Beware of ballot

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ephant' They couldn't agree on what e elephant was because they rmed different opinions cording to which part of it ley had felt - trunk, tail, legs, ars. Unable to see, they Juidn't form a coherent picire putting together the ifferent parts.

Concern for the Protestants lust be integrated with the unesolved issue of Irish national ights; concern for the Northern :eland Catholics and Irish nat›nal independence must interate with awareness of what he Protestants are and what the Protestant problem' is; concern or class unity must integrate vith the building of a socialist novement concerned also for he just struggle of the Catholcs; concern for Irish national ndependence against Britain nust integrate with a proper and onsistently democratic concern or the relations between the lifferent sections of the Irish people.

It is easier to fit these things ogether on paper than in life. But until they are fitted together in life, there will be no soluion. And the longer it is delayed, the more likely the catastrophe of a sectarian civil war becomes.

JOHN O'MAHONY, ONE WEEK after the general election, Bury North constituency Labour Party held its General Management Committee.

There were no resolutions for annual conference, as the wards hadn't met since the campaign. But an emergency resolution was debated, proposing that the leadership election should be by postal ballot of all individual members.

This was passed with very little chance of debate. No-one had had prior notice that it would be on the agenda, and the rules state that decisions once passed cannot be overturned for three months.

There are many issues involved here. Foremost in many delegates' minds was that a postal ballot would cut off the trade unions from having two bites of the cherry. But this was motivated by suspicion and often hostlilty 10wards the trade union delegates.

Some members would clearly like to sever the Labour Party's traditional links with the trade unions and make it simply an individual membership organisation. Some said their concern was for the rank and file members and those unable to get to meetings.

Postal ballots in many unions have shown that they don't guarantee a high participation - and they do almost guarantee a right wing victory, because the passive members are more likely to be influenced by the television and newspapers.

Whatever the motives, and many are genuine, this postal ballot is the thin end of the wedge - and where do they stop? All decisions could be taken by referendum, ... avoiding distasteful debate and militant speeches.

In Bury North, at least, they haven't heard the last of this. London. SUE ARNALL