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LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE MEETING Socialist Organiser's Labour Party conference meeting this year will be on building Labour Party workplace branches and the fight against the Tories. Speakers will include activ ists who have had direct experience of building workplace "HOW TO fight the Tories" was the theme: but in the light of experience since 1979 much of the discussion and debate inevitably centred on how - and why - the leaders of the labour movement have sabotaged any such fight.

And the same inescapable lesson emerged in each case: the need for an organised, concerted struggle inside the unions and the Labour Party to defeat the right wing offensive, and offer a clear and principled lead in the struggles which continue to develop.

Socialist Organiser's September 17 conference = called in the aftermath of the June 9 disaster, and designed to provide a focus for political discussion and clarification - proved to be well-timed.

One reflection of this was the turnout of over 300, and the constructive spirit in the workshops and plenary sessions, which discussed almost every aspect of the fight against the Thatcher offensive.

Following hard on the heels of a disgraceful TUC Congress, the Su conference offered left-wingers a chance to take stock of the industrial and political struggle in advance of the Labour Party conference.

While drawing a sober balance sheet of the setbacks inflicted on the workers' movement by the Tories, with the assistance of right wing and spineless 'left' trade union leaders, speakers pointed at the same time to the tenacity of struggles - such as the occupation of Thornton View hospital in Bradford and the fight against privatisation of British Telecom.

The opening session of the conference was chaired by vicbranches.

VULLIVA timised BL Cowley militant Alan Thornett (whose speech we will .carry next week).

CoHSE Broad Left activist Andrea Campbell spoke of the bureaucratic obstacles in the •path of those health workers -such as those occupying Thornton View - who take action to halt the Tory bulldozers.

Colin Talbot spoke of the struggle in the POEU, on the eve of the union's special conference on privatisation.

The conflict between rank and file and the established leadership is not restricted to the unions: it runs through into the Labour Party, as Alf Holmes of the disaffiliated Wythenshawe CLP vividly described.

He recounted the struggles between the leftward-moving rank and file in Manchester and the bureaucratic leaders at Walworth Road, backed up by their trade union cronies - and stressed that Wythenshawe may be down (and disqualified from this year's Conference), but is certainly not.out.

The disbanded CLP continues to operate unofficially while pursuing the fight.

Joy Hurcombe of Labour CND told the conference about the recent attempts by the CND leadership to move away from unilateralism.

The more general question of what politicies and what kind of leadership can reach and mobilise the millions of workers who did not vote Labour on June 9 was taken up by Reg Race and by Jeremy Corbyn MP.

Race quoted, as a vivid example of how Labour governments have operated, the secret decision by a tiny cabal of Labour ministers in Attlee's 1945 government to begin development of a British nuclear bomb.

The last Labour government continued the same pattern, with its secret decision to develop the 'Chevaline' update for Polaris. How, then, could today's Labour leadership hold any credibility in arguing a unilateralist policy?

Race argued forcefully campaign in support of Eric Heffer and Michael Meacher as the best way to fight for a change in the Party.

Jeremy Corbyn took up a similar theme — pointing to the two-faced attitude of Labour's right wing. On the one hand, they claim that the Party is "losing its appeal to ordinary working people"; on the other, when reminded that Labour's most solid support has come from the working class families, black people, and youth in the inner city areas, they argue that the Party must not become 'ghettoised'.

A turn to organising unemployed youth, and active involvement in trade union and other -struggles — such as the Newham 8 campaign - is vital to the Platform speakers included Colin Talbot (above, far right), Joy Hurcombe (centre), Jeremy Corbyn MP, Reg Race, All Holmes, John O'Mahony (trom right to left in left-hand picture, Alan Thornett and Andrea Campbell (not pictured). We'll be carrying more of the speeches in later issues of Socialist Organiser.

mobilisation of the Labour Party, he argued.

John O'Mahony from the Socialist Organiser editorial board was the final speaker. He argued that the Socialist Organiser Alliance had a central and irreplaceable role to play, and called on those present to join the SOA and help build it. IN THE workshop on Broad Lefts there were contributions from ASTMS, USDAW, TGWU, AUEW, and NUT.

Colin Talbot of the Post Office Engineering Union pointed out that British Telecom - unlike other industries - is highly profitable, and growing.

The workforce is very confident, having made gains with little struggle. After Communist Party control collapsed in the early '50s, however, this situation had produced a right wing leadership. ...s Now the threat of privatisation to jobs, wages and conditions has roused the membership to place the Broad Left in nnwer. The Richt had shown it.self incapable of leading a fight.

The POEU Broad Left today, Colin said, is unlike the Broad Left of the past. It is open and democratic, and includes all left tendencies save those who exclude themselves: There are open and honest differences -but policy is decided by majority vote.

The Broad Left does not concentrate exclusively on union However, the "FE COLLEGES are different", •, said Y don't focus on the college. They have animal welfare was the most political s in"

The workshop acknowledged that Fl organise in.

But Tony Dale; a member of the Nai Students national committee, thought#l anise FE students as students around t Comrades in Manchester had sold quite! week, he said.

Karen Talbot, a member of the Natid tive, said that cuts, privatisation, and Y? should.be pushing. Unfortunately NUS: to be up to activists in the colleges to gi annual grants march is not going ahead.

Dave Bebin from Nottingham Univer helping college staff set up Labour Par branches could become really importan more into the front-line of Tory attacks Gerald James from the London Schea was a danger that we could end up forge ing exclusively on labour movement bat But he accepted that student uniont against privatisation, for instance, on the movement isn't just an ideologically 'con necessity for students if state education extended.

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TUESDAY OCTOBER 4, 5.30PM KING'S HOTEL, BRIGHTON Harry Sloan reports September 17 'How Tories' conference