Tatchell for Labour's NEC? WHO IS THIS BLOKE BISHOP STORTFORD?

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Comrades have pointed could hardly refuse to HANDS FOR JUBS The demonstration, joint- than morning because to racism. SHORTLY before February's Labour National Executive meeting, Peter Tatchell spoke to John Bloxam of Socialist Organiser.

Labour is a very broad church, but Bishop Stortford, I think, is a bit beyond the pale. This bloke Bishop Stortford is a relative newcomer to the Party-he only joined in January-and already he is telling everybody what to do! And he's doing it without any consultation.

None of us were part of Bishops Stortford. We don't know what went on. We don't know what bargains were struck. The whole way bisnops sliulu was vigairIsed Is ine antiuess ui a dha antithorio of democratic party.

It really is like feudal monarchs surrounding themselves with a few barons and organising how the kingdom shall be ruled, with the serfs and peasants locked out from the castle gates. I think the leaders of the Party should be reminded what happened to Charles I!

Everybody wants Party unity. We don't enjoy spending our time on these wasteful internal divisions. We'd much rather be out campaigning and fighting for the But in thi case it hasn't been started by the Left. A witch-hunt has been initiated OFF S.Y.P.TE South Yorkshire general strine by the Right. For them to say that we should just keep quiet and suffer these attacks silently, I think is absurd.

The Left is trying to defend the democratically agreed gains that have been made at Conference in recent years. Whether or not I will eventually be endorsed as the Labour candidate for Bermondsey depends, think, on the Right honouring Bishops Stortford -which they haven't.

If people really want Party unity, they've got to uphold the constitutionwhich they haven't done in FOLLOWING the NEC's refusal to endorse Bermondsey's democratically selected parliamentary candidate, a number of comrades have suggested that Peter Tatchell should be nominated for election to the constituency section af the NFC. at. Annual conference in October.

DAILY IN EXTRA BUS MEN my case-implement agreed Party policies, remain accountable to the rank and file, and stop the witch-hunts and the attacks on the Left.

What's happened Bermondsey?

We've had a hostile reaction from some older people, but for some younger people who have never been interested in the Labour Party or in politics, their imagination or enthusiasm really does seem to have been tapped by all this. We've received a total of £35 from kids in a than a morning because out that if Peter Tatchell were to be elected to the NEC, or merely receive a substantial number of votes, it would give an added impetus to any appeal by Bermondsey for Annual Conference to overturn the NEC's deci4 had LLee MUsI Siull. SUCIl rian In annh circue • stances, the Conference local comprehensive school who had a whip-round because they believe what we're doing is right. And we've had about 18 or 20 join the Labour Party specifically because of what has happened, because they believe what the Bermondsey Labour Party is doing is right and deserves support.

We were originally asked by David Hughes the national agent to run a new selection conference but we discovered this was not an instruction of the NEC.

When we asked the NEC for guidance on this matter, they didn't even reply to our to racism.

the SWP's endorse his candidature.

Though many of us in Bermondsey b think the nomination if Peter Tatchell to the NEC is a good idea, we share some reservations in view of the effect it might have on the chance of other deserving, and more longstanding candidates.

A decision of this nature must be made on the basis letter.

We've gone through the selection process. I'm the democratically selected candidate, and that's it.

One possible option which has come to us from constituency parties all over the country, is the idea that I should stand for the NEC this year. We are now considering that, along with the idea of an appeal to annual conference to overturn the NEC's decision, but I would like to stress that we're not going to make any final decision about that until we've had wider consultation.

Regretfully, I'm very sceptical about the prospect of eventually being endorsed. I hope I will be, but I've got not a single shred of evidence of any climbdown.

There is a possibility that Bob Mellish will resign this summer. What will the NEC do then? Will they endorse me? Will they impose a candidate on Bermondsey? If they try to impose a candidate, it will make a nonsense of Bishops Stortford and the alleged truce.

However the huge volume of support from constituency parties allu branches has, I think, ensured that so far at least other prospective candiates have not suffered a similar fate. I think the NEC and the party leadership were genuinely quite shocked at the strength and size of feel ing against my non-endorsement..

