Build Fares Fight!

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LABOUR should fight the London fare rises - and can still stop them. That was the overwhelming view of a meeting of the London Labour Party left-wing group, Target 82, on Monday Ist.

A motion was carried urging Labour councillors to vote against any proposals to increase the fares in line with the Law Lords decision, and if necessary to vote against this year's budget if the fare rises are part of it.

The Labour Group last month voted to defy the fare rise order. But it allowed a free vote, so the rise went through the GLC thanks to an alliance between the Labour Group minority, the Liberals and SDP, and a few Tories. «Most of the Tories abstained).

Labour Group leader Ken Livingstone was originally for defiance. But now he wants to vote for the fare rises - on the grounds that In vote against would be tantamount to resigning.

Left-wingers in the Lab"ur Group, led by John McDonnell and Valerie Wise, are determined to stick to the original Labour Group decision.

Last Tuesday, 26th, they voted in the council against confirmation of the fare rises. Since the Tories also voted against (they prefer a different fare-rise package), the confirmation was defeated - though London Transport is going ahead anyway with doubling fares on March 21.

The Labour left-wingers have also launched the 'Can't Pay, Won't Pay' campaign - urging passengers to pay the old fare and give the conductor or driver an IOU for the extra. This action would be illegal - but if millions of passengers, supported by the transport unions, refused to pay, there is no way they could all be prosecuted.

The 'Fares Fight' campaign is also organising a petition, leaflets, and meetings.

The Labour Group leadership is campaigning - though, as many people pointed out in the Target 82 meeting, when you vote FOR the measure you are campaigning against, it does not convey much hope that you can defeat it!

$200,000 will be spent on the campaign. It will open with the London Assembly on February 27supposed to be a gathering of all Londoners of all social classes, workers and business people, Labour and Tories alike. On March 11 there will be a lobby of Parliament; on March 13 a demonstration.

This approach has received some strange (if not unexpected) support from the Newsline, paper of the 'Workers' Revolutionary Party'. In the name • of 'unity', Newsline's editorial on January 29 recklessly denounces Valerie Wise's As Newsline itself recalls, the argument is the same as when the Left opposed Lambeth Council's rate rise policy and Newsline defended it. As Newsline does not care to recall, Lambeth's policy led to big SDP gains, a panic retreat from rate rises... and cuts.

Victor MeGear from oway bus garage TGWU spoke at the Target 82 meeting on Monday Ist, and made clear his view that the Labour Group must give a lead by voting against the fare rises. He reported that a joint committee had been established between bus and tube unions, and a TGWU Bus Conference has agreed to call a one-day strike.

• Pass motions congratulating the Labour Group left wing on their stand and affiliating to the Can't Pay, Won't Pay' and 'Fares Fight' campaigns.

• Circulate the campaign literature. Hold workplace meetings: press for trade union decisions that all members should refuse to pay the fare rises for their journeys to and from work.

'Fares Fight' has called public meetings in Camden (Thursday February 4, 8pm at the Irish Centre, Murray St) and South London (Wednesday February 10, 7.30 at St Anne's Hall, Venn St).

More information: contact Fares Fight, 267 0757].

by Pete Keenlyside