Labour Briefing no. 53

Attacks on the National Health Service could yet be the undoing of this vicious Tory government.

Mass anger at the rundown of our hospitals, and now at the moves to impose charges for dental and eye check-ups, has swept through the working class and helped develop a new ‘surge of campaigning and protest action.

The mass media coverage of Birmingham baby David Barber's six-week wait for an urgent heart operation helped to focus this sense of outrage. David got his operation in the end — though it came too late. But more babies are still waiting for urgent treatment, and emergencies are being turned away from the same hospital, where 34 children’s —— ‘were cancelled in the previous 2 months alone.

It turns out that Birmingham's Children’s Hospital, serving catchment area of 5.2 million people, has only four functional intensive care beds, while heart unit beds have been cut by a third this year.

The David Barber case was followed by a sit outcry from other heart surgeons around the country. re that had come public complaints from Birmingham's cancer specialists, who had joined with patients to ir which forced cancer victims onto waiting lists.

A similar grim picture applies in London, where at ‘the West Middlesex Hospital the only way canc: patients car: be admitted is if they are ambular stands!

The anti-cuts revolt is growing: last month saw protest strikes, demonstrations or angry meetings in

By JOHN LISTER

Coventry, Crewe, parts of Yorkshire, and several parts of London (Riverside, Tower Hamlets, Paddington, St Thomas's Hospital and more]: there have even Been mass meetings up to 1,000 strong in sleepy market towns of Shropshire, opposing hospital closures.

There have been some partial victories: Edinburgh nurses won increased staffing levels; Tower Hamlets protests have again saved Mile End hospital casualty unit; other cuts have been delayed or diluted in the face of campaigns.

These victories should encourage rather than head off those fighting for the NHS. The Tories may have jumped the gun in launching the biggest-ever wave of NHS cuts

Opposition to the cuts runs deep into traditional Tory support; 91% of the population have no private insurance, and remain attached to the NHS. Increasing numbers of Tory backbench MPs are beginning to realise the implications of the continued savaging of the Health Service, and are protesting at cutbacks made in their constituencies — only to be told the funds are not there to protect alf Tory marginals from cutback.

The new cutbacks are radicalising previously passive and silent layers of nurses and doctors who in many areas have emerged to fill the gap of leadership left vacant by the largely inert trade union bureaucracy.

There has never been a better time to mobilise the 1.2m largely female health workers, or to reach out to the millions more who rely on the NHS: ‘Winter weather now threatens to swamp depleted

LABOUR— TAKE THE

INSIDE:

@ Fight the Alton Bill!

@Labour & the unions

@ Atkin witchhunt

@Vote Scargill!

Towards a national fightback in the NHS!

National meeting Saturday January 16th 1.30-4.30pm Camden Town Hall

Euston Road, Kings Cross tube The m is open to all activists to come and discuss how we can defend the NHS For further details contact London Health

Emergency, 335 Grays Inn Road, London WC1, 01-833 3020.

hospital beds with emergency admissions: an epidemic could isaster;

©Tory plans involve more cuts next year;

© Nurses’ pay is under attack, with even the “professional” Royal College of Nursing organi genteel anti-cuts protests;

Doctors are increasingly speaking out on the real effects of cuts;

New, sensitive services, testing, face-the threat of pr

‘© Tory cash cuts are forcing more hospitals to seek income from private work and charity funding — Great Ormond Street Hospital shake the tins i

Trade union and Labour leaders who miss thi ‘opportunity to confront the Tory attacks and build what would be the most popular campaign of all prove they have no courage to seize the moment.

The fight for demonstrations and for trade union

mn (overtime bans, work-to-rule, token or sustained strike action, or occupations of threatened hospitals) against cuts and ie alongside a wider campaign for solidarity with health workers — and would revive some of the best spirit of the Miners’ Strike.

The local campaigns could forge links and build to a national focus in a demonstration backed by local action. Of course nothing more frightens the TUC than the idea of a national demonstration; but the demands should be raised in the unions at every opportunity.

In 1988, to defend the NHS could win important local victories — and prove a vital rallying point for the entire workers’ movement in halting Thatcher’s demolition of the welfare state.

40th anniversary year, a mass crusade

Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page 2

Campaign Round-up

_ NAC: How it all began EXE

The National Abortion the _sutiaborionin, SPUC movement oo mich wer came in Cc : Chopin est ree ion cosy See yet peal “We ind pnt dapat ampaign

celebrated the 00h 9 al tony, meee eae RAE. goekes me eee aes seesreennty of the Leading up to the Bill in and NUPE. The TUC adopted of people over Westminster Act. February there was a whole Abortion Rights into their Bridge wanting to get into the

Without NAC, women series of protest. activities Charter for Women’s Rights. lobby. r Alton’s Bill, an organised a public meeting dur- This raised hostility among Previous attempts to restrict ing the second reading of the some feminists. There were ot women’s abortion rights. Bill. [t was called at very short —_jections to men being involved trade union issue, beectin ec 4 leadership postions in the cam- _torchlight procession

LEONORA LLOYD, aya cook placeon March 10th. Srstnised’ women-only’ evens ae

meeting “at Central. Hall Westminster with Tots of enter-

Jocelyn Mensah, resident of band at length, they told the a. Haringey in North London, —_iusicator there was no evidence

Committee, talks to Local groups took the — Corrie’s Bill im 1979. paign Against Corrie groups | deportation. ce Went before ‘an Immigration Sere eons jaue into Labour Paris, trade Leonora: Yes, the TUC tad farscd tito NAC groupe, tar | | Acampaign in herdefence emt Pefare an immiaration about NAC’s early days, unions and both the TUC adopted a resolution promising although there were some ac- has been set up by the local evidence of her husband's status draw from past campaigns. ference passed resolutions sup- ‘Corrie’s Bill was very similar dow wo | mr * eee es te pain ol

Bill in February 1975, which defeated. A Select Committee had been before. But the anti- “overstayed” in 1981 By MARK SEATON ing a big demonstration at the Provisions they agreed to do. The rest, as as her husband was sertled here,

Also at that time the book at the new attack. overflow meeting and the stood up in wade union | thar “‘the puble interest in main- to prevent this deportation. Spanish Women’s Movement ios excite Horas & woos

A long way from a woman’s

‘also want to impose @ quota on husbands from the Indian subcontinent coming to join their wives,

Since 187 a milion more people have left Britain than have set

In 1986, 24,667 non- Gilt: What about the trade Women in the PSOE have very private clinics which performed | geq here. But aumbers ars not the lave, Races i Oren gain resident’ women had walons? How supportive have litlepower The second wave ot abortions, ic. they rwatsed | S'mminy Black foriies that wil bo kept apart abortions in Britain. 2,694 they been? the lection of the PSOE "Now, abortions which fitinzo_| ,,® The right of people whose homes are in Britain to bring in their

Justa: Commisiones obreras

of these were performed Wem government. the three categories can be | f@™iles to join them will be drestically curbed, iar 1S weekesed would Cocmissions) agress. with the We were confionied with a” performed in private cinix'ts | © Everyone wi hava to prove tlt ther chadeen ord porinen: can therefore not be allowed if ight women wo decile, The huge publicity campaign which wellas in the public stor: The | be suppored tnd have seesontore ee

{is that in the private the provision for_| ®Rights of eppeat against deportations and refusal of entry,

already almost non-existent for many black people, will be reduc. ‘ed stil further

the Alton Bl becomes law. postion ofthe UOT (ibe main argued thatthe PSOE proposal ites ‘A large proportion of these inion confederation) has as liberalisation of the law. include women from Spain. varied, depending on who is in Under the PSOE law many abortion in the | case of

. 2 gear tbe women continued to go abroad pregnancy threatening the

ds trp Silom height wasin power, Of aboruons or had icyal mother's health iuerpeted is -| “Second and subeequent” wives in olygemous merioge wil

Batenea CLP tales to rena no pon ag ONIN ey aah Pape | Re gees fm rg th aba Tae a ou talked to 5 swell a5 a time limit of sector abortion costs about | fares ie the who wont to come te Britain Thin ty io

Justa Montero, of the Which” Gafhomed “tps twelve weeks and the imiting of 30,000 peseta (about £150). “racist scare’ — intended to stir up hostility and prejudice

Madrid Committee for a Woman's Right to

shortions t0 the three itera the PSOE” allowed medical

Bovernment. In the fun. up 10 land after the general. election

Everyone can play 8 part in drawing together a powerful mave- ‘ment which can force the government to retreat. Together we can

Abortion. the PSOE _Gosialist Party) Practitioners 1a opt out of doing. GO: (8 6 nom panaoie. yor’ | win! Contact the Campaign Ageirat Recit Laver to Cinian Morse the devimaalsatom borions op tc erowmde of BeelMmoncy waa aha | Tre Taian WS COE STS Oabe SEeamet reman’s ah to ecg with ie focus iy ie —aborions.had"to_go ‘fore ‘Women under eighteen oced Justar The women’s movement case Of Fape: and ifthe life of “evaluation commictess™ which afealal permission to get an Broadwater Farm | Sumttee sound the hoot St or Wolnsn wit waned aboricn’ “ondet “Gran The rondwater Farm Defence Campaign i stave and Keng the subject was sil taboo. smcustele ol paper aeis 9k of = Spartan aig This is only part of the price the Tottenham community has had Contraceptive methods had The feminist movement as 2 there were sill caer of women jUdg0s and prolife eroups can | *® Pay for daring to resist police attack. ‘not been legalised so the strug- whote argued that this would being impelsoned for having argue that individual cascs-are ‘ all'kinde of prejudices all the Sucumstances would only be of trials of people arguing that NOt Property conform to onc of | The reg suth about the Broadwater Form uprising and the Trias a es a Se senna nee Su of the women they had ‘helped ‘women get the three exceptions. Speakers: Broadwater Farm Youth Association, Broadwater nome afthefening moremon _kelothePSOE:the soca’ campaigning © the womens, Many women, an abroad | a womgnrg crue eg EM SO oy Durtleulary after 1979 with the women to decide eihing, "acading’ pote Bad an legal abortion if they even Sisters tube PER ioiitonet for having «aati sere bee gay eas Petre by the who have had legal chortions Candiesit ten movement within the PSOE woman's right to decide, tt pert St et han Say soca pier ince then, the demand fora itself’ to challenge these government realised they had to 8d publicity. $ saturday December 19th - = has positions? take other measures. We say that abortion smust 6-10pm

cease 10 be a crime, that it must be carried out in the state sector and considered as a medical

Bained widespread support in Justa: No. The PSOE isa party They proposed two. further

In support of Winston Silcott and Engin Raghip {held in the popular organisations, the with complete contzol exercised _changesto the law. The first as

Wormwood Scrubs), Mark Braithwaite (held in Aylesbury

Unions and he polities parties from the top, and has never tp hange "the “evaluation : prison), and all the other BWOF and Tottenham youth one ven support for the posidons _comimitess”. The second was , Procedure His any other thas | Come end show your solidaity with the prisoners ond stand of the feminist movement. to recognise officially the 7 Ue teins mon ane with them in their fight for justice.

Labour Briefing No. $3 December 1987 page 3

Editorial

‘The agreement reached by the Soviet Union and the United States to eliminate Intermediate ‘Nuclear Forces (INF) seems to have caught nearly everyone by surprise.

The Treaty signed by Gorbachev and Reagan in Washington is the first pact between the two powers for over eight years.

It will remove all intermediate range nuclear missiles {including Cruise missiles at Greenham) — the first time the US and USSR have agreed to destroy any part of their nuclear arsenals. When the treaty is finally implemented it will result in a total reduction in world nuclear weaponry of between 3% and 4%.

Clearly, this will not usher in a golden age of world peace and superpower harmony, and it is certainly not the end of the nuclear threat. Nonetheless, it is undoubtedly a step in the right direction, and one welcom. ed by hundreds of millions throughout the world

The next step, at least according to Gorbachev, will be an attempt to agree a 50% cut in long-range (strategic) nuclear weapons. This much bigger task will be the main agenda item at the Moscow summit plan. ed for next summer.

‘The INF talks began in 1985, and were preceded by 2 long period of public shadow boxing and secret con. claves. Repeated attempts to undermine the talks have been made by forces on both sides (the Daniloft affair, the US embassy “bugging” furore, etc.). Often a deal would appear in sight, only to be pushed once again ‘over the horizon.

Then, in a flurry of meetings in Geneva, Shultz and Shevardnadze managed to sweep aside obstacles that had prevented agreement for years

Why the breakthrough? Was there. some sudden change of heart on the part of US capitalists or Soviet bureaucrats?

No. What happens around the negotiating table at Geneva {or anywhere else! is largely determined by what happens in the big world outside the plush hotel rooms and diplomat’s suites.

The verification question had been held up by the US. for years as 2 stumbling block to any agreement with the “evil empire". After all, how could you sign a treaty with someone whom, by definition, you couldn’ trust?

The “'common sense" of the US right since 1946 has been that the Soviets gained strength because of US gullibility and concessions made in negotiations, most Notoriously those held at Yalta towards the end of the Second World War. Carter's SALT Il treaty was drown ed in the US Senate by a renewed wave of this Cold War fundamentalism. Reagan swept to power not least by capitalising on it and presenting himself as someone

‘who'd never be suckered by the wily Russians. Now the two powers have agreed to give each other

the right to on-site inspection of INF missile bases for the next 13 years. The Soviets will have access to all US missile sites, including those in Europe. We anticipate with pleasure the first Soviet visit to Greenham {not to mention whatever reception the Yellowgate ‘group cooks up for them!

But how did the Russians suddenly become trustwor. thy? And what divine intervention is responsible for the apparent rationality of the Americans? Why has this agreement been reached now and not before?

Of course, the Tory explanation will not wash. CND and the peace movement did not hold up the negotia tions by giving the Soviets false hope that the West

Replay of Corrie

BRIEFING

TASOUR — TAKE THE POWE

INF Treaty

The end of the second cold war?

would “‘weaken””. On the contrary, their actions helped ‘create the political climate which led to the negotiations taking place.

Without the world-wide peace movement, the INF ‘agreement is inconceivable. The Greenham women, in particular, drew world attention to the insanity of intermediate-range missiles. Credit belongs to them and ot to those in CND who wavered on this issue.

The fact that under the Treaty the Soviets must destroy 1,500 warheads, the United States only 300, is some indication of the Soviet eagerness to make @ deal. The pressures on Gorbachev to come up with arms reductions have been immense, for both economic and political reasons.

‘After the fall of Yeltsin, this much-needed triumph «will undoubtedly boost his standing in the Soviet hierarchy and amongst the Soviet masses. it may even enable him to maintain, for the moment, the course of domestic reforms.

Gorbachev has repeatedly stolen the diplomatic in itiative from Reagan, offering concession after conces. sion, constantly redefining the goals and pace of the disarmament process. He has done this under evermounting pressure to break the Soviet economy from the grip of appalling stagnation.

His economic problems remain huge and intractable. For this agreement to bear fruit for him, further agreements must follow, in particular large-scale reduc. tions not only in long-range nuclear weaponry but also in conventional forces in Europe

‘The lame-duck Reagan, hobbled by the Iran-Contra scandal, has found his simplistic anti-communist posture exposed by Gorbachev's suave manoeuvre. But it was the Stock Market Crash which forced his hand Indeed, it is unlikely any agreement would have been reached at this time without the spectacular collapse of the bull market and the consequent clamour for cuts in the US budget deficit

With 2 presidential race slowly coming to the boil and the dollar plunging, disarmament will become ame jor reference point in US politics. On the Republican fight, there will be new outbursts of crude and violent anti-communism. The Senate may yet refuse to ap prove the Treaty.

There will undoubtedly be attempts by US officials ‘and what has come to be known as the military: industrial complex to get round the terms of the Treaty — and the cuts in the military budget. These people do. Rot believe in “balance” or “parity” between the ‘superpowers. They have one article of faith, US armed ‘Superiority, and neither the Treaty nor all Gorbachev's enticements will alter it.

Reagan himself is still committed to Star Wars and is unlikely to concede big cuts in strategic nuclear weapons, which would wreak havoc with a military strategy based on long-range, first-strike capacity ‘and would undermine the political base created by huge defence expenditure.

‘At the Same time, there will be renewed hope and energy in the US peace movement. There will be @ strong sense that you can “’do business” with the Soviets. A minority of Democratic: presidential can didates may even be tempted to take up the banner of disarmament

For the peace movement around the world the treaty represents an opportunity not only. for justified self congratulation, but also for sober self-crti

won’t be

Despite some success in the British Labour Party and elsewhere (notably New Zealand), the peace movement, has not succeeded in inserting its demands inside the organisations and parties of the working class. It has allowed itself to be swept up by events, and swung wildly between utopiar appeals to world eco. consciousness and minimalist acceptance of the most limited reductions in specific types of weaponry.

In Britain, it has failed to sustain the mass movement — amovement involving hundreds of thousands af people in anti-militarist action — that surfaced in the early eighties. It has avoided the key questions which it must take up if its intervention is to be effective in the long un: the question of its relationship to the Labour Party and the labour movement, and the question of Britain's, role in NATO, with the concomittant ideology of anti Sovietism and ““Atlanticism’

The forces on the left of the labour movement are now the only real links between that movement and the peace movement. Under attack from the right on a number of fronts, our resources stretched to the limit, we have not been able to mount the kind of interna tionalist challenge which is needed to stem the Party's retreat from unilateralism and to mobilise the large forces in the country opposed to nuclear weapons.

Now is the time to renew pressure at all levels for our immediate demands — British unilateral nuclear disar mament and withdrawal from NATO. We must use developments like the INF treaty not only to advance those demands, but to show that only by linking them, to a comprehensive socialist programme can we ever hope to achieve our aim of a co-operative, nuclear-free world without competition between nation states.

Events in Geneva have only confirmed the logic of unilateralism. After all, it was in effect @ series of unilateral steps by the Soviets which made the deal possible. To dilute or shelve this demand now, as proPosed by some Labour Party and CND self-styled Strategists, would be to abandon any possibility of promoting a coherent alternative foreign policy. not to mention 8 mass campaign in support of it, and substitute for it a dependence on superpower negotiations — which, as we have seen, can be as easily blown off course as on,

Now is the time to press forward with a campaign for withdrawal from NATO and the closure of all US bases in Britain, which would be 2 major spur to further multilateral disarmament

It is also time to table our positive proposals for a united Socialist States of Europe and an entirely new, non-exploitative relationship with the ““Third World" Utopian as it may appear at present, this new system of international relations represents, in reality, the only hope for permanent world peace and’ economic development

‘What has been called the “‘second cold wer" is far from over. The crises in which both the US capitalists and the Soviet bureaucrats find themselves are profound. No one is fully in control of events on either side. ‘The tremendous hopes raised by the INF agreement could be easily dashed and the starting pistol fired for a new and even more dangerous lap in the arms race.

