In Kinnock's shadow

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THE outcome of the CLPD AGM will not be finally known until after the third part of the AGM has been held in Scotland on February 4. But at the London AGM — the largest of the three meetings - the forces of the left were much depleted this year and the EC looks set to maintain its control of the organisation.

It was sometimes difficult to gauge the views of the 150 or so members and delegates at the AGM. All votes had to be recorded on a ballot paper by each individual so that the votes of all three AGMs could be added together for a final result.

Sessions

Results will not be known until after the third session. Resolutions will be voted on and discussed over again at the second and third session!

The left challenge began immediately with proposals to refer back the Secretary's report and the EC statement to the AGM.

Moving reference back of the EC statement, Walter Wolfgang rejected the suggestion in the EC statement that members on the left of CLPD had themselves been responsible for the setbacks suffered in the fight for democratic reform in recent years by refusing to compromise when the tide began to turn.

Replying, Vladimir Derer benignly argued that was necessary for CLPD to 'learn from its mistakes". • .

The debate on reference back typified much of the day. The left did most of the debating, while the EC members and their supporters held back for a final reply, safe in the knowledge that they would win the vote. And win the vote they certainly seemed to do. Both motions to refer back were lost on a show of hands.

Benevolent Consequently, the EC did not whip their supporters into a frenzy over the threat of an 'ultra-left take-over' las they did last year) and many rank-and-file members seemed more willing, as a result, to listen to the points being made by the left.

Vladimir Derer assumed the role of a benevolently chastising Ian Swind al father pointing out the errors of his 'ultra-left' children.

Priorities

The motions on priorities were based on the EC's assessment that no attempt should be made at present to push for further democratic reforms within the Party with the exception of greater democracy for women. Instead, the priority should be defending gains already won.

The logic of the position argued on this and other issues at the AGM was that since confrontation was now out of the question, compromise and "give and take" were the order of the But as Socialist Organiser supporter John Bloxam pointed out, it has historically always been the Left that has been expected to do the giving. The right wing never give anything away unless we fight for it. If the CLPD had started öut with the attitude that it was necessary to compromise and give and take on the issue of Party democracy, we would not even have made the modest gains that we have su far achieved.

Inevitably we were all told in reply about the need to know when to retreat. (Lenin was cited as the source of this wisdom on this particular occasion).

Islington Socialist Organiser supporter Nik Barstow moved a resolution . on the witch-hunt which sought to commit CLPD to campaign for the right of Labour Party members to organise and sell papers; for the right of Marxists to be Labour Party members; for CLPs to manage their own affairs; and for the immediate reinstatement of those expelled by the purge: The motion further sought to commit CLPD to support those CLPs that had already refused or might in the future refuse to comply with the purge.

The EC sought to amend Nik Barstow's motion to prevent CIPD committing itself to support CLPs that might defy further decisions to expel socialists from the Party The EC moved a resolution opposing the "misleadingly named campaign for 'one member, one vote' "

The heavily-reported issue of the voting strength of CLPs at annual conference proved to be another contentious issue with Pete Willsman moving a composite motion supporting greater share of the vote going to CLPs and instructing the EC to determine the exact proportions on which the CLPD would campaign.

Threat

The EC opposed this proposal on the grounds that it would antagonise trade unionists and that the real division is between the PLP and the rest of the Party, not between the CLPs and everyone else.

Finally a motion moved by John Bloxam argued that the Labour Party Campaign Committee represents a threat to Party democracy because it is not under the control of the NEC and therefore the Party conference. The motion • called on CLPD to oppose this development and argue instead for the Campaign Committee to be a sub.committee of the NEC. The motion was lost in the show-ofhands vote.

John Bloxam In 1983 CLPD declined in size for the first time in its history (88 fewer affiliated organistions and 122 fewer individual members).

And in contrast to last year's hard fought battle at the CLPD AGM, this mood was clearly reflected at the 1984 AGM. But it would be wrong to write off CLPD. The fight must continue both for democratic reforms and for socialist policies if we are not to be pushed back by the Kinnock leadership to a Labour Party of a previous era.

Published by Socialist Forum for Southern Africa Solidarity.

Available (at 90p plus 20p post) c/o SO, 28 Middle Lane, London N8. 90p Bob Fine

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Socialist Organiser, 26 1984 Page

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