"Witch hunt as usual"

Scan page 2

*bless youth. rant to carve up education.

ng' for the rest.

I work and training. JOHN HARRIS John Bloxam reports on the July meeting of Labour's • NEC.

AUDREY WISE described last Wednesday's meeting (July 27) of of the Labour Party NEC as a return to 'business as usual' The right-wing majority -with Foot and Kinnock well among them - couldn't find time to discuss the causes of the election defeat. But a motion to defer the issue of the witch-hunt because of the Penrith by-election was thrown out 14-7. A similar motion from Eric Heffer had the same fate.

The right wing then pushed through a motion from Dennis Howell, deferred from the March NEC meeting, to deny Militant supporters the use of Labour Party facilities. All affiliated organisations will now receive a letter advising them that. they should not allow the sale of Militant during Labour Party events, Militant fund-raising on Labour Party premises, or the hire of halls for Militant meetings, and they should not use Cambridge Heath Press (which prints Militant).

The NEC will also write again to the three Constituency Labour Parties covering the five Militant Editorial Board members, and threaten them with disbandment if they don't comply with the decision to expel the five.

Whether this goes beyond bluff and bluster will largely depend on the CLPs involved. For six months they have mounted determined defiance, with wide support, and the NEC has not felt able to do anything about it.

Indeed, it has even accepted a resolution trom Hammersmith CLP for this year's Labour Party conference agenda, though Militant EB member Keith Dickinson is still active in that CLP's General Committee. The resolution calls for the abolition of the register and immediate reinstatement of the five.

The right wing has also clearly been defeated on the register issue. Wednesday's meeting accepted a request from Labour Party general secretary Jim Mortimer that there be no further action against those who refused to join the Register, beyond denying them certain facilities. specifically, coverage in the official Labour Party conference diary!

The NEC also confirmed the fear of ideas and debate which has so far taken up two Shadow Cabinet meetings and the TUC General Council in moves to prevent a debate at the TUC between the four Labour leadership contenders. By 15 to 6, the NEC called on the Labour Party magazine New Socialist (would-be sponsor of the debate) and the candidates not to go ahead.

The NEC decided not to publish the nominations for the leadership election until the final agenda, in September. It is not surprising that the right wing want to keep quiet about the figures for MPs' nominations, which show more support for Eric Heffer than the media will admit.

Kinnock: 49 Hattersley: 37 Heffer. 23 Shore: 14.

*Many on the left of the LABOUR PARTY who had dought lor left policies and accountability. led silent during the clection despite the right wing sabolaye. How can we develop an organised. and politically confident lett in the Labour Paris. capable of standing ground under pressure? What kind of perspective should be pot forward by the left to go beyond the limited "Alternalive conomic Stralegs" which. so Platly lailed to Convince a sceptical electorate' *With love more ycars 1o work 01) restoning "Victorian values"

Thatcher's blows will again tall hardest on WOMIN Why won't the Labour Party and unions develop the special strengths and tighting capacity shown by women worker, and take their special