Only a clear, coherent, principled set of demands — beginning with British unilateral nuclear disarmament and withdrawal from NATO — can face up to the dangers and exploit the opportunities presented by a volatile, rapidly changing world situat

enough:

How to bury the Alton Bill

Nearly every major town

in Britain now has a FAB By Valerie Coultas

(Fight the Alton Bill) Vauxhall CLP Group. ‘Sat TIPE, sornen re elie

Alton to Keep bis laws olf our bodies and insisting that we will not accept this 6 «to criminalize abortion

TT FAB uses this enormous potential support, and builds on the mode! of the 1999 Campaign ‘Against Corrie, there is very Tikelhgod that “Alton will aso meet defeat. Ta achieve that {ory the labour movement mast bbe mobilised and we must build abroad campaign to defend the ‘6? Act,

Howcver, socialists cannot be complacent aad think that are Fu of Coerie is inevitable. It is ‘ecessary 10 analyse the condi tions in which this campaign is being built and the ind of alliances that have 10 be established to make suceessfal

In colleges and hospitals students and nurses are staring up their own campaigns. Women Against Pit Closures has sponsored the national campaign.

Letters of help and donans — including £250 from the Transport and General Workers Union — are pourlng into the National Abortion Campaign office.

Jo Richardson has established f Parliamentary group to argue the pro-choice case

‘Women throughout tty are in ao doube wharsoever about David Alton’s Bill to ‘ullaw abortion after 1S weeks. Despite a huge media and posteard campaign by SPUC

The state of play in the abor- calling for a reduction in the tog movement is not the same 10 24 weeks. as it was a decade ago, The “Sanding” behind “her are

‘women's movement, “ike Thsiche and leading labour mov has medical organisations, all 0} weakened by Thatcher which have accepted. the response to the Powell and" ume — that Gillick attacks on feriity sights abortion should only be allowed ‘was not as strong as i would

have been in the 70s

The split in NAC weakened, ve anti-abortion. tack the feminist movement and the cans that winning support ii demonstrations were. for the Side the labose nowchear tne ‘most pan, far-left dominated. So‘aee fons on abortio The TUC, the Labour Party fights will be more difficult than in the past Supporters of a ideology ac- right fo. choose _may

cording fo which it isimpossible Svoid_ an. open confrontation 10 defeat Thatcher through class ith 24-wech supporters, and

promnes have to oh

Prevailing prejudi

‘On the abortion ive, 1b ington Council leader Margaret Hodge fas taken this thiski to ts logical conelusion. In h CLP, she supported

* our of a sticily parliamen

FAB cannot fely on the curren

and push hard,

groups, notably those newly

GCP. whoretuctoattiinicre ‘Sas tor teed build = broad

For FAB, the political fight against the 2-wesk revisionists will be ericial, “*No new reste tions” must be our watchword. I the 24 seeks amendment goes through, it will he the first set

“The Nations} Abortion Cam: paign has made it possible ta Fight repeated tacks om abo

wel cae panaie ules tion rights. NAC, working with wherever possible trade Union women, forced the TUC ‘19 take. action an 1979 against Corrie, It argues. for

‘amen fo. have. control over their own bodies asa fundamen: tal human

The influence of groups like the RCP is waning fast as the campaign reaches out to. the ‘mass of women. But their lta left view that the existence of

ih

Anyone who

the °6? Act is irrelevant should should buld be challenged at every st NAC. Get a sneak all” want an unco trade. union, “Labour” Party ‘voman’s right to branch or seetion, and buikd the feturning 10 back strect aber- Day’ of Action and the lobby oF tions is no way to get Parliament ta January

Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page 4

Trade Union

Briefing

PHOTO: Antoa Camobel

Sponsored by the Campaign Group of Labour MPs as a discussion document, Labour and the Unions addresses the relationship between the trade unions and a future Labour government.

Given the result on Sune Mth, this is a bit academic: but the arguments are still important.

‘The pamphlet argues that the last two Labour govern- ‘ments floundered in the face of periods of industrial militancy generated asa backlash against the rightward drift of their own policies. Given this record. it Is necessary to get the rela: tionship between a future Labour government and the trade unions on a better footing,

Written from the general Political standpoint of the Cam paign Group, the pamphlet argues, with some justitication that 2 Labour” government lected last June would have in troduced an incomes poticy in the shape of a new "social con. tract”, It then suggests a trade union response.

Unfortunately, the response suggested has all the echoes the old Alternative. Econom Strategy of the 1970s. It ad ‘vocates not opposition ro suck a Policy in principle, but that the policy should be mitigated by

‘tough price controls:

@taxes on “excess” profits above an agreed level

‘© measures to protect jobs and avoid redundancies:

‘@tougher sanctions on firms who refuse to co-operate in “in dustrial democracy" schemes.

If ‘such demands" are not fullled, then “socialists shoud use the pressure. of working lass discontent 10 try 10 push Labour's policies leftwards.””

By looking at the problem this ay the pamphlet Talsely counterposes "the trade unions" and ‘the Labour Par ty”, failing to draw out that the same political lines are drawn in each.

The backlash against the policies of both Harold Wilson and James Callaghan were cssentially rank and Tile backlashes, with the TUC and the majority of trade union leaders holding at best an amy biguous position

The pamphlet also presents a confused view. of new realism”, Kelly argues that the “new realists” base themselves ‘om the argument that the unions have been chronically weakened by the recession; so. it is Iecessary to make concessions fo the employers and the ‘government.

{In fac it has not just been the recession which has. weakened the unions. The central role has been played by. the “new Tealists”” themselves, by their betrayal of struggles from War rington 19 Wapping.

Im reality “new realism” has been based far more on what it has seen as the strength of the ‘Thatcher government than oa the ‘weakness of the trade lunions. This is why the Stock ‘Market erash has exposed thei politics so completely

Kelly does take up ‘the “new realists”, but he does it by deny ing that’ the unions have been ‘weakened significantly duriag the Thatcher period, backing this up by a largely” academic argument. He concludes that:

“many workers sill retain ‘considerable bargaining power

because trade ianion organise. ‘on, membership and finances fave “survived. “remarkably

Labour

and the — unions

By Alan Thornett Trade Union Briefing

Elsewhere he presents Figures to show that che number of trade union representatives re mains the same as 1979 and makes the highly controversial assertion that

‘isa mistake to assume that the break-up of ‘restrictive prac tices" or worker controls based 2n sob demarcations necessarily deminishes workers” power a the point of production."

Its true thatthe trade unions have not been beaten back 35 ‘they were in the 1930, and that the ‘working class” remains

basically strong and able 19 fight back. But no amount of figures based on an expansion ‘of organisation in white coll Sections of the ‘tyade™ usion movement can obscure the serious defeats and setbacks Which have been Sustained and the effects thie has had oo organisation

The indusrial policies of the government, and through ther the employers, have ultimate aim — to increase i rate of exploitation atthe poi Of production. It is wrong for John Kelly to minimise this, or its “effects “on the workers concerned,

It is from this point of view that the Tories have been to:

successful, even “if their soc ‘cesses are inadequate for the re. guirements of the capitalist zy nM pratt cis found after round of speed-up has been forced onto productive industry, “where workers. are ‘now working many times harder than they were a few years ago. In the car plants ‘they arc reaching Japanese levels “of work effort; with working con: ditions worsening all the time. Shop floor organisation in most of the previously highly organised sectors of productive industry. (sectors which have played a crucial role in the trade lunion movement) as been very seriously diminished, 1p stewards movement in those industries is a shadow ‘Of the one which existed ten ears ago. In some industries it fas been almost destroyed, fisdging against its. previous eth Contrary 10 what John Kelly says, “the breakdown of 50 called restrictive practices, par. ticularly demarcation, always

has 2 serious negative effect on trade union organisation. This has played a centcal role n both the “break-up of organisation and the speeding “up of the ‘sorkforce

To recognise the reality of present conditions on the shop floor is not to. be. pessimistic about the future — "any me than to ignore it resolves the problem of new realism’

Continue

That the workers themselves remain able {0 fight back is shown clearly as workers con tinve te take industrial action The effects of the past eight years of Tory rule are shown in the gap which now exists be. ween the ratk-and file and the leaders at the top: a gap which used to be filled by a layer of ex: perienced activists and shop Stewards. John Kelly does noe address this problem at al

This is not to argue that the ‘new realists” have had it all

their own way in the trade union movement — Tar from” it Scargillism — something’ not taken up. by John Kelly — represents the opposite 10 the tlass collaboration of "new Fealism’, and i has played a major role not just’ in the ‘miners! strike, but since.

The fight which Scargill has pput up and the class struggle tine he represents (shown most clear= ly in his decision to. g0 to the NUM membership for anew mandate) isa direct challenge to the “new realises” in both the

ide unons and the Labour Pariy. It is this class response which points the way forward in the new period since the Stock Market crash,

Despite all these reservations about the arguments of the pamphlet, ics publication must be welcomed. Ie is. important since it represents an al too rare initiative 10 promote a discus son on the situation inthe trade linions. The opportunity to ex. tend this discussion should not be missed

An opportunity for union action!

One death every six weeks and over 100 amputations since 1979.

‘These are the shocking figures highlighted by the London Hazards Centre for accidents and injuries on MSC Youth — Training ‘Schemes.

But the government's proposed “Unified Train. ing Scheme” (the failed JTS re-emerging as a much harsher version of the Community Programme) would not even give protection under the Health and Safety at Work Act to the envisaged 600,000 long-term unemployed Participants

Some other worrying features of the scheme are

‘@Participants - will receive the same amount of benefit 3s they had on the dole, paid by DHSS giro. Any other eam. ings, such as employers “top up", will be deducted from the Bayment. = the concept. behing. the American Worktare scheme. ft ‘also means that workers doing.

the same job will receive it. ferent payments depending on ‘thei personal circumstances.

‘@With payment by giro, union subs. cannot" be deducted thwough the payroll, ‘making union” organisation more aifficut,

‘*UTS willbe fulltime, rather than part-time like most com munity programme Placements. It is Hteraly holt the money for twice the work

‘@Participants have ‘trainee status not employee status This is why the rate forthe job wil not be paid and the Health and Safety at Work Act does ot apply.

"@ Trade unions will not hove the right to withdrew approval from schemes.

Other changes to MSC ac: tivities are utined in. the Emoloyment Bil going through

YTS will be forced'on 16 and 17 year olds by the threst of loss of benefit to those who refuse a place,

‘@The MSC will be renamed the Training Commission. Many ofits functions, such as running job centres, will be handed ‘over to. the Depart ment of Employment, thas Strengthening. the links bet ween government schemes,

for the unemployed and state benefits

Trade unions have either reluctantly or en. thusiastically! — collaborated with past MSC schemes, The proposed changes are a bla tentattack on the unemployed ~ and. give the unions @ golden opportunity to take 2 stand against the govern

By Maggie Arkwright Secretary, Trade Unions Against the MSC

‘But union leaders will not do anything unless they are fore. ‘ed by their membership 8.John Edmunds, Gene Secretary of the GMB, under Dressure from some excellent ‘work done to organise Com: munity Programme workers has stated publicly that compulsion and. working for benefit are introduced then the GMB." wil” demand TUG. withdrawal from the MSC.

'@ on Todd of the TG is apparently under pressure from full time officials who sit on ‘Area Manpower Boards, who,

‘re now advising that the tunion should pull-out of the MISC and push the TUC to do the same,

@NALGO hes debated the guestion of withdrawal from the MSC. at national con. ferences for @ number of years fend that argument could be won this yesr

Other unions rust also address this issue 25 a matter of lurgency. particularly UCATT. NUPE and NATRHE.

We must use the new proposals to condemn MSC Schemes as instruments. of government policy to restruc- {ure the labour market to meet the needs of 3 low wage economy. We must oppose campaigns which oniy attack the new proposals and by do: ing so defend the status quo,

The TUC is likely tobe thrown out of the MSC in the. near future by the govern ment. The need to demand 2 Principled withdrawal im ‘mediately is. therefore. crucial — we won't be able t0 do it later and without such ressure the TUC will be whi ing for a seat at the table, and begging the government to let it continue to collaborate with sttacks on unemployed workers

The special TUC Conference carly next year on MSC policy will bea key event to’ push these demands.

TUC withdrawal from the MSC is only tha beginning of = fight. The fact that unions will he longer approve schemes does not mean that workers ‘on those schemes should not be vigorously recruited. into unions, organised, polticised tnd defended — on the basis that the unions are opposed to ‘such special measures for the ‘unemployed "and. that the Unions. will. ‘demand from government job creation ‘and raining leading to employment.

Local arrangements at branch level are relatively meaningless: unemployment {is a national issue and must be dealt with 28 such.

The leadership of the unions must be forced to: represent the demands of unemployed workers instead of encourag: ing their marginalisation. Model resolutions. on oppasi tion to MSC schemes, full membership “rights for lunemployed workers and demands. for real work and taining sre available from Trades. Union against the MSC. The time to act is now!

PHOTO: Grame Co

Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page $

Trade Union Briefing

The leadership the labour movement needs:

Scargill for president!

“Arthur Scargill, Arthur Scargill, we'll support you ever more,” was the cry from many of our rank and file miners during the Strike of 1984/5.

‘And for many in the Durham coalfield it still holds true, despite what you might read in the establishment

media.

‘one of discontent with {Personal capacity)

circuit formal union _—_Arthur Scargill refuses to negotiating procedures. at give way on extending the both area and national level working week — an issue

inan attempt to play offone which is likely to affect us in set of workers against Durham before many

another. others. We need strong national The Board has already leadership to keep British tried to introduce six-day

miners together. working in the coastal col

On Euros

The word “should”, not will” or “must, is very significant. The Euros felt th

would have been morally obli

nce Seargill had annowne- © 10 resign their "jobs for Spee sialon! life’ As a direct consequence

ed his resignation at’ the Gr chai resolution their existing NUM NEC, panic swept the poste suddenly looked much length of the Bri ore altractive to them!

Yorks miner

coalfields. Dutfield said how nice it as Euro-Sialinists in in the valleys

Scotland, Bolton and Euro-miners ‘meetings were

Clarke, were phoned from held, the Morning Star

sa yee bene Euros, reported, where Carter, South Wales by other Euros, fejusrial Organiser for’ the

‘Scargill, Rank and file Euros rightly

for election for another full Sensus was that they couldn't be time post should resign their ex- Seen to be openly supporting @ Isting post (my emphasis). Fight wing candidate

Yorkshire miners delegates The nomination for Walsh

meeting in Barnsley on was put as an amendment to Monday November 23rd the local branch committee Voted by 48-2 to support ‘2commendation supporting

didn’t nominate anyone ~ Saners make some postion

was present and had that on January 22nd when motivated himself in the the ballot is held. Wheidale

uise of an NEC report. could be closed. and the men a ce tho nominated him disenfran

Branch meetings were held chised by no. longer being inthe following weeks. Atone members of the NUN

ff these, Wheldale Colliery in "Therefore remember, media Castleferd voted on Noveber headlines don't always mean 28th to nominate Walsh by 9 what they say. Miners in vores ta 3. Areas other than Yarkshire

The rank and file at should take heart at the

Wheldale were disgusted. The Wheldale vote, and not item hadn't been on the agen- become demaralised ‘by dda, and it i felt thet the vote misleading, misinformed ‘was stage: managed headines

eminent ser oc ame wae

lieries of Durham, with little success. We are well aware that extended working hours will mean a massive increase in production and more pit closures as a result

‘Scargill envisages a 25% reduction in the number of pits if six-day working is introduced,

His record on such predictions has been faultless. On the day he anounced he was to stand for re-election both the Financial Times and the Guardian acknowledged he bad been right in his forecast of 70 pit closures and over 80,000 job losses.

Followed

The young men who followed him during the strike still have faith in his accuracy of prediction. They know that they will have to fight again if they want to reserve their industry. Many of those who would have opposed Arthur Scargill have now gone. In their place is a younger, more determined - union membership who have been politicised and radicalised by

On the march in the Grest Strike: striking miners won't forget Arthur Scargil’s leadership!

the strike and its aftermath.

There is a feeling in the pits of Durham that we have hhad enough of the Board's iron heel tactics. All of our collieries are threatened, as are those in Scotland, South Wales and many in Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire:

Cut

British Coal have made it plain that they want to cut the workforce further in their drive for “*profitabi

ty” and privatisation. We ‘must ask ourselves whal sort of union we want when BC

has finished its savagery

Do we want a leadership prepared to bargain away our hard won conditions on safety, hours of work and other assets? Do. we want a leadership which will bow to the demands of an increas ingly authoritarian management? Or do we want someone who is prepared to stand up to those who would treat us like serfs?

Support

1. suspect most miners would want the latter.

If they do they must support Arthur Scargill because

he represents

the

courageous, organised trade

union polities this

‘govern-

ment wants rid of. 1 would

also. suggest that the tions raised above

e queshave a

bearing on the Labour Party and those who wish to

follow the line.

Socialist

If Labour is to social prepared to fight. the ruling class in this iry_will not freely socialism,

“New. Realist”

take a

path we must be Because

give us

Gi i 4 At the end of the week in which the Tories published their new proposals for the NHS, and in response to the high profile the press is giving to attacks on the NHS, over 100 members of ASTMS gathered in the Union's Head Office on Saturday November 28th for their first National Health Service ‘Sectior Conference.

After 2 speaker from the Radical "Statistics Health Group on the information contained in their book Facing the Figures, came Robin ‘Cook MP (Labour Shadow Health Secretary} who went into detail about the implications of the Tory proposals.

Chair, Bryn

T ‘Gan from Leeds). told Cook before he spoke that he would do well to listen to the deleg present, Because the knowledge OF the NHS contained wit that Conference was second 1 none. But Cook left ar the lunch break after only a few of the delegates had spoken,

The afternoon session was in troduced by John Chowcat, the ‘sewly-appointed ASTM. Na. tional Officer for the Healt Service. Brother Choweat i on of that strange (and very rare breed of Trade Union ©: who. wants to listen to

jembership and. o¢ga campaigns

When the Conference was ‘opened up for discussion the ia ital response from the delegates sounded fike a “"Joha Chowcat Mutual Admiration Society”

However they did seriously discuss the implications of the tuts, as well a6 the horrors of privatisation. This is now a real threat 10. ASTMS NHS members who work inthe Blood

Departments, Speech Theraps and workshops

a lead on health fight

of trade unions, anti-cuts and fbealth groups, Labour Party Sections, Community Groups, Women's Groups o be organs ced, and that ASTMS is wil to be in the forefront

By MARY LEWIS

John Chowcat spoke about the openly political nature of any campaign 10 defend the NHS; the need to “give the Tories a bloody nose" and turn he tide of their attacks on the

‘The last speaker at the Con. ference was Sue Lister. ASTMS National NEC member and 2 Radiographer from — Oxford.

Most people had talked about the urgest need for 4 national campaign; but Sue Lister was the only speaker who mentioned the need to take action

‘She pointed out that wile the Labour Party was much better than the present government, i ‘would be difficult-not to be! Most of the- delegates. present remembered thatthe last Labour government wasn't exactly good for the NHS. They must demand some” firm Sssurancer from the Labour Panty

The labour movement could sot wait for the “next election and the re-election of a Labour povernment™. It they did there ‘would be no_ National Health Service left. The fight had 0 begin now!

