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You need ten members to start a branch in any workplace. The definition of 'workplace' is left open in the rules: separlate branches can be established in separate sections of a large The Labour Party membership of workplace recruits bas to be processed through their ward branches. But the workplace branch can send one delegate to the Labour Party GC in each constituency where it has at least ten members living. Ken Livingstone, the manifesto. We can't say that of the GLC. the policies we fought the election on were a betrayal of the party conference. The problem is We should try to challenge some that the party conference has of the myths about why we lost fudged the issues.

• Workers wouldn't believe this the election Undoubtedly a major factor economic policy. They remember that we made all the same promiswas that a reason for the creation of the SDP was to make sure that es before and we never kept them. Labour lost. Also there's the ques- They know a Labour government tion of the Falklands. That was a making those promises is going to factor. But I don't think that go back on the road of the IMF these were decisive. and cuts and incomes policy.

Neither was it crucial, I think We are not going to win an that Callaghan and Healey moved election until we tell workers on question of defence. clearly that we are going to fund Had we had a party clear on its the programme out of the existing policy and committed to its pol- wealth, out of the control of icy, it could have brushed that capital. We have to reopen Labaside. our's programme, and make it a For all the talk of an Alterna- coherent programme, before we tive Economic Strategy, in the stePintil. Until we're prepared to take can convince people on the doormonths coming up to the election the leadership put over a succession of gimmicks... devaluation... into public ownership the producimport controls... borrowing... tive sector of the economy the National Economic Ass- we're going to fall into the trap of essment, just a very long way of paying for Labour's increased saying an incomes policy. Voters public services by increased taxes. realised that all gimmicks When doing this we've got to weren't going to solve the prob- combat ideas of public ownership lems of our society. based on what it has been like The media attacks clearly had over the last 30 years, a la Herbert an impact - but once again, if we Morrison. We've got to raise the had had a clear policy that could issue of involving workers in the have been swept aside. The key to control of their industries.

Nor is it only on economic our weakness is the central issue policy that we've got this dodging of economic policy.

What we've doing of the issues. defending a policy which was de- The second key issue is defence. It's not very credible vised in the late '60s and early "70s programme that was calling for unilateral nuclear disarmament when we say -we're created at the end of the 20-year going to continue in NATO... boom. And there's a third key issue -A number of years ago I was which is the question of Ireland. interviewed, by Socialist Organiser or Socialist Action, I can't re- Until we can go into an election member which. and I was asked Ireland, we're committed to main- committed to withdrawal from whether the AES would solve the problems. I answered no, taining all the apparatus of British stage Labour Party repression in Ireland. We can't would have to go through. What continue to duck this issue. I ignored, I think, was unal une We have to go back to the coninadequacies of this policy could ference this autumn and argue not be exposed before you got to a just for the defence of the existgovernment, in ing manifesto. The right will be tion campaign. attacking - but we can't just deJust because expected fend the manifesto. We would be something worse, I think we slip- defending an incoherent policy, and we would be bound to lose. ocu mo vele lo unciilcal (i! • factory or office complex. isation after 1945 TONIONE CUTS

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