Contract: Never

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Martin Thomas examines Labour's campaign document in the light of the experience of the 1974-9 Labour government WHAT happened last time in-hand into the future! The with the 'Social Contract'?

The 1978 TUC rejected secretaries' comment on incomes policy, and the the committee document Labour Party conference re- expresses the wish 'to solved that the LP 'reprovide some appeal to jects totally any wage re- managers" straint by whatever meth- od... declares that it will This approach always in the end comes down to tryonly support the planning ing to make capitalism work of wages when prices, prof- at the expense of the workits and investment are plan- ing class. There is a lot abned within the framework out nudging and persuadof a socialist planned ing the capitalists into more economy..." beneficial policies. But it Moving havention, che they won't be persuaded? Liverpool Wavertree As always under capitaldelegate pointed out that: ism, the working class will ''The social contract was accepted by the trade un- Already, many of the ions on the basis that sacri- Labour policies which fice by higher-paid workers would seriously challenge would help their lower-paid capitalism watered down in the campbrethren... What has been the result of all this sacri- aign document'. Living standards or alien neer Unilateral nuclear disarmament is proposed as 100 years. On top of this an aim, but the only immewe have the grim spectre diate steps proposed are of mass unemployment... cancellation of Trident and The final result was a vic- rejection of Cruise. (Will tory for Thatcher. That was Labour remove Cruise misthe outcome of the Social siles if they have already Contract last time round. been installed? It's not And a repeat, with capital- clear). In flat contradiction ism in worse crisis than it to unilateralism is the prowas in the mid-'70s, can posal that the Polaris force only mean a worse out- be subject to international come next time. negotiations.

The TUC-LP liaison com- Labour policy for nationmittee argues that their alisation of the top 25 monNational Economic Assess- opolies is not includes. ment will work because 'We are not talking about "both the government and massive public ownerthe trade union movement ship" ', front-bencher Merwill be anxious to maintain lyn Rees told the BBC. So the momentum on jobs and much for Clause 4.