The Conference ended by agreeing a press slalement sich reaffirmed:

cletermined opposition to the priatisarion of NFS functions Gnd the “Americanisorion”™ of

continued commitn

ment to

the maintenarice of free collective bargaining and full trade ‘union rights for all NHS profes. ‘Sonal and technical staffs belie? in a property funded

NHS, financed. from taxation, free anid avai lime of need

‘and called for:

eine building of a

‘general lable at

ctional

ASTMS campaign agoinst the

‘current direction of rovernment

policies on the health service, reaching out 10 NHS eniplovees

dnd consumers alike, in

‘order to

Drotect the basic interests of Our heath cave membership and the quality of patient care in the

tk

kt was a strong and an op

rimistic Conference,

Tr was agreed that there should be an annuat NHS Con. ference. By the time they return

next yeas, delegates have achieved theit goal tecting. their sections have started the Tight:

the defence of the NHS.

oF pro. and 10 back for

Adisgraceful agreement

‘The settlement to the Post Office dispute negotiated between management and the UCW leadership is unacceptable.

The uniformed grades and cleaners are being offered a one and a half hour reduction in their working week and catering staff 2 ‘one hour reduction.

Counter and clerical staff are not included in the proposed agreement.

Every single aspect of the proposed agreement

bresks’ some Bart “of the”

Conference” -~-resolotion:

which began this dispute. Tuffin and Clarke had been instructed to obtain a three hour reduction in the work ing week for all grades at no cost’ to. the membership,

Instead, they agreed to reductions in the bonuses and overtime of postmen in London, purportedly to redistribute earnings more evenly throughout the country, and overtime will now be paid ata flat rate of 1.45 rather than the present scale of 1.3, 1.6 and double time,

THis agréehhaht MUST bE rejected when it 1s put fo

the vote.

Tuffin has sue.

ceeded in his aim of avoiding any large scale action over _ Christmas,

heartened by the wi about loss of the

ihispers letter

monopoly from govern:

ment circles.

But the Post Office is crucial to the running of the country all through the year, even though we have

lost the enormous advantage given union by the Ch

tactical to the ristmas

deluge. The immediate

task for the leftin the UCW.

is to campaign for rejection

of this agreement.

Vein wuteyy “Biers

othe 4 and act

Plast Scape fy the

the

sake ther wily hat ack

fo on

Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page 6

Labour Party

Privatising local services New Tory Bill threatens 500,000 jobs

Since 1979 Local ‘Authorities have had to cape with over forty new

committed to introducing the poll tax and major inroads on local government involvement in housing and education.

In this article BEN

JONES looks at th ‘compulsory competitive tendering legislation contained in the new Local Government Bill and examines the Tory thinking behind it,

In recent weeks local government has been receiving sympathy from unexpected quarters.

In the Economist,

you kick people often enough, tell them that they’re useless, and threaten to take their’ work from them you'll find they behave accordingly.

In the Guardian, John Banham, the new Director General of the CBI, argued that local government has a constructive role to play in the inner cities,

"1 But we ure not going to get there by depriving councils of resources, penalising them for spending money they ought 10 be spending, by resiricting their access 16 their own capital receipts or by holding them 10 public ridicule.

Frail

‘What Banham and Da\ fail 10 recognise is that it is deliberate government policy to undermine the morale and confidence of local government workers and destroy the com. munity's faith in local government as a provider of

Where Banham and Davies see a role for local

government in the inner ities, Ridley sees only a labour ‘movement

Stronghold that must be destroyed. Ridley wants to

by-pass local government In Select Committee he has with | Whitchall-controlled promised that he will make

agencies and pose further extensions. ‘marketplace discipline on The first tenders, due to the remaining service go out on April Ist 1989, will through ‘compulsory strike hard at low-paid tendering. workers. Of those initially threatened, 90% are manual Right workers, and of those some

70% are women

The Tory right spelt out The figures for job losses its view in a recent issue of do not take into account the Public Service Review, a ‘domino effect”, through journal produced by PULSE ch the private sector (@_ privatisation campaign loses approximately one job backed by the likes of for every four lost in local Shirley Porter, Teddy government. In local Taylor, and’ Theresa government’ itself’ whiteGoreman), collar job tosses would The editorial argued: follow as a reduced manual

“The cosy but damaging workforce requires fewer consensus which governed in support services. Britain since the war broke

‘out in national government Bil broke down in 1979 but in local government it persisis. The Local Government

The combination of com- (no. 2) Bill extends the Planpelitive tendering and the cing and Land Act 1981. community charge should be This act forced Local the final breach.” Authorities to. put services

These people view the such as construction and Local Government Bill as a maintenance out to tender. full frontal attack on Some Labour Authorities

America who contract ‘olk

“There are local authorities every activity out — even police and fire services. ‘memory has it that there is even one authority wi meets onee a year to award the contract, has lunch and goes away for another year. ... I cannot see why some in local government resist what is obviously right. Nicholas Ridley, October 1986

Labour's inner city used contract compliance to strongholds — and so undermine this legislation. should we. Local Authorities used

The Bill is an immediate their financial power to inthreat to well over half a fluence the employment and

lion jobs, including: purchasing policies of ‘refuse collections, 30,000 private contractors, and jobs; thereby prevent many of building cleaning, them from competing. for 200,000 jobs: local government contracts. jgstees anne, 12,000 naa

School meals and cater- The use of contract coming, 30,000 jobs; plianee incensed the contrac @zround "maintenance, tors and undermined the 40,000 jobs: government's altempt to Svehicle maintenance, rive down wages” and 10,000 jobs reduce local state expen

This list is only a diture. The Local Govern. foretaste. Ridley has given ment (no. 2) Bill 1987 severe. himself an enabling clause ly restricts contract com.

that allows him to extend it pliance, forcing Local

without further legislation. Authorities to employ He has already exercised nothing but strictly “com.

this right and decreed that mercial criteria in awar-

sports and leisure manage- ding contracts.

ment must also goto tender. ‘The government is at-

Marching to defend local services

tempting to focus the debate on the so-called “political clauses” — attempts 10 exclude contractors with heavy involvement in South Africa, anti-union practices, masonic connections, etc, Whilst it is essential to de. fend such “political” clauses it, must. be remembered that the Bill's attack on contract com. pliances goes far beyond that.

It will stop Local Authorities imposing clauses © promote health and safety, minimum wages, decent training and equal rights for women, Blacks, and the disabled, and actually seeks to prevent Local Authorities from ensuring contractors

comply even with existing legislation in these areas

Ridley’s Bill effectively bans much of the approach to inner-city decay advocated by the Scarman Report. After all, contract compliance was pioneered in the US cities such as New York, and was never the brain‘child of Britain's Labour left

Frac

A minor public fracas between Ridley and Kenneth Clarke, the Trade and Industry Minister, has broken out over this aspect

of this Bill. Clarke is. on record as supporting “‘local labour clauses", which

Ridley is endeavouring to ban,

The Bill’s aims are clear:

eto undermine Labour's base in the inner cities;

@10 attack the relatively strong local government trade unions;

10 cut wage levels;

@10 reduce state ‘expenditure still further on local

The government's attitude leaves little room — for negotiations hharkening back to the post-war consensus, Ina future article, I at how the Labour an union leaders have up to the privatisation battle and propose some strategies for the left to adopt in response

How Briefing can help Neil Kinnock!

Labour Briefing, ever ig to offer a helping hand to the Party Leader, should do all it can to assist his new policy review exercise Indeed. Briefing should run its own policy review, giving aver a page or two to articles and. replies around each policy area over a three month period. in this way. 2 policy debate could be conducted in the pages of Briefing with @ final round-up of policy conclusions and a detailed submission which Neil could study at his leisure

This is the tone and

By John Wilton framework within which the Birmingham Edgbaston Ferry. leadership, wants the CLP fades may not have noticed

that it has akeady_ started.

Invited audiences, inclucing lam sure he would findit such socialist bodies as

mast enlightening Bulking Societies Assocation ‘fhe document’ Moving 3"© “busily discussing the ‘Angad which forms the basis future shape of Labour pol

ot Kinnock's “policy” review

States Members

tant lesson trom the Tor No doubt Party members They present theie pofcies in wil be asked for ther views, toms of the benefits aceruing eventually ena to them as individuals. We has been set. And members of must learn to do the same. We the YS aready know how should not shy away, much notice the Party fee

therefore, from arguing for our ship takes of consultations ‘own policies inthe languag We should not wait to be individual self-interest and asked.” We should set. the prosperity. agenda for this policy veview

net Kinnock and his media yuppies at Walworth Road. Let'them have their unreal plastic rose policy review: by the time itis completed their policies will be shown to be fhe dinosaurs they are.

“The Stock Market crash and the recession that wil follow, as. wall as Gorbachev's. intiatves (limited though they are) in the USSR will show the

new realist” polices of Kin nock and Gould t0 be totaly

Organisations

Party branches, CLPs and affliated organisations should inundate Walworth oad with fesolutions “and _submiseions for the policy review. and not wait 10 be asked. Any review

must offer a credible, closely worked out altemative to Thatcher, especially in ‘economic policy, if we are to take sdvantage of the chang. ed world situation and. the Siscrediting of Thatcherism. The policy review must include 2 fundamental restate: ment of our principles. 38 Outlined in Clause IVia) of the Party constitution. Our economic. palicy, based on principles, should

@the taking into public ownershio of ‘the mejor monopolies, under democratic management and contro!

the bringing of the major financial institutions inte public ownership and cor

in order to underpin economic

restructuring and expansion: ‘the taking beck into public owmership of those industries

which have been privatised This economic policy has to be linked to a socal, no. Siigned foreign policy, and’ 8 massive switch of expenditure from all forms. of efence to These principles provide basic framework within which the Party could conduct a real oliey review snd from whieh, Sr sobiiat programme coud be produced to enable Us to wri the next General Election Nell might find this » bit too much to swallow. in one go but Briefing could perform a eal sevice 10 the Party by such policy

Labour Briefing No. $3 December 1987 page 7

Labour Party

Expelling faces that

don’t fit

Recent events in Brigg & Cleethorpes CLP fulfil the stark predictions made by many about the ever-widening witch-hunt against the left in the Party

‘The catch-all phrase “br: inging the Party into disrepute” is being used to justify an increasing array of attacks,

Momentum has been growing for a major purge in the Constituency.

In December 1986, the CLP voted to disband its YS branch. The ostensible reason for this was. "malpractices relating to @ concert organised by the YS. The real reason was hostility to. Milcane supporters,

‘This move provoked a great deal of appasition, sneluding the establishment of an “unt. ficial group called Cleethorpes Youth for Labour which earned on the functions of the YS and campaigned for {the reconstitution of an official Ys.

“The politics of the majority fof the: constituency officers ‘andthe GC. is” staunch Kinockism. Any ‘serious Socialist ideas ‘are seon as a threat

‘Success

However, Militant — supporters have hed some sue: ess on occasion in winning votes. in one ward Cleethorpes. As this is by far the biggest ward in the constituency and the base ofall she key ight wing constituency officers, the right was deter Thined to reverse these gains, ‘Things came to a head over ‘the summer. Geoff Lowis, the acting ‘Constituency Secretary, and a delegate from Cleethorpes branch, was removed as 2 GC delegate for Stating that he would not carry out branch policy and was

replaced by Dave Mitchell, 2 ‘Mibtare supporcer.

The right was determined both to reverse thie situation ‘and ensure it could not happen again

By Tim Gregory Brigg & Cleethorpes CLP

Consequently atthe September EC meeting a letter was. reed out trom Geoff Lowis whose removal as GC delegate the right tefused to Fecognisel requesting disciplinary action against five Party members: Ken McEwan Pat MeSwan (1986 CLP Con ference delegate), Dave Mit chell, Alan Hemby (former YS. Secretary) and Gary Morgan

‘The grounds put forward were “conduct prejudicial 10 the Labour Party”, with ‘Specific accusations such as membership of and selling of Maitant, disruptive behaviour in meetings, and support for Cleethorpes Youth for Labour All these charges are spurious.

‘Atone GC meeting the “im partial” chair referred to one Of the accused, lan McEwan, as 2 var”. At another. he described lan’s face as "con torted wrth hatred

The “disruption” referred to is in realty nathing more than legitimate objection to ths Sort of flagrant bias. However, the EC decided that the letter made @ case which had to be answered and. recommended to the GC an investigation into the five members. The GC

greed.

"The composition of the investigation team, with all its members avawed'y ants Militant. left litte hope that the facts would be considered objectively. One member of the investigation team. nad Previously attended no EC estings and only 3 handlul of

Gee. ‘The investigation team plan.

ned only to accept watten Submissions: allowing the five no chance directly to defend

themselves: giving none of {them the list of charges mode by Geoff Lowis.

‘Predictably, ii reported that it found the charges proven (without. restating "the “proof”, and tecommended referral to the NCC. There was ho discussion: the recommen: dation was just voted through

Whilst many GC members would fee! privately critical of ‘Some aspects of Labour's cur feel that Knuckiing down and accepting things is the only way to get Labour elected — ‘50 witch-hunts against the left ‘are. seen as an unfortunate

Hard-line

There are also, of course, the “hardline right wingers who revel in any opportunity to purge people whose face doesn fa

The majority of Party members want to $00

“socialism’’; the left must hammer home time and time again the contradiction bet ‘ween these aspirations snd Kinnock's ‘caring’ capital

Unfortunately Miftant supporters in Brigg & Cleethorpes have adopted 3 rather low-key approach to the witch-hunt They have launched & quite successful petition in the Cleethorpes ‘ares; but have been reluctant to take the ‘campaign into the rest of the Constituency where they have less influence.

They have stressed organisational issues and the

‘Constitutionalty” of per ticular actions rather mounting 2 political challenge.

This is the biggest witch. hunt in Humberside for many years: and successful expu Sions would almost certainly lead to actions against the left in neighbounng ight dominated constituencies ‘such 25 Grimsby,

Hilary Wainwright replies to Bryn Griffiths

The scandal of the Atkin case:

The Labour Party on trial

The right wing dominated National Constitutional ‘Committee (NCC) paved the ‘way for a full hearing of the Sharon Atkin. case in February or March, when it voted on December 3rd to ignore representations from her legal’ advisers that the ‘case should be dismissed.

The legal moves were based on a letter to the NCC from Lord Gifford QC and Lincoln Crawford. They argued that the case against Sharon was frivolous and vexatious

The letter, addressed to David Hughes, the Party's Senior National Officer, states:

“We have to express ulter asionishment that they. (the charges) are being seriously put Jorward. Each one is fundamen: ‘ally misconceived.”"

‘Briefing. readers and many others in the Party will be deep ly shocked at the nature of the four charges made against Sharon Atkin and at the im plications of such charges being fevelled against a leading black activist. This case if pursued by the NEC, could mean deep trou. ble for Labour.

‘eThe NEC are charging her with breach of Clause X(3) of the Party Constitution, which states:

"At any parliamentary ‘general election” (candidetes) Shall include in thee election od dresses and give prominence in ‘their campaigns 10 the issues for ‘that election as defined by the NEC in ts manifesto.”"

This offence was not commitJed, and by definition could not have been committed, because, as the Gifford/Crawfora letter

A Measure of Independence

“Much to agree with but an overall difference,” was the resounding headline to Bryn Griffiths’ review of my book Labour: A Tale of Two Parties.

‘The overall difference, if Fve got it right, is over the importance of struggle within the Labour Party

Bryn argues that 1 “downplay the importance of inner Party struggle.””

1 welcome the opportunity to probe this alittle deeper, not so Inch in defence of, my book (hough { won't miss the oppor tunity fora plug: £3.95, Hogarth Press) but because itis 1 crucial issue facing the move” ‘ment of socialists inside and ulside the Party, currently Biven a focus by Chesterfield

In. long-term historic sense, the outcome of the strugele for ower in the Labour Party is Grucial for all socialisis. The Party's felationship. with the tunions and its position in pro: viding Labour's only potiical Fepresentation, make it So

‘But this does aot mean cither that the immediate needs of the Inner-Party struggle should always be top of the let's agen4a, nor thatthe best outcome is achieved solely or even primarily by activity within the Party.

Clearly, ithe aftermath of the Wilon-Callaghan govern

ments and the industrial militancy of the 0s, the stragele for power within the Labour Party was” of tremendous

Significance, ts significance was then sereater than at any other post. ear period, because the left and the unions, by pressing for the ccountability of MPs and the Party leader, were for the frst time challenging the Parliamen tary Labour Party's 3c Auiescence — often active com Plicty— in the undemocratic Sharacter of the British = By Hilary Wainwright

Ta Whi sense one could argue that che movement for constitu ‘onal reforms was more than an inner-Party struggle. ‘The right often. recognised this more Feadily than many on the lef Witness the establishment's uproar at reselection: the left sometimes wondered what had hit them,

‘The importance of inner: Party struggle has now changed ‘There is an unavoidable defen sive job to be done. But | would argue that the priority for the left must be to establish a strong political base independent of Inger Party battles

This is one of the lessons of defeat inside the Party. This defeat revealed the weakness of the lefts real, lasting roots in the unions and in working class communities, Strengthening these roots must be a prime pur pose of an independent base

Defeat also revealed how indeveloped were the left"s ideas’ since the Party Pro gramme of 1973. The insights, research, and ideas of ‘many scattered networks of socialists must be developed into a

coherent vision

Finally, defeat revealed how easily the left can become ghet {ised when its public image is always refracted through the prism of an inner-Party conflict fn which its subordinate

‘One of the advantages of an independent base is thatthe le hhas the chance to present is arguments in its own terme. OF course the press wil distort and pillory. But the media response to Chesterfield illustrates that at Teast it has to recognise that the Teft has a positive set of policies and an identity of is owe.

Why does any of this require any significant degree of in ‘ependence from inner-Party siruggle? I will give two reasons, though I could go on?

First, the terrain of inner Paryy conflict, beyond the level ‘of branches, women’s and black sections, and many constituen ies, ie an inherently un favourable errain for the ‘radical, participatory lett.

Momentum

‘While this radical left gains its momentum from the popular politics of workers and comland campaigns on the moxe, the Party machine is motored by the ‘one-horse engine of parliame tary polities.

‘When the left becomes more engrossed in trying to rev-up the latter at the expeme of par ticipating in the former, ic is danger of expending 2 lot of energy going round in ever Giminishing circles

Second, there is a vast gap

between popular sirugsles — however small and localised — and the Labour Party. There are some exceptions.

fhe action of local Labour Parties during the miners” strike did something to close that gap. However, we should noi underestimate the depth of disillusion amongst large humbers of progressive, independent-minded people in Several generations and many Silferent social ircumseances,

1am thinking here not of peo. ple whose heads are ull of com. plicated strategies: to take over this or enter that. But people ‘who want to take action (0 im rove their communities: hous Ing or childcare, 10 ight for Jobs, to campaign {o protect their environment

These people cannot be reac cd — or only rarely — through the Labour Party as itis. They can only be reached ifthe lefts prepared to work with them, 10 Fespect the autonomy and the ‘aloes of their organisations, 10 create, together, a movement for sociale,

‘Beye is correct to imply that 1 do not see inner-Party struggle as the priority of the moment for the left. But 1 do. not downgrade its eventual importance.

