Time to seek support from the wider movement

Scan page 12

Should a new activist alliance of the Labour Left be developed after the Brighton conference? Or should the Left, recognising that it has had setbacks, take a defensive stance?

Ann Pettifor continues the debate in the columns of Socialist Organiser, with a reply After the Brighton conference, the Left needs to reach out beyond the committee rooms either in the unions or, as in my view, to court defeat self to playing the game Frank Chapple's disaffilwithin this limited field is, iation threats had inhibited (a) enable the Labour our Groups closer together. new procedures for the electThis annual meeting. ion of the party leader and 11.- NEA hae failed to en- Party women's conference to to Vladimir Derer.

VLADIMIR Derer's article in Socialist Organiser (No.57) provided a realistic and necessary assessment of the extent to which the Left, and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy in this year, was defeated at Is Annual Conference.

He is absolutely right to dispel any political illusions or 'emotional comfort' that may have been drawn from Denis Healey's narrow win; and to draw attention to the way in which right wing trade unionists and parliamentarians exploited fears of divisions in the party to extend their control over its constitution and executive committee.

However, Vladimir's assessment is based on two assumptions which I believe weaken his analysis of the current state or mood of the party and therefore of the tasks facing the left in the aftermath of Conference.

Acceptance

The first is the assumption that the widespread support given to mandatory re-selection of MPs (after seven years of campaigning) indicated 'an acceptance of the argument that without increased accountability land hence further constitutional reforms) the policies of the PLP and future Labour Governments will not be significantly affected.' In my view this argument was not widely accepted -indeed in many quarters it had not even been made!

For in the Party, as well as in the wider labour movement, there is widespread ignorance of the role of the PLP during a Labour Government - and this ignorance is coupled with a distinct lack of interest in the rules and standing orders of the parliamentary (On the Women's Action Committee we face similar difficulties with our campaign to reform the Parliamentary day. Not surprisingly, women just cannot see the relevance to them of reforming the rules of a small parliamentary elite - when their own direct experience is of high unemployment, child care Without disputing the fundamental importance of these reforms, it is possible to argue that CLPD can and must do a lot more work in broadening support for constitutional issues by linking them more directly to the immediate political preoccupations of our supporters - nuclear disarmament, withdrawal from Europe and an alternative economic strategy which is not based on wage restraint and cuts in the social wage.

Which brings me to the second assumption behind Vladimir's article. Namely, that 'a campaign outside of the normal Parliamentary and trade union procedures' has been seen to be divisive and therefore is divisive.

He urges us to combat this by 'fully integrating the (leadership) election process into the normal annual routines of the Party and the unions' '. In my view this is a strategy which will further entrench the Left's permanent minority status in the party, at a time when our influence over policy is seen to be, and indeed is, decisive.

It reflects an attitude widespréad throughout the Left (and indeed the right) in the Party: namely that we should stick to the framework we know and understand well - the party, its constitution and procedures - and refrain from actively mobilising outside of this narrow base De These are the CLPD suggested model resolutions for regional Labour Party conferences 1982. (N.B. before sending off any of the resolutions on internal Party matters, it is recommended that the CLP secretary contacts the Regional Organiser preferably gets a reply in writing], to establish whether the resolution should be submitted in the section for general resolutions or in the section for Party Organisation related to the region. As an example of the confusion that can occur here, it is worth noting that in the Southern Region over recent years, resolutions on internal party matters (example:

mandatory reselection] have been accepted in both sections and ruled out of order in both sections).

The recent EC has decided to prioritise the following subjects for regional conferences. Supporters will, of choose He stickl successful in their achinh CLP. Draft resolutions are lister below: Tony Benn did, in the wider political arena.

That the party is a narrow base from which to work for reforms which will make our parliamentary representatives more responsive and accountable, is indisputable. In many constituencies it is experienced as a closed, insular and often exclusive group. Its failure to develop links with trade unionists both locally and nationally is evidence of its very narrow base.

For the Left to restrict it- 11. -I-D do montmint itfor PLP DEMOCRACY "This annual meeting welcomes the full debate on reforming the procedures of the Parliamentary Labour Party which took place at the last Party Conference, and calls on the NEC to bring forward proposals to integrate the virtually autonomous PLP into the Party's overall structure by:

(a) formally incorporating the PLP standing orders into the Party Constitution;

(b) obliging the PLP to use its weekly meetings to discuss and take decisions on all major policy issues. The proceedings at these meetings to be fully recorded and such records made available to affiliated organisations.

This annual meeting considers that such steps are essential to closer cooperation between different sections of the Party, to a Labour victory at the next general election, and to the implementation of Party policy by the next Labour government."

SHORTLISTS OF ONE This annual mecting is gravely concerned that the constitutional requirement for mandatory reselection being circumvented by the ahnet "liet of nine' cahiertuge" both for our policies and I0r our 'internal' constitutional reforms.

Storage The most striking outcome of the deputy leadership contest was the emergence from cold storage of the Left's values, policies and goals. If Denis Healey had not been challenged; if the Tribune Group's fear of a contest had been allowed to halt the challenge: if ATTA ATTIT GUNNOY.

