Socialist Action No. 11, 27 May 1983
The scan: 011-may-27-1983-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)
Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.
Page 1 scan of this page
All out for People's March demonstration 5 June SACK THE TORIES...
Peoples march for jobs
No. 11 27 May 1983 30p
ACTioN SOCiALiSt
WEST MIDLANDS ON THE N
'83
9 JUNE 9 JUNE
VOTE
wonder! reports
The without
means two
steel has
lost
The asked on the
Many
The
paigns
tion People's March.
LABOUR
THE TORY manifesto makes no prediction as to the effect of their policies on unemployment. And no
The independent Cambridge Economic Policy Group, which has produced the most accurate forecasts of unemployment in the past, says that unemployment will reach 4 million by 1988 and five million by 1993.
This estimate is confirmed by all other leading
— or at least those which haven't been suppressed by the Tories.
Tories claim, proof, that and half
EEC rationalisation of the
and coal industrie already hundreds of thousands of jobs
and more to come.
But the question has to
with millions dole queue. with absolutely no promise of
reduction by the Tories, why hasn't Labour managed to make the issue vecon water
answer is to be found in the Labour cam
ambivalent attitude to the event which could turn the whole elec
around the
BEFORE
THEY
SACK
YOU!
HIL
While Michael Foot is willing SUUSE photographs people on the march, the with YUEH
real leader of the election campaign Walworth Road, Denis Healey, does not so much as mention it.
There is the same air of embarrassment at the TUC where Len Murray seems to spend his time agreeing with the bosses to hush-up *depressing' reports on the economy.
Instead the leadership othe labour movement should be making sure that to greet the People's Mar chers in London on 5 Jun
the biggest possible display of anger from the labour movement. routinist tasks must be pat on one side in order to put the issue of unemployment firmly at the centre of the
210| the last tom days of the campaign.
Kicking out the Tories is the first step on the road to turning back the bosses offensive, and putting into
Soapolee that can end the miseries of the dole queue for ever. • People's March for Jobs coverage - see page
Tebbit
puts the
boot in
• Turn to pages 8&9
MODERN TIMES
SAATCHI & SE ... and then the headline would say: Labour says
unemployed. We say you're just resting.
Page 2 scan of this page
2 Socialist Action THIS ELECTION campaign is the most political ever. But Labour is fighting with both hands tied behind its back. The Walworth Road campaign is being run entirely by Healey and the right wing -with disastrous results. Labour's radical policies are being undersold or ignored. As a result Labour is being politically hammered.
Margaret Thatcher nas gone straight tor une jugular. She accuses Labour of Marxist state. The Tories
paign on the basis of new policies their manifesto is entirely devoid of them
but on the basis of the defence of "freedom'. So far the Labour right wing
produce a convincing reply.
The first proDicl that all the TV appearances and press col-
Hences are being root
while wanders around the country. Labour's HUSI popular leader Tony
enn — has been shunted off out of the limelight.
So far Benn has been given one early radio 'talk in'. The right
effectively transformed
policy two crucial issues pay restraint and nuclear disar-
Healey has anilaterally disarmed'
Labour's anti-nuclear
He sovs that a non
defence policy
ACTION
Join the
fight for
socialism
27 May 1983
Healey and friends
disarm Labour
means no first use
as n that was all there was to it. Hardiv a mention of the fight against cruise and Trident. In fact, Labour is saying very little nuclear disarmament at
leaving une omensive this ssue with the Tories and even the SDP! Suicide
Labour's campaign machine brought Callaghan out of retirement to explain
Economic Ware restraint — a speech given wide by the media, and electoral suicide.
right wing leaders hammered away they are doing nothing to build encourage LIC Peoples March for Jobs. Their whole approach is to downplay campaigning ac-
canvassing
The final day of the Jobs March, 5 June, could be a monster demonstraDenis Healey, Michael Foot, Jim Mortimer and Peter Shore
Name
Address Age If you want more information about Socialist Action or to be put in touch
But Healey is the real leader of the campaign
Toriend a bible to our
Loner * Labour leaders built it. Equally, Labour leaders ignored the potential of the 24 May vomend Day Disarmament.
For Labour campaign edge take the gloves off and for the Tories. It has to be unequivocal on nuclear disarmament. It has to oppose WATC restraint. And it has to build on the potential of the Peoples March for Jobs.
Now the Labour rank and file know what they're getting in return for the
TAKI
Tel
Union/CLP (if any)
with local supporters send this form to Socialist Action, 328 Upper Street, London N1.
'truce' inside the party right wing domination and
diabolical campaign. The NEC's sabotage of Brent East's reselection and the manoeuvering of Benn into a marginal constituency just add insult to
If Labour polls i sons be at won't be because its policies were
left Wi because will be above all the NEC, trade UnIons tops and the Walworth
Labour's and ances both before during the campaign.
7
Foot has been speaking around the country ... we should remember pointed -venor Jim
day old strike against compulsory redundancies.
The redundancies at Albion, Leyland Vehicles group will remain a key issue in this marginal seat, currently held by SDP leader Roy Jenkins.
Over in the east of the city miners from the threatened Cardowen heard Labour leader
pledge keep their pit working.
Pledge
The pledge was repeated in Foot's speech
• a thousand people in Glasgow's Apollo Theatre in the rally which opened Labour's campaign. Foot denied Thatcher's charge that Labour wanted Marxist state saying: 'We owe much more to Keir Hardie than Karl Marx. THE COMMUNIST Party of Great Britain is standing 34 candidates in the election. The Morning Star argues that a vote for the CP is not wasted because it will be a vote against any retreat by the Labour Party from unilateral nuclear disarmament, withdrawal from the EEC and against wage restraint.
The CP initiated the Peoples March. But march stewards have imposed rigid "No politics rule' to the point of expelling young marchers for chanting anti-Tory slogans
According to the Mor ning Star The key task before the British people is to defeat the Tories and
new type of Laboureso ernment.
Agreed why, then, does the CP insist on
the Peoples Preventing Marchers from participating openly in this 'key task in the interests
Fighting for socialist
policies in Glasgow
T'D LIKE to have had this kind of battle come up the day after a Labour government was elected. But
Michael Edwardes was apby a Labour government.' That's conMaclean's response after workers at Glasgow's Albion Motors plant had voted to accept a nationally negotiated settlement ending their 10
This, whilst accurate, did little else than commit Labour to its anti-Marxist credentials. Little time was spent on the issues facing Labour in the general election.
But rank and file activists in Glasgow are ngnuing to oring Ine Issue. to the CND with the Scottish TUC are organising a day long conference on 28 Mav to organise trade union action against nuclear weapons. CND are also mass leafletting in south and east of the ally street activity being organised at tour ditteren venues every Saturday of
But these the centre of
Communist Party
stands 34 candidates
of not alienating the odd bishop, Tory wet or SDPer that the CP can drag onto a Peoples' March platform?
By Redmond O'Neill
In CND too rather than vigorously defending unilateralism, the CP have advocated orientation including the and Liberals.
Within the trade unions, CP members Ken Gill and George Guy were part of unanimous vote for the national economic the TUC General Council • 9 nolicy which the Mor. ning Star, itself described a stuscu revival of wage restraint. It was the story at the Scottish TUC.
In fact, it is members or ine • Cr, wno are most vocal promoters of a new 'anti-Tory alliance' which for some is stretched to in clude even
News
photo JOHN HARPIS
Labour's official paign in Glasgow. nosals for a Womer Labour meeting have been knocked Dack Labour CND have had to cance their special conference and even Strathclyde Labour Briefing folded up a planned meeting. Active
In a series of bi-weekly meetings, Socialist Action supporters are gathering those who are for an active Han or Lavour victury The next forum will feature a panel of speakers including John McAnulty from Peoples Democracy on Ine campaign lulle north of Ireland, , speakers
industrial disputes. youth Women for Peace and other will be explain. ing how Labour should build alliances for the election and for the future.
• ror aerans of ine ner forum write to: PO Box 25, 428 Great Western Road, Glasgow 12 or ring 041-339 0333
Photo. CHRIS DAVIES /Ponart
Ken Gill - voted for new Social Contract
Labour/Alliance coalition government.
A vote for the CP is not for policies
VULt qualitatively different to
inose contained the Labour manifesti Neither would strenginen socialist policies within the labour LOVECI and mass campaigns.
It is a wasted vote. judgement which will be reflected in CP candidates performance.
Page 3 scan of this page
News
Benn's.
The first public
Helen John, Party and Terry Thomas of the Welsh miners.
Benn's campaign intends to visit every workplace in his Bristol East constituency, and is discussing a tour by Helen and other Greenham women to explain Labour's case and the anti-missiles case together.
The People's March will oe joined From the Young socialints Bristol contingents and the Labour Party.
festival featuring CND, YCND and YS will LWO be greeting the marcher:
A youth and women speaker will be on every campaign platform. Bristol West's Ashley meeting on the Police Bill ward have organised and Nationalities Act with larisa Allan
Benn's campaign has already met with. and won widespread support from leaders of the local black community
The 4 June 'Youth for Labour' rally will be join-
d by a strong contingent
have held an open 'Youth meeting to organise street mcclugs, a contillgchl on the People's March, and backing or we campaign in both Bristol West and Hast
Benn's campaign critical and the ruling class realise it. Last week the speech to June.
society.
Comparisons have been made with 1945. But this is false. We must recall that was the grandfather of the Tory wets. wartime government
prepared Beveridge plan, and he, MacMillan and Heath not that I am a fan of any of them are being repudiated ment which is now trying govern-
to turn the clock back, not fifty but a hundred years. Unions
So we are fighting for survival. I'm not talking
cccucu l caul evel li Victorian times. but the survival of the fabric of
society. For Toxeth, Bristol, and Brixton are in- VUl •dications of where total despall can leau. now can we give hope?
We cannot assume that
will lead to a swing to the left. In Germany led
Bristol campaign key
for labour movement
IN BRISTOL an election campaign vital to the labour movement's future has been launched: Tony
meeting of Benn's campaign is a mass rally on Wednesday 25 June with
Pam Tatlow of Bristol West Labour
Sun spent £6,000 in Bristol East on what Benn termed 'anti-Labour posing as an opinion poll.
But it isn't just the Sun that wants to dump him Tribune has revealed that NEC Golding has been active in Bristol organising an antiBenn caucus.
Labour's NEC trampled on Brent East constituency right to select Ken Livingstone didate largely on grounds of an alleged 'left caucus'. But nothing about the Bristol conspiracy to oust Tony Benn.
We have disagreements with Tony Benn. But in parliament he is the foremost representative of that wing of the Labour Party which has spoken for CND; Greenham women, unionists, black people and many others fighting the Tories. tor cont Benn would be a defeat for the whole labour HOVe ment. We support the call put out by Bristol constituencies rally to the marginals in Bristol, particularly Benn's.
10 support the campaign contact: Benn paign, House, Victoria Road, Tel: 0272 293832
Tony Benn on
We reproduce below extracts from Tony Benn's
Bristol trades council on Thursday 19
AN ELECTION is an educational exercise: the one time in the cycle when Labour's case is publicly presented. The people can hear Labour's argument, and that's when we must try to change people's perceptions in the direction of building a better
fascism, because frightened people duel lu wo right wing solutions. wien copie are lightened and despairing, our job is to be thoughtful and dig deep for
Like the Greenham Common women,
privatisation campaign, we have to dig deep and try to reassert the fundamen-
movement.
Non-political unionism, therefore, is a When WeNa the movement should political. I don't mean in a sectarian sense. I mean the purpose of the unions has to be presented politically.
It hes to be placed In the context of such events as the People's March. personally delighted that Conservative mayors greet the march, and that bishops should be stating the moral case for disarmament.
But our message is this, that it is the labour move-
John can-
the
said
many
the trade Cam-
Bristol
Labour's future
ment which draws together all the threads of collective Women, aculol. people, all have looked to the Labour movement to give a lead.
This is my election, but I have never gone into an mood quite like sent. It not about personalities, on a white And come in 4110
everything. Nor is it spectator sport, as the opinion pollsters would have
People
like anti-
In this election we will have to approach people through own perience. spoke NUR member who recalled the experience of worktrade
for Great Railways In nationalisation, when they
be were treated like dirt. If we
people the experience and ave tick we will show that Labour's policy tailor-made meet the crisis. this policy come Not from small bodies in Walworth Road, not from
thousands and TeND HENS labour movement itself. It is a great collection of experience come
UP to 800 turned out on 22 May to demonstrate against the now shelved Police Bill and the extension of police powers. This was despite the withdrawal of money and political support by the Greater London Council and the circulation of rumours in
week that it had been cancelled The march was led by the Brixton Black Women's Group and
YOU-
thirteenth election in a the pre-
someone horse could solve
and when we show people Labour's programme are showing them a mirror of our experience.
