Benn Slams Witch-hunt

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The Daily Orlegraph TWENTY-TWO Labour MPs have signed a statement circulated to every Constituency Labour Party:

'We endorse the right of CLPs to select their own Parliamentary candidates without interference, in accordance with the undertaking given to the 1974 conference, with the unanimous consent of the NEC, and therefore call on the NEC to endorse Peter Tatchell as the duly selectad candidate for the Bermondsey constituency' Signed: Bob McTaggart, William McKelvey, Les Huckfield, Dennis Skinner, Dennis Canavan, Martin Flannery, B.Parry, Mick Wetsh, Ron Brown, Bob Cryer, Norman Atkinson, Joan Maynard, Ernie Ross, Stuart Holland, Tony Benn, Allan Roberts, Reg Race, Bob Litherland, Ernie Roberts, James Lamond, David Winnick, and Alex Lyon.

28 Labour members of the Greater London Council have signed this statement:

'We the undersigned members of the GLC fully endorse the views expressod in London Labour Briefing by Peter Tatchell, calling for mass peaceful protests against Conservative Government policies, and we believe that nothing in this article is inconsistent with our support for democratil ment The Executive Committee of Rochdale Labour Party has sent this letter to Michael Foot:

'The EC of Rochdale CLP is disgusted by your action in the House of Commons on Thursday (3rd] when you played directly into the hands of the enemies of Labour by announcing your intention not to endorse Peter Tatchell as a prospective parliamentary candidate for Bermondsey.

Whether you intended it or not, your interference in the affairs of a properly constituted constituency party is seen as the beginning of a witch hunt against the Left, which previously you said you were against.

Furthermore, we find the arguments against Peter Tatchell, that he is against Parliamentary democracy, to be completely spurious, as his call for extra-parliamentary activities — such as marches and lobbies of Parliament — is a traditional part of Labour activity, in which you yourself have taken part on many occasions.

We therefore urge you to seriously reconsider your decision and recommend to the full NEC that Peter Tatchell be endorsed as PPC for Bermondsey'. Tony Benn speaking at a meeting organised by London Labour Briefing on the occasion of the special conference on the London Labour Party on Saturday December 12th said: "The present campaign against the Labour Party and its policy will certainly fail.

"If the Party stands firm those who want a purge will soon realize that they cannot win, and that the democratic gains of the last few years cannot be reversed.

•Every Constituency Labour Party is entitled to select its Parliamentary candidate and to expect that the National Executive will accept their choice provided the selection procedures have been properly tollowed.

• This view is widely shared across the whole spectrum of opinion covering the Left, the Centre and the Democratic Right of the Party. An overwhelming majority of the Party is equally opposed to bans, proscriptions and investigations into the opinions held by Party members, and the many groups which exist within the Party and enrich its life.

'The proposed purge is really directed at all those who support party policy so as to drive good Democratic Socialists out of the Party, to pave the way for a coalition between a right-wing Labour Party rump and the SDP after the next election. Such a Coalition would also provide a way of ditching all the policies agreed at conference.

'The British establishment, fully supported by the Guardian, the Daily Mirror, the BBC and ITN, as well as the rest of Fleet Street, support this strategy in the false hope that it might destroy the Labour Party as a serious political force.

"But after the catastrophic defeat of the Labour povernment Laba, whigh erowed the adoption of SDP policies neither the affliated trade the Lib-Lab unions nor the constituency Labour Parties are prepared to go back to the policies that have failed.

"Nor will the SDP, the Tory wets and the Labour defectors find it so easy to fool the voters by the time the Election comes. Now, as in 1931. the survival of democracy itself depends on the membership of the Labour movement being resolute in defence of their rights, and the rights of those we represent.

"All those who believe in the transformation of our society towards democratic socialism, by consent, should now come in and join us.

"We should welcome radical liberals, community activists, and those from the women's movement, the ethnic groups, the peace movement and the pensioners along with the young, into our party now.

'Britain desperately needs a broad and tolerant Labour Party, united around its policies and campaigning for them inside and outside Parliament. "We are the only real hope for the British people."

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