Breaking the consensus

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"ALMOST every policy change has been met with orders and then the threat of the district auditor. It's objections by senior officers, a waving of standing even against standing orders to raise the CND flag Britain willing to break the conservative consensus, rights. Practically none would publicly defend Many Labour leaders would privately support gay gation centres all testify to the fact that the Repub- there are still 'special category' prisoners in Long cans in the H-Blocks are prisoners-ot-war. The Tories gave them special status in 19/2 - and indeed brutal repression. The British Army went in to 'hold to find any way to keep the Northern Ireland state the ring'. And that was the cause and the origin of For nearly ten years now, Britain has been unable passive resistance of the County Hall top brass, as outcry from the Tory press, which started before his documented in the New Statesman. He faces an paper, the New Standard. He faces right wing Labour GLC leader Ken Livingstone faces the He faces a special campaign by London's evening discrimination. The National Executive Committee has published a document supporting gay rights. But out on the Royal Wedding. One or two MPs - the rest are either ardent monarchists or keep their Dennis Skinner, Willie Hamilton - did the same. All Apart from gay rights, Livingstone has spoken principles, British governments both Labour and Tory have prescribed repression and more repres- time to time, some feeble political manoeuvre is sion as the solution for Northern Ireland. From tried - but the hard-core of the policy is always the effort to beat down the Catholic community. Likewise, with all the airs of defending great And here too, the 'principles' of the official road, except the continuation of the brutal and functioning except military occupation and direct rule from Westminster. There is no future along that Catholics are not willing to be beaten down. brutalising war to beat down the Catholics. And the Ireland state. That is the first step to any solution. Britain should stop propping up the Northern members of the GLC Labour Group, like Andrew McIntosh, feeding tales to the press about the ity - doing no more than voicing the policies of the London Labour Party. Official Labour and TUC Livingstone has spoken out against police brutal- consensus have been thought up to justify policies based on sordid material and political interests. state, oppressing a 35% Catholic minority, and be defended. But the 'right' to maintain a sectarian Certainly, the Protestants have rights that should gave an interview to a freelance journalist for the British Forces Broadcasting Service, in which he said British troops should be got out of Ireland. Now the BFBS is taking legal advice on whether Livingstone's And now he even faces talk of prosecution. He policy is to disband the SPG. But how many Labour front-benchers were vocally campaigning for that represented by some 30 resolutions to this year's On Ireland, Livingstone spoke for a view centuries of trying to beat down Ireland's struggle for freedom, the British ruling class helped rouse the Protestants of North-east Ireland against the Catholic majority, and then round that rearguard construc- Northern Ireland was never a nation. After propped up by an army of occupation, is not one of Catholic on the basis of a socialist, working class struggle, aimed against the Green Tories of the South •Socialists argue for uniting Protestant and statements were 'seditious' under the Incitement to Labour Party conference. "I think there would be no imperialism, crudely chopped out of Ireland's ted a new state and a new redoubt for British as well as the British and the Northern state. But greater move tor peace than it the British Forces even short of that, a united, independent Ireland Livingstone over the tube workers' pay dispute, and we have differences with him over the use of rate Socialist Organiser had differences with Ken just retused to carry on carrying out the role that they have got there, and just packed up and went." imprisoned the Catholic community of the North sectarian statelet divided the Irish working class, For fifty years after the Partition of 1920, the away the sectarian conflict of communities. The struggle for a united, independent Ireland is a just would be a framework making it possible to cut rises to get round cuts. But on the issues the press prejudice - and of the cowardice of nearly all It is an index of the strength of conservative principle, Thatcher condemns one hunger striker to death after another. Yet there is no principle, but only the squalid needs of 'keeping face' and keeping With all the airs of someone delending a great work for cementing a pro-Tory coalition of the as an oppressed minority, and served as the frame- In the late '60s, the Catholics began to demand Army is maintaining the war in Northern Ireland. Ken Livingstone deserves every support for stating Much more than 'keeping the peace' , the British Labour leaders - that Livingstone gets pilloried as practically the only wellknown public figure in Special courts, special laws, and special interro- civil rights. They protested peacefully and met above County Hall on Hiroshima Day."

Labour Group ousting Livingstone.

Disaffection Act, 1934.

denounces him for, he is dead right.

PHOTO:J.M.B.HARRIS views to themselves. or the silence, on many issues.

the leaders keep a discreet silence. during the recent riots?

And on Ireland, too, he is dead right.

the Protestant bigots sweet.. Kesh to this day. territory.

Protestant population. the armed struggle. those. and progressive struggle.

this truth.