Delete this nonsense about EEC parliament

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Cromwell and the Long Parliament: 'deeply rooted in the political bir the ORGANISER Party ORGANISER lt* By wante WAGE-CUT PLAN IHeffer MARTIN Thomas' 'Socialist Manifesto for Europe' (SO 148) is a useful contribution towards clarification of the central features of an internationalist alternative to left reformist 'Little Englandism' . Unfortunately it contains some rather bizarre formulations which in my opinion have no place whatsoever in the programme of revolutionaries.

I refer, of course, to the suggestion that we should put the fight against existing EEC by arguing for all sovereign powers for the EEC Parliament over the bureaucratic machinery of the EEC (and) annual elections."

The justification for this attitude was contained in a previous effort by comrade Thomas which accompanied his recent interview with Tony Benn. As I understand it the argument runs something like this. 'Left reformists counterpose the British Parliament to the EEC. We believe that this is fundamentally to misunderstand the nature of British parliamentary democracy. Institutions such as Parliament are part and parcel of a capitalist state machine. It is more realistic to British Parliament to deliver the goods than it is to expect the European Assembly to do so."

So far, so good. However, it does not seem to me that this generally correct premise necessarily leads on to the programmatic conclusion advocated by Martin.

Difference

There is a difference between the British Parliament and the European Assembly. The former is deeply rooted in the political culture of society and the working class movement is firmly committed to it. Revolutionary Marxists direct demands towards the capitalist state and in particular the institution of Parliament because the present consciousness of the working class is wedded to Parliament.

But what do British workers, or any other workers for that matter, think of the European Assembly? They recognise it for what it is — a joke. It is not our job to direct our attention Scargill gets it right culture of society….. towards capitalist institutions in which the working class has no illusions.

On the contrary - we forsee a socialist democracy which will be of a completely different character. No more "once every five years ballot box involvement". We will build institutions of direct democracy which will emerge out of the selfeven and out th eclary at eter our lives - at work, in the community and so on.

I have no doubt that the British workers' state, will have to take into account the traditions of our class and incorporate in some way Parliamentary institutions into the structures of the higher socialist democracy. This will of course be for the working class itself to determine.

It is in no way pre-ordained that the present EEC institutions will figure at all in the development of cross-Europe workers' unity. Surely the way in which that unity develops will very much be rooted in the presently existing • links and material common interests of workers throughout Europe. Is it the case that these material interests derive from common EEC membership or is it more the case that the fact of working for the same multinational company, or in a similar industry or even bing a common Incomm Join the Socialist lahour Inside NUM Cuts Women JOBLESS KEY TO ITebbit By Harry Kent's Stoan appeal to target for US and USSR nuclear missiles are more meaningful bases for international working class unity.

Indeed is it not the case that these material interests - particularly in the case of nuclear disarmament - create a campaigning base far outside the borders of the ten EEC countries. What is our line for workers outside the '10' - join the EEC, democratise its institutions and elect a European workers' government?

This does not seem so bizarre as it sounds when you read earlier on in Martin's proposed LITTLE by little, the truth about the Windscale fire of 1957 is emerging.

Readers may remember my summary of the theories of John Urquhart last April. He noticed a reference to Polonium210 among a list of radioactive elements which escaped into the air during the fire, but no details were given, and in the published account of the fire no Po-210 was mentioned 'in the national interest"

This is because the Po-210 was being made at Windscale for military purposes. It is highly radioactive and was being used to start off the chain reaction in atom bombs.

The National Radiological Protection Board report early manifesto the lunatic slogan of "EEC level public ownership"! It seems clear that Martin wishes to direct European workers down the road of developing EEC institutions as a focus for European-wide workers' unity.

Now I am no expert on the EEC but I have read nothing in Socialist Organiser which tells me anything I didn't already know. Perhaps the Editorial Board could commission a series ¡of factual articles outlining the profiles of the economies of EEC countries, the spread of multinationals and their influence, the structure of the Market, the Common Agricultural Policy, etc., the way in which integration of the economies has taken place, and the political face of each EEC country. Such a series would also have to tackle the question of the non-EEC European countres, their labour movements and how they would figure in cross Europe workers' unity.

Such a series would inform the discussion which has opened in the wider movement and within Socialist Organiser itself. Together with a more developed 'Socialist Manifesto for Europe" (which means first of all the deletion of Martin's nonsense about the EEC parliament), this series - suitably edited - could then be published in pamphlet form for use in the Euro-elections.

Fraternally, KEITH WHITE Coventry SO Group time.

Nevertheless, the NRPB now estimates a death toll of 33 from the Windscale fire, while nonfatal cancers must number several hundreds.

Windscale 1957 therefore now ranks high amongst industrial disasters of recent years.

The survivors FRESH from its Windscale success, the NRPB's next job is & survey into the health of British atom test veterans.

This follows the discovery of apparently high rates of cancer among British and US servicemen who took part in A-tests during the '50s and '60s, together with accounts of exposure to fall-out during and after the tests.

The choice of the NRPB has been criticised by the National Test Veterans Association, who 'don't think it is independent enough of the government (understandably). Epidermiologists are also unhappy, including Dr. Alice Stewart, whose research helped to force the enquiry. They feel the NRPB doesn't have enough expertise to carry out the survey.

The NRPB will be hampered by the Ministry of Defence's failure to keep proper records. Out of an estimated 20,000 servicemen involved, the MOD Send letters to Socialist Organiser, 28 Middle Lane, London N8. No longer than 400 words please: longer letters are liable to be cut.