Will NEC intervene in Brent reselection?

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At the March NEC, there was much talk about the Darlington by-election the following day. Now there are the local elections in May.

The right wing was willing to sink Bermondsey; but if the same approach was repeated and generalised to other areas, it would directly affect them. The Labour leadership and right wing don't want Labour to lose the election. The Tories are attacking the rank and file in the first place; but they are also threatening the whole structure of the Labour Party and trade unions. A lot of careers are at stake.

The Right have not changed their minds about the witchhunt. If there wasn't going to be a fight or 'trouble' then they would go ahead. This is why it is extremely important for the rank and file not to get complacent in the present apparent lull.

What about the five Militant EB members? Islington Central CLP refused to expel Ted Grant and Peter Taaffe; and now their ward is transferred to the new Islington South, all the indications are that the new CLP will have the same attitude.

Hammersmith North is also firm. Unaffected by the boundary changes, it has been continuing as normal with Keith the Witch hunt (LAW) National Council meeting took place last Saturday, 9th. CLP affiliation had increased by about 50% since the previous meeting, and now stands at 55.

Militant's Labour Steering Committee Against Witch-hunts is more willing to work closely with LAW. There have been large joint fringe meetings at a number of the Labour Party regional conference, and one at the Labour Party Young Socialists conference; and the new advert against expulsions is being jointly organised by the two campaigns. It has already got Tony Benn's signataire.

The National Council meeting agreed to focus campaigning on the reinstatement of the expelled Militant EB members and on constitutional changes to establish the right of Party members to organise (the Greenwich amendment) and to reduce the disciplinary powers of the NEC. LAW will also support an anti witch-hunt slate for the NEC.

We decided to campaign for the 'Greenwich amendment' alone, rather than also for a simple reversal of the Register, because the Register is no longer central, Greenwich is a much more powerful weapon against the witch-hunt! than simple reversal, and to have both on the

BRENT East Constituency Labour Party may be stopped from selecting its parliamentary candidate by the National Executive Committee of the

The General Committee decided in October 1981 to defer selection until after the 1982

local council elections. When our Executive Committee met in July of last year to agree a timetable with Regional Officer, Janice Muir, we didn't have the benefit of her company _merely a telephone call informing us that we were under investigation from the National Party machine, along with the other Brent CLPs.

There followed three of the most bizarre meetings that any of us have ever attended, where people who had publicly called for a vote for the SDP were allowed to accuse leading members of the local Labour Parties of various misdemeanours.

The NEC decided to put the 3 local parties under supervison for 6 months. Brent North, which is a safe Tory seat, was allowed to go ahead with its selection soon after, but Brent East and Brent South, both Labour seats, have had their standing orders gone over with a fine toothcomb, their membership checked, and their GCs and ECs attended by a National Officer.

All of this has wasted a great deal of time and resources both at local and . national level which could have been better employed in fighting the Tory government.

During this period, Reg Freeson (the sitting MP) turned out a 38 point letter, jampacked with accusations about the left. Some right-wingers put their names to the 'gang of 7' document, which denounced the left for caucusing over the selection.

In short, the right wing have done everything in their declining power to stir the shit and delay the reselection.

Now Freeson has had the cheek to write a letter to the NEC quoting the guideline laid down at the Feb 25 1981 NEC that the selection procedure 'must be commenced not later than 36 months after the General Election' With the present make up of the NEC is is possible that he might even get away with it.

At the March NEC it was decided to seek legal advice on the issue.

The National report Officer's

is due to go to the Organisational. Sub-committee on April 11, and we'll then know if the National Officer considers us to be properly run. If the Organising Sub-committee passes us as OK, then we have Freeson's letter to contend with. It's a bit like being a duck in a shooting

The possibility of the NEC supporting Freeson's challenge has less to do with any great love for Freeson than with desire to keep Ken Livingstone, the most hotly tipped of his rivals, out of parliament.

Freeson is on the left of the Parliamentary Labour Party, but over the years the steady leftward movement of the party has left him behind. He defends the Israeli state while the party supports the fight for a secular Palestinian state; he was largely responsible for the Criminal Trespass Law under the last Labour _administration; and despite his verbal support for a united Ireland he condemns the Provos as facists and defends Labour Party policy on Ireland.

In the deputy leadership election he voted for Healey against the overwhelming decision of the local party to support Benn, and he was one of those MPs who signed a statement to overturn the Wembley decision on the party electing the leader. • Given that Freeson is on the left of that wretched band of humanity known as the PLP, the threat of him being deselected Josephine Thomas faces deportation because to look after her sick mother -she stayed five months longer in Grenada than the Two Year Returning Resident Rule allows.

Contact: Josephine Thomas Support Committee, 4 Deighton Rd, Huddersfield.

by a candidate to his believe, unique.

Brent East is a left-wing party and proud of it. During the summer our banner was on the picket lines during the Health Workers dispute, marching in solidarity with the people of Palestine; and on Irish solidarity

demo last May. We have campaigned locally on job-loss in Brent, on Nuclear Disarmament, on cheap fares, women's right to work, Ireland, Palestine and for the defence of the Health Service. We regularly invite workers in dispute to our branches and GC and have an active membership and " developing links with the local unions.

We have supported the fight for democracy in the Party from the beginning - we oppose the witch-hunt against Militant, defended Hornsey, and supported Bermondsey's right to select Peter Tatchell, and went down to campaign for him. We have affiliated to Labour Against the Witch-hunt.

The Organisation Sub-committee meeting on Monday 11th failed to give Brent East and Brent South the go-ahead to reselect. But Brent East's officers have received legal advice to proceed with reselection.

We also intend to call a lobby of the NEC at Walworth Road on Wednesday March 27th. More details next week.

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