[Tip the Tory attack MIr private sector, some…]
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Tip the Tory attack MIr private sector, some of whom had come from boroughs outside the city.
At least 25,000 marchers converged on the Town Hall to say that they were prepared to resist the continued Tory attacks on local services. Individual workers were well aware of the issues involved and explained their mood of defiance.
Honest It is easy to sit in pubs and complain about what the government is doing to Liverpool," said one industrial worker, "but by coming out here we can at least say we are doing something about it. The Labour Group were elected to maintain jobs and services, and they are doing exactly that. They have been attacked in the media for being nothing other than completely honest."
Another worker employed by a neighbouring council said: "I have been on demonstrations in the past, but this has been the best. I'm only here because I am thinking about my kids' futures. There is nothing down here for them, and this is the only place we can protest."
The big myth is that the demonstration, and the council's fight to implement an "illegal' single council job to go on the City Council when there are 60,000 unemployed. There are 20,000 unfit homes in Liverpool. Young married couples sleep in the same bedrooms as their children. They cannot make love in a proper fashion."
What then of the six Labour rebels who received the tacit support of Kinnock in their opposition to the Liverpool Labour Group and District Party? This group represent the old right wing Braddock rump of boss politicians. Few, if any of them, will be standing for Labour in the local elections on May 3. It is significant that this group received a Special Branch escort into and out of the council chamber last Thursday, and were taken by the Branch to undisclosed locations" before they returned home.
Mandate
The Liverpool Council at present can't levy a rate because of Tory, Liberal and right-wing Labour opposition. Labour's strategy will be put to the electoral test on May 3. Alf indications are that the predominantly working class electorate will return Labour councillors in 25,000 marched on March 29 SOME people who in the past thought that we should accommodate the governTOTE Eric Heffer This year, and perhaps for a year or so ahead, I don't think there is any fundamental change of the kind that we did have to have.
We can return to that at a later stage, when we're in a different atmosphere - when we've won back a lot of support.
I think there are some changes. The Org. Sub. is putting forward to the NEC a suggestion on the election of women to Labour Party regional committees, that in future they will able to do this by decision of each regional conference. So if in London they wish to elect the women a certain way, they will be allowed to do so. If in Scotland they want to do it another way, they can do so.
1 also think that we have got to look at the question of women's representation on the NEC. I think we've got to proceed fairly carefully so that we don't have a great upheaval, -but I think it's got to be done.
I think we should have the women elected at the Party conference, but in such a way that it is a direct input from the women's organisation. I don't want to see the Party conference, as it were, pushed aside - if we denigrate and downgrade the Party conference, then that could be very serious for the future -but I think we have to got to find a way to meet the requirements of the women in the movement. I think they have got a good case, and we have got to work out the most sensible way to do it.
Also I think we've got to reconsider now the whole question of affiliated organisations. I believe it was quite right when we founded the Party to have the Fabians, the Social Democratic Federation, the Independent Labour Party, Poale Zion and other such organisations affiliated. There are an awful lot of organisations now which have members who are not members of the Party as such, but could be affiliated, and then perhaps their members could be urged to join the Party as individual members.
There is a committee establish ed to look at that.
At the moment I would say that we should hold back on any further serious changes.