Stop horse-trading

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Discussing block votes - but not witi the membershin TO As the right wing prepares to try to force CLPs to dump candidates associated with Militant, a Bermondsey CLP activist spoke to Bob Sugden about the fight over Peter Tatchell's nomination THE trouble with Bermondsey Labour Party really began at the time of the reorganisation of the London County Counci into the GLC, in 1965. An area that had previously elected 50 councillors became eligible for only ten, and the ten people who secured the seats Bermondsey made sure that from then on they'd got it sewn up tight.

That was the beginning of the rot - they had gained the power and the perks, and were quite content to remain councillors forever.

From then on, you could select whoever you liked for took over for the first time. in 1980. He didn't like it at all - wouldn't come to meetings. He regarded the. right wing as 'good councillors" - but that dián't mean they had to stop there forever!

What were the effects of the "Palace Revolution'? What do you think will happen now?

It's very democratic now - everything in the Party is on 'an open basis. We've opened the doors now. It's up to them. If the Council mess things up now, well, it's down to them.

As far as Peter's endorsement goes, Mellish has got a lot of pull with some sections of the community, so it's going to be a fight. UNION members will probably never know the extent of the horse-trading for seats that goes on between bureaucrats in casting their votes for the Labour Party NEC and the TỤC General Council, but this year's Labour Party conference certainly exposed a great deal.

Most (in)famous was Sid Weighell's casting the NUR's vote for Tom Breakell, the right-wing president of the electricians' union, rather than Eric Clarke of the NUM as mandated by both the conference and executive of the NUR. Thomas Ham, president of the NUR, also signed the block vote along with Weighell.

So right-winger Dennis Howell of APEX was elected rather than Clarke.

But the left-wing NUPE delegation cannot be passed over without criticism, either. Because rumour that ASTMS had not voted for NUPE assistant general secretary Tom Sawyer, NUPE's vote was not cast for Doug Hoyle of ASTMS, no red-hot militant, but part of the left slate for the trade union section. In fact ASTMS had voted for : Sawyer, and Hoyle would have l been elected with NUPE's votes.

NUPE was also decisive in ousting Joan Maynard from the women's section of the NEC. NUPE did vote for Maynard - but it also voted for the candidate put up against her by the right wing, Anne Davis. If NUPE had not voted for Davis, Joan Maynard would have kept her 'seat.

This, together with unions flouting their own policy (such as TGWU, USDAW, and GMWU on the register), gives a picture of the contempt which the bureaucrats have for democracy.

NUM members should be asking how come their delegation was committed ale a very weak and poor Three platform _ speakers told ot the immediate elect on them and others in the same position of the NEC's policies. Two men from the Gay Youth Movement spoke of the oppression of spending the first sixteen years of gay life in a heterosexual nuclear family, only to find that oppression continuing under law for a further five..

Parental control and economic oppression restricts freedom of movement and association. In its present state, the law reinforces the power of the heterosexual family over young gay men by prohibiting any legal expression of their sexuality.

Indeed, Dicken's Bill, which would outlaw the Paedophile Information Exchange implicitly attacks further the ability of young people to determine their sexual identity.

Andrew Watson told of the fear of being gay in the armed forces as he had been in the Royal Navy. He des cribed how it had been to vote for a NUR winger like Russell The claim that it is br of the Triple Allianc not hold water. No agreement exists wi ISTC, the third union Alliance, and an ment on fighting to to defend jobs (NUR bers have yet to see ence of this fighting Weighell!) does not supporting candidat Perhaps surprisingl motion that votes fo NEC should be record from next year was P by 4.5 million to 2.7 m The most common anation at Blackpool that the rival burear are now so suspicio each other than they to be sure their deal kept to!

But the decision gives the rank and chance to drive forwar fight for accountabili delegations to union pr current policy does not pose to change this.

One way forward w to promote, in our CLP trade union brar policies which are expl concerned with fig patriarchy and which contributory rather seen as alternatives to fight for women's rights We hope shortly to discussions on -these with the Women's A Committee of CLPD. Livingstone spoke LCGŘ as well as for hi when he said: "We will on fighting and challe prejudice in every CLE trade union branch. unt commit this party position not just on sexuality but on all fori sexuality. The Tories an press know that our paign unlocked the Ie sion in their sexuality we do so we take ours much closer forward transforming the whol society than perhaps other single issue that movement faces."

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by Pete Firmin

by Chris Beer Campaign for Gay Rights)

igniti GAY,

Contact: Mancheste