So. I am Ine ex- broad because the Labour Party itself is the protector to an working
Western them. And if we campaign 1935 before with the passion and commitment which we haven't had since the I'm sure you'll be surprisof the cuts, ed at the result
For the labour movement will reappear, at this Where did critical juncture of history, from? in the guise of a group trying to represent the interests of all those sections but from who really make up a mathousands jority of the And if we do that, I believe we shall see Thatcher leaving Downing Street on 9 together, June.
THARJ
we
pleased that
March
people
set up bi
early years,
Jobs March
population.
included a strong contingent of law. black movement in Hyde Park.
For a Labour Victory!
• Alain Krivine French Trotskyist, leader of 1968 student revolt, on defeating the Right in France • Helen John Greenham Common women speaker on stopping the missiles in '83 • Peter Thatchell on fighting for socialist policies against the Tories • John McAnulty Peoples Democracy on getting Britain out of Ireland • Cecil Gutsmore National Campaign Against the Police Bill, on black people against the Tories • Jeremy Corbyn Labour candidate for Islington North
•Plus People's Marchers from the 1983
Socialist Action rally issues and giving a voice to those
Hall, London SE1 at 7.30pm
Socialist Action 27 May 1983 3 gays - iwo sections of the cor nunity already well used to the discrimination and brutality of th
The march ended with speakers from the labour movement and
ACTION
Rally Against the Right!
- raising the
excluded from Labour's official election campaign Wednesday 1 June, County
Page 4 scan of this page
Ireland: Sinn Fein's election campaign
4 Socialist Action 27 May 1983
IRELAND
UNFREE
The Kitson
Experiment
Counter-revolutionary
operations in Ireland
'A MAN has declared war on Europe: a free Europe; a special war.
Faligot's new book The Kitson Experiment. * The man of course is Brigadier Frank Kitson, author of Low Intensity British army's political-military manual on how to deal with an insurgent population. Faligot shows in detail how Kitson's ideas have been applied in Ireland — a usetul practice for possible civil uprising in Britain and other parts of Europe.
The essence of Kitson's strategy is control of Ine civwan populauol, repression against the core of an insurrectionary movement; pyschological warfare and black propaganda with the aim of separating leaders trom sophisticated possible means of intelligence and in- 111-0 01 their followers; filtration of opposition movements.
Revolt
The application of these techniques calls for the closest possible liaison between civil police and military forces, together with the formation and use of 'special brigades' for selected operations. All these plans have been put into operation in Ireland.
On called David Seaman arranged a press conference in Dublin. He revealed that until then he had been
member of the Special Air Service operating in Northern He said that, things, the SAS were engaged in random bòmb explosions to discredit the IRA.
In January 1972 his body was found in a ditch near the border in County Armagh.
Seaman's revelations blew the whistle on the operation of Kitson's 'special units'. first jobs of the SAS were the formation of the Military Reconnaissance cipal aim, was to infiltrate Republican and Loyalist organisations. A famed operation of the MRF was the Four Square Laundry Operation.
On October 1972 a Four Square Laundry Van was ambushed in the Twinbrook area of Belfast. An IRA unit shot dead two SAS men in a concealed compartment in the roof of the van, and killed the driver. The Four Square Laundry was a clever cover operation. house visits yields valuable tion to cleaning clothes, the Four Square Laundry aso examined clotning tor evidence wal il nal been in the vicinity of firearms.
The MRF was just a small episode in the anti'low intensity' arsenal. psychological warfare and operations (known as Joint Warfare Establishment (JWE) at Salisbury
Wiltshire. The repressive personnel weapons bullets, water cannon and the rest are well known So are techniques of selective repression of the political vangnard
Perhaps the most developed aspect of the 'Kitson' operations in the North have been the massive surveillence and intelligence operation. Computer files at the Thiepval Barracks in Lisburn number half a million or more -total adult population of the nationalist areas, plus a few over for Loyalist groups.
What's important anti-subversion warfare is that it's an escalating system, combining politica, and millary
The security services civil strife to put it into already in operation in Britain, in particular the many of its intelligence-gathering features.
The rest is jusi waiting for implementation at the right time ... and the forces who will put it into effect are getting all the experience they will need in Britain's counter-revolutionary war.
* The Kitson Experiment, Available from The Other Bookshop, 328 Upper
St, London NI. Add 20% post and packing.
So begins Roger
Operations the selective but ferocious
and the most 23 October 1971 a 31-year old Englishman
other
Among the Forces (MRF). A prinoften using soldiers of Irish extraction, Anything involving house to
intelligence. In addi-
Faligot details the propoganda 'psyops'), taught at the arsenal of antiand plastic
assassination, internment,
- roughly equivalent to the
about Kitson's scheme v.
abucws
won't wait for widespread
effect. Aspects of it are
Zed Press, £3.95.
THE NEWSPAPERS and the TV in Britain are filled with coverage of the general election battle, but there is a void when it comes to covering the election in Ireland for the future of politics in Britain.
Labour Committee on Ireland) spoke to Owen Carron MP who is defending his seat in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
What are your aims in the election?
We are aiming to be recognised the legitimate representatives of the nationalist population of the North.
In the Assembly elections, gainea 35 cent of the popular vote. Imis ume we ale gong iol 50 per cent.
That will mean that the Social Democratic and Labour Party's growing isolation will continue. By their compromises the national question, they nelp tne briusn and arc prolonging present war.
Do think that decline of the SDLP will CoLluc d
Only up to a certain point. After 'that, Cass begin to dle c intes lai
middle classe. never vote Sinn Fein because of the kind of party we are and what we represent.
How does the presence of the British Army affect the cauol.
It makes it very difficult. Our campaign is subjected to a high level of repres-
It is always the case that the Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary in-
profile during crease thelr elections. This time worse tnan ever.
The Sinn Fein electoral CallDals! represents threat to the authorities, so they are all intervening
toe army, the RUc and
the RUC and allly , SDLP, but also the Church.
night Lisnaskea, a small town in the south of the constituency, the army surrounded the campaign offices Everyone approaching the office was ordered to take off their coats and were subjected to an extensive on the spot search.
In the last two weeks, we have had 20 of our election workers arresica anu held under the detention laws for between three and seven days.
A PESE
another one!
- a contest which has deep implications
This week Labour and Ireland (the journal of the
If you do manage to overcome the obstacles and succeed in winning the 50 per cent vote, what do you think will be the future of the Prior Assembly?
The Assembly will continue to exist as long as there is a Thatcher government. We are not too wor-
about its existence. Our concern is the stance of nationalist Ireland towards it.
The Assembly represents an attempt by the Unionist and British establishment to solidify itself - we want to stop this.
So far we have ont damaged the SDLP. But a high vote for Sinn Fein will make certain they cannot join the assembly. It can have no credibility whilst the nationalist community is solid to boycott it
Our next job will be to intervene in the Free State. We see all the seeds there TO N a rapid growth oi a revolutionary movement. tms ls ur most polanl goal.
Of course, DUDDUILCLS of Sinn Fein are active in the current strike waves. but the unions are infiltrated by reactionaries
the Workers who try to take the na-
question Oul of politics.
This area needs a lot of our attention and work because we are weak in the South.
After the election we will be playing, as MPs, much the same role as our Assembly representalives at the moment involving ourselves in the politics of the community
We will go on fighting for decent housing, welfare, and all the othet coe amente nanavc been systematically run down under British rule.
Overall, though, we will be building a revolutionary, radical alternative to the SDLP.
• Labour and Ireland election special will be out in the next two weeks. To order copies fte oi sci
write to: LCI BM Box 5355, Martin o-59373 PRane WCIN 3XX
OF THE ACTION
there's one thing 1 rate about election time sephologists and..
Owen Carron MP.
LABOUR's NEC has forced Reg Freeson as candidate on Brent East Constituency Labour Party. The Party ruefully accepted this ... but battle over reselection recommences on 10 June.
'We will mount a massive national campaign to kick out the present NEC leadership and elect one that will carry out conference decisions.
After légal advice against continuing with its selection conference the comrades agreed to comp ly. But those gathere‹ together Ine conference (which had been called before the NEC had imposed candidate) • decided on who they would have chosen, given the chance. The imposed candidate, Freeson received. 3 votes. Ken ingstone received 53 and a standing ovation.
By Ronan Brady (Brent East CLP)
The NEC knows that it nasn e wo ana must crush Brent : East or retire with a bloodv nose
your time? that
Brent East fights on
Colin Adams, GMC Chairperson, has promised
will use the election period to try to build up support for the right and will try to pack the GMC with tame delegates.
If this tactic fails it will try trontal approach and will use any pretext it can to dissolve the barty
Freedon in tae eectin
Freeson election would give the right one of its best excuses.
Far from being a vindication of the GMC would, in fact, give Johr Golding an excuse to tour the area 'building up' the party.
In Brent East the imposition of Freeson has so ScKclcu members that
Good morning, sir May
I take a few minutes of
Do you agree
ward be d disaster?
News
Photo• PETE CRAN7
some refused to canvass
him There art number of close marginals nearby and there is a feeling that to canvass for Freeson is to capitulate.
Socialist Action supporters, whilst sympathis-
ing with this feeling, have argued that the best way to ensure reselection after the election is to work for the party in Brent East. Many
will be recruited in this election
We need to make sure thes hear our arguments first.
Freeson's imposition is even more Diller Io1• bic
Irish community to accept.
There will be an Irish can-
didate standing against
Socia
Democratic Party can-
didate has covered himself
in shamrocks.
Yet the only natural al-
ly the Irish people have in
the election is the labous
movement. In this case
that means a Labour vote
and Party to kick out Freeson! Jomlng the Labour
CORMAC"
want pollste om the Su
Page 5 scan of this page
A Marcher's | to ich does have hement journal this line was rationa ised
- arguing have any power. or need damn well what
INVA
ORDER
Eric's extra for
People's March
'No! I want you fit for the march!
JOE WAS SIGHTED
ALL OUT 5 JUNE
which does have the power anu we necu lo fight unemployment. The sort of thing we need is
univing site lowly a
non who had clocked off chers. dave two marcus a sal-
HIS NOSE.
THE PEOPLE's March for Jobs from Glasgow to. London was called by the TUC to oppose mass unemployment movement's alternative. It is now in its fourth week.
Tory and had a massive impact. This march is none
town, organise a reception for it, set up tours of fac. tories, labour movement bodies, youth clubs, and invite the marchers to them. And make sure that the 5 June London demonstration is a massive show of
TUC sabotage
south east march
Spot the difference
out of the ordinary
SUN
FUN
IMENAN
"Whenever walk
Laing watched!
WA TACOSED RIGHT UP AGAINST N T-SHIRT TRYING TÕ READ IT.
NIBZ
labour
The last march in 1981 was loud, political anti
Although it is very late in the day things could be march comes through your
The plan was to set up
democratic
commutice for regional labour movement and CND bodies to share control.
Support came from branches of the Public Employees union and the General and Municipal Union. But this Was sabotaged when the South East Region of the TUC and the Southern Region Labour Party mailed their affiliates withdrawl of support. The Kent NUM and Medwar trades council dropped out immediately.
This could have been overcome if the organising committee had built on the
CND support along the route But this ran contrary to the politics of the Militant who had excluded themselves from the organising committee.
So now the march has been called off. But the Gillingham LPYS are not giving up. They are encouraging support for jobs marches and rallies for Saturday 4 June to put the campaign back into the election.
The TUC Charter for
content of journals and choudle
New hope
on abortion? THE Labour Party has restated its commitment
improving abortion rights and facilities.
In its campaign document, The New Hope for Britain, includes the tollowing statement:
' While continuing to defend the absolute right of individual conscience we improve NHS facilities for family planning and abortion, including counselling and day-care; and we wịll remove barriers to the
Soutle West
nalp
14 May Labour movement conference on El Salvador
KEVIN COYNE remains surprising y faithful to the People's March for Jobs despite his expulsion from it by the national organising committee on 19 May
along with fellow marchers Pete Cashman and Mark Holt, Transport union members and Paul Davies, a full-time official of the union from Birkenhead.