Tan convinced that the left, inside the Party and outside, can work together to create @ Socialist movement which bas he effect of strengthening both the struggle within the Labour Pany and the extra Parliamentary movements and ‘campaigns without which the eft is nothing.

“She was removed as candidate by the NEC before any ‘manifesto was published. She vould, f permitted, have campaigned wholeheartedly on the basis of Labour's manifesto ‘But she can hardly be convicted ‘after the NEC's action prechad. ed the very possibility. of her commisting the offence.””

fe The Party has charged her with a breach of Clause X(7) of the constitution, which slates that n0 one may be selected asa parliamentary candidate or en dorsed as such by. the NEC tmless that person agrees 10 act in harmony with the standing orders of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP),

By ALAN BROADLEY

The fact We that comrade Atkin was properly Selected, and had undertaken io. writing to abide by the standing orders of the PLP, and was endorsed a candidate by the NEC. "The hares is manifestly absurd,” States the lawyers” letter.

‘eShe is also. charged with breaching Clause IIIa) of the constitution which states. that ach individual member” must Accept and conform to the con Stitution, programme," prinSiples, and policy of the Party

‘Sharon Atkin is said to be in breach of this section of the constitution by virtue of ""par= ‘icipation at the meeting in Not tingham”, i.e. the Black Sec tions Conference in March 1982

The implications there are quite staggering. Attendance at 2'Black Sections meeting, it is argued, places an individual in ‘contravention of the Party con Stitution, and liable for expul sion. Her lawyers make the position plain:

how can Sharon Atkin be in breach of Party policy by at lending such @ meeting? Labour Party Black Section tis nol) a proscribed organisation. If Sharon Atkin was breaking this

clause by attending @ Black Sec. tion Conference, then so. are Iundreds. of Labour Party ‘members, including MPS.”

“@ Finaly, she is charged with breach of Clause M13) of the onstitution, —sthich provides that_no. member of the Patty shal "engage. ia sustained course of conduct prejudicial 10 the Party

The evidence adduced by the NEC: consists of one. specch given by Sharon Atkin in Birm Ingham. As her legal advisers point out, Sharon will, if hecessary, justify the thrust of her remarks about the need to fight racism wherever it may be embedded, “But,” they sav, “one speech eanfiot by any fait reading of language be deseriteda ‘sustained course of ‘conduct’

These charges are not only absurd in themselves; they will damage the Party in the eyes of ‘many: thinking. members, and with large seetions ofthe public They have. been cobbled opether ina slovenly way, and ‘would not be sustainable in any court in the land

“The only reason that the right wing NEC feels confident enough to bring forward such ‘manifestly stupid accusations is that i sees the NCC as a poodle that will do ts bidding, no matter what the evidence,

‘The NCC is-a committee hat is presently. spending over £100,000 2 year on. expel newspaper sellers, Now its tur hing. iis attention 10. Black

‘We must stop this expulsion Raise the matter urgently in your Party branch and consti- {twency, and in your trade union,

‘Send resolutions to the NEC, and copy them 10" Dawn Primarolo MP, who is acting as secretary of the defence cam Dain, av the House of Com ‘mons: London SW1A OAA,

‘Birmingham Black Sections activist under threat of exp

see back page

Euro-election

selection reflections

Did you know that the plummiest jobs in the British labour_movement were up for grabs?

Probably not, as Labour Weekly's’ demise has meant no one knows the timetables for selection and reselection of MEPs.

And sitting MEPs are trying to rush through reselection faster than they cash their ex pense account cheques in Toxembourg lor Strasbourg, oF Brussels...)

Watch out for members’ sudden interests "inthe agricultural CAP rather than the cloth one, for'a denial of anything but an “avid pro Market line as “unrealistic”, ‘and frantic London careerists fushing around the ‘country Glaiming ‘roots in. Yorkshite, Wales or Merseyside."

Whilst not wishing the hor rors of the European Capitalist Club on’ anyone, we would wish the thousands of pounds 2 year office and publicity money on 2 few hard up con: stituency parties.

So make sure your Party takes up its delegates to the Euro-Constituencies, that General Committees take up

rights to nominate and mvite

By IVOR WINELAKE. Our correspondent in Brussels

all candidates, not just sitting MEPs, however good. they may seem. In the end, tis the Euro-Constituenci that make the selectio,

All 9 or 10 Westminster constituencies that make up a Euro-one could opt for_one candidate, but the —EuroConstituency Committee (where a sitting MEP can build up a team of supporters! could vote another way

It you want to find out more, write to Labour Party Hoad OF fice, demanding 8 ist of timetables, or look in Briefing fi readers ‘send in details we wil print them, or — dare we Say i? read Tribune for latest detaie.

‘The Campaign Group in the European Parliament make up ‘about 30%. of the. Labour Delegation and could do with strengthening,

“Any reference to persons living or dead 1s purely coin cidental and. should not be seen as disparaging to Frances Morel.

Labour Briefing No. $3 December 1987 page 8

Feature: Disability and the left

prove themselves without thinking of us who have po” Sirice Yeo ine

Left alone! Sere eC:

ABLEISM. How I hate that word, especially when cight-on words and positions ignora eB ci f a disability. housebound during "two seeks of heavy * snow

able-bodied comrades only use it to boost their as left them short of a few : By Linda : Recently I've _ been Without even having to ask, through a major trauma. Haringey Labour tio of the women I worked | rn i e@ r eG My partner of five years Briefing with came to see me, laden

i bi icability to. Kind instinct.

own political credibility. use disability to ‘ind instincts ved out, leaving me o ‘with provisions. One fived in moved out, leaving me on Secause most of The com yah orniony: One lived in

my own, rades are nowhere to be gy from Middles As socialists, we make the There are many socialists By V Gillespi rove {vom Middlesex. i : Vince Gillespie q Now would be Seen. That's real solidarity and | fight against all kinds of and | miliants with — pyageet Cy atgg ; traumatic for anyone, bat “No phone calls, no offers thoy didn't homens | oepreeton one “of our disabilities who demand the y Tye" got muliple scerads of help, no friendly wists, tical peopl) main responsibilities. 6h" 10 conibute 10 te Tosteence organises Te housebound and flnd many meeting. The few who have Could it be that people's | 4, THe | campaigns and CSC Sne of che main bar. Promised fo pay the pil.) thugs extremely hard or im- given support know who sympathics ie with the man, | discussion on racism, fers. How many meetings, IME Greater London pean oe. eae and Vm being shed as «| Som, we betromeson wend Truly ‘accion? How, {bout Party Regional Con

When we split up we both “Are able-bodied people so deserted woman living often does the left rally

4 felt would gets loc of sup-terAfiedvof ws that when we alone? Itseeme ome chart | development, This is at lst ofen docs che left rally eile to. people with i Port from local Labour Par- havea trauma ontop of team stronger than 2 lot of | being recognised. make the efforts necessary Gisabliies. Now. Labour i Syiembors Ive been ac. aametaeatsne epee ablebodied, "comrade, | However, the oppression ‘Omakemestings accesible? Coste and Labour Parties, tng in the local Panty for dears “can't cope? Is. it whchiejustas well n't? | of people with abies ASSSS,8 ISU May thors ave voting for masivg cus Gane” years (Branch fecal wasscon as parol Anyway. suppose ital | Yableso”—issilltoo lide - 91 4, Ws Woouas, Tete in local government. Man

Secretary for five years and a couple and my partner was proves thal you shouldn't be eandidaie in a recent local more visible, being able- dependent on one person

as there are disabilities:

signers, transport and toilet ‘4°KS om the inadequate ser-

Too often, disability is vices that people with

viewed as a welfare issue,

: by-election). bodied and a bloke? Giving me support can only facilities, brail, to name onl; fisabil “

Despite my disability, my "°But the left aren't giving be good for me, good for | NOt political issue, not a [cit Y dsabiies aeady have 10 fight for socialism has push- fim any support by not sup- those giving support, and | Question of the denial of Foun ed me forward. Luckily my porting me (he still gives me good for my ex-partner. people's basic civil rights Only recently have some In, Haringey the Counc

. ‘own inter toughness has Support) ‘At lest if | dont see | Society sees people with men" taken the need for af closing a Day Cente for seen me through before. and" Ts ia cass thing? Maybe anyone else T'l scx Woody | disabilities as charity cases Childcare seriously and after the = co aes wil we to do so again — at _grappling for len on Monday! with very little to contribut campaigning for so lon; OSS PCa eS

he 10.88 46 oll iat omertiges bs WE ces to a capitalist sysiem. In all Womenin the movement stil on-wheels. charges and areas of basic necds — findthereisalong may to go charges for holidays for peoeducation, employment, fy'tnie regard, But if tne ple with disabilities, “and housing — people with [ehy's ‘reced on meeting Feducing the availability of disabilities suffer appalling these needs, is poor, ie holidays, inequalities. Able-bodied” ‘tcord jntegard tovthe needs _ Last Year Haringey Coun? people decide and control Of Uisabled comrades is ail set up a Disability Com-

the needs of people with disgrace. Many people still mittee to develop and imdisabilities without con- Jon" even recognise these PFOVe_ services for people sulting the real experts —the Seeds. ith disabilities. I became disabled themselves. Chair of that committee and

People ‘with cisabilities The contribution made by worked closely with the come from all paris of socie- Hearing Disabled comrades VariolS. groups of people ty and suffer multiple op- al the Chesterfield Con. with disabilities inthe

5 DPressions. They are from the ference, in'which they ex. _ community i Biack and ethnic minority plained'their oppression and 1 resigned when the cuts : communities; they are insisted on their right to par were agteed, and ings hen 1 : women: they ate lesbians ticipate in the Conference, have worked with the came and gay men. But they are was welcome. groups and many others t0 = not allowed to play their Unfortunately, the — fight against the cuts. One . part in the struggles seainst organisers did ot arrange person with a disability ask- : fhe oppressions they for the signers who worked ed: why are they attacking experience so hard at Chesterfield, This Us? Is it because we have 00 ‘Their biggest disability is was done by the hearing politcal clout? Ist because the society they live in; and disabled comrades they think we are weak? IF the left are as culpable asthe themselves and paid for by $0, we will prove. them rest ofthat society. Greenwich Council. (The _wrong!

Linda Clarke (left! on the Haringey Briefing stall

The politics of di

National Disability Organisations Access Committee for England 36, Great Smith St, London SW1P 38J

BS “We should be searching and seeking for full —_weessary to organise and: de 01 229 790 : By Karen Newbury fend themselves : National focal point on access to the built ticipation and equality for disabled people and giving) Oat Cun ay, Many wil have beet in the

these words genuine and true meaning... Disabled people have rights as well as needs... disabled people represent

i environment Action for the Victims of Medical Accidents

poverty trap for most of their Tises, and sill be forced deeper

making

arees for home

The Hop Exchange, 24 Southwark St, London SE1 ao yao fama sree ae help serecess i ened to cope thet no 1TY potential, not just for their own individual achievement “gcharging. for Piper Alarm gy Nec" Scouse tal nt d 01 403 4744 ‘bat for the enrichment of soc systems, the doors of Labour controlled

Tom Clarke, Labour MP increasing the daily charse boroughs. The vicious govern-

British Council for Organisations of Disabled People for meals-on-wheels by 600%

St Mary's Church, Greenlaw St, Londen SE18 SAR ‘Tom Clarke made this" ‘vo year survey chat 16.5% of fox mealson-whecls by 600%: meat we are ruled by and all ts Disability Aliance statement in support of % Population come under this gree ao eg eee 25 Denmark St, London WC2 8NJ his Private Members Bil The cuts packages now being _elimitng the number of peo- Suny, Mowing. Education. 01 240 0806 ‘The Right to Representa- devised by most boroughs are Plc able to have taxi passes; the needs of people with. | ‘National campaigning organisation on income and tion (Disabled: Persons) inevitably. going to have a, STCSUEINE he FE PEED 10 anise. : disability Act 1986. devrimental effet on theives of London Regional Transport for t led people, which in turn Disla-Ride provision; Housi Disabled Drivers Association ‘These ideas are the ‘facen we stall have 4 ‘@reducing the number of fousing 5 18 Creekside, London SES 3DZ aaonc af Oerwerh mdercs fn Pt ree bre is Liner wearer i 01 692 7141 taken by the London involved in community ie. @ffSeting social work The. Housing. Bil. ia par~ ; Disabled Living Foundation Boroughs Disability Some of the cuts being “SAMOS | iver vacancies in test people ling in sheltered or | 380.384 Harrow Road. London W9 2HU Resource Team, a mooted a this moment ands fFezine di ee 01 289 6111 by uh egret that it has to be “cutting back on emergency, 00s over their heads sold to Has information service on aids and adaptations London Boroughs to coa- ‘ported that some Councillors Sons se tint breakdowns developers, tinue the work begun by the “ith disabilities are complying OO ehtngs and weekends Local Authorities will’ be |) Site Sa eas oe With these cuts) will mean that eee tn. | RTO eRe es igh Street, Clay Cross, Derbyshire on issues. wi ities will v0 lucing the areas of ser Sie tenes Cee: 0246 Seaags : ‘As Chair of the London Enger have commonly care "Fo POvded by home helps, ple will be evicted from hee Be hase riehoeet ntodmscne seh Boroughs Disability Com- suppor, thereby forcing them At this moment its unclear’ "4 Eocal Authorities are not with disabirtes mittee (which oversces the ‘o'Feurn to. fest just how many of these pro- allowed fo bild public heusina, ‘work of the Team) T have save fought to sto Doral wil be implemented, oot what alternative el there befor MIND (National Association for Mental Health) ak A ae D : ag! : als wil oe ‘ inthe unenviable posi: ___lnstutionalsedcarecan cost hac tobe rungniced tha on many peop Barth Be eee 22 Harley St. London WIN 2ED tion of receiving a steady ™Ything up to £400 per week, cut back or reduction in these live in institutions? OY 87-0741 tow ot information Irom Scie mconmunty ca do Snes wih ve a'danage Even" Ce! Hou eas a civ How of infomation rom > 5 seceaarly went satin nenconegmmpharaet 2 ba We kee ee es a tows borcuals on shat Gong. fig mening chon mcmaly eases oie eee, Sa, 0634 813981 Realist” polices (making vm fives —- a fundamenial acts) ar nor pronrsed oy lemaan hence meen nae Contact « Family cuts) will have on people uma riaht Snirdiscrimiaation’ legislation. diabies will not beable toa 16 Strutton Ground, London SW1 ‘vith disabilities i eeaice im Soeatinccng amek whore wheadrititomest-« dates tay ele enna 01 222'2698 London is reputed to have hats look aysome ofthe cuts Sai” “and economicaly _especally wh the high pice Link families with handicapped children into support | 4s0a00. people’ who hae SE Sepnved minoriy group. london and the extra expense oe Seabilty rf fong-term ines ecosare of day centres: Many are wolaied unable to required. "tol" make "whem Sich has a debiltaring effct clone of sichered cmploy- fig for’ themsches, and, accewble, sabes foes terete: eee because of segregated’ educa: "There has been a. lot of Paricipation inthe community. “eremoval_of employee tion, wil. often nor have the) pablighy "about "the Soci

‘Camden has discovered after a resource banks; basics in “political” education Security Bill, and its effect on

Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page 9

Feature: Disability and the left

aictte 2) | Championing the rights of

e or women with disabilities:

It’s alla question of power

nce?

The disabled community < are also unemployed. ‘The are now getting organised. . government's cutbacks on They have lobbied Council welfare thus hit people with meetings many times and disabilities harder chan the disrupted the Disabilities rest.

Committee, preventing the The exploitation of part meeting from proceeding time and casus: labour also until the cuts werediscussed. effects them dispropor The Haringey Disabilities tionately, not to mention

Committee and Unit. was NHS cuts, And Con:munity part of the Council’s Equal Care without the necessary

Opportunities policy. Its resources is nothing but a purpose was to involve peo- sham,

ple with disabilities and the ‘The labour movement Council itself in the defence must see ableism as being as of their rights. pernicious as racism and sex

ism. It must work to involve ‘people with disabilities at all levels of activity and policy making

‘All meetings should be

As chair of the Lesbian and Gay Sub-Commitice 1 was inundated with requests © speak on the issue of Lespian and Gay Rights — but fully accessible to. all ver asked me to speak on We"mus ahcuse ables the Tights of people with with the ouly real “experts: abilities. A major” in sent es tiative on equal rights was PEODIE, with disabilities virtually ignored, Seems think this shows a failure @Disabled Black and py peoplein the Labour Par- ethnic minority people want yy {0 understand that to fight racism. disability isa political issue. @ Disabled women want to Searegation of people Syn sae with disabilities {sa major "S problem, What is needed is. _@Disabled Lesbians and tegration, particularly im. Gays want 0 fight education, where childrens heterosexism.

