THE DOCUMENT by Tony Benn and Eric Heffer presented to the Labour Party NEC which we print on our centre pages this week, is the most extensive critique made of the present direction of the Labour Party by leaders of its left wing since the election of Neil Kinnock in October 1983. The national executive has refused to discuss it.
t is a searing indictment of the party's pre sent course -nock. As Tony Benn has written elsewhere, the present course of the Labour Party is a distancing from those in struggle, a shift to the right, and blocking those who want to fight against Thatcher. By these means Kinnock is also objectively preparing the way for a coalition government with the Alliance. course that the leadership is forced increasingly to attack democracy in the party.
While it is not necessary to agree with every part of the document, and we have differences with it, it does outline correctly important parts Thatcher leadership which is blocking the struggle against Thatcher.
The Benn-Hefter document is a correct alternative to the positions mistakenly, think that the way forward today is for Tony Benn, or a similar figure, to run against Neil Kinnock for leader of the party. The real way forward for the left is not such a campaign which would actually understate the support of the left and thereby seriousiy weaken it. The way forward is three priorities.
The first, and Eric Heffer, is support for those in struggle. Despite the defeat suffered by the NUM, continuing assaults made by Thatcher leaves no choice but for sections of the working class to fight back againt them. for the Labour Party, and Labour left, must be support for all those engaged in such struggles - support of the type which the solidarity committees of the miners, and the Campaign group of MPs, gained during the miners strike.
This support must also tionally. Particularly urgent is building solidarity against the US blockade of Nicaragua, support for those fighting missiles and the right of the Irish people for independence.
The second key task is to fight to transform the Labour Party into a real 'party of labour party adequate to the real composition of the working class and its allies. This means winning the fight on the political levy, black sections, Women's Action Committee, total commitment to British withdrawal from Ireland, taking a debate a clear party liberation. The perspective of a party of labour corresponds in practice to Tony Benn and Eric Heffer's call for a refounding conference of the Labour Party.
The third crucial question is opening up the fight on policies within the party - not policies primarily which a Labour government might im plement, but policies which can be fought for by the mass action of the labour movement. Here Tony Benn, Eric Heffer and the Campaign group of MPs have also taken the initiative. their proposals timised and arrested withdrawal from NATO, nationalisation of the land — we endorse withdrawal from NATO, linked to the removal of all US bases, can readily be campaigned for by the mass movement. Other such as the celer that democratised, we do not support but welcome opening up a debate on all these key issues.
But on these three key priorities — support for those in struggle, fighting for a reai party of labour, opening up the issue of policy linked to the mass struggle -Heffer document is a real step forward for the, left. and the leadership given by Kin It is to carry out this against the party of those who, as correctly outlined by Tony Benn The number one priority be given interna weapons in the black struggle in South Africa, and - a the creation o winning the demands of the policy in favour of gay Some of - full amnesty for those vicin the miners' The issue of amnesty and proposals of theirs, the police can be we consider the Benn-