Their crime ting anti-Tory slogans. Kevin has WILD the march although his official beer taken off him and he is
official transport and social
Anti-
deportation
campaigns
DONATIONS are urgently needed for the campaign stop the
Afia Begum and her daughter
Send contributions to ine Aria begum werence Campaign c/0 Box 22 136 Kingsland High Street, London E8.
HALIMAT Babamba and her children are also threatened with deportation (see Male Order, 6 May).
demonstration planned LeeD City Square on 18 June at 1.30pm in their support. Friends of Halimat can be contacted at Box HB 59 Cookridge Street, Leeds 2.
Hibicuculalol the existing right of choice for women in the termination of pregnancy.
While welcoming the inclusion of this commitment in the document, the statement remains vague!
How will they remove barriers and what is this 'existing right of choice'?
We urge write to the NEC, individually through their Lr or union bran-
The south west leg of the People's March has left Cornwall and is now winding its way through Devon. Before crossing the border marchers found time to send greetings to the
Expelled but not beaten
He explains, was
taken on the march as a
relief driver, as part of the
north west delegation. The
way through Liverpool
shouting ¡ anti-Tor
slogans. Officials like Ron
Todd and Jack Drome
supported the line of the
marshalls to exclude me.
We are fully prepared
lo ablue by lue accisions
and discipline of the mar-
but when the march 1 a stand. Toe problem ke
stand. problem
that the march organisers
are interested in
building links with
likes of the church that
neglecting
organise in the labour and
Li duc UHOu
itself.
so in a lot of towns
we've been through there's ch, asking for a stronger statement and more detailed promise oI exactly how the party intends to bring about the necessary change.
• From an article Breaking Chales newspaper of the Abor-
Lan Ketorm Asociation (ALRA), available from 88a Islington High street London NI 8EG, 01-355 5200 20p plus postage.
Socialist Action 27 May 1983 5
been the worse turn out
I've ever seen. There ar
very few factory meetings
organised on the route.
we
want to split up the marct
We want it to get to Lon
don and have an impact
But to do this it needs to be
made political.
Following the expu-
sions we are expecting sup
port from region six of the
Transport union The
Liverpool trades council
has passed resolution
supporting us and is going
to take us a cacul wee
the way the march has
been conducted.
The north west TUC is
and has passed com
ments onto the TUC say-
ing that it wants its section
the march to be more
political.
ALRA are holding their
General Meetin on Sat 18 June, 11-1.00,
Birkbeck College, Malet Street, London WCI. Details from address above
Compiled by HILARY
contributions *Male Order' Socialist Action, 328 Upper street, London NI EXP to arrive not later that Thursday a week pror to publica tion.
Page 6 scan of this page
Maggie and Ronnie Williamsburg alliance
Socialist Action: 27 May 1983
Photos: (iM COCKSY)N
AT THE end of this month the leaders of the 'free' (read almighty roW Williamsburg summit.
the election to bolster her 'world leader' image. And in the debates she'll line up with Ronald Reagan in supporting US defence policies which are inhibiting a reflation of the world economy.
The problem for most of the Western countries is that the US budget deficit is sending American interest rates sky high.
As result, huge amounts of money from the international money
La C flooding into the United States, making
difficult for countries like the France and West Germany to reflate their economies.
Arms spending by the United States is the main
Al
EP Thompson - ducked crucial questions. Inset youth march against the missiles.
West pays for US missiles
'capitalist') world will get together for an
economic policy, at the
Margaret Thatcher will use her visit just before
source of the his defence Reagan and defence secretary, Casper well. berger are committed
increase in defence spending.
Projects like the MX missile and the Stealth bomber are costing untold billions; The only way to deal with the US budget deficit would either CUl social services, which the Congress won't do or to
raise taxes, which no one is Keet WILl electons looming next year.
So the budget deficit just piles up, while the other major capitalist powers pay for it in what
virtually enforced "loans' the United States.
Oil
Thatcher has a slightly different angle on the problem. The strength of British capitalism
increasingly morinarular turing, but in oil revenues and its powerful banks.
Thatcher, ( unlike Mitterand or West Germany's Kohl, doesn't mind high oil prices and high interest rates.
She's not exactly hell-
on economic refla. tion in Britain Thatcher Reagan against Mitterand
opposition Helmut Kohl.
While Reagan and his supporters would be quite happy to see US social ser-
DIlS Democrats and World
president Koberl McNamara have dif_crel vicw.
They another defence for the United which would building forces for world-wide
operations.
On this basis they think that the more expensive new nuclear projects could be abandoned, while the United States could take a
THIS IS AN important year for the peace movement, a year of decision. The deployment of Cruise and Pershing missiles in Europe will begin later this year, at Greenham Common the first Cruise are about to arrive.
than the second European Nuclear Disarmament
19-14 May.
But hopes that ther Berlin gathering would be able to play this vital role were badly disappointed.
There was plenty of en-
among the 3000 or so participants from al OVCI Western Europe (as well Japan a10l American continent) the movements of the East could only send messages - but the only concrete proposal to emerge from the proceedings was that of a series of referenda
By Günter Minnerup
Perhaps most significantly, only a hundred
delegates rapidly shrinking below twenty as the evening wore on - attended the trade union
workshop
But the group decide to devote MOs its precious time to a discussion problem converting armament industries to the production peaceful
rather than the preparation of industrial action against the missiles.
Was it simply a problem of social composition of the participants? To somme exicil certainly was.
Rather than an assembly of the European
peace movery mash the
was much gathering of one particular section of it - the young middle class, professional and as far as the dominant German element was concerned least 'green-alternative' wing.
Trade-unionists, pecially from the manual unions, were very thinly spread indeed.
But at root the problem was of the political intentions of the
organisers. To be fair, they big initiative towards the
Soviet Union through pro posing a nuciear Treece .
This would have the effect
of helping a modest relation
in the United States. Facts
Everyone at Williamsburg will be trying to de-
fend their own corner their own capitalism at the expense of the others.
the assembled leaders will be taught some brutal facts of life. With leaders like Reagan and Weinberger the United States is giving away Despite relative
decline the United States is still incomparably the world's most powerful imperialist Everyone
else is going to have to get into line — or e se.
END convention
An opportunity lost
What better opportunity to hammer out a coordinated international campaign of action then
convention which took place in West Berlin from
had not intended the convention to be a decision-making one in preparation for the autumn confrontations.
In the words of Ken Coates, speaking opening day: 'Our plenary meeungs are not central le our activity in the way that
of Ilall comicica political parties or trade unions have established work will not result in pro their central forums Our clamations, but in joint agreement and common activities'.
These were to spring spontaneously from various workshops and
some useful ideas did in deed emerge from the exCame or cocuca different Collies But the central how to stop the missiles. -remained unanswered.
Even representative, nondecision making assembly such as this convention could, however, have made an important contribution to Lte coming struggles by advancing the process political clarification. But it was in this area that the political confusion of the vi causels . was most counterproductive.
Capsule
Some of the problems that a convention on the general theme of 'A nuclear-free Europe fron Portugal to Poland' would lave already become apparent well before Berlin: choice of the divided city as the venue had been considered by of the END initiators as 'too provocative', and the massive attacks made on END b Yuri Zhukov, Yuri Zhue official Soeset the
Peace Council, ther pushed END into the
international
DI
News
defensive.
In the event, one gainimpression general tendency on the part of the organisers sweep controversy under the carpet gloss. over the fundamental differences dividing them on the crucial strategic questions Eastern Europe the German question, detente - and get the whole thing over with:
No wonder there was a unaccumen dissatisfaction among the Pheir frustration down to particıpants Many the ridiculously unsuitable venue, gigantic and ultramodern Congress 'space capsule' by exiled East German singer Wolf Biermann - which never allowed an atmosphere of militancy and solidarity to develop. Questions But the real problem was that too many questions remained wered, or even unasked.
Is it possible to reverse the arms race through a return to the détente policie. of the 1970s?
What are the roots of the Cold War'? Can peace and disarmament be achieved on the basis o the European status quo will that have to overturned before our be achieved?
How does the peace movement relate to the social and political emancipation movements on both sides Solidarity Poland and the labour movements of the West?
To talk of the need for a 'thaw' between the blocs - as Edward Thompson did is simply not enough.
END and its international initiatives can make a valuable contribution in nelping to bicak down lne insularity so prevalent in the British nuclear disar mament movement especially and fostering in. ternational links and debates. But it serves no one ducking the political issues and choices verore us
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The Alliance - danger to the labour movement
News
THE LAUNCH of Social Democratic ty/ Liberal Alliance paign has shown that their main aim in the election is to stop Labour from forming a government. And they are receiving support in the top levels of the labour movement as TUC's chairperson Frank Chapple's support for one of their candidates shows.
At the very first Alliance press conference David Steel and Roy Jenkins, respectively the leader of the campaign and prime minister-designate chose to make Labour its main target in presenting its policies.
They summarised their policy differences Labour as being: * a moderate reflationary package with the objective of reducing unemployment to two million
policy
whilst against Trident, like the Tories they are for keeping cruise if the Geneva negotiations are unsuccessful, but they are for a dual key with the Pentagon *for maintaining British internationa alliance. particular with the EEC and NATO
However these policies will be a secondary matter for many of those who vote for the Alliance. It is more their appeal as a above the vested interests of labour and capital
Thatcher's rapacious drive for profit and repelled by the indecision and vacillation of the labour leadership.
It is this question which is at the centre of a new book by Vernon Bogdanor* which examines the impact of the SDP/Liberal Alliance on
Bogdanor traces out the development of the SDP around the issue of the Common Market in the
resignation denkins and David Owen trom the
front bench in 1972 Labour's commitment to a referendum on the issue of Britain's membership of the EEC. The year before with Shirley Williams they line whip to lead 66 Labour MPs into voting with the membership.
But if the Common Market was the issue the democrats coalesced it was not the only cause of their break.
The experience of the Wilson and Callaghan governments Convincel the left in the Party changes had to be made in the policies, constitution and leadership of the party. The growth of the left in the unions after 1968 meant that the block vote could not be used in the old reflexive way to defend the status quo. So in the two years that followed Labour's peter Labour left succeed, by and large, in attaining the first of its two objecLIve.
Table One
armontie Small left-wing Labour rarty
Owenite Small left-wing Labour Party
Jenkinsite Labour Party
with
The outcome was that the Party
adopted radical policies
withdrawal from the EEC, unilateral
disarmament as well as opposition to
incomes policy. These
patible with acting as a serious' party
of government
upholding the capitalist status quo.
The success of the
reforms (reselection of MPs and elec-
tion of the party leader) meant that
the leadership of the party could be
sanctioned
policies through.
The Council for
Democracy formed itself as a faction
and prepared its break from a party
that they were convinced would never
again offer them the fruits of govern-
mental office.
Open support
Democratic Party attracted the open
support of many right wing Labour
Party figures — some of whom left
the Party to join them and some who
trade union leaders like Frank Chap-
ple, Bill Sirs, Sid Weighell, Roy Gran-
tham and Terry Duffy. The emergent
further left advance in the party a
way of subtracting sufficient Labour
votes to render an overall majority for
Labour in Parliament impossible; and
possibly as a new and rising political
Prospects for the latter objective
spectacular successes in by-elections
and in conjunction with the Liberals
achieved opinion poll results which,
served WILY
political debate both insiae and our-
side the Alliance about its political
Realigned radical Conservatives party comprising Liberals and right wing Labour
SDP Liberals Conservatives
Liberal/SDP Conservatives Alliance
Roy Jenkins and David Steel — united against Labour
such
were incom-
committed
constitutional
not carrying these
Social
put forward ms views was that the WaN
wide support in the
Table Two
Social class
AB C1 C2 UC
Sharpen boreanor.
tion where the Liberals ran second in 79 of the 339 seats won by the Tories,
of the SDP was meant to provide such an instrument.
For David Owen
from the tandem with the Liberals was
In Bogdanor bureaucracy, as
By Steve Potter
SDP points to three different perspectives of the SDP and the Alliance which he categorises as Grimmondite, Owenite
power led through a recreation of the on
Labour agreement that was concludgeneral election of 1910, but one that would find modern shape in a single party consisting of Liberals and the right wing of the Labour Party. The ments of the left.' basis on which Grimond originally Third way after their third consecutive election defeat in 1959 were terminal. Reconciliation between the left and right
However, under the leadership of Wilson, backed by the Frank Cousins the party went on to win the 1964 and
Another defect with Grimond's
Labour. In the February 1974 election for example the Liberal's upsurge within the SDP allowed Labour to become the largest than the Tories. This was confirmed leadersals. by the results of the 1979 general elec-
The social class profile of the parties All Con 26 21 19 32 Source: Gallup Report, Political Tracking Study, October 1981. Quoted in
but in only 2 won by Labour. The rise
least two and Shirley Williams the aim of getting sufficent
Labour Party utopian, as the Liberals were identified by the bulk of Labour voters, and tary agreemenl more importantly by the trade union David Steel
anti-union. For Owen the alliance with the Liberals is a temporary evil to be dispensed with
by until electoral reform can be won. The
would then hope to emerge in its own right as the inheritor of the Gaitskell and Crosland tradition, but not through reforming the Labou Party, but through its destruction.