: z

ith -dsabllies can enloy"-@ Working. clase disabled the same opportunities as: people want to fight That able-bodied children. cher and the class she ae Kei Gaserie lnctrg oes once cove ipet or ee (907 Gatun os Gey ou Gees Only when we are learning a = ne Becticr NOKiAg topeincr, “The _labiur movement ind meeting and socialising must not participate in the | For several years now | Ro RAT On Patronised and offered the other babies t00, of peter can we develop a oppression of its own | have been championing «BY KATH GILLESPIE "inendships'" When we Piassethes ooo aor Beiil undeisanding of the’! members. ttveannot ated | ete, Gue® chamaboning <j. BY RATES CAURESEIE. /- “foomtshos Wivotiwe =< causa tet a ve erode peck Eas | he tgs otwoman et “Teaeeceee = camegememnrneen mI Ly os A high ff peo- disabilities and it cannot af. = opportunities" has almos are not natural and should the odds, because now ‘A high proportion of peo- disabilities platform at Conferences Secor a catch pivane tev omssiess ts rsaies” feo et whch wee ose le wih disabilities rely on ford to lose the contribution | Platform at Conferes ep ourset urselve f 2nd highlighting Jocttemeny other momen. fem me unel vey eee nets A high proportion _ they want to make Giscriminatory practices of | mths i wemayibeneterosencal or thot everytung tre word hes a women’s movement government cuts. People with lesbian’ yet unite other sph Blah ipl es peers fee Zeabliten aro now fighting women we moy not have the evsryone sles ape Partely sceeesibie to me. for beste services tkefome _fromiern'ys uy not 1 atari fare ce top tego and day cones, Ssciany fo level ede 5 eb tfnee sce eae oy At last disability is on MS oe creties | eo es ee ane haat lnabay Ie on, _Gretecuel coporunaion |. Sheva appar cfearetor pute) carci patos 5 could and would compete tends: We me forcedte,” ‘before ¢ does not pan me women’s movement but alongside my able-bodied conceal our true feelings for to look down at my daughter inthe labour and socialist. Sates Yermeloyment for ganeeaiour tue foe Pips erties abe Hocbou war tort wan wre Goce tote risks mre tabla ple’ eles hur e-™eare what happens, aed ‘si : wee ana expe out eerunity we Bocaut ¢Thitow tht sh ) be orth pointing. out support Tory policies. Disabiity nghts, along with "Do I hear outraged ‘wll undoutedly be faced with perfect too. in ahat People. with ‘They are not, as has been | isck ethnic minority and employers sovimg ewe bortiors unencountored by My lover ie curently abilities will “be losing a mentioned earlier, a small | lesbian and gay issues, has welcome peopie with able-bodied women. On pregnant after two years of imum of £15 per meek in minority, They will. however. | eventuoly been recognised cisabaites but they ust don’t teaching the famiy planning retant We'ste acorns ments, and that their stan- cease 1g have any real commit: | SS politic! seus onots apply?" Have these Ginic Gf we-can get mt thet, <anddook Sorward 0-sharing: eof living is already below ment to the Labour Party who | Sociaiwelfere aight lssuel_ egalitarian employers stopped Sik, i we.can get i, thet and 4ook forw Teerguied powenyleve”appeartote sling tem oor | *ogolwotore Nos oe Se payee AS Dims Oeeirenert Caner raitey won't nessa ve | geabity Tove unetat Do mapa beeriony “ie ore not Used t9 desing to vo tat wel, Kethoveasy Poll Tax ory or SOP: thes Jus Simpl: | ‘needs: but my exclusion from joumals tat peone with rt ae ora festes chase ot ee wall nat vous a al. Sonethice | mamgueam attics a "" Seabives reads Ae toe aaa ertte,tees of you a ae eople who are on Sup- like | 250,000 Londoners with | consequence of an in other media such as tape, Those of us who choose to disability. jentary Benefit will also be aces are of voting age: the | environment built by those ‘or braille? Are their premises be lesbians may ring a lesbien Sted (0 pay 208% of their 108 of thse votes could Rave 2 | Who gant consder i Sccessible? Bettas sieiteent Vie weil cope: shouldwe: Tat, andi seems thatthe “SoMsderable impact on. the | Pacessary graven Geskable "“Derhey insist onformal_-«SOR.OLAGHY switchboard |_| We will cope, should we bled Persons Rate Relief is Politics of London. to accommodate my needs. qualifications which many venues where we could, if me as it denies my Abi bodied pliiians aso | pean my eople ith abies don't Wa'were sie togst in, ect metherhosd eed ey child Riis areduction ines for G10. Pave that thee | grevaing atudes and cca Se Sen cone thing ina property lites wil have wo dre of | Growcices of Srah society egiegaied and often sacona uuiesbans On ance rearing capable a9 re for hor her dhapiny, ect onset own ves. whichis | EwtoG on tale'mythe on” cites etwomg sysiant ns aia with disables One cereal as rebate canbe quicesubstan- Tlgulded. tis estimated that | Stereorypes wich result Even i getes far as renee orl esr sees e ne aeNtt, Vttallyeveyonein Briain has | Suremeypes hich ierviow, dette raiae——« S! fd we wil €0 fost tel eh Eh ou lve andthe fet of somone vithaciaiity nthe | gw many mnoniy groups Sese'male wits aceny «Ss seneraly ons edecoue ce ae tations that have been family, no matter how distant a | would accept exchision from going to be preferred to an. counselled against the third will be a breeze! inCamden, for example, TelAtion. Dolitcal and social events, or ish workang elass, single, aac tees British society is orgenised. febaie about E112 pet Be content wits imitcs mother witha dssbaty W's Guetaed i: we may produce by thove groupe whe ove Dekiie numbers oF admission to only ven horsr for my elock gusset. we may p eee he Eduction il wit pro S cpechedatee gmeta 2 anne ered A chad wih a Gaablity wil saw asstntes hace he y mean tha borocghs ‘erue? Yet ts segregation" Wormen wth eablties are inde ES een gaan il th cables have Bcc aritsceen te Dimbttr cn naa’ e | eet te means ot expected tocompete mr” aeed,be 2000 8 6 Sibliies wed back wore f Faucacion Act prowsions anyone, ar any ume, camer by | experence cfs pureon witha Gussstewy Wascmpesedto Auageayto.wnom? |” sabes and Black wo picertededicationsasthey an’ accent. uescoping 2 | Sout. Coevtieasgere Certara ome ee gee ae os | reed re ew See ue east he See ronson ita Bie cane tee we ery constitute 9 re haratS’is and produce chron, Woman phat siemedical |, Real change toward Maced inthe mainstream, “Nin fctitcanteasmed:har | Known te usl alter sk,, wantaeatwler servecen” profession Bang ja ee ie the fact that W ost’ almost ecm reader ots ar- | everyone knows tha pele Conaired nthe cones MEV,DR MA soueTy, | requresraligushing ows Poo er ear toedocuic's ck'uil probably develp some | wan SesStas aeperre we “Tames, condemning whet t oe ee AR cestuiy ie ts corer clominy capes cee || Sooner oe Sim wenn se eye Se ecernerya al schol, ab tain 11000. image soltcouldbeyourfuare | "An Arne Fger put tin napectnar eyed us a gd tana the quay of gual tama. 17 a ees, fosters fe ean sect earmrere, [nese Ses uate Sropnes Brea shoud te! Buta women EGs"” "who's to Gece? At forge icaly at te tack By Avstialss wehavea moral | "From the tine was witha Geabiny colin” ‘Mis _whe ig decide? As ramps usualy at the Sire seed eee fr et many moeiecrenree “sas pile erick hi ee gene cody on Cera SER nes pens 2 ee ean eee Reomings: They’ seem to” munky and series. We | ‘Bandcappos? By poopie Shak nar'etent ta ove bg amotion that sho Soston'at power to Dee pie ott ete Cecpueaes ices | pore oa oes Weare dhe Paves, 1 ce no ambi: att = poston ollie ed Bieeatasiilisticry: scree suet eat caterer ie | Soteee eden | wes BV tae comes i eran knot Pik about toc cnsies

f vole Labour, don't really quality of life, not diminish it. | my disabitry.” disgusting — ones who are Sfer is hers, t belongs to all oractices,

Labour Briefing No. $3 December 1987 page 10

Features: Racism and Education

Secular education — - —_

{GERBIL} has begun its ‘© create a climate of large the t2sle_oppostion fo Bakers Houses of Parliament. {o.make the sill unworkable,

Segregation. Alliances of

t E

passage through

Association parents, teachers, governors and school. students can The Bil seeks to strengthen fefuse to participate in the

privilege, incresse inequality, Baker tests Stimulate racism and take The battle is to create a ‘The right’s deviousness iy. and national heritage’ publishing documents, books, __ Many black communities in | state: education further away committed, popular long term on the question of race ts hich we were asked 10 unde Yost Sducatonal “sruggics “There | thats\ in the interests of pew sight ideology in educa: shown by SON [and the world ere ee the neem | schoo! students on. ‘This ‘will involve more those of us on the left “Fred Navlor and others onthe Tiomeee! icing “mathods | The question is — how do than simply campaigning we compaign against i? Soainst GERBIL. It also means

fdopted in many schools, either

willing to challenge the radical right argue that Asian through the placing of black

arog ee sigh Seg at pl besrowes By tee ght se tar We cen start with the great putting forward alternatives:

ism which have become Siscty™ (GUE O7, geuah “The rather well-paid public normal dass" or through the | St for 2 free, wel-esourced, — the labour movement wants current in many local parents have a similar right (0 servants are resorting to the tac- provision of teaching which was | ‘RON Selective, locally: the kinds of relationships bet. authorities. “British cultural” values. fic which bureauerats have desiened to alleviate boredom | controlled state education ween teachers, parents, and authorities. To pursue ths to us logical abvays.adopted when faced with ‘rather than develop analytical | SYSI@M™. isc communins. that we By Shahid Tilley conchtion (and On which there a cris Kap your head down thinking or the rudiments of | Unfortunately, the | op- would ike 10 see. Sasirategic lence) they should and ope the problem Iieracy of numeracy ponents of “GERBIL have "Nis. important. that the Haringey Labour 5 Saf eed sf away! i 3g - i Creer missed an opportuni. labour movement has this i Seo eee Res eee ty. Baker's proposals have discussion. Without It, the peta ‘ re Generalise been known since the sum- Tories will dominate. the

Culture’, Cornish parents who on these forces to fight the racist ‘wish for™"Cornish culture ad attacks on state education. They

mer. The labour movement debate about what should be should have used this time to taught and how it should be

In the Times Educational jnfinitum, into the deconstrsc- have been left shellshocked and _We have to learn from these Supplement (October 23rd) (not tne state educational relog from the asaults by struggles and generalize them | $2UD 9 broad, active national done

Soe Tre king theseaicane at de hephout wosting clas com: | eampoign with strong local Central to the campaign

Ray Honeyford ith, and are in- munities. We should be deman- hg a ans eee must be support for Soe

[ig eee ees : ‘rumiies, We should be deman- | (°tsiead, Labour Party _nuing.oppestion to. Baker's

pa gia oa Coeakin Farcical pment eee ete: SSIS | spokespersons, with Jack imposed working conditions cbel parents in Dewsbury oe — Raw nd Nell letcher the on teacher

Soniye Y This farcical logic —towhich “Op'the left 'we sted 10 “Many working ciass parents, | Most prominent. have been In order to relee hie objec-

article in Briefing no. 48. ~ incicithas given creibity wth ceases the saie's chasonship lack at wel as white, expecially | Busy confusing the movement tives, Baker must Nave 8 com.

Naylor was eager enough its ofen uncritical support for toreligion. culture, and ethnicr. in large urban centers, feel that_| 19 their haste to endorse and plient “and docile teaching

to concur with the view that anybody sounding ‘off about (9. Patt of this mnt inode @ schouls are letting down ther | Go beyond meny of Baker's force. Active teacher opposilarge sections of the left are multrethnic teaching — ‘hides reiteration of our longstanding children. Any socialist respome | Proposals. tion will simply wreck his pr in disarray over Dewsbury, thetragic and inevitable conclu Commitment toasecwlorstetein 0 Baker must include a com- | | Indeed, Fletcher is now proposals. if the labour. move

but he neatly left out the ar. sions of Baker's Educational which there f a clearer demar- mitment to ‘higher academic | Posing mass redundancies in ment wishes teachers to lned Cele canon porte one ae en eed Eas eameth ut comscon fan attempt 10 appease the the campaign against Bakar, ack on multealturaliserand Much of the public debate and the cultural diversity which ‘around demands of this | 99vernment. must recognise the impor tackonmulticuturalism and AMG” O's Che pats cise within one} ute, Kindcanthec tea moblieaton | | TeNUT Natone! Executive tance of the teacher! fght to the way it is reproduced in Shtl.t"sr pluck parents’ chose Kind can there be amobilisation | )"byevericated. in July. contol thelr own’ working both its left and right — furthe scality wil be otheruve fuplls aeainst the Tories! pro: | 20"eed to set up a national conditions, proponents, pragginersinay aarti Trapped pupils against the Tories TS | Campaign, only to change its Teachers in Haringey and {na similar manner, Channel opt-out of state education will onal eytem taro separate sec. | 0d later LEA are being fined heavily Four's” Diverse" Reports. doso, while the vst majority of _ The left also needs to break’ tors for black and white, rich | _,Allwohave now ore.asoriee for refusing to, cover for sb. presented a very brief extract, the poptlation suffers the con and poor. of ‘bureaucratic, non- sent colleagues_and refusing Sut of context. of aseathing at- Sequences ofthis drain and ver We have little choice but to | E2mpaigning bodies ike the to attend Baker-directed tack by the fustitute of Race deepening cuts in resources call for a rational, critical and | employer-ted "Standing Con- meetings. Relations on certain aspects of “A load of recent publications educational system which is secular education which aims to | ference” on the Beker Bu. the It is to the shame of these ‘multiculturalism and Racial has heralded the right’s educa- hopelessly under-resourced and produce highly-skilled, socially | committee which the TUC wil wo Labour-controlied ‘Awareness Training tion propesals. One of their key whose aim in many working conscious-human-beings ling | get WB. and the Education Authorities that they, re ‘What the programme failed components is, of course, the lass constituencies # contain: in'= modern word Aliance. prepared to side with Baker in to add was that many voices on issue of race: for example, Amti- ment, rather than the provision Tike ‘hay to-_bechecnged-s he attacks cn taachans caine Sprit laec tostiowes Latour runt sr cosas on cacy © Che trom or Sel Campaigns already establish: than support their struggle led authorities for degrading by F. Palmer, and The Reform —edcation Terror sos location eoek 9, mpie oer eet black strugele by subsuming the of ‘Braish Educarion by the lt maybe difficult to teach involve teachers, parents, negotiating nights, political and structural under- —Hillyate Group. matheratis, English, hsics, school students, Labour Party The campaign against Pingings of racism within "These right wing challenges OF biology 0 working class This prospect fils, Fred | Wards and local trade union GERBIL. mst be broadly bes Capitalist society under the ban- are “mecting’ litle resistance pupils, who lke their teachers Naylor with terror. {twill lead, | branches, More local cam: ed, pope ad Tong term. ber of cultwal and. from the anny of raccrclaims face” "many demanding he rants, to. “equal” and | bghstke this oust be setup. tnustzake up al the aspects of Psychological “difference” aadvinors and inspectors recently pressures. But to abandon this “nbiism”. For as this ix am- | _,Natonaly. the NUT should the Tory, attack; both the The interaction between class hired by local government and commitment concretely reduces menscly" preferable to That. | Call, 2 conference of, a ‘Geological. attack. an out inequalities and race was no education authorities. Theit_ the ifechances of a community cher’s project of providing | @™ganiSations, committed, to education system, and the at longer a ‘central concern. silence stems ‘not from their which relies on education fogive elitist education forthe few and | gmtng the Boker Bil which ‘ack | on | the | education Instead, vague notions such as bureaucratic mature (which i the tools to fight rach or the leaving the dress for the rest of | SeP,,,buld,_ for, national workforce. We can force back: culture; civiisation, racial iden- hasn't hindered them from exploitation of clas. = Semonstration and day of ac: the Tory attacks; we do not tion against i have to ie back and let the

‘Werneed a campaign which GERBIL run all over us! can go further than trying to

Economic Debate

The crash hits pension funds

Financial Times al-share ‘ourcinbacdon wha thy sx. week. The employe" pays in fangieentmeneeachemplonet_othiowly ty 1m Oust) ha tall panned ols index has shown adrop in Porc \incy capcet their holdines ihe heme nt Sete SORE {O would immediately have to pay pension commitments; in other or ‘income calcuated over a even greater drops inthe “Tygcige pasa’ Tuna NTeASSs $0 Over a five Sear Box company wil have to it~ prorsons for things ike death _ gone upin smoke, and ll the Stock ‘markets’ of Japan, momcasc inched iva varcty ape, Wat S116 a year crease is own contribution & inservice. payments to spouses, dations are tat it might take a West Germany and the of shares, switched offen on @ every year. few per cent its and. try 10 persuade and the ike. They'll almost cer: very long time indeed for that heavily in shares, especially 2nd selling dear”. In the Bull ground 8% to 9% ‘scheme (which will be sold on “Holidays” coer ates coeces Over the last few years, Marist of the lai few pears ane estimate. "bur not the ban that i's Jus wise ae a kn tear es ed in value. ora ie cocarestnargis Invested aso try very hard to find Other holidays"” ‘unless ‘they're Ronen eee anes Dieta calls tear boendio— of. resern: from what's called “ihessfore the waite -ofl tbe Early letvcrvasiclly wcaraw: © Of the be wart sad thee ote secre eal RO affect the value of money in portfolio management was Scheme for each person, amount deal nur wt ae tesnueedeo ati will be expected to take a major Pension funds. tt will particular: igh. Now ithas suddenly taken {9 some £7 deal out of pension schemes, be tempted to let things run for responsbiity. for sorting. out a eae i poetic erash reduces that value from long service employees. So the pension scheme. er A a Let's assume thatthe Tin Box £7,959" 10 £5,165, ‘3 loss of company miight be temped 10 "The City and is friends will propery "Sieced. trode ene . employees to pay in 5% of their two years’ worth of service workers, and maybe being. For a whil eee nes ee hos managers of trustees of pension wages, with employers cOo- comtributles . Kris ing. For awhile, money will never been stronger. Act now — funds, sim roughly to balance tributing 8% = replacing them with casual or be running towards things other or the consequences for jobs, Wf the company and the subcontract workers who aren't than shares, like gold or fixed- henefits, deterred. wages, ete,

the money paid inin = sheen Hfthey'reona wage of £1752 emplgyecs wamtedogetbach {6 fied 10 beim he scheme” ites stocks, Phe actuanes emis, deferred

Labour Briefing No, 53 December 1987 page 11

Features: Russian Revolution 70th anniversary FORTY YEARS AFTER MOSCOW TRIALS

Rehabilitate all Stalin’s victims

From 1936 to 1938 — 20 years after the Russian ideas of | “openness”, Revolution — the ruling bureaucracy in Moscow democracy and truthfulness staged a series of show trials in which the revolu- 54 lever to unlock the hold

series of crimes ranging from terrorism and These moves have incvnably treason to mass poisoning and economic sabotage. raised the question of the The! nécanbll Were Cou: falsification of Soviet yieted on the basis of | This power had firs: history, and, the revolu- “confessions” extracted begun to fall into theirhands onary record oft under torture, and most 'fough the exhaustion and Bolshevik leaders exters weakness of the Russian ‘™inated in the 1930s gedit onie working class following the, These matters are as civil war. It then became delicate for the “reform”

necessary, ifthe bureaucracy wing of the Moscow was to hold onto power, 10 ‘bureaucracy as for the stamp out, as faras possible, "conservatives". The full

r the working class’e revels, ‘historical truth remains show trials were merely the {Hs working, cas revolutionary in every sense

lip of an enormous iceberg; of the word. The current itis still not known just how Stalinism was not the psu) lenders an naa

By Sue Owen Leeds North East CLP

But the bighly-publicised

‘many met their death in the natural successor of _ heirs of the Bolshevike, bor

‘mass purges of those years. Leninism; it was irrecon- ysurpers who have trampled Similarly, the Flagrant lies cilably opposed to it. It was On the Party's real historical

Of the show trials were omly necessary physically to legacy

‘asmall part of the mountain destroy the party of Lenin, ‘The traditions and ideas

of slander and falsification’ in the shape of its old leader. of the Bolshevik. Party,

heaped on Stalin's op- ship and cadre, and to try © massacred and obliterated ponents by the CPSU and wipe out the very memory of by Stalinism, were revolu-

the international Com- its existence. By 1940 Stalin tionary. If the truth about ‘munist movement, was the sole survivor of the Soviet history, and the real ‘The great show trials, the 1917 Central Committee of ideas of the original Purges, and the massive the Bolshevik Party Bolshevik leadership,

falsification of —Soviet__-By 1940 the purges had become available to Soviet history were not just the pro- even reached into the workers, the _ bureaucrats ducts of Stalin’s diseased original Stalinist faction of would fear for their skins as mind. They were political the Bolshevik Old Guard; by well as their power events. the time of Stalin's death, "What is ‘on offer in

Gradually, since the early 1,100 delegates to the 1934 Moscow today is @ limited 1920s, the bureaucratic Party Congress —called and and selective. rehabilitation ~~ functionaries of the CPSU dominated by Stalin’s own of some of the victims of the oa

and the Soviet regime had people — and 70% of the great purges, and a shift history of the Soviet Union ponents — though they lack forte clear demand for fa been “seauiriag Polite! Central Commites elected from the erude lies of the isa part ofthe history of our the armoury Stam had arias “cr tne le" demand for full fo ee eee aoe See kee Seema eetinesahcy ‘hablo for lhe vi ver the working. class._killed distortion Tn our own countries we fo malucnce the outcome etme Of the Moscow tras, Stain, the party's general Today, the CPSU leader- "The workers” movement facelabour bureaucrats who the'prsemt umeseai ine aNd fepublication of the sey. was morty the ship aind. Mihal Cor ieratnay hase aphasia wan aro Seem enienal nie Soro a the

head bureaucrat, Dachev is trying to use the terest in these questions. The Seek to silence their op- cur @woiahoey senting in

Seventy years on from October 1917: “All power to the Soviets!’’

