Don't let the right wing get a taste of blood!

Scan page 2

Give these vampires a pint and thev'll take a gallon! organise Subscribe!

THE LABOUR Against the Witch-hunt National Council on February 12 heard a detailed report on the threatened expulsions of the Militant Editorial Board. There was a summary of a report from the NEC given by Dennis Skinner to the LAW Secretariat; and prominent Militant supporter Bob Labi brought the situation up-to-date.

The 5 Editorial Board members had received a letter at the beginning of the month inviting them to attend the NEC on February 23 where their expulsion would be moved. They had replied saying they were prepared to attend, but protesting at the timing of the meeting before the by-election and at the NEC's refusal to show "evidence' against them.

On Monday they applied for a High Court injunction to stop the proceedings until they had a chance to see the evidence.

Restrict

The majority on the NEC probably want to restrict the purge to the 5 Editorial Board members for now. This would be in line with the resolution reportedly carried at the EC of the GMBATU last week - that expulsions should be limited to the 5.

They hope this will intimidate the rank and file; and it gives them the precedent they want for a much larger scale blood-letting after the Their problem is that once some right wingers have tasted blood, they are going to want more straight away; and even with 5 they are not going to have the surgical operation they mant.

It will be messy. For example, in the case of Keith Dickinson, they will not only be expelling him but also kicking him and his family out of their house. For the past 6 years he has been resident caretaker of the local Party rooms.

It will be resisted. The 3 Rates: £5 for three months, £8:75 for six months, and £16 for a year.

Bundle of five

sach week: £12 for three months.

Bundle of 10: £21 for three months.

Name Address.

I enclose £ To: Socialist Organisor, 28 Middle Lane, London N8 8PL. CLPs directly involved -Islington Central, : Norwood, Hammersmith North - have all refused to expel Party members. LAW is in contact with them, with the aim of helping to coordinate and strengthen the resistance.

• Hornsey.

The National Council discussed practical details. It was pointed out that the NEC has a number of options - not only immediate disbandment, but the more likely options of suspension; non-recognition of decisions leg Conference resolutions) taken by CLPs; and supervision through Regional Officials:

It was agreed that information and experience about these should be circulated in the LAW Newsletter.

Jeremy Corbyn introduced this part of the meeting and talked about the Hornsey experience. They had taken a firm and unequivocal stand over Tariq Ali, with the fullest involvement of all Party members and affiliates. At each stage they had gone back to the membership and had had 25 recorded on the issue to date.

This, together with the support and solidarity they had received from other CLPs and organisations, produced a GMC which after an 'unsure' start, was more determined than ever after 15 months.

Disband The NEC had threatened to disband Hornsey by December 31 if they didn't fall into line. John Golding had been in favour of disbandment earlier in December, but had been told by another NEC 'moderate' 'Don't be so extreme, do it at the end of the month' Because of Hornsey's stand they are still 'consulting' about the situation.

The National Council also unanimously agreed not to. try to Register. It agreed to campaign for the constitutJOHN HARRIS ional amendment in the name of Greenwich CLP.

There was a report on the most recent developments with Silkin's attempt to gutTribune. And Reg Race pointed out some of the likely problems with the forthcoming •Boundary changes - eg that GMC delegates for the new selection conferences would be frozen form the inaugural AGMs, and that delegates from re-formed women's sections and YSs may not have been elected in time.

Unity with the Militantdominated LSCAW was again an item on the INV FEELING IS strong among gay members of the Labour Party Young Socialists that issues affecting homosexual men and women have been marginalised and neglected • by successive LPYS conferences and summer camps.

The Militant tendency's apparent sexism and homophobic paranoia are the primary elements behind the lack of debate and understanding within the YS with regard to gay issues. Forthis reason gays have decoded to organise autonomously within the LPYS.

Initially the GLPYS will be turning their attention to the forthcoming YS annual conference in Bridlington at the end of March. A fringe meeting has been arranged and there will also be a lobby of delegates present.

The GLPYS realise that interventions must occur at many levels, predominantly raising the issues of gay oppression within society as a whole, but with particular emphasis on the labour movement itself.