Bogdanor notes that this strategy
premise Grimond's and 'if this view proves to 1974. have underestimated the recuperative possibilities of the Labour Party' then •disunity on the left (would make) for long periods of Conservative rule, interrupted only by short-lived govern-
Roy Jenkins has put forward a third way. For him the SDP/Liberal Alliance can be a two edged sword which can cleave both at the Labour
It follows that Jenkins would be prepared to accept a coalition with the Tories for the sake of achieving elec toral reform, and sees the Alliance as semi-permanent feature of the British
with Owen
and Rodgers in elections for the party
Lib/
19 26 24 25 28
This is likely to remain the case until the results of the general election are known and their impact is felt on all the major political parties. For at
of the strategies of the Alliance rest on the response of the right wing of the Labour Party to the overtures being made by the Alliance.
Already the Alliance leaders have indicated their terms for a parliamen-
with other parties. indicated that measures against unemployment and a commitment to steps towards proportional representation are the rock-
Socialist Action 27 May 1983 7 bottom conditions for any deal. Roy Jenkins has added that the question of the Common Market and income policy are also planks for discussion.
There has been a response within both the Parliamentary Labour Part! and in the trade unions. Steel revealed in an interview on ITV's Weekend World that the suggestion of coalition in the event of a hung parliament had been made in a roundabout fashion
both Michael Foot and Dennis Healey.
Others have not been SU Terry Duffy suffered one of his few defeats at this year's Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers national committee when he motivated the necessity of adopting the referendum (stay in) position on the Common Market for his union and for the Labour Party. Otherwise, he said, it would be impossible to work with the Alliance.
Pessimistic
Unfortunately the left of the labour movement, instead of nailing these sentiments in the pre-election period when it counts, have let them go by with the assertion that it is 'pessimistic' to talk about a bung parliament.
But hung parliament or not, after the election the debate will continu as to how Labour should relate to the so-called 'middle ground' dominated by the SDP-Liberal Alliance. This vil apply whether the Alliance is sec cessful in terms of seats or not stace i is likely that the Alliance vote phe others will equal exceed the previous record of 25 per cent of votes cast neither for Tories or Laboer
Already this debate has beea is. itiated on the left by Marxism Today. who have sponsored a collection of essays on the necessity of the com struction by the labour movement of the broadest possible set of alliances This reflects a project expounded a greater length by Dave Cook in the same journal and which finds its reflection in the themes set by the organisers of the Peoples March. Thi aim is a grand anti-Thatcher alliance. without regard to party affiliation. which can lay the basis for nationa
Theorists
Marxism Today theorists and their ilk hope that the Left by virtue of moral and political superiority can emerge as the leadership. But as we have seen such schemes will only aid the pro jects of the Alliance and the right wing of the labour movement and have willing takers in the SDP. Such a course would lead not to the victor!
ine labour movement needs to wil broader forces to its ranks or to make alliances. It needs to build among the •OUL unemployed and those workers and youth of Scotland and Wales who oppose Westminster but support the na. tionalists. It needs to ally itself with
done on the basis of socialist policies. In this way Labour can show a way out of the social and economic crisi which can only be resolved through a strong and decisive lead over the Alliance base: ground dows
policies yet lacking confidence in s Labour leadership which has shows itself incapable of championing the interests of its own class let alone the interests of the frightened people who will vote for the Alliance in the com
* Multi-Party Politics and the Constitu tion: V. Bogdanor. Cambridge Universit Press. £6.9:
Page 8 scan of this page
Tories plan to cri
A guide to the Tory attack on
The lessons of the Heath government
THE TORIES learned
of the 1971 Heations Act. Then they introduced a batвсту of legislation and the Industrial Relations confronting the unions in every area. The Act collapsed in the face of massive working class resistance to the arrest of the striking dockers -the Pentonville 5.
The new approach was much more careful and piecemeal. It aimed at a steadily deepening attack •sion rights, which opened the door for employers and others to bring legal cases to the existing courts.
Action which had for years been lawful was to lead to unions and trade mionists being sued in the civil courts. I gave anti-working class forces the opportunity to sue the unions.
This was the key to the new, Tory strategy. Whether the unions are sued depends on the balance of forces. Mass memployment is intended to tip the
in favour of the Even if many of the provisions of the 1930 and 1982 Acts have not yet been used by employers, the situation will be different under a Tory with a fresh mandate.
The 1980 Prior Las
These attacked secondary Wacking and sympathy action and the dosed shop. Under the Prior Laws only acketing at your place of work was
Car workers picketing
icketing unregistered ports, or Cowley workers picketing Longbridge to win apport for a dispute became unlawful.
addition, éffective even within the of the became more difficult. The Code Practice produced with
gested 'six-picket limit',
dely used by the police in attacking rickets.
The Prior Laws also made it easier
8 Socialist Action 27 May 1983
*It is true that any union effectively controlling all
potential workers of a firm or industry can
exercise almost unlimited pressure on the
employer and that, particularly where a great amount of capital has been invested in specialised
equipment, such a union can practically expropriate the owner and command nearly the
whole return of his enterprise.'
F.A. Hayek — the brains behind Tebbit's boots. James Prior, Mrs Thatcher's first union basher. Prior a man of the people lives in @ humble 15th century 380-acre farmhouse with a magnificent moat.
is needed to get a closed shop.
from the Tebbit takes over Industrial
special Courts Employment Protection Act. virtually
inter-union disputes
on trade
aim is for the unions to nember.
disobey. second
cent 'yes'
ty of up Government refusing to join,
The Tory manifesto picketing,
strikes compulsory.
collective picketing, of government and media. the Act
Britain.
for individuals to refuse to join a union in closed shops, an 80 per cent yes-vote
Prior was replaced by Tebbit who set to work with a will on the strangely named
Its main provisions were to limit the right to strike to worker/employer matters thus outlawing actions against government policy, sympathy actions,
and strikes force sub-contractors to join unions.
Unions made liable for damages of up to f250,000 if they did not take immediate steps to prevent their members taking 'unlawful' industrial action. The
police their
It also makes it easier for employers to get injunctions from the courts to
— caving acurvists labie to imprisonment for contempt if they
main target was the established closed shop. While Prior insisted on ballots for new shops the Act provides for periodic ballots requiring 80 per cent of the workforce or 85 per
'vote to reaffirm the shop.
In addition, the Act offered a boun-
£20,000 to malcontents if they were dimissed for union
For leaving a union. place. This money is to be paid by the union.
The new proposals take this a stage further. Under cover of concern about
Tories will make secret ballots before
This is designed to undermine the role of mass meetings in expressing the
worker and make industrial action an individual
in the face of a hostile
Taken together the Tory changes in the law prepare the way for a major assault on the power of organised Labour in
drive the Labour Party into bankruptcy. By Pat Hickey HANDS UP For Democracy is the TUC's reply to the Tory strategy for breaking trade
power in the workBut it should retitled Hands Up Bureaucracy.
This pamphlet does not defend working class organisation against the Tories. It detends the trade union ol ficials ... their power, their practices, their privileges.
A flavour of the depths to which such an argument needs to sink is giver by the following quote: 'Even the cost of finding out information on com panies, which most people think should be freely available, has been increased from Sp a time to fl.
This 'defence' of democracy in the mass organisations of the working class takes as its point of reference comparison with the capitalist companies, the banks, the pension funds, the press,
Norman Tebbit — a real Thatcher favourite. He wants to break the unions and
For a real
defence of
the unions
the Conservative party, and - heaven help us - the House of Lords.
The argument runs that these institutions are undemocratic. The trade unions are much more democratic But you cannot win the argument with such a starting point. be tions which are designed to exploit and For repress the working class are by their nature undemocratic. They have to be
Price
Trade unions, however, need the greatest possible concentrated employers and their state means struggling also for the involvemen members. Democracy privilege nor a luxury. It is a necessity.
The lack of it retards the political development of the working class, and exacts a heavy price. In 1964, 73 per cent of trade unionists voted Labour; in 1979, 51 per cent; a recent dicated that 43 per unionists intend to vote Labour in this
Party are unions.
sent
fence freedom. are in
in the EEPTU AUEW TASS. contracting in.
Organisademocracy. Fighting
cent
power the political levy.
greatest unity and
of the is neither
voluntarv
poll in cent of trade
BOTH the Tories and the Liberal/SDP Alliance think the unions are too political.
Both their manifestos claim that political funding and the political levy of the Labour
abused by the
They argue that the presystem whereby individuals have to 'contract out' of political payments is not democratic and an of-
against personal
The Labour Partv receives three quarters of its total funds from the trade union members via the political levy. At present 82 per cent of trade unionists contract in
The lowest numbers contracting out
the unskilled manual trade umons. Less lan s per cent opt out ll the T&GWU and NUPE and 4 per cent in the NUR as compared to 25 per cent
and 43 per cent in
But between 1927 and 1946 trade unionists had to invidually 'contract in' to paying the political levy. Wide variations continued to persist with 77 per cent of the NUM, 37 percent of the AUEW and 15 per cent of the EEPTU
But the Labour Party lost enormous funds as overall numbers con-
BY TH
VICTORIA R election. In the same poll, only 17 per
of trade unionists support the
Clearly all is not well in the unions When the trade union bosses send rail strikers back to work, when they fail to fight effectively for the health workers, when they make deals which impose
incomes policy • on thei members, they open the door for the employers and their parties to weaken and divide the working class.
The Tory proposals on the unions play on this. For the fact of the matter
Page 9 scan of this page
This is who the Tories serve: The Stock Exchange, The Bank of England, the Nat West and the guy who owns the Rolls
tributing to the Party dropped from 3.2 million to 2.6 million despite an 80 per cent increase in trade union membership.
This experience shows that the Tories and Alliance are less concerned about the liberties of individual trade unionists than they are about financially crippling the Labour Party.
By Redmond O'Neill
Norman Tebbit is generous enough to claim: 'I believe there is a place for a left of centre opposition party in Britain which enjoys popular support.
'If Labour were forced to develop a mass membership as the Conservative have done to preserve its financial position it would automatically the bedsitter brigade and militant leftists and Bennites which have all but destroyed the Labour Party of old.'
out me mass menderson onoca Tory associations contribute less to Tory funds than individual members of the Labour Party: 28.6 per 1969/70 and 17.1 per cent in 1979/80less than a sixth of the total.
The Tory Party is increasingly and overwhelmingly financed through contributions from the biggest capitalist corporations in Britain, providing up to 75 per cent ot total tunds.
As their £12.5 million Saatchi and Saatchi election campaign shows, the lories understand perfectly that the wheels of parliamentary democracy are gucasca by vulgar pouna nores.
QUEEN.
nation.
is that most unions are undemocratic Most general secretaries and officials are appointed for life
Many decisions are made without reference to the members. It is almost
remove officials flout members' decisions or who sell out strikes to the employers.
In the recent Cowley dispute, the members time and time again made their opposition to clear. Kalner inan starting mrom decisions of the mass meetngs and tak-
ple Labour
employing class as a whole hes, courts and stale
ty in action is necessary.
liberty. politically divide the unions. force out calls for
for
cent in
have caused the decline.
defends their
be defended and maintained.
they intend
TOS.
the unions
the company's terms.
tain's trade or every week Is nonscise.
ecutives,
democracy.
is well. The
ple against Tory attacks.
vince many change the Tory's minds.
HANDS UP DEMOGRA who
BL's proposals
line
Just as trade unions must levy dues to defend their members against individual employers, equally money is necessary to defend them against the
- its parI nis is une pur pose of the political levy. In political struggle, as in trade union struggle, uni-
No union can survive and allow blacklegging in the name of personal
So too the unions can't maintain a political party independent of the capitalist parties without united action in the payment of political funds.
