Clear the Decks for a Purge

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Registration forms are dropping onto the doormats of various campaigns and socialist groupings within the Labour Party as the NEC moves to implement its proposed register. JOHN BLOXAM reports on the latest developments as opposition to the register grows within IN a letter sent to a number of organisations last week, the Labour Party's new General Secretary has made the NEC's intentions quite clear.

• the register of nonaffiliated groups of members to be recognised and allowed to operate within the Party is being established forthwith. All such groups must apply for registration.

•The decision of the NEC on eligibility for registration shall be final. A report on these decisions will be presented to the forthcoming annual conference."

Message

And in case there was any confusion about the outcome, a Labour Weekly reporter was given the message. "While the register is seen as a way of bringing some party groups into line, it has become increasingly clear since the NEC agreed on it that Militant... is not reckoned to stand a chance of being accepted.

"No possible changes in Militant would bring it within the constitution, it is said."

Foot and the Right's strategy is clear: to get the register approved at this year's Party Conference; to shift the NEC further to the and intimidation of the left.

The decision of more clear-sighted right wingers in the Organisation Sub-com= mittee to allow a re-run of the Bermondsey selection and to accept the selection of Rob Clay and Pat Wall, should be seen as no more than an operation to clear the decks for the intended purge.

The opposition of the left and the Party rank and file is equally clear. Of the nine resolutions for the Party Conferencé on the register, seven completely oppose; of the 22 resolutions on Party unity, the great majority are against witch-hunts and purges, and ten are based on the CLPD model resolution.

Witch-hunt

A large number of Party organsations have declared opposition to the developing witch-hunt; a number of CLPs have 'already stated that they will support those groups that are refusing to register, and will themselves refuse to cooperate with any register or to undertake no expulsions or disciplinary measures arising out of it.

CLPs and trade union organisations must inundate the NEC with such statements.

The Militant inspired conference on September 11 - Fight the Tories, not the THE announcement that a film based on the Royal Family is to star Christopher Lee as Prince Philip should surprise no-one. Lee made his reputation playing Dracula. One blood-scuker plays another.

Meanwhile the Labour Party. Socialists' - must be used as one of the main tallying points of this defence before Organiser is informed that Christopher "Superman" Reeve has been cast to play Prince Charles, and Julie Andrews is to play all of the royal women with the exception oi Margaret . . but that's another movie altogether!

Tory government "to frame a charge which can encompass the enormity of the alleged offence".

"Possibilities which have been discussed", the Guardian "are treason and trespass". North is also making plans this year's Conference.

Ballot

The list is growing of organisations refusing • to register. It now includes Move the following CLPD suggested amendment to conference resolutions in the party unity section:

"Conference believes that only a united Labour Party can achieve a Labour victory in the next election.

Unity can only be achieved if democracy within the Party is respected and its basis must be the policies passed by its annual conference.

All socialists prepared to The right-wing plan to While accepting a boycratise' the register and to wreck the NEC's proposals by putting forward an 'anternative' register.

As though you can make more 'democratic' a po scribed list!

Far from wrecking the work for a Labour victory on this basis should have the right to do so within the Party and there should be no witch-hunts.

Conference believes in free and fair debate within the Labour Party at all levels, that differences should be resolved only through discussion and democratic decision rather than witch-hunt methods and expulsion.

Conference therefore firmly rejects the proposal to maintain a register' from which some groups of Party members would disbarred. As democratic socialists, we believe that elementary freedoms of speech and association are far too fundamental to be surrendered to the veto of whatever 'alliance' temporarily holds a majority on the NEC.

The "register' propsal would be exhaustingly impractical to administer and appallingly divisive in its effects. Most serious of all, it would represént a disastrous diversion at a time when we should all be uniting around Labour's policies in the struggle against the Tories and their allies.

This Labour Party conference refuses to be diverted from this task."

*Next meeting of the 'Unregistered Alliance' ', Friday July 30, County Hall, 7.30pm.

*Coordinating Meeting of CLPs against the Witch-hunt. Called by Hackney North and Stoke Newington CLP. September 4, County Hall, London. Details from 28 Beatty Road, London N16.

*Conference: 'Fight the Tories, not the Socialists'. September 11 at Wembley Conference Centre. Delegates' credentials, £1. c/o 1 Mentmore Terrace, London E8.

Elections to Party Office. The right-wing's partial

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right; and to embark on their programme of expulsions