Healey elected What next for the Tribune Group?

Scan page 4

Delegates and MPs spoke to Socialist deputy leadership election about the "I think it was a hollow victory for Healey. Particularly when he started out the clear favourite with the media right behind him. Benn was only kept out by the unions protecting Healey.

But it was clear that Benn had the support of the vast majority of the rank and file members in the hall. One good thing is that the recorded vote will put all the PLP on the spot. Many of them obviously went against their constituency parties." THE spectacle of 17 members of the Tribune group easing Healey's path to victory in the Deputy leadership ballot has raised a new question mark over its credibility.

Of course Tribune has for years proved organically incapable of offering consistent or coherent opposition to the right wing.

Under the Wilson and Callaghan governments, Tribunites failed time and again to wage any struggle against the introduction of anti-working class policies.

Rank and file

But the latest betrayal -led by Neil Kinnock and Joan Lestor - takes place under different conditions. There are strong moves to the left among the Party's rank and file.

Benn's campaign for democracy and accountability and against the policies of the right wing has helped attract thousands of new members and won the enthusiastic backing of the vast majority of the Constituencies.

Kinnock's betrayal this time takes place not in the seclusion of the Parliamentary lobbies but under the watchful eyes of thousands of activists.

The immediate drop in constituency votes for Kinnock (down 61,000) and Lestor (down 121,000) is an initial gauge of the anger that will continue to grow within Labour's left wing. And Kinnock is by no means to the right of the 'mainstream' Tribune group.

• Some are even more openly committed to perpetuating the control of the right wing - even holding dual membership of Tribune and 'Labour Solidarity'.

Perhaps therefore Kinnock's latest bid for a secure place as Labour's "man for all seasons" has been executed at the expense of dealing a belated death blow to the Tribune group.

WHEN THE State of Northern Ireland was founded, its borders were designed in such a fashion as to ensure a permanent and perpetual pro-Unionist majority in the Stormont Parliament.

As a result the nationalist populace - forced by Britain to exist within the confines of what they reanswering Kinnock's article which they didn't print.

I think some fake lefts have been exposed today.

You wonder who you're talking to now in the Tribune Group. After all, some of them are in Solidarity as well. They can sit in on our discussions and then head on down the road to help H-Blocks dignity and for his beliefs.

We appeal to those of you who are concerned about the horrifying spiral of death both inside and outside the prison genuinely to seek a just and practical solution to this impasse.

We appeal to you to condemn the Tories for their bloody vindictiveOrganiser after the lessons for the Left Eric Clarke, NEC, Scottish NUM: oppose us.

I don't know whether it would be right to run again next year. We have to think about that. Maybe it depends on lealey's attitude. On Wednesday we seem certain to get the unilateral policy passed. If Healey will argue for it -and other conference policies - then perhaps the best tactic would be Endost McKelvey "Has' the Tribune Group a future? Well the question is really whether the PLP has a future. When I came to Parliament I was appalled at the PLP. It's a farce. And I was disillusioned by the Tribune Group.

It's an intellectual discussion group - it binds nobody to anything.

Some MPs use their membership of the Tribune group like a badge - just as some shop stewards carry copies of the Morning Star.

This election has at least exposed some of these Tribunites for what they are.

I think the result was just about ideal. If Benn had won by 0.002% or something the press would have gone beserk, condemning it as a fix. Now they are forced to accept the result."

said BOB CRYER, MP to hold him to it: if he won't, then we may have to fight to remove him.

With the pressure of another election coming up, then it is possible that another fight next year might actually consolidate Healey's lead.

We have to find best way to press advantage."

from the Republican prisoners on protest at Long Kesh. (The text has been abridged)