The Tories argue that Labour's vote amongst trade unionists has declined in recent years. Their aim is to use this to
They are helped by leaders like Chapple when he
• a vote for an SDP candidate and Duttv when he motivates the need
Labour/Alliance coalition
The decline in Labour's vote among trade unionists is not an argument Ior contracting-in and abandoning the present method of collecting the political levy, which is favoured by people like Chapple. It is an argument for abandoning the policies and leaders which
ly party in which trade unionists can organise a fight for a government that
interests against the callarsis, mm me pontical levy must
It because the Tories understand this that
financially cripple Labour and break its links with the. ing on the company, Terry Dutty and Moss Evans sent them back to work on
The pamphlet's claim that 'in Briunions it is the members who decide' does not accord with the experience of millions of workers.
And the claim that 'union officers, whether elected or appointed, ... are accountable to their members every day
When Tebbit proposes to introduce ballots for the election of union ex.
and general secretaries it is easy for him to hide behind a cloak of
The answer is not to pretend that all answer is to make the unions more democratic, more accountable, while at the same time fighting for policies which defend working peo.
This pamphlet has nothing to say about such questions. It won't con.
workers. And it won't
FOR • Hands Up For Democracy. TUC.
THE TORIES believe in exclusive schools and clubs. They also believe in having a very exclusive party.
Riff-raff like Tory canvassers or the local estate agent cannot policy-making members of the Conservative party. That privilege restricted to Tory MPs and the Tory beers in une nouse or Lords.
This ensures there is terference from the rank and file.
The Conservative Associations in the constituencies 'supporters clubs" which have right to determine policy. That is left solely to the leaders Westminster.
Royce. They are also the source of all that money Saatchi and Saatchi are spending.
Even dodos like this can't decide Tory policy. They are just supposed to make the right sounds and love their leader.
A bit exclusive
exclusive
pie. be
is ing tell leader. dangerous step down the road no inelection.
simply But that's where
Thatcher - then appoints t chairperson and decides w
HJD I6N
Until 1965 there was no election for the leadership. Instead the top people got together over dinner and decided on the must suitable chap-
ship.
After Sir Alec Douglas Home's performance between 1963 and 1965 the MPs suspected there might be something in the idea of them elec-
Do iney IOOk
democracy and decided to hold an
the voting begins and ends. The leader — Mrs
officers the party needs and then per- Office!
sonally picks them.
The advantage of this system is that it stops quarrels in the leader-
Everybody does what Thater tells them.
We rang Tory Central Office to ask now many members tne part had. 'No idea', we were told. We pushed them to make a guess — Half a million? One million?
The official replied: 'We don't keep records of that sort of thing. Nothing depends on it.'
Well at least that's one truthful statement to come out of Central
Socialist Action 27 May 1983
Page 10 scan of this page
10 Socialist Action 27 May 1983
SOCiAliSt
ACTiON
Black or British?
EVEN the amount of money which the Tories are spending to try and win the black vote in the election £16,000 out of a total campaign budget of £12.5 million.
The leaflet they have racist and insulting. 'Labour says he's black. Tories say he's British' the Tories are record of shameless racist policies.
The Conservative Central Office admits as much. The difference between their line now and in 1979 is that then 'we felt very much on the defensive.' This was the preceded by preserve 'the British way of life' and of not being 'swamped by people with a different culture.'
Boast success
In this election they boast of their success in keeping out black immigration their new British Nationality leaflet says 'gives full and equal citizenship to everyone permanently settled in Britain! This is quite simply a lie.
The Nationality Act makes it more difficult for families to be re united and establishes the sexist rule that a female fiancee cannot have their partner join them. But not only that.
Through its clause that 'people admitted in whatever capacity are expected to maintain and accommodate themselves and any dependants from their own resources public funds' many black people are now being denied access to supplementary benetit, the National Health Service, housing, education, child benefits and tax allowances. Pass system
The stage is being set for a pass system, where only black people who can prove that they have British Citizen status will be accorded what
This is quite apart from the fact that black people suffer the most from unemployment, cuts and bad housing.
Some or these points have been made telling-
It was a Labour government who set up the body that produced the findings for the Police Bill. It was previous Labour governments who have introduced racist immigration legislation which have then not been subsequently repeal-
manifesto does not put forward the type
quotas in employment - that can ensure that centuries of racial discrimination can be tackled.
Positive action
Finally it is still the case that such positive action needs to be applied within Labour's. own ranks, as has begun to be the case with women.
There are few black Labour candidates and perhaps only one who has a better than even chance of becoming an MP. Only when Labour puts its own house in order, will its statements carry sufficient credibility to win the black community to its side — not just as a lesser evil - but as a vital component of a future campaigning labour movement.
Editor: ALAN FREEMAN Published weekly except two weeks in August and the ast week or becember Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily represent Socialist Action's views. These are expressed in
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is second class
the slogan
parading their
election which was Thatcher talking of the need to
and advertise Act which the without recourse to sales
Addicted to
Socialist Action
AT LAST, a socialist
paper written for not-
mal people! After a
mere two copies. boin
incidentally acquired on
CND marches, I am ad-
dicted.
However, two
or two points.
1, like most youllg
people, believe the
Rrifish Armv should hi
withdrawn from
Ire and. It's good to see
the tyranny of British
rule in Ireland brought
out into the open - but
be careful not to blind
yourself to the evils on
both sides.
dumming a bullet is as
wrong as an IkA man
making a bomb for a
pub. Be very carerul not
o in any way endorse
RA murder as you
ON Tuesday 9 February, six members of the 'infamous' West Yorkshire Police -plainclothes — arrived on our doorstep for the third time in three weeks.
The first call was about arson attacks on sex/video shops in a suburb of Leeds and the other two calls were in connection with the attempted bombing of the Conservative Party headouarters. On the last visit they came with a warrant and searched our home including the children's rooms.
The papers taken were correspondence from well known women academics and publishers in Britain regarding a French theoretical journal, vowveres restions Feministes, whose editor in chief is Simone de Beauvoir, one copy
PAUL Lawson's article (SA 6 May) on 'nuclear
free defence' skips over a
crucial question: why the
Kremlin don't plan to invade Western Europe.
To understand this we
nature of the East Euro. pean states.
Although the Soviet
ed, it is controlled exclusively by the bureaucracy. To back up
this control the method
of distributing goods is essentially capitalist —
system. The USSR is therefore a transitional society, between
capitalism and socialism, with elements of each.
Marxists have to constantly hammer home the
point that the USSR is
ruled by a bureaucracy. Just like Healey, Duffy and Foot, the Kremlin are first and foremost concerned with detending their own positions and privileges.
In the final analysis this means defending the status quo on which their positions depend.
Andropoy and Len
Murray are both motivated by their need to keep the working class demobilised, for on their exclusive control of
would endorse a British soldier committing such a crime.
My second point is similar but over the Israel/PLO conflict, two extremes fighting one another for control of land.
The Israelis throwing arullery into civillar areas of Beirut was as wrong as the PLO, prior to the invasion, making rocket attacks at four o'clock on northern kibbutz and British troops in Ireland
Police harass feminists
of a British feminist women-only paper, and a graduate student essay on mensu dalon
The police do not intertere in any serious way with violence from men to women and do not welcome comments on this point.
we volence lo women either from men in the home, street or in the police force is incontestable, our 'crime' is to contest LIS ISSUC
The result is not greater protection for women but further violence - this time from the police.
As feminists we have organised our lives to afford ourselves the most protection • WC live together without
However what we now face is the collective system of male
nower — the polici
When we push aside our husbands and our
Why the Kremlin won't invade
workers' states and unions does their power and position rest.
The reason why Thatcher and Reagan can per-
mit 'tree' workers' partes and trade unions (within strict limits), whilst Andropov and Jaruselski cannot, is that the
capitalist ruling class through their ownership of the productive resources, derive the wealth and power with
which it can still control society production, finances thereby the state.
However, the bureaucracy do not have this independent power base, they only hold political power, and this position depends solely on excluding the ranks of the working class from
Write to us!
This is your page. Send us your comments, criticisms or even congratulations. But please be brief -letters over 300 words will be cut. Write to: Letters, Socialist Action, 328 Upper Street, London N1 2XP. (Tel: 01-359 8180)
Mosvah in Israel. The children finish school at four and it was those kids and parents the PLO were aiming for.
So please put the alternative case, but balance it on such obviously non hard and fact issues.
Please could you
give further information on Socialist Action and its aims.
DUNCAN ANDREW,
boyfriends we stand
face to face with agents
of the state
We have been sub-
jected to questions
about being political,
belng reminists, being
lesbians, being Jewish,
We have
being women.
had our only safe place
violated, our home is
now open house to the
Yorkshire police force
The new Police and
Criminal Evidence Bill
will give the police
even more power than
they have now. Already
they harass members of
we sack are une so
communities in Britain
now they are moving
in on women.
Rather than giving
the police more power
we should be deman-
ding less power and
more accountability to
the people — we are the
people.
SHEILA SAUNDERS,
JALNA HANMER, and
DIANE HUDSON,
Leeds
control over workers'
organisations and state.
This position would
be directly challenged by
independent working
cass organisation. Hence
democratic demands, like
Tree Trade umons, can, in
Eastern Europe, be
This tells us the cen-
tral reason why the Soviet
bureaucracy have no in-
tention of invadin the
Western Europe.
Kremlin's power and
privilege depends upon
the demobilisation and
lack or organisalon Ol
their working class.
kne unity of lut
whole European working
class would threaten not
only the western capitalist
class, but even more
directly the East Euro-
pean bureaucrats.
MIKE POLLEY, Bath.
IJK LETTERS U'
IJKLMNOPORST
Malvinas
COMRADE Baker tells us that the Malvinas are geographically and historically part of the
He therefore backs up the Argentine claim to these islands according to some mysterious natural law of the formation of nation states.
For Marxists there are no such natural laws which determine the forms of human social organisation outside or the development of society itself.
'The Argentine' is a product of the last 150 years and is sustained now by competition between ruling cliques in Latin America 'It' has no rights at all.
Its people, however, have the right to struggle against all oppression and if there is national oppression, then against that as well.
But there was no liberation involved in Galtieri's adventure. The Argentine people died to further the ambitions of John Nott on board HMS Hermes
masc
ashes by lary lomas, 31
Letters
KIMNOPORSTU'
NATO'S UMBRELLA their ruling class, in the process over-riding the wishes of the smal number of inhabitants of the islands Such wishes, although in no way paramount nevertheless must be taken into consideration Dy socialists wno beneve that mutual respect between human belgy Is lic foundation of civilisation.
The Argentinians were fighting under the strict discipline of a gang of murderers, no better or worse than Thatcher and co.
Of course the crucial job of British socialists was and is to fight the 'fortress Falklands' policy and call for immediate withdrawal.
But we should also try to develop contacts with ine Argentine workers movement to develop an
prevent further blood be ing spilt into the icy seas of the South Atlantic.
COLIN MEADE, Surbiton. • Aavernsemen
A Return To Victorian Values
City Limits election poster by cartoonist STEVE BELL. Available for £l.10 (includes post and packing) from City Limits, 313 Upper Street, London NI 2XQ
Page 11 scan of this page
When 'No' is not enough, are guns the answer?
REVIEWS
WOMEN's reaction to being raped will vary considerably from outright revenge to shame and humiliation. ching Handgun will also, no doubt react in a number of ways.
teacher from the mast
from Coast of the States with a Catholic upbringing raped by Larry, a macho, gun-slinging Texan lawyer. Her
rape are met with the all to familiar story.
Handgun reviewed by Tessa van Gelderen
She had been friendly with the rapist. Had gone willingly to his apartment in the evening. nere was no sign of violence had been threatened with a
of all she was not a virgin. No
would believe Kathleen's word against a
well-respected JOCal. lawyer.
So Kathleen sets out to
The Channel 4
Debate Nuclear
Weapons
Sunday 29 May, 10.20, C4
ROUNDING off C4's
Nuclear Week 1s TENS
debate between Bruce
Kent and Keith Ward
Professor of Moral and
Social Theology (!).
Unfortunately the
whole thing s presented
in pseudo-religious terms
no vol win
that sort of debate.
Ward obviously
not stupid though and
wades in with General Sir
John Hackett and
Lawrence Freedman,
Professor of War Studies
This witnesses. Very
Unethical!
anger and a desire for
Women wat-
seek her revenge. She joins the loes a grackshot. She the local gun club then attempts to lure her victim for a final shoot out on the firing range.
