Manchester feels the witch-hunt

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By MANCHESTER Labour Party is now the theatre of war in the biggest and most intensive right wing offensive yet.

Wythenshawe Constituency Labour Party was suspended just before the election. The NEC has expelled 27 members from the Manchester City Council Labour group.

The National Executive is now on a collision course with the Manchester City party.

Last weekend both the City party and Wythenshawe refused to attend the hearings of a three man committee of inquiry into various right wing allegations. The committee - John Golding, national agent David Hughes, and Russell Tuck - tried to conduct itself like a Star Chamber. Those summoned before it were not told details of the charges against them or who the accusers were.

Wythenshawe asked for an adjournment to permit them to hear the charges and prepare a defence. Their request was turned down. Manchester City Labour Party asked for the right to be represented by a solicitor. That too was denied.

The fact that it was the NEC, and not the right wing majority of the Labour councillors, who expelled the 27, is the clue to what is going on. It is unprecedented. The Right are using their control of the NEC and its Organisation Sub-committee to strike at the Left and to organise the Right to root out the Left at ground level.

The 27 were expelled for voting in council according to national Labour policy - against rent increases and cuts in jobs and services, especially housing and direct works. The expulsions were carried out in defiance of all the rules of natural justice. They were not told of the charges against them. There were no interviews.

Graham Stringer, chair of Manchester City Labour Party, and John Nicholson, chair of Manchester Gorton CLP, have explained what is happening and why in the Labour Against the Witch-Hunt bulletin.

"[There have been] real changes at local level. Branches have Signed articles John Golding increased membership and campaigning in support of anti-Tory policies - 8o the NEC has had to invent a locally-directed onslaught of manoeuvres to by. pass the reselection process as well. 12-month membership rules, rearranged panel proce dures, NEC inquiries and now new rules to impose councillors on branch shortlists - all have been wheeled out.

In Woodhouse ward in Wythenshawe, selection was suspended, membership was frozen back 18 months to exclude newer left-wingers, and yet the eventual shortlist was three left-wingers, one of whom was endorsed as candidate in May.

Not beaten, the National Agent promptly ordered a re-run of the selection meeting on the basis of unsubstantiated indivi dual allegations and without consulting officers of the branch, constituency or district The struggle in Manchester is therefore simply one demonstration of the real effecta of the witch-hunt"

That is why comrades should move the Labour Against the Witch-hunt resolution printed on page 3 in their local Labour Parties.....