[The draft declaration will be discussed this Thursday…]

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The draft declaration will be discussed this Thursday by the 'Socialists for a Labour Victory' campaign. Contact Andy Harris/Mandy Moore, secretaries, c/o 28, Middle Lane, London N8. SOCIALISTS for a Labour Victory is a campaign pledged to united Ireland; support for liberation movements in other organise for a Labour victory in the forthcoming General countries. These must also be part of a socialist campaign. Alertion on the hacie of the enrialict nolicies nacced at curcesULLEVI VI DIL DASS VI UIL SUVIdID PUuVIo pasoru at DULUVO we pituge vuiserve to ugut sold Lavour guvernment committed to implement these policies. We will campaign for The campaign must start now. The possibility of another the election of a majority. Labour government. After the Thatcher government is one of the gravest threats ever General Election there must be no formal coalition with faced by the working class and oppressed groups. other parties in the House of Commons. There must be no Only a fighting lead from the Labour Party can save informal deals with other parties in the House of Commons working people from another five years of Toryism. Labour where a Labour Government agrees to water down its procan gain massive support and win the election if it clearly gramme in return for Parliamentary support. If Labour has presents its socialist policies, and mobilises the support of all no overall majority in the House of Commons, then we sections of the community who will benefit from them. SLV support the creation of a minority Labour Government believes that Labour conference policies in the follow- which will seek to carry through its programme. ing areas should be the core of the campaign. We expect and demand that the Parliamentary Labour 1. Unequivocal commitment to unilateral nuclear disarm- Party be accountable to the Party and implements ament and removal of all nuclear bases in Britain.

2. An economic policy which returns to full employment, The fight for socialist policies and a witch-hunt against nationalises the 25 top companies, returns social spending to socialists inside the Party are incompatiblé. We demand an 1977 levels in real terms, introduces a 35 hour week, with- immediate end to the witch-hunt in the Party, and a united draws from the EEC and expands the NHS, and education for campaign around agreed socialist policies. all. Massive house building programmes and renationalising of' If we are to get rid of the Tories and elect a Labour hived-off sections of public industry without compensation. government, Labour's socialist campaign must start now. We 3. A commitment to raise working class living standards, will demand and campaign for Labour's socialist policies to and that there should be no incomes policy. Defence of be cléarly stated in the Labour Party's official campaign trade union rights and immediate repeal of all Tory anti- document and Manifesto, and that the Party as a whole campaigns for them. We will campaign ourselves on the basis 4. Full campaigning and commitment to all Party policies for women, including positive action in employment, public We will reach out to and campaign with all those who spending, child care and health, including legislation to give want a Labour victory; who are fighting for aspects of women the right to control their own fertility. Labour Party Conference policies; and who are fighting the 5. The repeal of the racist Nationality Act, the Immigra- Tories. We support the Greenham Common women; the tion Acts and a determination to eradicate racial prejudice People's March for Jobs and all those taking mass action against the Tories. We call for sponsorship, support and help 6. To increase civil liberties, obtain police accountability from all Labour Party organisations, trade union bodies, MPs and PPCs who agree with the need for socialists to campaign sive Labour Party Conferences. union legislation.

and inequality.

and repeal repressive legislation.

7. Labour's policies cover west At the North West Regional Labour Party conference in Blackpool last weekend, 12 and 13 March, discussion of the witch-hunt was blocked.

An attempt to refer back the Standing Orders Report, to allow time for discussion of resolutions on this, was defeated by 553,000 to 481,000. This vote was taken early on the Saturday morning, before many delegates had arrived.

A joint Labour Against the Witch-hunt and Militant fringe meeting was held with Les Huckfield and Keith Dickinson speaking.

In an important breakthrough, delegates voted tor nationalisation of the banks against the Regional Executive's recommendation.

Resolutions calling for a living wage of'€90 to £100 many Conference decisions. of these policies. now and organise for a Labour Victory.

NO IL ficht for a Tohan annaramant MOR

"B is for bucket. That's

where all these motions are going, whether they are passed or not."

This is how one delegate to this year's annual conference of the Labour Party's Scottish Council, held in Perth last weekend, summed up his feelings about it.

He was not alone in having such an attitude: U is for unity, and that is what the conference was all about. The result?. Most items of potential controversy were prevented from reaching the floor of the conference.

A motion on the Falklands mysteriously disappeared. A motion on Ireland, calling , for British withdrawal, was not discussed: debate was closed just as it was time for it to be moved.

Motions on Iran and civil defence were also remitted to the executive.

A motion opposing the expulsion of any socialists from the Party was passed, but only after the unions had forced a card vote.

Attempts to move an emergency resolution condemning the expulsion of the Militant editorial board were successfully blocked, however.

A delegation from the dalantion form

current strike at Flexible Ducting in Milngabie was prevented by TGWU bureaucrat Hugh Wyper from getting backing for their struggle from the conference.

The last incident did much to expose the hypocrisy of many of the speeches made at the conference about saving jobs and restoring full employment.

There was no shortage of pledges for defence of jobs in the threatened steel industry. But confronted with the 'uni y chance to provide support for someone involved in a struggle to win back his job, many trade union bureaucrats and MPs clearly didn't want to know.

In place of hard debate on how to organise against the Tories and for the return of a Labour government committed to attacking capitalism rather than running it, the main theme of the conference was a series of less than convincing appeals for party unity behind Foot and Healey.

Stan Crooke