Handgun, written, directed and produced by Lonv Garnett (ves ne o. Cathy Come Home and Kes) is a film both about rape and the thorny issue
In Texas you can just walk into a shoo ana buy one Linking the gun laws to raDC plex issue it is. But the film doesn't quite succeed.
The rape itself obvious. Although you can never tell what men's reactions will be some might believe the bullshit from Larry that Kathleen
TV CHOICE
Elizabeth — The First Thirty
Years
Sunday 29 May, BBCI
YOU mean we're in for
thirty? you
can bear the thought you
might care to take a look
at this quaint little pro-
gramme.
Did you know that
Harold Wilson and Mary
once washed the royal
dishes with Herself? This
just one of
fascinating regal anec-
dotes revealea Dy a siod
bering Sir Harold
Jallick Callaghan is
there too, falling off his
chair with servility. This
is the sort of stuff to win
Who needs
socialism when you can
grovel your way into of-
fice. Labour left please
take oic.
is just sexually repressed, even though this scene Is mean just to show what shit he is.
But the act of revenge is too much about Texas. You feel that none of it:
For revenge could lar. really happen in Britain even other parts of the USA for that matter.
Larry comes across as
anachronism from the Wild West. The film reinforces the myth that rapists are a breed apart I chall are portrayed as unsympathetic taking the side of men. Kathleen's reaction to the lauc • to find an individual solution.
Arms
She ignores the advice given, surprisingly, the police, to contact the Rape. Crisis Centre. Yet it also appears be olic woman's rejection of an
It is to other men that she turns Harold and James — grovellers before the Monarch
for small arms training.
Images of women conform to the stereotypes. Before the rape Kathleen was a long-haired beauty.
she crops her hair Then and exchanges dresses for jeans Mayoe sue was lu blame for her after all? The film's ending ambiguous. Is it in favour of the right of individuals to bear arms or not?
Did you want Kathleen to succeed or not! And without giving away the ending, how do you judge success?
Horror
The last shot of Kathleen confirms Garnett's failure understand women, esoceany feminists. For him, , a woman's got to do Wildl d woman's • got lo do', before she can become a whole (that is, "feminine') woman again.
But the film an interesting one. Although it
perhaps reduces the horror or rape to an issue between
and assailant, does neatly turn the tables on those disgusting 'Death Wish' type movies - in more ways one! Don't be put off by the advertising - here ne c salacious, titillating rape scenes.
The main criticism of the film is that it shows no real alternative to Kathleen's horror. She is the only strong, independent woman in fact, other than conventionally beautiful young whom Larry continually CCis the only other women's part is an unsympathetic Texan. Men cannot make films about rape from the point of view of a woman (and who wants to know the man's view). So too they cannot come to grips with the answer. In that situation, It is perhaps not surprising that
Concusoul the use of guns is confusing and ambiguous.
Vietnam Monday 30 May, 9.00, C4
EIGHTH in the series, this one looks at the effects of the war on inGivenes particular! the widespread use
troops (more common than chewing gum').
Also examined is the CIA's 'Phoenix Programme which resulted in the deaths of 22,000 so-called communist suspects
Timewatch Wednesday, 1 June, BBC 2
THE recent extradition of 'Butcher of Lyon' Klaus Barbi was only an Inalcanon or rrench Involvement in the
This programme reveals the 3 concentration camps set up and run by the Vichy government.
MUCH OF THE
book would be better without it.
The claim that
utter ruddisn
there is a collapse of profitability
tion.
The Tories, do have a solution.
services.
Labour in the election.
Labour administrations.
criminalisation.
and for a united Ireland, be no
uncritical of these political weaknesses.
ing people first.
AGUIDE TO
suspicions. Firstly,
Cabinet is incredibly boring
tained in Labour's manifesto.
'moderation in wage matters' pressed as a social ding, or in any other way.'
Denis Healey
nuclear weapons.
such a policy.
Don Concannon throws
alternative legislanon
tion
These insights
themselves with
those who want to fight them.
Socialist Action 27 May 1983 11 Thatcher's Britain-
a guide to the ruins
Pluto Press and New Socialist, price £1.50 Reviewed by Mike Polley information in this book is useful. However, the argument contained in the first few paragraphs is totally irresponsible and the
chanceto make the 1980s a decade of prosperity is We had a real
To imagine that the run-of-the-mill reformist solutions like the Alternative Economic Strategy can get Britain out of its present mess is not true. Capitalism is in a crisis for the simple reason that
If the capitalists don't get an 'adequate' return on their investment then no amount of govern. ment persuasion, be it from Labour or Tory, will get them to invest. Labour's AES will only exacer bate the class tensions, without providing a solu
They aims to restore profitability by cutting costs like wages and
This is why socialists give real support to
As socialists we should be in the forefront of
the reformist illusions that there is a solution that protects workers and bosses alike
Again on Ireland the book is weak. Despite glving useful facts and figures about Britain's way of ruling the province it ignores the role of previous
All was Callaghan will sent in the troops. It was Mason who introduced
Nor does it come out for Britain's withdrawal
• without which there car solution. I was disappointed that in the Socialist Action centre-spread on the book it was
Use the facts yes, but point out the need for a political approach that puts the interests of work-
THATCHERS
BRICAN
THE RUINS
Pluto
New Socialist
Renewal
Ed. Gerald Kaufman Penguin. £2.50 THIS COLLECTION of essays by members of Labour's Shadow Cabinet confirms all one's worst
that the Labour Shadow
Secondly, that they have not the slightest intention of carrying out even the fudged policies con-
Peter Shore con firms that the national economic assessment is for
whether it 1s ex.
I contract, a national understan-
says that NATO should move towards a non-nuclear defence strategy by making the alliance no longer dependent on first use of
The content which he recently gave to Labour's committment to move towards
some light on the Labour pledge to repeal the Prevention of Ter rorism Act by saying that Labour would introduce
Idea with dangers inherent in the Northern Ireland situa
apart, this book will not. be widely read except by those who want to ingratiate
Labour's Shadow Cabinet ol
Page 12 scan of this page
A tenner to beat the Tories
12 Socialist Action
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national dailies to put over our views. We have to rely on our paper, and its sellers and supporters.
But we think are playing a unique role in the fight to kick out the Tories.
Socialist Action is supporting and promoting the struggles of those whose voices usually get drowned in the hysteria of an election campaign.
We are championing the
Greenham Common, the thousands HUDI LUDICIN women taking action on 24 May.
We are fighting provide a national voice for the black people who have come onto the streets against police harassment. We are fighting get people
such as these on the plat-
for campaign of the Labour Party.
« And we'll be carrying
on this same fight after !
June, whatever the
when the Tories
27 May 1983
For Marxist
books, posters,
postcards, badges
and the right wing in our own movement put mass HiYUlYCLICIl back into cold •storage for another five years.
And for that we need money — vour monev.
If like us you believe that out Tories and fighting for COCHIS ROARS portant, now is the time
We are asking all our
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But the biggest benefit of all will be that.
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DIARY
(These listings are free for all major labour movement and campaigns activates. Semi-
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Send Socialist Action, Street, London NI 2XP
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• Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador Briefings are produced by the Central America Information Service, 14 Brixton Rd, London SW9. It vou would like to receive them regularly, please write enclosing vour name and address. • Fred Tonge Memorial Lecture given by Ralph Villband or "Marxism and the Labour Movement' Postponed due to election to weary June. ovin. Douglas Hyde Hall, Irish Centre, Camden Square. Organised by si tancras and holdor Labour Party.
BLACK
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CANGRI 4 & 5L JUNE 83
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tribution to the work of
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alternative to the Tories.
Thanks this week to:
88888888888888889588
Bird
Special thanks to those who
nave written in giving sup
port jor our promonon aur
ing the election:
South East London
votal so tal 20080.46
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stalls etc. For more details of events contact the Scottish Campaign to Resist the Atomic Menace (SCRAM), 11 Forth Street, Edinburgh 031-557 4284. • Who Killed Colin Roach? Video film of the campaign available for meetings, youth clubs, schools etc from Roach Family Support committee 50 Rectory Road, London N16 7PP, 01-254 7480
Inquest into Colin Koreas dera restarts on Mon 6 June, at Clerkenwell County Court, 33 Duncan Terrace, Islington, London N1.
• South London CND Labour Movement Conterence is now postponed (due to election) and will be held at the end of June.
Jones are just two of the speakers at the Hounslow ¡rade unions lor a Labour Victory Rally. Others include Pete Rowlands (PPC Brentford & Isleworth), kussell kerr (MP), Vernon Merritt (Sec Hounslow TUC) and Murray Rowlands (PPC Spelthorne). Wed 1 June,
School, Prince Regent Ra; Hounslow.
Kurdistan News & Comment May edition now available and includes an interview with Youssef
rdalan (rep of KOMAL
movement in Iranian Kurdistan). 5p plus p&j rom the Kurdish Solidarit Cttee (UK), 29 Islington Park Road, London NI NOD. No las regular
meetings on the third Sunday ot each month at 7.30pm Prince Albert Pub, Wharfdale Rd, Kings Cross. release nicky sens Committee can be contacted at ! 11 Grange • Terrace, blackrock. co bubin Dublin 801 438. Leeds Troops Out Movement are organising a picket of the Leeds Aer : Lingus/B&1 Line on Fri 27 May to demand Nicky Kelv's reease 12.30-1.30pm, 83 Albion St Leeds 1.
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• Youth CND Conference, Tv. Manchester. ro details contact YCND, 11 Goodwin St, London N4 • Labour Movement Conference on Ireland 16 Julv. Conway Hall. Rec Lion Square, London WC1. Starts 10.45am Delegates £3. observers £2. Further
Ivor Place, London NW1. • End racism in schools and police harassment! Public meeting, Wed 25 May 1.30pm, Church Hall, 4 Algernon koad, Lewisham SE13
Socialist Action Forums
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9630 for further information and details of HOUNSLOW Socialist Action readers forum Thurs 2 June: 'Ireland, Sinn Fein ana Ine election . speaker from Socialist Action 8.30pm, Cttee Rm 3, Town Hal. Treaty Road. For further information phone 01-577 3429:
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ActioN after
the election
WHATEVER the out-
come of the election, one thing is for certain: socialists across the country will need to urgently discuss how to respond.
If the Tories win, we need to discuss : how to use the strength of the
movement resist the next wave of Tory attacks
If there's a hung parliament socialists need to guard against
by Labour leadership towards Callul with the Alliance against Thatcher. And if f Labour wins we should organise to force the government to capitalist policies. through anti-
Across the country therefore Socialist Асtion will be organising dis cussion meetings in the weeks following the election on the theme of What next for socialists?
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New Socialist Action pamphlet.
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Page 13 scan of this page
International
New war
'WAR IS NOW the only way to unlock the situation in the Middle East' PLO leader Yasser Arafat last week. His reflected the drift to war in the region — a war which would fought between Israel and Syria.
Without doubt Syria and Israel are making detailed preparations that war - Israel to push forward its plans to progressively dominate whole region, Syria to prevent the expulsion of its army from Lebanon.
Last year's invasion of the Lebanon by Israel was designed to strike a decisive blow at the Palestinians and Israel's regulal position. achieve this, the Israelis hope to strengthen their hold on the occupied territories and Lebanon into a vassal state.
The subjugation of Lebanon involves the expulsion of the Syrian ar-. my and the whole Palestinian population and the handing over of effective control of the national state apparatus to Christian Phalangists.
The expulsion of the Palestinians from Lebanon is well under way. Following the massacre of the Palestinians at the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps, the remaining have been harassed in every possible way.
The new Lebanon demands that every "foreigner' now pays f1500 for a work permit, which obviously most cannot afford. The plight of many Palestinian whose husbands are either dead, in exie or in the israel concentration camps, is particularly severe. Tens of thousands remain in the concentra. tion camps. Israel is expanding the Jewish population of the territories occupied after the 1967 war at a very rapid rate. These areas are now effectively incorporated into Israel.
Project
Israel's project of reinforcing its economic and military domination of Lebanon and the occupied territories is being fully supported by the United
and Israel signed a secret recognising Israel's 'right' tervene again into Lebanon if it feels that its interests are being threatened. The US embargo on supplying Israel with the ultra-modern was lifted last week.
The Baathist regime of Hafez elAssad has many internal problems -last year there was a full scale insurrection led by Sunni Muslims. continuing confrontation with Israel serves li the regime a militant and 'anti-imperialist' image.
While imposing Gemayel and his Phalangist vackers as the government in Lebanon, effect attempting Lebanon into a series of confessional
Armed factions militia loyal to Walid Jumblat,, Phalangists and the Amal — - continue to hold sway in big sections of the country.