Gays feel that homosexual rights have been reduced to the level of well-intentioned lip service on one hand, and relegated by minism of Militant on the economic deteragenda. The National Council agreed to instruct the Secretariat to immediately approach LSCAW once more to agree a programme of joint work, including the trade unions. But the idea that there should be immediate proposals for a joint Conference between the two campaigns was rejected. In the campaigning that had to be done in the next few months, a Conference couldn't be a priority.

In addition, many delegates rejected Militants approach, which was crudeother. Since the working class form the largest section of the population, then the majority of gays are themselves working class.

Minorities

They cannot be written off as a bourgeois vice, or irrelevant to the fight against capitalism.

Clearly socialists have a duty to protect and defend the rights of all minorities, be they based on race or sexual orientation.

As gays and socialists, our response to issues affecting homosexual men and women clearly differs from other more conservative gay groups. However, any failure to respond to gay issues from all socialists alike may make this difference less apparent.

An unwillingness to accept gay people has resulted in their being alienated from the rest of society. Neglecting to debate and take up gay rights issues within the labour movement as a whole may leave homosexuals feeling equally divorced from the socialist cause itself.

Brian West and Gregor: 1 Hayman ‚abour Pa ty Young Socialis s. ly summed up by Bob Labi in the meeting: 'On the left, Militant has the crushing numbers.' As well as continuing to try to seek joint work with LSCAW, a number of other practical details were considered.

Reg Race, for the Campaign Group' of MPs, said that LAW representatives would be invited to a meeting in the next two weeks. Preparation for Regional YS and TU Conferences was discussed. A TU subcommittee was established to strengthen that area of the work. Regional organisation was beginnign in some areas - eg in Manchester there is a Conference in March, which has now been supported by the Manchester District of the Confed; and organisation for the scheduled advert in Tribune was reviewed (for details see below).

New affiliations are vital. As'of February 11, 36 CLPs had affiliated to LAW, 20 of which were from 'South and South-East'. At the National Council itself, 20 CLPs sent delegates and only 6 came from outside London (though there were also a number of Were Lumnel apologies, and there was a clash with the Labour Local Government Conference).

Time and again LAW has pointed out the connection between the purge and attempts to gut Labour's policies for the forthcoming Some aspects of Conference policy have now been inserted in new drafts of the Campaign document, but it was pointed out in the meeting that this doesn't guarantee anything. The actual Manifesto is written in the nów notorious Clause 5 meeting just before the Jeremy Corbyn proposed that LAW support the meeting called by London Labour Briefing on Monday March 7 'to initiate a national meeting of CLPs, unions and campaigning groups in the Party to discuss 'How to fight for a Labour Victory"

In his view, this planning meeting to discuss the coming election • campaign should draw on the experience of the SCLV in the last election, and this time, should concentrate on unilateral nuclear disarmament, incomes policy, nationality/immigration law; women and the EEC.

Wage restraint

The importance of opposing any wage restraint was emphasised by a report from Reg Race. He described a meeting between Michael Foot and the NUPE-sponsored MPs, during which Foot made clear his commitment to flat rate pay increases combined with restraint from higher paid workers - ie an unrepentant Social Contract.

LAW agreed to send 4 representatives to the meeting in March. "The meeting closed by declaring full solidarity with the waterworkers.

Bloxam. THE second Labour Against the Witch-hunt National Council meeting last Saturday received apologies from Bermondsey CLP.

Dave Fryer said it was impossible fór a delegate to come because 'we are all-out trying to get Peter Tatchell elected.

The 50 delegates and observers agreed without question that every vote for Tatchell was a blow against the Tories, but also against the right wing inside the Sections of the rightwing give every indication of wanting Tatchell to lose. A meeting of Party officers last week re-affirmed, by 4 votes to 2 (Heffer and McClusky), that the expulsion of the five Militant Editorial Board members should go ahead on the day before the Bermondsey by-election. No-one can believe this will help Labour win.

Nigel Williamson, representing Tribune at the LAW meeting, 'said 'On the 23rd, 5 members of the Party who support the official candidate in the Bermondsey will be up for expulsion before the NEC; yet there is no indication that Party membership of the person standing against that official candidate is even down for consideration on the agenda.?

O 'Grady is still a Labour Party member.

by Francis Prideaux

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

moveto pel O" Grady