The left ducks a challenge

Scan page 7

Th. plus 1.½p for postage. (Orders of ma '€ . From Socialist Organiser: 28 Middle LAST week the Labour Left conceded defeat. It was just one battle in a continuing campaign - but it was a defeat without a struggle.

ruminations closed for ta icadership and the deputy leadership, and only one name had been put forward for each position Michael Foot for leader and Denis Healey for deputy.

Denis Healey is no less committed than he was last year to sabotaging Labour Party policy. He is still pledged not to join any Labour Government that implements unilateral nuclear disarmament.

Rally:

Michael Foot is hand in glove with Healey now.

So why no challenge? Some Labour Party activists will want to know. CLPs including Islington South, Islington North and Hornsey had nominated Tony Benn for leader against Michael 1oot.

In an open letter to Tony Benn last month, Organiser wrote:

Challenge Foot for the position of real authority.

You would be unlikely to win. But you would rally the Left in the constituencies, and we could pick up the work begun with the deputy leadership campaign of organising in the trade THE MESSAGE spelled our by Militant at the YS summer camp as far as the witch-hunt is concerned is that they intend to go it alone. The most worrying thing about the camp was the sectarianism of the majority of the Militant suppurters towards other left groupings in the Labour In the debate on the witch-hunt we saw new Militant supporters declaring that they 'would never work with sectarians' (sic), and being cheered on by more experienced supporters. This attitude has not come out of thin air; it has come, discreetly, from leading Militant spokespeople.

Not so discreet was the statement by Laurence FL1.• V÷ tony Denn - a aejeat It would be a clear declaration that the Left is not beaten and is in no mood to surrender.

It world be a warning to those who will control the next Labour government that this time they had Coates at the YS conference a few months ago, when he said of groups like the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy and the Rank and File Mobilising Committee: We don't need these people". He was replying to a resolution from Wallasey YS which called for , a revamped RFMC to fight the witchJoin Class Fighter and Socialist Organiser supporters at the camp argued that Militant should join with others on the left fighting the witch-hunt through the Unregistered Alliance.

We say the Left should work together. That does better not ignore the movement. It would be a beginning on organising the rank and file to resist the right and soft left in the next Labour government.

It would be a major lift-off for the work of organising for trade union not mean that Militant or any other tendency on the Left will have to bury their policies.

Working together means organising such things as public meetings, working out tactics for Labour Party conference, grouping the constituencies that are not prepared to go along with the register, and campaigning throughout the labour movement to defend the YS. Organising separate public meetings against the witch-hunt in addition is of course not excluded, and Socialist Organiser and Class Fighter will do this as well as Militant.

Serious

There is also a serious tactical disagreement that needs to be cleared up. The supporters of Militant lor most of them) are not campaigning for constituencies to refuse cooperation with the register. We would say that the constituencies must refuse - not just one democracy.

But Tony Benn has ducked the issue. He has conceded that for now the Right and soft left is on top. He has taken a step back towards the old stand of the Left - good losers rather than winners.

Let's make sure it's not the start of a general shift that way by the whole Left.

THE urgent need to campaign in the unions for a commitment by union leaderships and conference delegations to overturn the NEC proposals and defeat the APEX resolution supporting them was emphasised by two decisions taken at the ASTMS executive last weekend.

It voted 14-5 against a resolution that the conference delegation should be recommended to oppose the NEC decision on the register; and 11-3 against a resolution "deploring" action against Militant.

Clearly the decisions will now put real pressure on the ASTMS Conference delegation, although they are not mandatory and there have been cases in the past where the delegation has overturned an EC recommendation.

Branches and commitees should send in resolutions opposing the EC decisions.

by Mick Liggins or two of them; which could result in isolation, but in the same numbers that supported Peter Tatchell's right to be selected.

Militant's 'cautious' line will weaken the whole campaign. All groups on the left must state openly now that we are not going to register and that we. will fight to the end against it.

Defeat

Even if Militant decided to register, the Right could easily declare them unacceptable _and they would be in a position of strength as Militant would have already gone some way towards accepting defeat.

Comrades from Militant should join with the Unregistered Alliance, maintain their political independence, and join in an effective fight by the Left to bury La tori hunt

----- pull-quotes -----

badge wearing.

PHOTO: JOHN HARRIS HARRIS PHOTO