In essence, Trotskyism Bolsheviks’ irate remove tm Sovete m'one fo seve oe aduncts 9 she Se, ilfeu ddan poled o amie an nee i politica! opponents could possibly imagine. bourgeois institutions of state. become tomaintain the slogen tion nakedly nthe name of the = lhe Seer Sa ‘This will surprise those We quickly give up the at. Lenin's genius wes to that Lenin said it should be Bolshevik Party, Trotsky was wee betober whose knowledge of the tempt to apply the concrete realise, in April 1917, that withdrawn, arguing that the able to synchronise the ermed 1917. History of the Russian Revolu: tactical leseons ofthe these ‘organisations, despite Soviets wore mow. sovrese, sing preeaaly aah ie ee : tion, is _confined tothe Bolshevik fevolution to our thet bourgeois politics and tionary thet was only “sow. Voniag’ ‘oF thy. Secon Gon Trotsky’s Transitional mythologised version peddied own national _ situation. 'eir leaderships, had 8 revolu- ing illusions” to call for "All gress of Soviets. Parkcanae.Aransiates this by Stainists and cera semi: “Everyhing io different!” we onary potential ewes ont. Ptwer wo the Soviets" ve se ular “Russian’’ ex: Stainised sections ofthe Trot- say, excusing ourselves. This sightefgorius because twas Ged that ormeea neuen) Perience into terms of skyist movement. To them, is" ‘dengerous, "Because "i gt obvious. in foct wana. wouldnow hate to tanner Measures General relevance to twen- the Soviets were from the slowsustoddftfromouroniy Siffcut tack te tase “the ed apemy ve eee men Century humanity as outset” “pure” organs of rebeble anchorage az revolw- Slogan “Al Power to the Belshovie Part The necessary pre: une. workers’ | democracy and tonaries, the experience of Soviets!” — at fst everyone Luckily. Leni’s advice was ineurectionary "measures bower. Many even imagine victory m October 1317, thought Lenin hed gone mad rapidly supersaded by events, (such ae the detting Up of the In the months leading up that they were invented by the ‘The reactionary Social instead of being withdrawn, ‘Military “Revolutionary Com: to October 1917, “the Bolsheviks end established for Democrats and retoriste in Power the slogan “All Power to tn mittee} were cated’ out Bolsheviks conquered the the purpose of organising an Western Europe set up Soviets" was now thrust for. Trotsky was able to explain to support of the masses insurrection! buteaucratised wade unions The Soviets did not want wardwithtenbwed vigous and nostle'joumnalste © simphy te epee Glenn tne and reformist. parlementary “All Power’. Their leader wath Subty changed nolies ordar te “protect” andra “transitional” demands. By Chris Knight rigs bornfutsialndiowr ships ndgranty raped the Soniicance food the proceedings ft igi : fm Germeny and Aveta) they very. notion of “aking. the 5 nted Front” organ of the giand! Peace! Bread!;, Lewisham East CLP set up not oniy these but also, power". That was not sup. Disgraced masses, @All_ Power to the briefly, acting under pressure posed to Be the funcvon of “The actual insurrection took Soviets! The danger ofthis nonsense fromthe manses, the workers’ Soviets. “Everyone Knew" _ The leadership of the the tems watighi pain These two slogans gave is that it places the concept of councils known as Soviets. that the Soviets were mercy Soviets. ‘had te, deuraced — Ssmrery"Wtaly: t Prowiing conscious’ expression tothe Soviets, and the need 10 sevisory Dodie, not porsntiel themaslves in the eyes ot the bulaing' wns the Catoreee fevolitionary potental of the create’ Sowets, cutsite. the Soviets organs of @ futute workers’ masses thet the Bolsheviks was taking, place, extending Masses, binding "theit im bounds of anything remotely sate wers quickly becoming ama: this miltary ction outwards Iediate demande to. con- imaginable for curssives im ou ‘The Bolsheviks yayed vir Jer them. Why support "in crdr to defend the Con Grete organisational means of own class struggle ex: twaly ne part irsethagun tre these Mensheviks, if they gress of Soviets” Securing them Potioncas in B.tain orotherin- Fustlan Soviets 181%: in don't even want power when "Such wes the final paradox: Wherees "Land! Peace! Gustaliced Western 1805, they were late in agree. Even more dfficutt to say "Ali yougive it tothe? wes ine the most audecions Ottenewe Bread!” was simple ond countries, ing te participate and played = power" to bodies which were plowing verdict of the messes onslaught iv the sty of the unambiguous, “All Power to “We look around ourselves _retatively minor fle ir ihem., Shooting at youn the service Sh thet former Soviet gedars, ronan ieee ney ote the Soviets!’ was full of and we see no Soviets. We” "Im those years, the Soviets of the ruling Goss. This wes As the Bolsheviks became awengicean doovement Was eradoxes and ambiguities. look at history — at periods of were regarded ‘by the’ the utimete paradox of ine dominant in the Soviets, “aN Gergeaiea Under the guise of Inklaly, the Soviets ware in upheaval such as 1918-19, or organisere aa. tomporary "July Days’ when the Soviet Power to the Soviets!” now “reactigtay””* Soren poltical''terms quite reac. 1926. — and stil see no werkare’ forums, “advieey ured guniire upon amess. forthe fist ume begen tolmp. which the masses owed trad tionary, organisations. “All Soviets. We see only reac- bodies destined either to demonstreten of Golshevik. {y's Boshevitied weunreetion, Yenc me mess Power" to them meant a sionary organisations, fe the cleappeat ones bourgeois influenced workers calirg on utstitnemeaning mascot. “At Meee a socialite power to the Mensheviks and rit trade unions’ and the parlomentorsm could be pre some EC 10 "take the ty concesled. should study. this "secret of

Social Revolutionaries — the Labour Party. These are as far perly established, or tat best)- power Now, instead of being com. October" with care.

: |

Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page 12

Letters

Building Briefing

WRITEBACK! as

We welcome your letters! Write to Labour Briefing, PO Box 457, London SW2 5UZ

Restore the balance on Livingstone

Dear Briefing,

‘Paula Watson in Briefing no. St bitterly attacks Ken Liv

stone's “appalling ‘eynical opportunism”, “phony charm”

For my part { fervently wish that there were hundzeds of Labour MPs witha similarly a palling record on, for example Ireland, gay righis, or the cen” tral importance of campaigning fn issues relevant to women and black people for the future of the labour movement

Tk was particularly unfor tunate’ that such unbalanced charges should be aired in BriejIng ita week in which Ken Livingstoae has been courageously fighting for his political life, without making any concessions ‘on his principled. support for British withdrawal rom Weland.

‘Lam glad to say that 1 was fone ‘at the 300 people at the November 17th meeting in op: position to the Irish Excradit Treaty, who gave Ken Liv ingstone a spontancous standing ‘vation for his refusal to be intimated on the Tesh fssue. 1 was particularly glad 10 see ohn MeDonnell “express hie solidarity with Livingstone,

rightly putting pase differences aside

More generally, 1 didnot think the Briefing incerview sith Ken Livingstone was uncritica, in tone. I ink I would myself have difficulty maintaining a tone of polite friendliness 10 a interviewer who made Statements such as: “Nothing you have said so far would ‘ecessarily lead 10 the conclu ‘Son that’ you understand. the fature of ihe state,” as Chri Kaighe di

T. would endorse. Briefng’s judgement that Ken Livingstone ‘an speak to an audience much ‘wider than Labour's committed left swing constituency. Its tue that like ‘most human beings, perhaps even Paula Watson, he has some weaknesses, both political and personal.” So. do Heffer, Scargill, Bena and Skinter, whom Paula Watsos cites approvingly

‘@Scargill for instance has repeatedly made it clear that he rezards the democratic opposition in Eastern Europe much as most of us. regard. the Nicaraguan Contras

101 do not know Eric Heffer’s position oa the Alton Bil, but Seem to remember that be has a Gubious secord on a woman's Fight to chose

‘@Tony Bean would probably bbe the first to admit’ that he made mistakes whilst in office fon nuclear power and Namibian

uranium for example

‘But such criticisms should not ‘of course obscure the over ‘whelmingly positive contribu tion of these comrades.

‘The point is that politics is a messy business. Our allies today ‘may not be our allies vomorrow No politician worth anything ‘will Ever be entirely free of the {aint of error or compromise,

i ofantile ettism 20 expect otherwise.

‘Yours for socialism,

Dave Holland

Condon Wil

Every success to Briefing!

Dear Briefing

Enclosed is. my subscription for Labour Briefing and 3 banker's order for the $00 Club,

‘Your paper is an indipensible read for genuine socialists. It is uncompromising on basic Drinciples but at the same time adopis a non-sectarian approach

"This is a refreshing change fromm s0 many other left group. ings which seem to be obsessed ‘with sectarian in-fighting (eg the RCP). Others, lke Sociaist Organiser have capitulated to imperialist ideas and right wing Labourism.

‘At times 1 have become demoralised and” wondered whether socialism ie on the

agenda, However, the recent

Stock Market crash andthe

panic shown by leading ices

i) exposed the myths of That

hears within the" labour Tony Trou,

Support Bis Weaver's

appeal!

Dear Briefing,

Thank you for the coverage of Bis Weaver's industrial tribunal appeal in Briefing no, ‘52 — it is greatly appreciated.

May | take this oppor tunity to inform your readers that the appeal hearing will be at the Employers’ Appeal Tribunal, 4 St_ James Square, London SW1, on December 11th 19877

am sure: that it would be useful if Labour Briefing supporters could attend the public hearing, if only fora brief period during the proceedings

Comradely greetings,

Gordon Weaver,

Birmingham

‘Send snippets and info 10 Grog

Bassett.

Periscope Column,

Labour Briefing, 26 Crotton load, London SES.

All relationships have their

tiffs.

“Americ the _ wrecker! soreached the front page headlines of the Daily Mail (December 1st).

The ardent Thatcherites — 4nd exstwhile chsmpions of te jal relacion: ship" =" were. livid Decause the US decision to Jet the dollar drop — snd drop — was aamaging the British eoonamy.

OF course, we sll know that Af it weren't for those ir responsible Yanks Britain would be booming away as if the Stock Market Grash had never happenfed. After all, he economy is “basically sound’

Hoist by his own policies...

The folowing letter from Labour Parcy General Secretary Larry Whitey to. all London Labour Groups and’ Labour-coneroied ‘Councis speaks volumes

Is Comrade Whitty not aware of the frosen vacancies, deleted poses and redundancies nove beIng made by Labour Groups cross the capil?

(Or i the Walworsh Road fortress ‘smply impervious to che cold ‘winds blowing eutside?

Dear Coteau

fob Vacancies

You wil be aware. thee nfo ‘enacoly 3 numberof redunan ‘es ar arting among Labour Pory salt,

Ik would be extremely het if {yas could arrange for your por Jemel depres oh of any vacances ang oo cereal, secre Ge ad

Sounds familiar?

‘The Labour Party Conference has ended with a spit between the government and. Party members :

1A desperace plea for unity (on his terms) by the Depury Leader faled, Party members tod ease Unionats stressed the gover wath and. accede ‘conomie policies

Deipee protests from the ‘membertip. the. government made ie Gear ‘would. not

No. hav’ the New Zealnd Tatour Party. noe 3 repay of "70s Britain

*nuff said.

The first Saturday in December saw the seven: Heth anniversary of te Go-op’s Branches Annual Conference

Readers might be accustom- ‘od to regarding the Co-op 33 a forum for general ‘Gevate in the Party. You tmnght also have guessed that the Co-op would be that kind of "meeting which would consider prohibiting smoking in its

meetings — after a democratic vote, of

First on the agenda (after Coffee, ‘Check-in and Greotings the warning ab: Conference.

1. Motion: that spesiing be prohiited inside this

In Memoriam: dames

Baldwin

On & rare serious note, Feriscope mourns the passing of American writer’ James Baldwin. whose novels and essay: Dreathed the fires of anger and hope.

Baldwin Fesched a wide au: ‘sience im the 60s, when his accounts of” black ‘Amerioan life spoke t many whose” oon. selousness had been sais ed by the struggles of the ‘Ciel Righte Movement, in which he played an active part

Baldwin was algo one of the first American writers to deal explicitly with goy sexuality and tis repres sion in what he always portrayed as a venal, inRuman. dividea socie:y

Indeed, the teibutes Baldwin —~ both here in _America — have been Somewhat muted precise Jy because he refused 10

hoist anchor end sail on when the tide of protest Sbbed in the 705,

even greater ferceity in the last ten years. That is cstse for celebration, And a aint for Briefing Feaders: you could do

Canistmas,

Chutzpah

ingstone ang the left for thet own failure sn the Wandsworth by-election brings to mind the classic definition of that wonder ful “Yiddish word ebutspan.

‘According to the old story. a boy kills both his parents ‘im eold blood, then falls on the meroy of the cour fon the grounds that he is an orphan!

‘That's chutspah. Flounder. ing Labour right wingers are increasingly turning it into a fine art.

Glasnost

{nto operation because hee aifeces us. We are asking for concrete examples to explain how the calculations are rade. Previously when ‘working overtime wages were oubied. pus 40%

“The administration (ofthe plat) ragards a wage of 230-350 Foubles a month as 3 lot and ‘Suggests that from May let we should work for lower rater We beieve that che reconsideration of wage ‘ates. 5 not substance by anything and i aimed atthe infringement and the mater wwel-being of honest, srorkers

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Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page 13

Reviews

BOOK REVIEW

the same technique employed in

| cee ‘Nick Nolte in Under Fire ~ the HE ils ie damning indictment of

apartheid whic lnspied and

ahgered the audience of black

Gry Freedom, a film by Rickard. Attenborough

Enigmatic ts

about Steve Biko. organisation, the South African which had not known the The same audience, however, Tels the sory of Donald StscnsOrpancaion of wish The acetate HE Me same Auden, Nore, Woods" relationship wien be tecame the irr rcssen,” 30 tha ted aound gy Hanky bored iy the las (1) ploy Sieg nog awe ere yi oy the Woods Tass" Sage

black organisations was attack- ‘The South African Students broad. where. Donald con ccd by many on the left, and ac- Movement. (SASM). provided publish his story revealing the

=. Journalist. Yet still Biko (yan, areeos by some in the the bulk of the leadership for truth of Biko's death at the : ge who saw Has a sep the mighy ceponon af Buck Min BuO Som at he revoiu lonary | Biko (Denzil fowanis acceptance "aps. ange it watsonconm tha, ant

Washington) is on sereen, theid's creed of separate The name of Biko was placed "Why did Attenborough make

of the courageous white

3 ceva he | the film races along, inspir= development onesie “tha “ot | Xckon che fin about Woods rather - eras style captures the | ing and exciting us: When —————ee—m—mm——“Maticls of the ANC sey (Re, (i gout Woo rahe 4 Man Apart: The Life of chaotic ‘and unreal spint in | (78 and exciting us. When So Sore Robert Sobukwe of the Pan politician. In answer. (0. that

Henri Curigl, by Gilles which the frst generation of : African Congress as those the Yery “question (rom, a black 3 is also the end of all drama, = —

rerrault, Zed Books, £7.95 Middle Eastern radicals began But Biko saw separate Soweto students wanted 10 youth, he replied that he way

isso osksy es ip orpanieg: inthe 1920s and | and Cry Freedom mp5. orgsaisation a5 eccessery ta mcgotiaie om ther Schalt with {onthe eas Tike Woods.

ay a aa a (ith wo stunning excep- freak down what he’ called the tesla The defintive Sim about Bio's

ier Sar oneapeclped cae eepipmmecateon, || Sens) tos eatental one ie people's inferior com life would be made by a black ‘ uel Rad the resources ai | Bantu Steve Biko was borin plet'Tand aca mention ioualty fimmater ter the Hberation

Hon of Hane Curial leading pend to educate anc mobiise | King Willamsiown, Cape Fro. "Trai ‘mcratoee ne ea, ‘Internationally ot South Afric

Egyptian communist, in @ the dispossessed masses. of

vince in 1947. The death of bis rule: More prosaically he has also

apartment in Egypt He managed tohamess | father gave the 17 year old" “What is _necessory as @ Yet _foday in the amii- _¢, HOTS, prosueally has alsa and, control the otherwise | African his chance of education prefude to anything else tsavery apartheid movement interna. <paine’ that the film would Here the author begins dissipated liberation struggles | throush a micios cchest Strong grass roots build up of tionally the namie of Biko, and ROhyctt the American market his search for the identity against Bntsh coloniaism. He | “He excelled at his studs and lack consiousmest such thay Sobukwe” 100, “are. sem Shou 3. Lied settable gave direction to these strug. | in 1966 entered university to blacks cam learn” to assert forgoien, buried under thenen PYOWEOML aa nay For there were many can- 9165 nd tumed them into a | study medicine. From then on themselves and stoke their hegemony of the ANC. Cry qelfis shy the fils cannot didstes, and many teasena’to Patent socialist movement | his life was that of a political righifef ceime’s Freedom allows a fresh and Gead.‘The ecape sors elie on

Wwhich had @ far-reaching inn act both nationally and Internationally.