Join the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy: send £3 (couples £3.50) to: Victor It notes with regret that It notes with regret that the NEC has failed to enforce its own guidelines. It also notes that a constitutional amendment from Paddington CLP will be coming before the 1982 annual conference which will ensure that the NEC will not endorse a prospective candidate selected or reselected from a shortlist of one unless only only one member was validly nominated.

This annual meeting calls upon the NEC to recommend to the 1982 annual conference that the Paddington constitutional amendment be adopted.' POSITIVE DISCRIMINATION This annual meeting welcomes the successful challenge at the last annual conference which resulted in the inclusion on the agenda of a debate on Labour women's rights. It is disturbed by the NEC's lack of concern about the underrepresentation of women and other disadvantaged groups at all levels of the party.

Accorumgry, uns amunus d..dionler this annual general mecting urges the NEC to submit constitutional proposals to the 1982 -annual conference which * *11. • .... .. * the campaign - then these values and policies would still be frozen on Conference agendas. Instead they are being debated and discussed and indeed even advocated in some quarters of the PLP!

For the Left to achieve similar support for its consDennis Healey (a) enable the Labour Party women's conference to submit five resolutions to the Party's annual conference as of right, and will provide for representatives from the women's conference to be ex-officio delegates at the annual conference with the right to move the resolutions;

(b) provide for the mandatory inclusion of at least one woman on all Parliamentary shortlists provided, of course, that a woman member has applied;

(c) provide for the election of the women's section of the NEC to be by the women's conference.' LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEMOCRACY "This annual meeting considers that the present artificial separation of Labour Parties from Labour Groups on local authorities is detrimental to party unity, and reduces the effectiveness of Party policy at local level.

It notes that a constitutional amendment from Hammersmith North CLP will be coming before the 1982 annual conterence.

This amendment proposes a reform of the standing orders for Labour Groups which will bring the Party and Labtitutional reforms requires that more out-going initiatives be taken; that it abandon its traditional objective of altering the power balance between itself and other groups within the Party - and that it begins now to actively seek support in the wider labour movement for its reforms.

5th. our Groups closer together.

This annual meeting, therefore, calls on the NEC to recommend to the annual conference that this constitutional amendment be adopted.

PUBLIC OWNERSHIP "This annual meeting is concerned that the Party's latest economic statements do not contain a commitment to a significant extension of public ownership, which is vital to the implementation of the pledge recent manifestos to bring about a fundamental and irreversible shift in the balance of wealth and power in favour of working people and their families'.

This annual meeting notes that recent Labour governments have achieved all too little in this respect, and calls on the Party's leadership to include in the next manifesto the commitment proposed in Labour's. Programme 1973 to take into common ownership at least 25 of the 100 largest privately owned manufacturing companies.' • CAMEDCUID ELECTIONS •This annual meeting notes with satisfaction that the The campaign to oust right wing Labour MPs in Scotland received & setback last week with the decision of the selection conference in Pollock, on the south side of Glasgow, to readopt the disgusting anti-abortion misogynist James White.

Between them the left candidates, Davie Dick (CLP Secretary and Militant supporter) and Mike Connarty (Secretary of the Labour Coordinating Cttee in Scotland) polled 28 votes to 33 for White.

There was a virulent anti-left press campaign, the pack being led by William Clark of the Glasgow Herald and Ruth Wishart of the Sunday Mail. Horror stories of left wing machinations abounded, luridly exaggerated with the sole intention of discrediting any opposition to White.

Lessons

But the result has not totally depressed the left end useful lessons have learned which we feel can help towards victories elsewhere. Leading activist Bob Wylie thought it was 'only a matter of time before we have candidates selected. We would be confident of two or three in the West of Scotland and one or two in the East if the boundaries are re-drawn' There will be plenty of forums to discuss recent developments and map out the next steps for socialists. On November 21st/22nd the Labour Party is organising a conference to assess the struggle in local _government, and an LCCorganised gathering of trade unionists in Glasgow on 7th November followed by the national LCC AGM the next day and the Scottish LCC AGM on December 5th.

IAN McCALMAN new procedures for the election of the party leader and deputy party leader have been put into operation last year. It welcomes the fact that this enables, for the first time ever, rank and file Labour Party affiliated and individual members to take part. This annual meeting holds that annual elections and recorded voting are. an essential component part in the machinery designed to ensure our leadership's accountability. At the same time this annual meeting considers it vital that the:

annual leadership elections be integrated into the routine procedures in CLPs and other affiliated organisations, instead of becoming the subject, as happened last yea, separate For this reason it is important that those wishing to contest the two posts should announce their intention in good time and well before the official closing date for nominations. This would enable affiliated organisations to express their preferences in the course of their normal business.'

Scan page 13

Socialist Organiser no.59 October 29, 1981 Page 1:

----- pull-quotes -----

problems, low pay etc.) Directly

Schonfield, 21 Wallingford Ave, London W10 6QA.