[Labour Briefing pamphlet 'Briefing Guaranteed all trings to…]

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Labour Briefing pamphlet 'Briefing Guaranteed all trings to all voters

FOR most labour movement

activists, an SDP council is a nightmare - for us in Islington it has been a grim reality for the last four months. As the first public body to be won by the Social Democrats, Islington is a litmus-test to show what these people are like in practice - and it has not proved to be a very edifying experience.

Needless to say, the SDP did not gain control by the ballot box. Its wafer-thin majority (SDP, 26; Labour, 24; Tories 2) was was gained by the defection of twenty-five Labour councillors.

Only one of this clique was directly elected, in a by-election. The local Labour Parties described this as a "municipal hi-jack" and it would be hard to describe it better. The "new » SDP was, in truth, neither new nor united. It consisted of three basic groups, only united in their right wing politics and hostility to trades unionism and socialism. These groups can be categorised as follows:

a) The O Halloran Connection First selected at a meeting involving fraud supporters were among a group of socialists attacked by a gang of NF thugs in Blackburn on Saturday April 3.

The two SO supporters were harassed by Nazis as they sold SO prior to and at a march and rally organised by Blackburn CND group. As they and a small group of SWP members left the rally, they were followed by a gang of ten to 15 NFers, who surrounded and attacked them.

Imo managed to break free and make their way to the Blackburn Trades Club. where they were able to enlist the support of several trade unionists.

When the police were informed of the incident, they refused to act, even though the fascists were pointed our to them. So what's SD impersonation of delegates, Michael O'Halloran bought his Tammany Hall style of politics to North Islington to become its MP and for his supporters to control the Labour Party locally by a mixture of packed meetings, sectarian caucusing and putting off any new members outside their control. It took ten years and three NEC investigations, before this clique (known locally as the "Murphia") was ousted and replaced by a socialist leadership. As soon as this happened, they defected en bloc to the SDP b) The Old Guard Prior even to reputation among Labour authorities. For much of the 1950s and 60s it was run by a certain E.J.W. ('Bill") Bayliss and his supporters. They vigorously opposed municipal spending and did not undertake any worthwhile housing programmes. One of these people was quoted as saying "If you build housing, you only encourage outsiders to move here." As their power declined and newer and younger members ousted them from the party positions, Bayliss and his supporters naturally coalesced into a bloc with O 'Halloran's people - and defected with them for similar reasons. c) The "Access-card" enrolment.

The sort of member the SDP likes to say exemplifies its new enrolment - the lawyers, estate agents and lecturers, ețe - have joined in much the same numbers in Islington as in other areas. However, they are poorly represented on the Council group - and a growing rift has already developed between the influx of middle class liberals Apri! 18 25 13 20 28 and the old ex-Labour reactionaries.

For many years the Bayliss-O 'Halloran axis had a tenuous control of the council but had a vigorous opposition, both in the Council and from the three Islington CLPs. Once the SDP controlled the Council, it was free to carry out a lot of cherished schemes -now unencumbered by any pressure from its political party and with no real fear of accountability or opposition from its base. Their actions stand as a grisly example of how the SDP would operate. In only three months they have reduced the Borough to a shambles and endangered services and programmes in a devastating fashion.

Just consider this sample of horrors: i) selling of housing sites - four major housing sites - including two which were former Glasgow Polish Solidarity Campaign. Ian McCalman, 18 Mossgiel Rd, Giasgow G43. 041-632 1839.

Edinburgh PSC. C/o Edinburgh Trades Council, 12 Picardy Place.

Oxford Labour Committee on Poland, 468 Banbury Rd, Migue estates - were put up for auction to private speculaof the Borough.........

ii) selling of Barnsbury Wood - a small area of urban heathland used by schools and nature lovers is to be sold off as well. This removes another open space from an overcrowded Borough.

111) The re-starting of "bed and breakfast" for homeless families. Labour had abolished this Dickensian practice and rehoused homeless families directly into Council accommodation. Despite its inhumanity, and greater expense, the SDP has reinstituted "bed and breakfast" solely as a "deterrent" to people!

iV) Banning senior citizens groups from using council transport. An OAP group used a council minibus 7.30, discussion 8.30. Next meeting April 28.

ISLINGTON. Every other Friday, 7.30 at Caxton House, St John's Way, London N19. Next meeting April 16.

Socialist Organiser delegate meeting: Sunday May 9, 11am to 5pm, at County Hall, London SE 1. All local groups asked to send delegates.

NORTH WEST LONDON. Monday April 12: Fundraising social to commemo ate the Easter Rising. Deta from SO sellers.

SHEFFIELD: Every other Wednesday, at the Brown Cow, The Wicker. Business OXFORD UNEMPLOYED WORKERS AND CLAIMANTS UNION women's group, meets every Thursday, 10.30am to 12.30 at East Oxford Community Centre, block B. Tel: 723750. Guaranteed on the SDP')

Soft Centres respons by Chris Smith (from t Islington Labour Par paper Islington Voice).

ISLINGTON has 7,01 people on the housing wai ing list and 5,000 tenan wanting a transfer to bette accommodation.

Many families on th upper floors of old estate have no access to a garder while the elderly or disab ed have little chance ( getting a flat suited to thei needs.

But in the five month that the SDP has controlle the council, they have sol off houses and land to pri vate developers and specu lators. They are to:

• Sell off up to 801 houses in packages of ter or twenty at a time, makins 1500 homeless.

• Sell virtually every housing site the borougl owns, ruining the prospects for building new houses.

• Give office planning permission for the housing sites sold, despite the thou.

sands of square feet of off ice space already idle in the borough.

• Give up voluntarily some of the housing money available from central government, deliberately • deciding to build fewer homes and to improve fewer estates.

Labour's answer is not to sell off houses and land for a quick buck, but to keep gramme. if they can t be used immediately, the sites should become play spaces or allotments, and the houses be used for shortlife lets.

This SDP council is busy selling off Islington, and selling our future down the river in the process.

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NF tugs attack TWO Socialist Organiser

O'Halloran's * • emergence, Islington enjoyed a poor

tors. This will jeopardise the future housing development