Democracy and CLPD

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disarmers JOHN Bloxam presents himself (Socialist Organiser 13.1.83) as the defender of democracy in CLPD. However he lies on uncertain ground in doing so.

The main argument of his article is his assertion that the decision of three EC members to resign if certain AGM resolutions are carried is a threat to democracy. In fact the three EC members in question consider that these resolutions are on subjects so crucial to the tactics of CLPD that, if they are carried CLPD's priorities will be so transformed as to make it a different organisation.

Is John Bloxam asking that people should continue to work in an organisation whose methods. they consider to be fundamenLas AS comrades maý be aware there have been some ments aning t develop.

Eastern Europe outside of Poland in the past two or three years. I refer to the emergence of a distinct dissident peace group in Hungary and East Germany as well as the Soviet Union itself.

The groups have appeared for two interrelated reasons. First to what to many is the inspiring -and well publicised in Eastern Europe by party propaganda - example of the Western European disarmament movements.

The second is the rejection in particular by sections of youth, of the hypocrisy and stifling of debate by the Stalinist authorities in relation to the question of nuclear disarmament.

In East Germany for example, many. young people became sick of attending rallies orchestrated • by party organisers which only protest at the West's possession of atomic weapons.

The process of anger and disillusionment deepened tally misguided? He appears to be suggesting that, for the sake of maintaining a facade of nominal unity, people of fundamentally conflicting views should remain in the same organisation when they have long ceased to be able to co-operate together.

Did John Bloxam himself campaign for the 'fall-back position" on the register agreed by the majority of the EC, even when he was fundamentally opposed to et?

John Bloxam heads his article 'Defend Democracy in CLPD" and poses as a champion of democratic principle. Nevertheless on some of the issues he takes up in his article he takes a fundamentally undemocratie line.

He pretends: to 'believe that the personal statements circulated in the CLPD bulletin are semi-official campaign statements on behalf of the campaign, with the implication that access to the bulletin is limited to those with a certain point of view. This is untrue, as the contents of CLPD bulletins have never been presented as official CLPD policy, but merely the views of the articles therein.

He also refers disparagingly to "personal attacks and personal views?. as though there is something inferior or undesirable about a personal view. What these personal views amount to, in reality are political statements. The suppression of their circulation is undemocratic, and would restrict CLPD supporters to sight only of the official documents of the campaign: minutes and agendas of meetings, model resolutions, recruiting leaflets and the like.

John Bloxam also defends, in the name of democracy, a group of resolutions designed ..to divest CLPD of all its regional representation. What he does not say is that there are two proposals for reform of the existing system; to make it more representative.

One is the proposed limit on the number of key persons per Labour Party region to three, and the other is the proposal by Jeremy Cuss to introduce a postal ballot of all supporters in each region to elect key persons.

John Bloxam also pontifthe army anyone they know or suspect of involvement.

This is particularly disturbing as one of the demands of the unofficial movement is an end to compulsory military service and respect for the conscious objectors. Related to this is the call for an alternative to conscription whereby useful community service is performed instead of being drafted into the army.

I know that the comrades in Socialist Organiser have as their policy Soviet defencism. I happen to believe as an individual that the stance of defence of the Soviet Union is outdated and incorrect. I can well understand if there is some reticence by some comrades about discussing and showing solidarity with the unofficial movements, as it seems at least superficially they reject Soviet defencism.

I hope the supporters of SO do not use the slogan of "defence of the Soviet Union" to turn a blind eye to their existence and unwittingly collaborate with the Stalinists in their persecution or anticipated icates about the damage that a split in CLPD would do to the campaign for democracy in the party. However, the split has been anticipated precisely because certain members of the EC have consistentadvocated methods which the EC majority believe would lose CLPD its position as the major organisation campaigning for democratic reform.

It is also quite hypocritical for John Bloxam to appeal in his final paragraph that "majority decisions must be loyally implemented by those responsible" , as he knows very well that the views of the present EC majority are quite irreconcilable with the political position. he advocates.

TONY MARIES persecution.

Such movements could be as significant in the development of the struggle against Stalinism as the free trade unions.

ALEX SIMPSON Our MY by-line was omitted by error from the front page article in last week's Socialist Organiser, and this has caused some consternation.

Both I and a number of other writers for SO argue that a democratic solution in Ireland should include some provision for regional autonomy within a 32county state to accommodate the Protestant community.

However, this view has never been debated and voted on at a Socialist Organiser delegate meeting, it is not an agreed SO policy, and it should not have been in an unsigned article.

We will debate this issue, I hope, in discussion articles and letters. Just GEORGE BOX was a familiar and widely respected figure, particularly in the socialist and trade union movement. He was well-known not only in Nottingham, but also in many other parts of the country. His death, in November 1982, was a tragic and shocking loss.

Those who knew George will also remember him as a collector of leatlets, documents, journals, books, and papers. He assembled an istake one preliminary point, however, may be in order. I have the impression that some comrades reject any proposal for federalism in Ireland because they are worried it may be a first step towards conciliation with British imperialism.

Right or wrong, it certainly isn't that. Some of us have argued for it since the '60s, and I think it's fair to say we have aș good a record as any socialist current in Britain - and better than most - on supporting the struggle in Ireland, even at times when there was much less sympathy in the labour movement for the Republican cause than there is now.

MARTIN THOMAS

We invite readers to send us their letters, up to a usual maximum length of 400 words. Send to Socialist Organiser. c/o 28. Middle Lane. London N8. impressive collection spanning the period from the late 1950s through to the present day. Many of the journals in particular, are now comparatively rare.

We wish to make the collection available for study, and to establish a permanent tribute to George's memory. Negotiations are taking place so that a suitable home for the collection can be found that will offer both security and access. We believe that, once established, the collection will become a valuable resource for those interested in socialist politics, supplementing the private collections already held in the East Midlands. In the longer term it could be the nucleus for further additions and donations.

All this, of course, requires money. Binding, cataloguing, purchasing to fill gaps, and errecting an appropriate plaque will prove costly. We are therefore appealing to those who remember George, and to the wider labour movement, for contributions to aid this important project.

Cheques should be made payable to the 'George Box Memorial Fund' and sent to: 13 Balmoral Road, Nottingham NGI 4HX. Please indicate if a receipt is required.

EDDIE ASHBEE

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