Growing fight witch -hunt

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How to fight the Tories LABOUR Against the Witch- by Bloxam hunt's standing as the campaign representing the militant elected as a LAW vice-chair at minority of CLPs prepared to the misin Group dumberine openly defy any attempt to expel socialists from the Labour Party 30-40 MPs also had to turn outwas confirmed last Saturday at wards. The MPs must link up its first National Council meet- both with campaigns like LAW ing since the election. and with working class resistIt was reported that 58 CLPs Rance to the Tories, - whether paign, and that 69 CLPs signed have now affiliated to the cam- the fight be against privatisation of British Telecoms, or to stop the recent advertisement in the 'threatened closure of 53 Tribune declaring resistance to London hospitals. This point, expulsions. and the importance of the fight Introducing the discussion on in the unions, was underlined the situation in the Party after Labour's defeat, LAW vice-chair irom Hackney COHSE branch.

Reg Race pointed to three major issues facing the rank and focussed on the elections for file.

Leader and Deputy Leader.

We must, he said, combine resistance to the witch- mously voted to back Eric Heffer hunt with a campaign to prevent the right wing. 'modernising' and Michael Meacher as the only two candidates who had Party policy and to stop their attempts to reverse stood out and voted against the witch-hunt and to help organise the democratic reforms recently a campaign for them in both the won in the Party. Already the Party and the trade unions.

Shadow Cabinet had discussed how to overturn mandatory recleans the those or the selection.

This had to go with a renewed NEC. Accepting the need for a push to use mandatory reselec- left slate opposed to the witchtion "to clear out those memhunt, the meeting decided to bers of the PLP openly opposed back the Bennites and CLPD to Party policy."

slate for the CLP section of the Jeremy Corbyn, who was NEC (see below).

the NEC slate that had been LAW MODEL RESOLUTION.

cobbled together by some of the same people for the Women's "We... are appalled at the Section. This had been done procedure adopted in the without consulting women in the enquiry into. Manchester Party one of the party's fore City and Wythenshawe Labour Parties and the decision to most and bravest advocates of suspend Wythenshawe CLP. women's rights, Frances We call on the NEC to rein- Morrell. There was overwhelmstate Wythenshawe immediately ing support for Mandy Moore's and in future act by the laws of resolution that LAW should natural justice in dealing with support a slate that is being allegations or actions against organised by the Women's CLPs, yiz: Action Committee.

*Accused parties must know what the accusations are, who is making them and be allowed to enshaw CLP, which is now susquestion those who are making pended by the NEC, gave detailed report on the running them.

*Proper notice must be given battle to oust right wing Labour councillors tht had led up to the and it should be up to the conflict with the NEC. accuser to prove the allegations, not the accused party to dismeeting included an assessment prove it.

We support actions taken by of where the trade unions now Manchester Wythenshawe in stand on the witch-hunt. Union refusing to attend the NEC's leaders had managed to squeeze resolutions against the witchenquiry after their request for hunt off union conference and adjournment to permit them agendas in the run-up to the to hear charges and prepare a defence, and Manchester CLP's general election. The meeting thought that it still might be decision to refuse similarly after their request for a solicitor to possible to get a majority for the constitutional amendment from represent them was denied.

Greenwich CLP if it is backed by We agree to invite a speaker this week's TGWU conference. to hear the City and Wythenshawe Labour Party to hear their But even if that goes down, there is likely to be substantial insisted that the Much of the discussion The National Council unani*So the Tories are back. The bland phrases in their Manifesto are already turning into renewed For : the anti-witch-hunt attacks on jobs, on union rights, new cuts and the privatisation of vital services. *Already even as Tebbit prepares new ANTI-UNION LAWS -the TUC right wing have run up the white flag. But Arthur Scargill and Ken Livingstone have correctly pointed to the need for mass, direct action by the labour moveBut the meeting condemned ment on the streets and picket lines. Our conference will focus on the problems, policies, and tactics for achieving this kind of fight. *Against previous CUTS, and they have excluded many union leaders wrongly argued we wait for a returned Labour government while Labour councils blamed. lack of union action for implementing Tory policies. A new 5-year mandate for Thatcher makes this a plainly useless policy: instead we need occupations, supporting strikes, the extension of struggles on a national level - and we must Alf Holmes, chair of Whyth- learn lessons from such struggles in the past. *PRIVATISATION in British Telecom, the NHS and other services threatens jobs, working conditions and union organisation. But the action against privOther major reports at the atisation so far has been either localised and isolated or largely focussed upon protest. We need a plan of action NOW, before the whole publie sector is carved up by the bankers. *The SHOP STEWARDS' MOVEMENT has come under fire in the engineering industry - but has developed in the NHS in the course of last year's pay fight.

What policies and politics are needed to rebuild and extend the The date of the LAW AGM r.r.wertiitninisinr OFFICIAL STRIKE

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