setback THE DEFEAT of the Committee resolutions at Labour Party annua. conference demonstrated just what a year of contradictions it has been for women. ln the one hand. they political role in the biggest class struggle for over half of century, a role acknowledged throughout the whole labour moyement. On the other, what Diane Abbott described as Labour women's moderate' demands for recognition within the party were refused.
The issue raised by this is how WAC should organise to bring to bear the reality of women's major role in every major social struggle today on the fight for democratic change inside the Labour The Women Against Pit Closures movement showed in practice the most advanced alliance between the interests of women and the interests of the working class as a whole since the time of the suffregettes. Through this, a sectionof the labour movement began to understand the importance of supporting women's struggles.
NUM supported the WAC year's conference and again this year. That lesson Action played a leading correctly 'extremely That's wis resolutions at last AT A LABOUR CND fringe meeting following Kinnock's conference statement against the Liverpool city council, and outlined his views of where such methods of leadership would take the party. We reprint Benn's speech below.
I WANT say a word about today's events. For those who've been worried recent events. it's nice to know that it's all happened before Keir Hardy went to the TUC congress Mandel Henry Broadhurst, the then Sericlary of the TUC and a Liberal, passed a resolution condemning 'irresponsible people who spreading division our ranks'. That was Keir Hardy.
Future You have to have a bit of a vision of the future.
After all, life isn't just about what VOR savs tomorrow about our stan ding in the polls. We're all TONY BENN repudiated the attack firm what Owen has said about the Labour Party what Thatcher says about «Labou why the riot police are now playing such political part in our society. To that extent it was inevitably a process of the discrediting the conference.
Tomorrow we have a very comparable to the Lambeth Liverpool and counciliors, although actually their sacrifices took different forms. Whereas the surcharge ahead is painful for people like John Hamilton or Ted Knight, the miners. lived without money for a year. Their Sacrifice was made on a weekly basis. pose i was one of them that it was pretty chancy to ask trade unions to come our lot d political voice given the hammering the Pally lau mau did come back they rediscovered their historic conclusion that Keir Hardy tried to establish in Dundee.
If you're unionist need political voice, you need a political party. That party is the Labour Party; its in strument making is the conference.
Werenti have destroyed the citadel Labour power.
Now all this because I think also we heard a lot about winning. l've never met anyone who'd the LUILECHIDIOLO thought of another Thatcher who wants who believes that if we lost again we'd swing to the left for ever of ever. But at or victory needs ta sy victory needs analysed carefully because if the strategy of victory is based on the discrediting of the party then the vote you're playing for is the Owen vote, the dıssatished Conservatives, in the belief that the working that rump of recognises exists will Have nowhere else to go but to vote for a strategy victory which plays primarily for the Owen and Steel constituency.
I say this as cooly as I Now why do I raise that question of the polls? Because I don't share the optimism that policies safe. If you tonow wal course, it were to turn out that near polling day a majority was against the ending of nuclear deterrent. would be told that the price we had to pay for vicin those CasualIle that too. Coupled with it Wa to aroD would the second argument: that if the decision is made presidentially it becomes a vote of confidence in the presidential We LOUI no longer press for it to be included.
Combination Please don't think I'm pessimistic about this.
the ScarCulcisive borough • years later nuclear aisarmament is une ponc. of the party. Denzil Davies at the Labour CND rally described the policy that Gaitskell said would fight, fight, fight again to But have remember that the combination discrediting the conference and making it a vote of confidence 1s a strategy that has no amit to how tar we would have to go. And therefore we have to ask ourselves what is our - job now?
our own people that's what it's We're there simply protect people, advance their interests, to . argue their case, to explain as best we as calmly as I can do it calmly as I can do tonight what are the obstacles to their own advance.
There are of course so things • LITE that people want: they want a 1ob or work. • thev want a home, they want health care free at the point of ase, they want decent pen • Den sions, hey want a lifelon they want dignity in their old age and they want peace. And we have to look therefore at ine snuation say how can we support this...
Message If we hadn't had the Liverpool argument - if we hadn't been diverted into that sewer of attacks on our own people — the would have go Jessage across. But it hasn't, anc Claus a Cae. . It's wrong that we should turn in on ourselves in that way