At the same time the south of the country continues to be dominated by
looms in the
Middle East
said
words ding will inexorable domination.
be By Paul Lawson
both
for merce. Now the
the at low prices.
Traditionally
Israeli trade with region
consolidate
To
the refugee turn
dan made by Arafat. 'not incompatible'.
Palestinians
government
women, and at
Arafat. In addition,
Arafat.
The outcome
with resolutions United States
demnation of the Reagan plan. accord in-
F-16 fighter
The
central
Israel is in
carve up
Druze the Shiite militia
the expanded enclave controlled by the Israeli-backed Haddad militia.
The parcelling of the country into areas controlled by warring factions, with the central government holding sway only in Beirut and the surroun-
reinforce Israeli
Israel is using its military оссираtion to boost its economic penetration of both Lebanon and the surrounding countries. The war has greatly undermined Lebanese industry and com- ing.
country is being flooded with Israeli goods, dumping huge amounts of agricultural produce
economic crossroads of the region, Lebanon is being used as a jumping off point for
the rest of the
Inside the Palestinian movement the repercussions of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the expulsion of the Palestinians are causing a huge debate. In particular the Palestinian fighters in exile and the Palestinians in
camps have begun expressing criticisms of Arafat's leadership. Generally the disputes in the Palestinian camp have concerned the negotiating manoeuvres towards Jor-
King Hussein of Jordan has expressed the view that the 'Reagan region. plan' (which proposes a West Bank statelet for the Palestinians under control of the Jordanians), and the Fez summit (plan which proposes an independent West Bank state), are
Many in the movement saw the in. volvement of Hussein in the negotiations as a dangerous drift towards abandoning fundamental Palestinian aims. In particular they saw it as going a long way to accepting some form of association with Jordan rather than an independent Palestinian state —
the same time recognising
Syria, in order to bolster its own position, has used the Palestinian factions it controls to intervene against
the Democratic Popular Front, the Popular Front for less the Liberation of Palestine and Libya have all stepped up their criticisms of
of the recent meeting of the Palestinian National Council marked a stepping back by Arafat in the face of this pressuré,
re-affirming the necessity of armed struggle and con-
As a result of the tensions inside the PLO, Hussein was forced to withdraw from The advanced F-16 fighter — sales to Israel are on again.
any role in the diplomatic manoeuver-
The Soviet Union has siderably stepped up its shipments to Syria. Israel and the US have accused the Soviet Union of sending 5000 troops to Syria -- doubtless an exaccerated freure. • But it is pro. bable that the Soviet Union has shippea troops the long-range SAM 5 anti-aircraft missiles, capable of hitting Israeli planes deep inside Lebanon.
Last week the Syrians blockaded the main highway out of Beirut in retaliation for the Israeli-LebaneseAmerican negotiations, aimed at expelling them from the country. In addition to its anti-aircraft missiles, the Syrians lost many aircraft in combat with the Israelis during last year's invasion. These have also been replaced by the Soviet Union. Syria remains he Soviet Union's sole ally in the
Domination
A continued Syrian presence in Lebanon is incompatible with Israeli domination. the Syrians, withdrawal without fight politically impossible. In that impasse
drift towards doubtedly the Syrians would prefer to avoid an all-out conflict, but they may be left with no choice.
The United States is certainly not in any position to exert substantial pressure on Israel, with Reagan loath to take anti-Israeli action in a pre-election period, even if he were inclined to. On the other hand, the Peace Movement in Israel would not be capable of mobilising sufficient forces to hold back Israel in the event of war with Syria - which has much
sympathy in Israel than the Palestinians.
For socialists there would be no question of who to support in the event of war. Syria is a capitalist state, ultimately allied with imperialism. But nonetheless it would, in a war, represent the forces _o Arab na tionalism, against an imperialistbacked aggressor. Socialists should stand without question for the defeat of Israel and a Syrian victory however unlikely such an outcome.
conarms
THE BLOODY revolutionary repression in Iran, which in the past three years has claimed lives, continues to deepen.
The latest victim is the pro-Soviet Communist Party, known as the Tudeh Party. Its principal leader Nourredin been forced to appear on Iranian TV and 'confess' rest of the Tudeh leadership are 'Soviet spies'. has been made illegal.
By Phil Hearse
The banning of the Tudeh party is is just the latest move in the consolida-
tion of the Islamic Republican Part: Un- regime. Four years after the downfall
of the Shah, porters in destroying the major gains of the 1979
In particular the workers committees (shoras) which grew up in the factories during and immediately after the anti-shah revolution have been incorporated into 'Islamic societies' tools of the regime. All democratic rights of the workers movement are under ferocious attack.
National minorities, especially the Kurds, have come under increasingly vicious military attack. •social code, destroying
Socialist Action
Iran bans Tudeh Party
as repression deepens
counter-
of thousands of
Kianouri has Iranian that he and the
The Tudeh party employed
SECLUS
regime.
Khomeini and his sup-
the Islamic clergy
party organisations defended
The Islamic HUHIC OUN
ACTioN Socialise
Rally Against the
Right!
For a Labour
Victory!
Wednesday June 1st
County Hall, London SE1
Guest speaker: Alain Krivine, French Trotskyist and leader of 1968 student
revolt
27 May 1983 13 Israeli soldier watches Syrian positions. social and democratic rights, has been vigorously imposed. This has been particularly detrimental to the rights of women. Last November all secular laws were declared invalid.
Without doubt support for the regime is rapidly decreasing among Iranian workers. Despite the relative buovancy of the economy due to ou revenues the living standard of the
masses have not improver since 1979. Corruption and economic mismanagement are rife. There are still millions unemployed and under-
The attack on the Tude Party i particularly significant since the pro Moscow party, together with other
of the Iranian 'left' had adopted a position of 'critical sup
Khomeini, attempting to align themselves with a section of the
The moves against the Tudeh Par. ty represent the growing strength of the extreme right wing Hojjatieh faction within the government determined to break all links with the Soviet Union and its allies.
Despite the fact that the Tudeh
COOT by like the Mujahidin against the counterrevolutionary attacks of Khomeini.
• A full analysis of the developmen of the Iranian revolution since 1979 will appear in a forthcoming issue of Socialist Action.
Page 14 scan of this page
NUPE a compromise conference
Metal Box strike solid
14
PICKET
LINE
Victory for
Timex
occupation
OCCUPYING WORKERS marched triumphantly out of the wuluce Dant O day 19 May. They had Thurs-
beaten back management attempts to force compulsory redundancies.
NOU the shop stewards plan solidarity BVSLS to OLLe. WOIKCIS battling for jobs Scotland.
solidarity received needs to be directed to the occupying workers at Greenings
Firth Derihon in ington.
Sheffield and the strikers
Superheaters, fight forced realiteles sabotaged bigincenlng
Swansea
occupation,
out but not down ON FRIDAY 20 May the High Court in London granted possession One0 ucuoaccucul
the occupied Unit plant in Swansea.
that the
plant SOCCLIVO
Sunday May, the
this Steel subsidiary
LIC C-
aDOuI WaN shown
fifty PiCCLCu UVei
the IcaYC•
InlOn naThe oc-
district the NEC
broke the
ecutive not even
Peter
Thomas •We've
offical'. continued
strike'.
scab
SLOU materials.
So manual are
Socialist Action 27 May 1983 ty of statt,
TASS. picket line.
to outside gangs BSC Port
The AH w called on
all shop and
discuss unc SLIIKG
Timex W1l useful. the action, by the engineering Left, kept
workers to win. Hackney dole
intimidation. The
ters for
ed on
HIUEC already overcrowded
On
(WOTKC
for dar
fice. withdraw suspenSITIN. torward building to
and shelve shorter beLIUub.
Dunne to
'We've
HC UCIS conditions. We've gone
at-
the and thought would escalate.
win olner tackle
150 word reports by Thursday before
SIULC.
the before uay.
general secrelary DaWyC. boldly
manifesto extremist. But con-
full policies.
oHerele
claim.
the workers, witnessed the 22
TUC
ficult to sustain and «enossel
argued conterence
But
positions on
for out action Transport: are entering third the MP's
the Ernie Roberts Hackney North Brian Sedgemore for
of
out 170 Then they moved Transport General
from shift day
between and £22
could have
two which
Then we round of redundancies
with the in the plant.
the Transport union. -LA -stead of mobilising the membership to fight redundancies everything was diverted into negotia-
The public employees conference in Scarborough last week saw a lurch to the right by a leadership art of the left of the TUC. or unity for the election of limited action with other
accused execulve
of the leadership. Keating, NUPE's
LHe pay (Was a
was by 0.5
Ppe. cent!
was
report
The was
agreed con-
ed if were not
ment None have
been com-
outlin-
as censured the
failing
ecLvt carry
put composite
was for
campaign channelled
Will Cae
Metal Box pickets on the line
tions. At the same time
ma agem members ome
members with
enhanced redundancy anted a figh back four le wh
it very difficult
But now the workforce
have decided they are not
going to take any
Since the beginning 1101. of
May, management has
hardened the regime.
workers EN ed
leave the lines at the old
end. of their
shift, supervisors tried to
stop them by standing in
HenO H low pay. The other motion argued for a deal with the Labour Party on wage restraint.
After a fierce attack on the composite, general secretary Bickerstaffe urg ed the movers of the wage restan Hououto remi
discontent strikes of
No leadership dared
But now the were
motion on
opposing it.
The state-
defeated
of
on which destroy the
sector was the
There was feeling isolation the membership
Move• community support.
Hive off has been around for two and a half years in local government and still borough workforces are being picked off section by secuon. Now the national health service is under attack and a national profile of resistance front of the washroom
doo This sort of thing has
aused an. explosior willl the TGWI members. Management keep talking about •maximising flexibility'. On 18 May we met for negotiations on our demand for compensation
for loss of shift premium
All managemen talk about was flexibility.
When they offered us
10 weeks shift pay this was
tied to giving up establish
ed work practices and ac
cepting flexibility. We said no, and the mass meeting
В Кедо
ALONG
EOR NURSE
Ш SYNPATHY›MMI
ANTION SFc NUPE conference rejects executive whitewash of pay dispute sell out is even more essential. A resolution was passed calling for local actions to be coordinated nationally.
Conference upheld NUPE support for unilateralism and for the Greenham women. It also pressed for the repeal of the prevention of the ter
pas sionate appeal from de erale W1U had been held under its powers. But the (wo da guillotine on general debate meant important motions on women's rights and troops in the north of Ireland were not taken.
Compromise and shifts
this conference were undergone after a year of the next day rejected this offer too. Management are not going to push us
around.
approached
local trade unions to sup-
port us, as well as the
Labour the
Labour MPs.
portant with the election. I
don't think the election
and our strike are counter-
posed. Decent Labour party members can use
this strike in the election to
campaign for a Labour
government.
We've been getting
good support, including a
In the Unions
WNIERAI
ALL HEAl THE BOO
FOK 1HE
ToRIrS
UNMF-AITHN PONN
misleadership and retreats in an attempt to restore Labour government at ali costs. This is a mistaken SIraNUPE of all unions should remember that its members will not support labour it the orice is too high. Any watering , down of member's demands will increase demoralisation and abstention at the polling booth.
campaigning pressure group is needed in the union to coordinate ac. tion and prevent compromises in future. This conference more than any other in recent years cries out for a democratic broad left organisation.
DA BRANK COPTON
£50 donation from the strikers the Hackney dole office.
People know from now on we'll be up in fron
defending the rights of al
: the
hace unousus lsu plant. We've learned if w stick together they can't push us around.
• Help is needed with the - 24 hour picket. Send dona tions and messages to Jim
Wills, TGWU strike com mittee, 22 Thomas House, Morning Lane, Hackney, London E9.
Page 15 scan of this page
(This article was written for, and first published by Outwrite women's newspaper, issue number 14, May 1983 and is reprinted with permission).
PORNOGRAPHY ranges from spreads' in 'men's magazines' to the outer limits of films of horrific tortures and murders of real women.
The tional multi-billion pound industry. city throughout the world porn, in some form or another, is available, either openly or underthe-counter.
made, porn reaps more annually than the record and film industries combined. In Canada there are more sex-shops than there are branches of
maduate
from the USA and parts By Danu November
Porn is big business
for men. There alc lots of porn millionaires around. Porn is now being made over here - a home industry that never
Pornographic images
of adverts, magazınes and films. With MOIC
Photo: JILL POSENER (from Spray it Loud, RKP. £2
ALONE FILMS
MARS MARITAL AlOS NGS
WORM'S
EYE
VIEW
Is thought
space?