‘eganiser and activist The Black Consciousness critical examination of the fhateiromies for teat such oe

He joined the student move- Movement (BCM) assailed col” liberation movement since Susi Apicon Netee aitae

meni, becoming active in the laborationist forces, Bike call- Shatpeville Woods ae durtag is cape

National Union of South ing the Bantustans “the single It is an exciting and sticring ands a ft during is estape

Atscan Scudents. "But the gieatest fraud ext invented by fm. I one can accent g.cooe Rims would shate Biko ate “Cucisctop tang camps | ‘subordinate role of black Shue polifcians™ yention of secing black South "'Tr'ss pegened by t0 stunning

Se Oe at ONES eb eC eens || “celeas e OMEAS dae oan Sie pees peti AMeocame ne ot closing ones. the fire’ 6

Fedora, oe re tae comme wears eat ot | Sesctan ot wine Mendon —gurctachen te Bieccempe’s Dena Wee (neta nians, eth, a The Soaags ent

Egyptian and Sudanese Com- ment were poiiticised and EC R the: film, where all those who

Meogeteicen,~ sen'wewcioen Scr | New sounds from Nicaragua | 23m" %-%

"remove’” Curlel. Newspapers had speculated that he was the boss of an international

fumoured that he was @ —— —

apowtotmereralnostak own oy dant, They ey nero ee «iG? Fre is alin ot Views hstoreal data from s thir Western = | familiar — very Calypso- | Thatcher. eventually. attended tadlcaly new perspective French Communist Pery. “| By Jackie Black ‘Bugfieas Expren, Tika, te influenced, but with 2 the premier, telling "Aten

By turning historical “facts” "The PCF fyst rlused to give + 9p pip from NSC, slower tempo. borough he should stick to fin into! artistic “fictions”, Per- any ‘type of support to. the Bevendea St, London Ni; “No Pasaran” stresses | making and leave politics het

fault poses a. fundamental Egyptian Commumats’ strug. | Zinica is an 8-piece distributed by Rough Trade. the plight of the “The: South Atrcan, govern Guestion: io whet we take as ge against neoColoniise, | band from Bluefields, Nicwragauan people. ttis | ment attempting to defuse the

fact merely one of many fic- and then waged « propagands | on Nicaragua's a sad song. with its fim’ ‘ani-aparthed mesage, oe ee ee ES, || Their manic exclusive exrphastsng palticel Paseren, telldem don't. | ;20%.#,i9 South Aik, Aten Centrality of this question, and enemies — and many more | America and is know as heavier bass line, will die" sung in heartfelt | multi-racial audiences and a1 a pi“felee consciousness”. led Which leads us back tothe | combination of calypso, vocal harmonies, and a This is 2 fine album that | black people o attend. him to wage continuous strug: beginning: Curil's death. Per- | salsa, reggae, and Latin _stronger Latin influence. seduces you with a gaits Mestwod of she coat reonings. “ne SOM! ef rau does not reveal the en- | folk, skilfully blended and The humourous “Rum mixture of emotion and | oM% being met, stems shin. bis nies tity of the murders. but allows | leasing to the ear and Coke” starts with a old-fashioned fun. It shown in the RSA it would, sae ee eee ae ee Ce eater to pace the || Tea creo eniahe Somewhat distorted Fellects the lives of the | Sour. Me RSA it woul

ewspaper. This not only decide track. The presence of 2 _ intoxicated effect in happier moments — and | fionary change in the country. It created a political identity, but ““ftis our fiction, Perrautt | banjo gives a jolly. folk keeping with the theme, __also in their struggles. is here t00,

BOOK REVIEW Farewell : Who's afraid of the 49 Socialism?

(opateck us" crawling over its crevices. not, ‘does tend 10 take. reac

: tellectual cradibity, practical slectorat college are not | SST" ___ it “affects and reflecs the a€- tionary cultural (orm when ail

The rise and fall of the Labour application, and’ ‘populer mutually exclusive: they | Pag) Feyerabend Ie Ta tivity of i explore” objective standards are washed Left, Patrick Seyd, MacMillan, Support = should be linked, Dadaist long opposed to the Rationalst attempts to freeze gun

26.95 Seydmayormaynothavea The book suffers | Daten inna me crite ie, its dynamic nature should be “"Pyerabend’s coaclusions are

TEAL SOT UREN] Mattes: butitishisimpiear thoughout from a fare to | uifor

fesrained by those with other difficult to sustain, He exes Patrick Seyd's detailed tion that the two processes ‘ecognise just what the aa

values. A pluralism of theory loathing for researchers, educa

study anc dre unconnected | find most Labour lett consists of, and to | Popper. should be institutionalised. _tionaliss, and doctors, who pre. vt Gols ek laces distinguish it at some points And now, Reason itself. Minorities and other societies sent large bill left in the Labour Party is difficult to accept. He fails to ing =

In under 200 pages the Labour left are riot goins at all of Kinnock and his supporters. | Bakunin, once warned of the Western ‘Science. difference whatsoever between and leadership, and arrives netive candidates, ang “Tribune left” a ee ne real problems of our time ie in finally at-a chapter titled because of its faite “to, Seva Bolioves ““.._ the | the "new pluraliss”, ccolossS, Relativism may ead im many Conger oblemsof our time tein Left Disintegration and biahlight fully ‘siting MPs" Labour left can be optimistic | and post-modernists. It takes 4 directions. The racialist genetics “growing disregard for spiritual ni ee voting records and policy _2b0ut the fact that the Party | decisive stand. It is clear. What of the New Right is also accom-_ values” — sige ot Positions, Leader, the Chair of the PLP | does it propose? 1, Panied by a twisted “third "Many socialists, however fhe left focusses, on what By Johar Wilton Cabinet are srawn from the | hobby-torse. This means thal Gramscians" like ‘isin’ e romantic ie phasophs,

Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page 14

International Briefing

PHOTO: Greene Cookson

Anti-apartheld demo 1987

Anti- -apartheid AGM

Changes in the wind

‘The problem for any milifant wanting (o carry out Anti-Apartheid work in Britain is that this work has to be carried out in a move-

hhas become the last bastion of British

The Anti-Apartheid Movement (A-AM) AGM in Sheffield on November 289th confirmed this political fact of life

Luckily, ‘wo mitigating fac tors did emerge

(the impact of developments ig’ South Africa. tse! parHicularly the growth of the independent unions

@ The AGM's reluctance 10 piloritse particular areas of ‘Work leaves the way open for focal groups to determine their “The AGM debate over the ‘campaign to. ree Moses Mayekiso and his comrades pro mised to be crucial. Moses is on teal as a leader of Alexandra Township and of the metalworkers ‘union NUMSA.

in-a.case that the South AVfeican Slate sees as key 10 rolling back the growth of community and trade union organisation

“The campaign to free him has the “support of NUMSA, COSATU, and. the Interna tional Meralworkers Federation,

‘At the AGM, a number of resolutions on Moses had been Composited into one general Fecolution on trade union repression. A series of amend iments threatened to. delete all

By Tim Riley Huddersfield

Feference to Moses and commit the A-AM to oppose campaigns 10. Tree non-approved individuals

Tn the end, under pressure from NUMSA, a watered-down set of amendments was passed, leaving in some references 10 Moses, as one of several named individuals under threat.

The A-AM Executive specifically endorsed an amend feat saying thar Moss." ie Drisonment would bea hier

blow to the whole trade union movement; and the amendment opposing campaigns around indhaduals was remitted

Francis Mele, addressing the AGM on behalf of the ANC, Sgnalied two important clarifications in their postions ‘On the cultural boycott, be ex. plained that its purpose was not {fo boycott items of "people's culture” such as books or plays ‘against apartheid. The ANC and A-AM are now discussing Appropriate "guidelin what constitutes culture"

‘On lesbian and gay it he quoted extensively from alt= ter from the ANC to Peter Ta hell (Peprinted on this. page) ‘which outlined the ANC’s op-

‘all forms of oppres Scomequent Support lesbian and eay liberation

The Report af the Working Party on the Black and Ethnic Minority. Communities raised some self-criticism of the A. AM's work, im particular its failure to develop an anti-racist character, and its image a3 2 White organisation “that only

supported a particular section Of the liberation movement

Unfortunately, the discussion of this Report was used by the Executive to stress that A-AM should not involve itself in anti racist campaigns. They also ‘Stressed later in the conference that A-AM should not be mak ing. links with organisations such as AZAPO or the union organisation NACTU,. which are part of ‘the black con

They even promised to lobby the TUG to change its current ‘support for both COSATU and NACTU onthe sensible grounds that they bork oppose apartheid.

The last resolution to be discussed was to make the AGM the Movement"s sovereign body. The Executive opposed and fo time a card vote

taken, and won by the Executive

‘Given the composition of this AGM, is hard to see why the Executive was so afraid of mal lng it sovereign: but perhaps ‘they sce and fear the changes ahead,

Grass roots struggle in Peru

Fve been living and working in Huaraz — the “Peruvian Switzerland” — since April.

I's a beautiful place surrounded by snow-capped mountains, and one of the best mountaineering centres inthe whole of South ‘America, near Peru's highest mountain, Huascaran, at 6,800m.

It's mostly a tourist town, with lots of eafes and trekk ing agencies, but in the ‘countryside ail around there fare thousands of peasant ‘communities

When | first acrirved, 1 gor a jb in a bar/restaurant while [ ‘was waiting for my sister Yo send ‘my dearee certificate 30 that I fild teach in a School or coleve

Before long. people were stopping me in the street and asking me 10. teach them English? (t's a tourist iowa and peaple want to ears Engh hardly a sendero tuminoso recruiting ground®)

I jacked in the bar job, which was very low paid even hy Peru vid standards ($50 month) and started teaching privately. 1 ‘vas still planning to'teach a School, even though the pay is aso Tow (580 a month, a semi Skilled manval wage)

SUTEP, the Teachers union, has strong revolutionary lements; it"s_no. coincidence that the Garcia wishes to. Keep th poverty level

A numberat feminists in Huaraz have decided 10 start 3 ‘Women’s Project here. There is nothing here for women, unlike Tima’ and’ other’ large «oss, and we have the support of ali the women’s groups in Lima to

We're thinking of a series o workshops in Huaraz, and

‘specially in the peasant com: ‘munities, on "Women and Health (there i no health ser ‘ice in the remote villages: peo pile die frequently through lack OF simple treatment)

Ir would be a consciousness ising action, helping women Sevelop a sense of autonomy control over their own bodies Feproductive rights and. com traception, as ‘well a5-raising Gscussion about violence

By Colette O'Hare

All the women involv socialists, but we need 10 | cacelul how we talk about Polit. The whole project is subversive" really, Because i means women taking contro! heir" own ives, organising jogether 10 improve the live

everyone. in their communi Seat ace piieg ellie

control or domination aay We're also going to try 19

pen a Women’s Refuge here ‘There's only one ia Peru <0 far in Lima, but the woman who to move back to Huaraz (h home town}, and will soon be

ve decided to stick with private teaching, Since this me time and money to nork ‘with women

‘The Garcia government has got progressively worse: pro union, anti-student and basical

oeratic. And yet "good, sensible, ‘democratic, socialist lad ia the yer of the res of the world His demagoguery hasbeen compared to Mussolini — there no doubt he's very popular — bur beind the socialist rhetoric is ideology and. practice — "not fascists bat more than half way here Ts the military raid on luaiversties last February mor aa 1,600 students were Drisoned, manhandled, aad i ferrogated on the SSubversion”™= The raids discovered nothing but the usual Marxist books which are essen ial 10 any Arts or Philosophy soacse. The majority wi gradvally’ released, but_some have been detained indefintey. and twelve have disappeared” ‘Trade Union leaders having a hard time, and there are 2 lot of militants held in Prison, accused of Terrorism Act i=

just ‘weapon with ‘which to disrupr, arate ae

Cass ives After more than to yea sieike, with th

Forgotten. Other trade Peru are alo under atta

rade unions for nearly one year tnd the only continued support has boon from Oxfam, which thas donated food tor the com ‘val kitchen; but not enough 10 feed all the children of the 300 faanilies snd not enough to provide an adequate nutritious diet. The neglect of the sriking ‘miners families is all the more appalling when you realise that both “Las Canarias" and Posco"” mines have over 50 sears worth of gold, lead an in them, and that the to

es have viable

for running the mines ves as. workers, €0

A major obstacte they face is Garcia's anti-union stance, his

opposition 10. all workers® io flatives and his programme of creasing militarisation and aniidemocratic lacks on Students, leftists, and women's froups ("Club de Madres"") which are not dominated by his ruling APRA party Tn Lima {also visited Villa ¢ Salvador. It's a “pueblo jov or “young (shanty) town" abitants and for the s has had its own ment (united left), Ii'ca wonderful place — like a litte € © middle of Chaotic Pera. They have stret lock and arca clections and

centre, communal kit The mos dynamic p

formed inte. the Women's Federation of Villa Et Salvador They ave also organ workers" ol ‘ aking, clothes

Theres ism sisp-weridig 10 develop an Industrial Cent and an Agricultural Cencre

ine and

In October, Peter Tatchell reported in Labour Briefing that two leading members of the African National Congress, Solly Smith and Ruth Mompati, had expressed views hostile to lesbian and gay rights.

Tatchell followed up his article by writing personally to the ANC's Executive Committee Membé liberation movement's headquarters in Lusaka, Zambi

Thabo Mbeki replied as follows Dear Peter

‘The ANC is indeed very firmly committed to removing all forms of discrimination and oppression in a liberated South Africa. You are correct to point this out, That commitment must surely extend to the protection of gay tights. | would like believe that my colleagues, Solly Smith and Ruth Mompati, did ‘not want to suggest in any way that a free South Afica would want to see gays discriminated against or subjected to any form of repression.

As'a movernent, we are of the view that sexual preferences of an ingividual are a private matter, We would not wish to compromise anybody's right to privacy both now and in the future, and would therefore not wish to legislate or decree how people should conduct their private lives, We have, Consequently, never been opposed to gay rights, That position Femaine unchanged

{As you know. we are’ always interested to see as many people as possible involved in the struggle against apartheid,

We theretore appreciate the initiatives undertaken BY gays to involve themselves and other people in this struggle, About this there ean be no question

‘Yours in the common struggle,

Thabo Mbeki, Lusaka, November 24th 1987 After our Christmas break, Briefing will be back with Tatchell’s exclusive interview with ANC spokesperson Frene Ginwala on lesbian and gay rights.

BTR means Blood, Tears, Repression

The BTR — Sarmcol __ to spend some £3 bilion in the workers recently con- next three years buying .up

faded. a highly suc. other companies bony othr tee ‘The strike ot Hangers, the

cessful two months on pyiney artificial _imb-fitting the road in Britain with factory, Showod that being their play The Long bought up by BTR means at pal, feck on ob, working ond tions and union organisation Now the tour organi NUMSA has called on hhave launched an ongoing —grtish sunporters of the Sar international campaign col strice to cake action against BTR, the multina- ©Condomn BTR's reusl to fora! company "whose negotiate with he suikers via Snttunion mctlitigg at their union and inform BTR

ne eth Altea Sars headquarters at Slivertown per rs Rapulcesl get House, Vincent Square, Lon

col subsidiary sparked off 3 i Or ite the strike around which $Ptieumdenmsten the play is based, ‘© Support the demonstration called by NUMISA for the next By Steve Potter STR shareholders meeting in Norwood CLP May. 1888 in London

Organise support for NUMSA’s campaign to target The story is shocking, In BTR products and financial n= May 1985 the workers tereste in the UK for protest were sacked after striking actions. {or recognition “of the @Conerte tnacity, 19 union MAW {now the Na ‘8 campaign against Sonal Unianof Metal BTR and te ster fares workers of South Africa — {the rmedate, targets, to ‘alse £10,000 by Chrstmes). NUMSA) The Sarmeo! "Workers Co The 950 surviving strikers operative. is now: i stil meet regulary gach week bulletin to. Keep Br BIR Negotiate with our evelopment. union or get out of South “The frst issue declares one Boca! ot the campaign's moin ime nafttBuahout the two and & fo spread the word that BTR Tefused to speek 70. the (opens gt OOM : ears the South Aftican police sims ‘to take aclion apart hove. violently attacked the BTR: ploduces "get strikers’ picket ines ad warkers "re the car inna Inkatho linked viglantes have Src nealtn Sovvice Nace ey Kianapped and’ murdered fered” take ach weicn strke leaders, including Simon Regional. and area, mestnge Ngubane, author of The Long sre scheduled. to. map. Out March. future campaigning

The Botish tour was the irse WISE COMPRIOND: a step ina tenewod affort to br. sees defeat for BTR and vie ing pressure on BTR. Financial S228, Geteat for BTR and vicanalysts reckon that BTA pian SOY fore strikers

Hf you want yourself or your organisation to be put on The Long March mailing list or if you would like to make a contribution to the fighting fund write to:

SAWCO 12 Manor Road Extension Leicester LE2 4FF Tel.: (0533) 712041

Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page 15

International Briefing

US/Britain Special Relationship:

An unholy alliance

‘The INF agreement between the USA and the

US food surpluses), the Euro. pean market for US exports ‘was painstakingly rebuilt after

USSR is to be 25 pai welcomed as a step in “A'S25. us military presence the right — direction, not only serves to remind the

Europeans constantly of theit ependencs on the US. for tt is a victory for the crward’ base. ageint the peace movements of the Soviet Union, and rms an west, who succeeded in stant market. for American making intermediate ood

nuclear weapons NI 8, of course, wal eee Ersis, such as tho elechon of 8 iett wing Labour government in Britain oF the growth of = ig

however inadvertant.

By Dani Ahrens movement for reunification Germany. ‘The role of the British government, particularly over Unfortunately, the the last eight years, under the

agreement does not signal the beginning of the end of the arms race, nor is it the last we will hear of the discredited concept of “deterrence”

Whatever the USA does is ‘carefully designed to maintain

ThatcherReagan axle, has been to act as America’s most devoted and loyal European.

Splits

Thatcher has consistently stood by Reagan against the European states, even fo the Ite sphere of influence in the extant of causing splits in her World. Playing about with the own’ cabinet. While other hhumbers of intermediate range European nations refused 10 weapons (and probably plae- let the US bombers on course ing more short range missiles for Libya fly through thei in’ Germany in the next few airspace. Britain was only too years!) has litte effect on its happy to accommodate. Overall strategy, which is to "in the last few weeks, this pull the European states firmly loyalty. has been severely Into line behind NATO, and tested by the Crash, which, at make ‘sure that even” a the same time, provided furGorbachev-led Soviet Union ther evidence of the deep femains cast as the implaceble dependence of Britain on the enemy USA in the economic as w NATO's role, since it was ag the military sphere. set up in 1948, has always "The concrete links behind been to keep Europe under the Special Relationship are control. By a variety of means, many and complex. As long 2s including "the ‘continuous they last, a capitalist Britain Presence of US troops, and would fing Ir very difficult to the Marshall Plan (which was withdraw from NATO, even also handy for getting rid of i wanted to.

NICARAGU Battle on the coffee front

While Reagan and his Cen- grayo as mediator — lies an tral American supporters economic crisis. which continue their byzantine threatens to preempt any haggling over the Arias ceasofiro or regional Peace Plan in air- settlement Conditioned Washington The “economy of survival” the compesmos whereby resources are Ua. are gearing diected to the countryside to

fensure food security, 's com: up for the annual battle on ing under intense pressure and ‘many rural initiatives in health

depends — the battle of and” sducation are und

Donations to the Brigade

breaking out all over the been se dependent as now on

slogan” "emulation isthe Deptford CLP

brigadistas to work in the cofof Matagalpa and Jinotega Nicaragua ‘Solianty. Cam Doves “ell © provide. “an. a0 tinuation of the Sandiniste’s activist who died wagically n'a zones, production has more "in Febraary, rising will Sanctions have drained. the report of the current situation

Behind Ortega’s _unioters! payable to:

declaration of Contra amnesty

the coffee harvest. threst. The survival of

With peace supposedly Nicaragua has never before

the succese of the annual co!

By Nick Ronan foo harvest.

