums, attempts 10 silence opponents, some redbaiting and hostility to the presence of non-lesbian and gay people,

Underlying these problems, and the debate on the veto of specially oppressed groups, were different ideas of alliances and how those alliances can be achieved.

However, the very fact that these debates emerged is

testament tothe Conference's unprevedented size and breadth. Lying behind the big tumout is a will to fight that ean be built into a powerful campaign, taking "on board’ the demands ‘of the specially oppressed and gaining increasing support in. the Inhour movement

There is no reason to keep our heads down!

Next planning meeting: July 18th For detai phone 01.833 3860