WHEN the American Socialist Workers Party expelled of its members, Alan Gelfand, he took them to court.
Gelfand was supported by US Workers League, an organisation
miles away from the British Workers Revolutionary Party.
Mr Gelfand insisted that the SWP leaders were agents of the US government.
Pornography is violence
'centrefold
pornography industry is an interna-
In every
In the USA, where the highest profits are
with real magazines'. men's magazines read pornography). 'Sometimes I're found mysell excited watching -show
men that like
PRIVATE SHOP
To prove this his attorney asked Doug Jen-
an SWP member, questions like: 'What are
the laws of development
matter matter?'
LIDUCIE thought space?' And the 64 dollar question every political quiz programme asks: 'Who the foremost philosopher active in the world today...?'
We understand Jenness failed. He did not know was former WRP general secretary
Gerry Healy.
neither did "the But judge who had the empirical sense to throw Gelfand's case out.
against women
to cultivate that side. Ropes, chains, power, threat. Lollulc humiliation, bondage, submission "My fantasies are often stirred up by and heightened use pornography. have a collection OI Over 100 magazines and about 15 films.
would like to own a "slave for
SCA VUL• poses.
I've always wanted to rape a black girl because here in the South blacks rape white that wole even score and put them DaCK
¡aven and neverwu see enough of it. It gives me new ideas to try and see.'
What do the 'experts' say about porn and violence?
Half a sample of liberally minded undergraduate males admitted that they would rape they weren't found out.
In 'normal' men, these urges are restrained by conditioned inhibitons but these are easily removed.
In a laboratory situation, this has been done, using certain films. Sex alle volence tions in films, such as
Unit women, were very arousing.
Museum
piece
STEALING is wrong as any Tory MP, high civil servant or other pillar of the establishment will tell you. But if the nicking is
done by a member of the artistocracy then that's OK it's called art preservation.
Early in the 19th centhe British bassador in Athens took a lancy to the Marble which were adorning the Parthenon.
Being a top man - he was the Earl of Elgin he believed that a bit of what you fancied did you good, SO he had the marbles removed to decorate his own pad.
The Earl was a bit of patriot so he decided to sell the Marbles to the great British nation.
Now this uppity Melina Mercouri, the Greek Minister Culture, wants them back because she says they are Greek. This claim is based on the flimsy evidence that
Men acted out their aggression on real women. (This information was researched and put together Edward
Institute ThorMonds ly
Institute, London, 1982.)
What do women say about porn? society are we living in society are we where it is against the law to assault, rape : (outside marriage) or murder, but quite OK to pay a couple of quid to go and see all those crimes carried ou explicitly on the screen? ... How can anyone en-
seeing a girl raped and hung up, still alive on a meat hook? (Rosali Shann) 'Sex shops are for men: Every day women are beaten, raped, mutilated and murdered my men. By selling sadomasochistic magazines, instruments of. sexual torture and disembodied female parts, sex shops are promoting and condoning male violence dualis! women. women.' Cen tral London Women Against Violence Against Women)
Who can say porn is harmless?
One ten women raped. Black women are more at risk than white.
Porn kills women
apart from women who die as a result of and during the making of porn, there are all the women that men practise sexua
from sado-masochistic sex enCOuLLers downright murder.
Every day, the newspapers report assaults. rapes and murders of girls and women. •The few
who dare retaliate by killing men in self-defence with unbelievable harshness by the courts.
Men try to get away with pleading illsallily (orkshire Ripper) -he Peter Sutcliff, the These were called the Elgin marbles after the thief who nicked them.
Great Train Robbery the Biggs's notes?
some Grecian sculptor:
made lis 2,400 for the
Acropolis
ycal:
ago.
But she has been put
in her place by the British
Museum's director
David Wilson
He says: 'It's all very
keep making impassion-
ed nationalistic pleas for
us to return something
They
short or suspended sentences.
Porn men
YES NO. Porn tells men that sexual
is OK,
Porn is possible because men can force women to be porn models.
A few brave women, such as Linda Lovelace, have written accounts to explain how they were forced into being porn models and take part in
Fortnight
of Action
• The Fortnight of Action against Pornography, 14-28 May, will culminate with Women's Walkabout in Soho. For details of this and other local actions contact your nearest Women Against Violence
A gains Women (WAVAW) group. group:
Oxford WAVAW. c/o Uhuru, 48 Cowley Rd Why not call the fivers pinched in the
she all likelihood hasn't seen for vears and does have a
evell home for
The doctor is right. If we started returning all the things from • the Museum that we've stolen from other coun
the bloody place would be nearly empty.
who get involved find it very hard Lovelace had to go int hiding. Some women try,
The women in the sex industrv are exposed to extreme male violence all
found in Lyons a few years ago led to the occupation of churches by prostitutes in demand of
Porn gives men ideas and then they go and act
already been acted out on the women in the
Oxford. Tel: Women's Line Weds 2-10, Oxford 726-295 Liverpool WAVAW, c/o Atticus, 43 Hardman St, Liverpool 1.
Brighton WAVAW, c/o The Centre, The Basement, Marlborough Place Brighton.
Leeds WAVAW arke c/0 TUCRIC, Buildings, Vicar Lane Leeds 2.
London WAVAW, c/o See Red, 16a Iliffe Yard, off Crampton St, London SE17.
Bristol WAVAW, c/o The Womens Centre, 44
Handwritten by Tory robots
The Daily Mail's motorMichael Kemp has clim correspondent, ed that Nissan, the Japanese car firm, would
plans to build
35,000-job plant if Labour wins the electon.
The Mail's source was 'a leading official of Nissan in Europe'.
Strangely enough Mr Mitsuya Goto, who is Nissan s leading ollicial in Europe, had not heard
shown Mr Kemp's article. Now Mr Goto is apparently all sulky that
Daily Mail doesn't bother telling him what he is going to do.
Not put off by • Mr. Goto's denial the Mail -bounced back another explanation. They claimed was made by 'European executives of Nissan who
Socialist Action
Photo: JILL POSENER (from Spray it Loud. RKP. 62 05)
porn!)
sense tells
sort of
the same: women there for to use:
Jou cave when he
evidence that POR
AGAINST This is why
tain are
take 14-28th. Co The Womens Cen- WAVAW, c/o The
Burleigh St, Cambridge Glasgow WAVAW, c/ The Womens Centre, 5' Miller St, Glasgow Edinburgh WAVAW, c/o Edinburgh Womens Centr 1 el 031-557 3179. Thurs 8-10
• Outwrite is a monthly newspaper written by and for women and is available from Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, London E2 fo 20p plus p&p. Tokyo for talks. That flying back day not one Nissan executive left Europe on a jet for Japan.
A Daily Mail source claims they went by bus
confuse Mr Kemp remains adamant that his story is 'correct'
When someone pointed out that the jobs at the proposed Nissan factory would be around
the Mail replied that the DUTCOUS would be the car component in-
Unfortunately for Mr Kemo and his newspapel a ratio of six component WORKER EI • singk worker on the productIOn known law of motor in- line defies CYCL
dustry economics. But why should and truth bother the Daily
Compiled by BOB PENNINGLON Send tions Worm's Eye, Socialist Action, 328 Uppet
NI 2XP to arrive not later than Thurs day a week prior to publica-
27 May 1983 15
Page 16 scan of this page
MAY
24
SENT: WOng
SO DO NO
THOUSANDS of women demonstrated during the International Women's ment. From the Cruise missile site at Comiso in Sicily to Montana, from Australia to Glasgow, women stood up to the nuclear warmongers. In Washington women encircled the White House. 15,000 marched in Aukland, New Zealand.
In London there were namerous tions, including day-time peace яс-
camps at Highbury Fields and Clapham Common, marches strike thousands of NALGO local government workers. The day concud-
with a gathering of thousands of women in Trafalgar Square.
The action by London NALGO workers was just one of hundreds workplace actions mainly lunchtime or early morning meetings.
The success Trafaigar Square showed the extent to which the example of the
Common women has succeeded mobilising action against the missiles. Missiles
24 May was the first time that there has been widespread workplace action the missiles albeit of a mainly symbolic character. The actions of
Greenham women, far from
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ACTION
Worldwide
Day Disarma'dividing' the anti-nuclear movement, have extended
its scope and support.
In all, more than 400
Britain. In Sussex and many tions had women with placards and banners get. to co thnutes 24M ay ross across the women's day of action at the People's March for Jobs.
At lunchtime in Warwick the marchers held a lunchtime meeting where the not komhs' message hammered home. In Oxford there was a march from the County Hospital faced with closure.
In Glasgow there was a rally attended by hundreds of people. In Leeds there was a ceremony at the war memorial. There were 53 different actions in Devon and Cornwall alone.
went to press reports of international were still coming in. Despite the доковане дута не by the TUC and Labour Par ty, the day or aclion was a big success.
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action
The Greenham Common peace camp women have inspired an international women's peace movement SPECIAL OFFER
we are offering a free copy of Hard Times, a new book in the 'Arguments for Socialism' series by Bob Sutcliffe. The book normally costs $2.50.
Alternatively we are offering Alan Freeman's book, The Benn Heresy.
For new readers there is our special introductory offer of 8 issues for $2. • All subscriptions are posted first class on day of publication.
in '83
SCORES of consti-
tuencies will see cam-
paigns which will be
spelling out the
message that the only
party pledged to stop
the missiles is Labour.
In South London
Harriet Harman from
Peckham and Kate Hoev
from Dulwich are speak-
ing on a CND platform
jointly with YCND
speakers and
Glenda Jackson. Harriet
led off Peckham's 24
May International
women's day of action Stop Cruise in '83!' FRED BARKER, CND Greater Manchester and rally organiser, plains.
To its credit the Labour-controlled Manchester City council has played a leading role ir nuclear-free movement and the fight againsi the government's controversial new civil defence regulations among Britain's local authorities.
The formation _ot a joint CND/council com-
CND campaign says:
march from Peckham Rye to the Imperial War museum and addressed a rally on Clapham Common together with other Labour Party candidates.
Cardiff parues nave responded to CND's request for a meeting with Joan Ruddock on 1 June with CHut and Ray Davis and YCND joy David. The Tories and Liberals were invited but have so far declined In Oxford local activists are working for
Manchester mass assembly
MANCHESTER city centre will be the scene of a massive rally against the missiles on 4 June - just 5 days before the general election. Jointly organised by the City council and Greater Manchester CND and calling for 'Keep Manchester Nuclear Free -
inittee has now started perfectly chined rally on 4 Manchester June.
The event has an unusual format. 'Peace. in-the-streets between 10.00-11.45am wil see ex hibitions, stalls, theatre and music at up to 24 sites around the city centre.
Linking the sites will be leafleters, mobile theatre and gangs of sandwich board carriers.
The aim is to flood the
Vote nuclear - free
a blockade of the Uppe
СІНАМІЗА ЗАПІОТ May and 3 June.
Oxford East Call didate Andrew Smith is highlighting disarmament in his campaign, and the Town Hail was
Sense for the 24 may
centre for May events. Smith also held a factory gate meeting al Cowley with a Greenham speaker.
Two big obstacles to a firm Labour-CND con-
still exist however. First, the
campaign's has refused to put uni ateralism and peace to the fore, and the reluctance to use mass campaigning put over centre with CND activities
bring thousands Mancunians the issue of nuclear weapons and them to attend the rally
The main rally will be in Albert Square from noon to 2pm and will consist of a mixture of speeches and entertainment including Thompson, Pat Arrowsmith, women from Greenham Common author Alan Bleasdale and entertainer Mike Harding.
In the run up to the general election it is crucial that CND nationalv sten! up. its traditional campaigning tions, rallies, public meetings.
Labour's case.
But CND leadership's own 'nonpolitical stance is acid.
turning, practice into an an anti-Labour
for 'balance' that is. 'an appeal to the Liberals and the odd wet ToryCND leaders are refusing
link with the Labour Party when it does take clear unilateralist stand.
tue message Has l be spelt out loud and clear in this election. On-
tion CAl SUU missiles. Only a vote for the Labour Party vote against the missiles.
Photo: JOHN HARRIS
NUCLEAR
FREE RALLY
Albert Square Manchester Satunday June 4 196
Sant theat
RALLY IN ALBERT SQUARE NOON - 2 PN
Speakers wilin rote carps
author Alan Bre r Mike Hardit
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