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Annual Conference of the Labour Party has had a chance to discuss the Militant Tendency Report (MTR), attempts are being made to stifle debate.

The just published Conference Agenda reveals that about a dozen amendments to Conference resolutions relating to the Militant Tendency Report, based on the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy moder resolubon Have been ruled out of order by the Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC). The amendments were to a resolution submitted by Plymouth Drake CLP and Manchester Withington CLP in the Party Unity section of the Agenda. The CAC's decision means that Conference is to be denied the opportunity of considering proposals which alone may offer a positive alternative to the recommendations of the MTR. If Conference, faced with a straight yes/no vote on tre report, were to pass it, this would without doubt throw the Party into a civil war of unprecedented ferocity at a time when the Party should unite to bring down the Thatcher Government.

The CAC's reasons for ruling out the amendments are specious and totally contradict previous practice and even some of its decisions this year. The CAC claims in letters respective CLP's that 1. 'the amendments are of a different subject to the resolutions'; 2. and that they represent in fact 'a constitutional amendment ... and ... las such should have been submitted)... by the closing date for resolutions, July 2nd.

In the case of (1), the resolution from Bermondsey CLP contains three demands relating to democratic rights of CLP's and individual Labour Party members that the NEC should respect tolerance for dissent and in particular the 'customary right of Party members with similar views to form groups to advocate these views more effectively'.

In a press release, the CLPD has protested against decisions to rul amendments out of order.

The same demands are included in the resolution from Plymouth Drake and Manchester Withington CLP's. In addition the Bermondsey resolution calls for 'policy or constitutional disagreements to be resolved in a spirit of tolerance and not by autocratic and arbitrary vetoes or registers' • It goes on to urge Conference to 'instruct the NEC to reverse its decisions which have infringed the above mentioned constitutional and customary rights of CLP's, and to bring before the 1983 Annual Conference constitutional amendments to bring the above rights of CLP's within the constitution of the Labour Party'.

The subject matter covered by the amendments to the Drake/ Withington resolutions is The disagreement was not quite as reported. It was not whether a delaying tactie was legitimate, but what the cost was. The original proposals of the CLPD right wing were practically identical to the register, but they were substantially modified after getting only a one vote majority on the EC.

And the fact that the CAC might want to get 'delaying resolutions' out of the way does not mean that they were more likely to get a majority. The fact still remains that if the trade union leadership feel strong enough for a purge, they will not want to delay, particularly with an election coming up.

In any case, the CAC decision probably means that the issue must be fought out between the register and outright rejection, whether we like it or not. Our job is to unite the Left and rally the forces for outright rejection. lution from Bermondsey -allowed to stand. It relates to the rights of Labour Party members to form groups and urges that these rights be specified in the Party's Constitution. It cannot be argued therefore that the area covered by the Drake/Withington resolutions and amendinfo THE NEXT Socialist Organiser delegate meeting is on Saturday September 4, from 11.30am to 4.30pm at UMIST students' union, Sackville St, Manchester.

The agenda will include: the witch-hunt; preparations for Labour Party conference; resolutions including one on campaigning for police accountability; the NHS dispute; and other reports.

All local groups are asked to send delegates — and to operate 'positive discrimination' by sending a woman delegate if possible. Comrades who will be going to Labour Party conference are also specially asked to atrend, whether they are local group delegales or not, for the discussion on Conference preparations.

For creche facilities or accommodation in Manchester. phone John Blox: am ar 01-609 3071.

As regards point (2), resolutions containing montainina detailed proposals for constitutional changes were allowed and indeed were incorporated into the composite resolution on the election of the Leader.

As for the CAC's assertion that the proposals should have been submitted as a formal constitutional amendment, the facts are as follows: The NEC approved the MTR on the 23 June and the closing date for resolutions and constitutional amendment was 2 July. Official notification of the contents of the MTR did not reach affiliated organisations until well after the above deadline. So much for the realistic nature of this suggestion.

Far from observing the previous Labour Party custom and practice and the generally accepted rules laid down in Citrine's 'ABC of Chairmanship' re amendments to resolutions, the CAC instead appear to have lent themselves to a blatant political manoeuvre to ensure that Conference be deprived of considering the one option opposing the MTR that stands a good chance of commanding a majority. This CAC decision will please all those who wish to see the MTR passed. It will also gladden all those who no longer see a Labour victory at the next general election as being of prime importance, and hope that after a period of internecine warfare, the Party as we know it will be transformed into another SDP.

The CAC manoeuvre also exposes as utterly misguided the criticisms of the CLPD decision to go for a positive alternative to the MTR as well as working for its outright rejection. Such criticisms advanced by ultra left or just muddle-headed sections of Labour's Left clearly mistake 'radical' and "uncompromising' phrasemongering • for à socialist strategy.

The decision of the CAC can still be reversed, and CLPD is urging CLP's and other affiliated organisations to send to the CAC emergency resolutions on the following lines: "This CLP/trade union/ socialist/Co-op society is gravely concerned that at least 11 amendments providing for a positive alternative to the Militant Tendency Report have, according to Labour Weekly [27.8.82], been ruled out of order on grounds which seem to contradict both previous CAC practice and Citrine's ABC of Chairmanship.

ThisCLP/trade union/ socialist/Co-op society therefore urges the Conference Arrangements Committee to reconsider its decision and to include the amendmento on the agenda so that Conference has a further option before it concerning the MTR' It is possible that a reference back to reverse the CAC decision will have to be moved at Conference. It is important therefore that all affiliated organisations should mandate their delegate(s) to support the reference back and to vote for the resolution incorporating the amendments. All Labour Party members must be made those who want to see a Labour Government returned at the next General Election should treat this issue as their top priority. bureaucratisation is part of the everyday struggle of militant shop stewards.

Workers who genuinely want to fight the Tory attack on the trade unions should be in the forefront of exposing this corruption.

But the answer of the CP has been for their Industrial Organiser, Mick Costello, to give interviews with the capitalist press attacking the article. A front-page piece in the Morning Star has declared that the article ought to stewards' movement" should be defended.

Tony Lane's answer is to get away from shop stewards bargaining and to go for national bargaining through the full-time officials. In defence LIlS vules lon.

at the time, leading CPer) Will Paynter.

This is the way that bargaining is going anyway, especially in major industries like the motor industry. More important, the corruption of the organisation at national level is far worse.

The answer of the CP is to defend the trade union leadership at all costs, because so many of their members in industry have cosy relations with the bureaucracy. dents ex why they their own theoretical journal.

The answer from genuine socialists should be a cleansing of the trade unions at the same time as we face the Tory attack. We defend even the union bureaucracy against the Tories, but only so that we can do the job of clearing them out ourselves.

For just £2 you can to back a resolution that you support, to about or come to a meeting you are Just write to Nik Barstow, c/0: 41 Ellington Street, London N7.

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aware of the crucial issues at stake. It is vital that all

have been in the capitalist press, and that "the shop

Party Conference BRIEFING

get this amount of space to urge delegates

remember an issue you feel strongly

organising ... and its amazing how much you can cram into a space this size!