The most helpful thing now would be for constituency parties, trade union branches, wards, women's sections, and YS branches, if they haven't already done so, to send resolutions of support for Bermondsey to Michael Foot, to the NEC, and to local MPs, to ensure that the strength of feeling is clearly understood. Also, we'd like to have intended three is: endorsem of Tariq Militant. of the widest possible consultation and agreement. Thus, before Bermondsey decides whether or not to stand Peter Tatchell for the NEC, we wish to take soundings from other constituency parties. On the basis of the feedback we receive we will make our decision.

We would therefore to highlight the ues of my nonent, the exclusion Ali as a member, witch-hunt against There has also been a statement by over 30 Labour prospective candidates. It was felt that it would be good if other candidates put themselves on the line, and made themselves open to the same kind of criticism and possible action that I experienced, as a gesture of very concrete and personal solidarity with the Bermondsey What did Peter Tatchell think about Michael Foot's condemnation of his call for extra-parliamentary action against the Tories?

relation the Thatcher government, strong and inflammatory language is the very least they can deserve.

There is a fundamentally different conception of politics, between those who see themselves (as I do)

merely as spokespersons for the movement, temporarily loaned authority to speak on behalf of it and elected by and accountable to that movement outside of parliament-and others who see Parliament and a Parliamentary career as a calling for the WIse and people of good conscience.

Socialism only be brought about in this country through a mass popular movement. It's not going to be brought about through MPs and councillors, no matter how left or wise or articulate.

It's the movement which gives them power, and they have to be accountable to the movement.

I was surprised at being criticised for what I said about extra-parliamentary action. As soon as Tebbit's new anti-union laws were proposed, Bill Keys of SOGAT said he was advocating defiance of this legislation and was prepared to go to prison to defeat it.

The Labour Party has been very much stuck in the Parliamentary road to socialism. That's not to say there isn't an important role for Parliament. Any socialist society needs some representative organ.

Where we fail is to make links between the struggle in Parliament and the struggle outside. A lot of the gains in recent years have been won outside Parliament.

Take the defeat of the Industrial Relations Act.

What really defeated the Industrial Relations Act was the organised might of he Labour and trade union movement, basea on a callpaign of defiance and non-compliance with the law greatly appreciate the help of .comrades throughout the country to sound out their local parties and communicate the responses to Bermondsey Labour Party, 133 Lower Road, London SE16.

Bette Crickmar, Vice-Chair Bermondsey CLP I certainly wouldn't discount the possibility that if a radical left-wing Labour government were likely to be elected to power, the combined might of the military and the police, the judges, the civil servants and the multinationals, would be used in an organised way to crush and destroy and stymie attempts at radical socialist measures. The crucial thing is that we have a popular movement, a mass movement outside of Parliament which can counterbalance and countervail against the power of the extra-parliamentary right. Finally, Peter Tatchell told us about the NEC's other recent intervention in Southwark (of which Bermondsey is part).

The NEC has intervened to instruct the Southwark LGC to reinstate eight right wing and highly unpopular councillors to the panel of candidates. These councillors" nominations were not endorsed by the three constituency GCs in Southwark, and the Greater London Regional Executive turned down the appeals of four of them, as well.

Our decision not to endorse these eight was* not taken lightly, and it was certainly not a wholesale purge of the Right. We felt that the credibility of the Labour Party and its standing in the borough council elections, would be seriously jeopardised if these eight people were on the panel.

Some of the eight had refused to campaign or even date in the GLC. elections. for the Labour candiOne of them, in his capacity as a member of the Area Health Authority, voted with the Tories to partly close a local hospital, St. Olave's. Nearly all of thém supported the building of a new £25 million Town Hall, when there enormous housing deterioration in the borough. Nearly all supported the selling off the Bermondsey riverside to property speculators.

They all had a very poor record of responding to local Party letters, LGC motions, and constituents' letters.

They rarely attended advice surgeries. Some of them very poorly attended their ward meetings.

Many of them are on record as saying that they have absolutely no intention of implementing the manifesto that has been democratically agreed by the three Southwark Labour Parties. A couple of them have even refused to give assurances that they won't defect to the SDP.

The NEC gave us no reasons. They just said, in the spirit of Bishops Stortford these people must be reinstated to the panel. We tried to explain our reasons, and we were just constantly reminded Bishops Stortford.