Margaret Roff Coffee In the spirit of the Sandinista

Brigade motor of productivity”, 120 British volunteers. will join 3 force of 30,000 international

Tegion, the struggle on the

economic front line — the 18 fields this season.

mountainous coffee fields ,,O" Jenuery 17th the last of four brigades organised by the

— is now being waged paign will sotoff for six weeks

with increased ferocity. of hard labour in the cause of

The seasons’s coffee the Sandinista Victory of

estimated 85% of Nicaragua's | The brigade is named after

foreign exchange earnings, Margaret. Roff, Manchester

Fesources vital to the con’ Labour Council’ and sociakst

revolutionary programme. Rotel tire while on a tour of

Since the expulsion of the Nicaraguan women's. health

Contras from the main coffee projects last summer.

‘than doubled, but the “low in- carry an on-the-spot account

tensity warfare” waged by of the work of the Margaret

the CIA and US economic off ‘Coffee Brigade and 9

Sconomy and crested a critical in Nicaragua.

labour shortage in the coffee

fields,

concessions to the Peace Ac

‘cord ~ reopening the opposi

tion paper’ La Prensa, the

zones, the freeing of patitioa!

Drisoners, and. the. appoint:

fment of Cardinal Obando. y

‘Ale ne. 50460865

CND Annual

Conference

Make way for the fight against NATO!

In the midst of rapidly

being at best an irrelevance ‘and at worst the funeral rite

of 2 declining — mass ‘movement.

In the event, it provided pleasant surprises, and showed there is life yet in the old beast

‘An amendment was passed commiting the CND Executive toa campaign for the removal fof US bases and withdrawal from NATO as a maiter of priority. There was also ConFerence’s frst ever Soviet speaker, who was a star per former at no less than three com secutive workshops.

The NATO and bases issue ‘arose during the decisive debate ‘on strategy

By BEN LOWE

The GND “nets” who dominated the Exceutive Com mittee until this Conference ‘worked a neat trick im organis ing the debaie. A number of resolutions submitted by local groups were blocked, and a ‘Bumber of elements from them ‘were integrated into one wide Fanging resolution on the peace ‘movement's “strategy” for the next year

“The motion consisted of alist Of issues that the movement ‘ould prioritise, with others on which it would’ place less em phasis. There was no explana: on of how this would fic into the fastunravelling interna: tional "situation, por aay recognition of its effects on the political situation in Britain

‘Many wondered if there was any “strategy” bere at all Then, in rapid succession, two of the main authors of the fesolution, Dan Smith and Tames Hinton, addressed the ‘Conference

to dump NATO without campaigning against i. (No mention Of US pressure to Americanise western Europe before any withdrawal, or the nuclearisa on of westera Europe sia France and Britain).

‘Smith and Hinton made it clear that US bases and NATO were off their agenda for the Peace movement. Soch issues Sould ‘not reach the middle ‘ground of British politics, where pathetic million sit tight sith their nuclear confusions.

Theit intention was almost certainly to abandon anti-base “The duo spelt out the new work because of the people ita thinking. New Zealand has seen the "“Greenham les fan antinuclear social Diane”, the hippies, the caravan Gemocratic party get into and tecper dwellers. The CND ower, introduce ts policy, and pret office has been working Bllow the US to screw up/AN- ona “corporate image” for ZUS — the NATO equivalent CND and docs not want it

down under ae ‘rnin could do the same =

(No mention of the fate oF Rejected

Gough, Whilam’s neutrals. Bat the Smith-Hinon

inclined Australian governme at the hands of the CIA). ‘We heard further of the US

strategy was rejected. Com ference voted to make anti-base and anti: NATO work a prionty

(Cruise missiles convoy is surprised by peace demonstrators, 1985.

‘PHOTO: B0b Naylor

with the eyelical nature of mass Sampaigns, but it also. owes Something to the failure of the movement #0 devote resources {othe issues that motivate 50 many of iis activists

Demands

tack on the CND apenda “The Soviet speaker, a member of the presglous institute for UConn affairs made the Starling pont That the Breakthroueh inthe arms talk which had come because Of few Soviet unateral disama Sao ned eee ne temo atest eeeee fluenced in so small part by sien up any hope that CMD So edeee Seta sil reece te eae Ca fomtertms demands to. campaign against Hehimsel wasan arden sup- US bases and NATO. This i porter of unilateralism, which WHY joined with others to fem fesaw asasureroute global the Campaign" for Nondisarmament, and. was detr- ligament (CNA), mined to prose for farther Together with the Cruse Soviet wmiatral measures resstnes network, CNA wil be rewing. the m0 wnportant Dilemma lesson of Glasnost and the INF He could not_answer the tallsr that the US presence tn dilemma poss by"hait-way Britain and Furope man end fisstmament: if” halt the There wil bea sre of major Srategic nuclear wsapons are actions next year anda ste destroyed and’ the US" goes debate af Our fist annual cot ahead with Star Wars, it'wil_ ference on February 6th then fave complete nuclear For details about the

superiority. What does Moscow do then? How will get the US Campaign for Non-Alignment, contact:

back to the negotiating table? Most of the Conference had CNA, e/ Jeremy Corbyn MP,

right's desire 10 quit Europe, The Greenham women (hough ile sparkle and gave Title Red Rose Centre, 129 Seven and the moves to form 4 less so the sectarian Yellow Gate &f0unds for believing that CND__SIsters Road, London NT Western, European defence — grouplet) and the hard-working willbe a major force in the near 706.

union. Here was an opportunity Cruitewatchers sree aclooreg fulure. Much of this has t0 00 Tel: 1) 263 7265

Would -you buy a package of price increases off these men?

‘One look at the hardfaced, incompetent bureaucrats surrounding General Jaruzelski should be enough to answer the question.

By HARRY SLOAN

underground Solidamose movement which advocated 2 boycott of the referendum), ‘more subtle opposition from

1e Church (which ignored it) ‘and the inherent scepticism of

the Polish people,

“The rejection of Jarurelski’s unattractive package by 2 ma" jority of those voting, while = third of the electorate stayed away. delivered » double blow to the nose of the regime. It has set back Jaruzeiski's ef forts to secure new loans from the IMF and World Bank to bail ut the floundering, misman- ‘aged economy.

Any other result would have been ‘astounding. Offered the ‘chance to vote themselves in fo 2 300% increase in their rents and heating costs, doubling of some food prices ‘and an overall 40% price hike ‘ext year, who could blame Poles for staying away from the polls?

“Jaruzelski's rather

Ina classically bureaucratic effort at populism, Jaruzelski had attempted to win an overall majority of the elec: torate to support his policy of “solving” the —ac~ ‘cumulated crisis from 40 years of Stalinist bungling at the expense of the working class.

tion tan into. the residual Strength of the proscribed

Everyone knew «that the __Solidamose however has bureaucracy would “remain received » bonus boost Horn

Jaruzeski asked Mt people Yinre new sections of fish might have carried more con- P° laretski will have to move Genpral tions owns Plan cnet dhe lnnot 2 tiaae® peters ae, ate sacha intervene restricted by the dum denies the regime the upheavals in Rumenia and

Labour Briefing No. 53 December 1987 page 16

Local Round-up

FAB EVENTS

January 16th DAY OF ACTION January 2ist Sponsored by the TU Assemble: 1,30, Central Hall, Westminster 2.30 Lobby Houses of Parliament followed by Women-only Torchlight Procession March 19th Assemble: 12 noon, Hyde Park

Action round-up

Send us short reports of what your FAB group is, doing: so we can print them and help everyone keep in touch.

Copy deadiine for next issue: Tues Jan 5th, urgent info phone 01 733 7016 Weds 6th. Thurs 7th.

BRIGHTON

Brighton FAB organised a 350-strong march and rally on Saturday November 28th. The demo was loud and angry, and has made Brighton people aware of FAB's existence.

We intend to build on this success, and that of the 180-strong picket of Tory MP Andrew Bowden's surgery in early November, by organising benelit gigs, a torchlight pro. ession on Januaty 16th, continuing our weekly meetings and Saturday morning petitioning, and mobilising for the national FAB lobby of Parlamont on January 21st

‘One of the weaknesses of the group has been that very few people outside the revolutionary left have been mvolved ‘Although itis good (and something of an achievement in itself) that the SWP, the RCP. the Communist Party, Briefing suo porters, and other left Labour Party activists have boon able to ‘work together in one group, we will nly defeat the Alton Bil sf We can draw in 2 wider circle of people, including. trade Unionists and Labour Party members

"The Key to success is to build 2s broad a campaign as possi bio, and ‘specifically to Involve the labour movement. and women’s organisations. If we make a concerted effort to do that beewer ‘we will Bud a strong and ef fective group, which will contribute to deleating the Alton Bil ‘and going on to fight for the extension of the limited rights we ow have, and give women real control over our own fertility

Dani Ahrens

Some 150 people atiended the first Sheffield FAR Campaign ficeting, organised by the Women's Unit of Shefficid Council on November ith. The slogans agreed at this meeting are: Fight the Alion Bill; Early as Possible, as Late as Necessary: "Woman's Right 6 Choose.

‘Meetings of FAB take place every Wednesday at 7.30pm in the Town Hall. Alternate meetings will have an educational clement (© stimulate political discussion and assist people in campaigning.

‘We have agreed the following proposals or action:

Street peitioning and leaflening every Saturday;

ublic meeting on December 10th, Memorial Hall, 7.30pm; Demonstration in Sheffield on January 16th;

Set up sub-groups 10 organise active support in local trade ‘unions, Labour Party, students, community eroups, ec.

Publicity and fundraising subgroups have also boon Sot up and the work of the campaign is co-ordinated by a committee which meets weekly

“The local Trades Council has affliated to FAB and the ‘Women’s Council is co-ordinating the Labour Party work. So far there has been a good response from wards and constituencies

Labour MPs David Blunkett, Bill Michie, Martin Flannery and Richard Cabora are opposing the Alton Bill, but Pat Dufly is said {0 be one oF its sponsors. The Tory MP, Itvin Patrick,

‘Row conimiteed. ‘Contact: Emma Tipping, 420 003

FAB Groups have now been es Swansea, and are being co-or meetings.

“The Cardiff group has produced its own leaflet and has been

petitioning in Cardiff's shopping centres every Saturday We are lobbsing local MPs and held 3 fund December 6th

‘We are actively seeking trade union branch affiliations to the local campaign as well as to FAB nationally: and some of these are beginning to come in.

Participation in the campaign is roughly evenly split between Labour Party members and others. Students have been active,

with Students Cnions putting resources and organisation into the campaign ‘We are planning « public meeting and demonstration on

Sauaey Tosh Stesi Jackson

Birmingham witch-hunt

Disciplined for my ideas!

L was suspended from the Birmingham —_Disstrict Council Labour Group on April 7th 1987.

‘That was the night of the tions rally which was used as a pretext by the NEC to remove Sharon Atikin as a

Constituency.

"The resolution “suspending" me from the Group also. suggested that_moves Should be made for the whip to be withdrawa, and the National Constitutional Committee (NCC) should be requested t0 take steps 10 expel me from the Labour Party.

No reasons were given in the resolution for these moves. The officers of the ward and constituency I represent asa Councillor have attempted 10 obtain clarification of the charges being levelled against me for the last eight months: But the leadership of the Labour Group have refused to explain é

Because of the Group's failure to. specify any charges against’ me, I have formally appealed to the NCC against my “‘suspension’ from the Group.

‘At last in late November, 1 received a letter informing me that a joint mecting of the Labour Group and the Birmingham District Labour Party (DLP) had been con: vened to level disciplinary charges against me; and the Group. officers would. be recommending that the whip should be withdrawn.

The letter stated that I was charged with:

Leaving a full Council meeting carly without per mission of the Whip:

‘@Attendine a Black Sec tions cally April 7th

—— Democratise football!

The Football League Management Commit. tee is a “cartel” run by “incompetent, selfish, bungling amateurs”.

This is a view many football supporters have held for 2 long time.

However, when the words come from a person who not only chairs a first Givision football club but also owns a national newspaper, they suddenly become news.

Robert Maxwell, who steady ownediiectiy or in rect) Oxford. United and Derby County, now wanted to ‘own 9 third Fret Division foot ball ctu (Wattord) and is words showed his frustration tthe League's refusal to sup. ort this ambition

Despite the stitch up subse quently agreed between Max wel) andthe League. the ‘Sues roman important

Moxwoll has 2 pont. After ‘i whom it comes to football ie should know an “incompe

tent, selfish, bunghing

When he purchased Oxford United” 3 few years ago nobody was able 10 find any previous trace of involvement ‘F interest in professional footDall in his career. Hie role on the Football League Television Negotiating Committee was not much of @ success, its ‘main achievement being biank Screens for half 2 season.

‘Why this sudden interest? ‘Why the opposition from the League? Who is the biggest humbug?

By Cllr Phit Murphy Birmingham

‘@Gencral_problems over the past 2 years.

‘The joint meeting was held on November 30th. It took the form of the Chief Whip, Clir Bill Gray, enumerating a number of “problems” he claims the Group has had with me. They were of the most frivolous nature: e.g. that he and Tad an exchange of letters whilst I was Viee Chair of the Race Relations Committee and he was Chair!

Gray also emphasised the fact that T had left a full Council meeting early and attended the Black Sections rally on April 7th.

Twas given a chance to defend myself. My defence simply amounted to the fact that [ had not infringed the constitution of the Labour Party, or the standing orders of Birmingham ‘Labour Group.

The charges against me at no point attempted to stipulate any. infringement of the Party's constitution ‘or the Group’s standing orders.

Members of the Group and the DLP Executive were allowed to express their views. Unfortunately the discussion was curtailed.

Several Group members pointed out that the Group Officers hhad not indicated which of the standing orders of the Group I'd infringed, and that supporting Black Sections was not against the Labour Party constitution.

One Group member pointed out that he, and others, had not attended the Council meeting on April 7th, nor given any apologies for’ their absence. Yet no

Rich people buy football clubs for 2 number of reasons

money, status, power or 2 genuine wish to de some good for the game.

‘The fourth reason is rarely apparent. Football attracts 3 ‘Great deal of media coverage and the ability to bask in reflected glory is often a prime

By Cllr Craig Brewin Haringey

‘There is also money to be made. The role of ‘property Gevelopers in football has bbeon highlighted by the role of, David Bulstrode at Fulham.

;But the buying and seling of football clubs in itself i Big money business. Emie Clay ‘made millions. seling Fulham {and Elton John is asking for £2 ‘milion for his shares. in Watford

Clubs are also passed on from father to son: for exam ple” Glickstein at Charlton Athletic, Edwards at Man chester’ United, and, of course, Kevin Maxwell st Ox ford United.

Robert Maxwell's motiva tion appears to be power and publicity. When Maxwell wns a chub it is never easy 10. forget the fact. He also now had 2 potential involvement in 15% of the First Division — which would have made him one of the most powerful forces in football

iis this 15% figure which was at the heart of the Leegue's objections. The

aque has never before

disciplinary action had been taken against them.

Group Secretary Cllr John Chariton (regarded as the leader of the right wing on the Group) suggested that the Black Sections rally on April 7th had damaged the Labour Party both nationally and locally.

He insisted on this, even when it was pointed out that it was the letter to the invited ‘guests which had generated the national publicity for the meeting

Whip

A resolution for the whip to be withdrawn from me ‘was then put fo the Group. Group Chair, Cllr Ken Barton, refused a call from Group members that 1 should be asked whether or not I accepted the Labour

Group's whip. Council Leader Clir Dick Knowles said it was an irrele

vant question!

By 35 votes to 19 the joint meeting decicded that the whip should be withdrawn,

It was an extraordinary “joint” meeting. DLP ecutive members had not been informed of this “Joint” — meeting. No member of the Group DLP Executive had been given copy of the charges against me beforehand.

When it came to the vote, there was no. resolution before the meeting, and the Group Chair had to formulate one verbally.

The Chief Whip. actually referred to matters which he was personally involved in, acting as. prosecutor and judge at the same time.

Because of these anomolies and many more | will be appealing to the NCC against the decision for the

shown much concer over people having an interest in more than one club:

‘When # became known that Ken Wheldon had shares in both Walsall'and Birmingham City so ection was taken. Anton Johnson was able to buy his way into both Rothertiam ‘and Southend United and the Moores lowners of Lit tlewoods) are allowed to hold 40% of Everton and 25% of Liverpeot

However, unlike Maxw these poopie have never tied to theaten the power of the League's rulers.

The League Management Committee says it is concern: fed about the image of the game, particularly if transfers Between Maxwell's clubs take place or convenient results ocCur towards the end of the

The League President Phil Carter should know a lot about suspect transfer dealings. It was his club Everton that was responsible for one of the most shoddy deals. in recent

in 1986 Everton paid Bim ingham City £300,000. for Wayne Clarke and reserve player Stuart Storer. By valo ing. Storer st 3. ridiculous £120,000. Birminghom wore ‘able to claim that Clarke had been sold for £180,000.

Birmingham had agreed to pay ‘Wolverampton Wanderers, Clarke's previous club, 2 percentage ‘of any future transfer fees. Thus the elfect of the action agreed together by Everton and Bim: Ingham was. money. being withheld from Wolves

‘The main problem for the

whip to be withdrawn. It is difficult o see how the NCC can uphold the decision in these extraordinary

‘One important conse quence of this affair is the atiempt by the Birmingham Labour Group to establish that mere support of Black Sections is a matter for suspension and expulsion from a Labour Group — and indeed from the Labour Party’

However, there is a ra tionale behind all these seemingly inexplicable developments. Over the three and a half years during which Pye been a Councillor Ihave attempted to change the traditional “master servant”” relationship between black Councillors and the Leadership of the Labour Group.

The Leadership here in Birmingham has achieved an unprecedented level of servility from black Councillors; and no doubt see my challenge as threatening their interests.

Tam up curtently up for reselection as a candidate for the next election. The moves against me are no doubt intended to help secure my deselection; or, if 1 am reselected, to undermine my position with the electorate.

However, all Labour Par. ty members should be con. cerned about this affair. The right wing here in. Birm. ingham are attempting’ to have Party members disciplined and, expelled merely for their *‘ideas."”

We always warned that the expulsions would turn into an authoritarian attempt by those in the leadership to get rid of views they don’t agree with: now we see the proof,

League is that Maxwell is merely playing the system that {got the Management Committoe into its present position. Wealth buys power in football —"and algo to some extent success. To stop the likes of Maxwell it is necessary to challenge the system itself, not perpetuate the cartel

"The best the League can ‘come up with is to threaten 0 ‘amend Regulation 80 of its fules, which was designed to prevent influence in more than ne club, but has so fer proved 2s easy to get around as the Huddersfield Town detence.

Real democracy in football is possible and ironically it is the measures. brought into control fans that could provide 3 mechanism for this.

So-called mombership ‘schemes are in fact nothing ‘more than supporter registra tion schemes, If they cauld be converted into real, indepen: Sent, democratic bodies, they could form @ means by which Supporters could have a real involvement in individual clubs and the management of the Teague itsett

‘At present the Management Committee ie elected by the club owners. Why should it hot ‘be elected’ by the Supporters?

‘With Calderdale Council and Hammersmith and Fulham Couneil both using. their in fidence 10 try to get. sup porters on the boards of local Clubs, and with the Football Supporters Association grow: ing dally, the idea of sup. porters’ involvement in club management might not be a8 {ar fetched a i may at frst sound,