Mitterrand MIKHAIL GORBACHEV'S visit to Mitterrand's France received enormous publicity. obvious propaganda triumph for the Soviet leader. But much more serious issues were involved than presentation. JOHN ROSS reports. THE style of Soviet drastically changing. DurThis visit Gorbachev submitted himself to a full confrontation with the press came front. consteraolv Gorbachev's •approach follows a similar press ce series a doried Soviet toreigi minister Shevardnaze and Millary USSR.
The change in style actually does reflect something about Gorbachey's policies. He intends 1o develop the USSR as a powerini modern state. Its has modernised. Its leaders have need to hide walls of secrecy Denie the Went should achievements ever sphere Above ali in however, Gorbachev 10tended exploit the cracks appearing the relations between Western curone and the liter States The western capitalist econon es already close to an open trade war. There are over 300 bi: supporting trade progress tonism before the The recent meetin. the United States "bi the economics ministers of the US, West Germany, Jalall Britain and Canada was precisely aimed to lessen the mounting pressure war by talking down the price of the dollar and thereby making It was an US goods more competitive on the world market.
The Soviet leadership well aware that the relations between the United States Western Europe could not survive such a trade war. United States troops wouldn't so easily stay in West Germany confron ting the 'Russian threat' if the the US became engaged in full scale protectionist war agalnst cach olne!
The USSR thematard has not only been utilising the anti-missiles protests in Western Europe increase the distance between that the United States. has decrease its dependence on the USA.
Twy-thirds of Soviet trade with capitalist coun tries is now concentrated on Western Europe. The USSR particularly rapidly increasing its imports of grain from France - to help replace its old dependence on wheat imDWEL States. The Soviet Union is the United also making sure the West European countries do not Tul UCICILS on their trade with the USSR.
Gorbachev's proposal to Mitterrand, made Paris, to have direct arms control talks with France - excluding the United States - is part same ponce.
USSR is aiso exploiting the aces Westerm Europt over Reagan's Star Wars plans — a so-called defensive A01-mc9e screen around the United States WOta not cover Western Europe. To preveal tac us acyclopini Star Wars now number one aim of Soviet diplomacy.
Gorbachev quite right to exploit every crack in the western alliance The problem is that the Soviet leadership dways see, mass movements against imperialism as subordinate to wiel manoeuvrigs belween the imperialist powers. For exactly this reason Gorbachev's visit has been seized on by those such as Joan Ruddock who seeking to demobilise the anti-missiles movement.
The rising struggle in South Africa, the develop. ment of the Nicaraguan revolution, or. the antiwavement Western eliable allies of the Sovic An imperialist government such as Mitterrand's is not But, for all that, Gorbachev's visit to was an important initiative by the Soviet leadership.
resolution from Orpington constituency, opposing the Emergency Powers Bill:
Secretary Labour CND (personal capacity)
was passed on a show of hands. "hese powers give military orces the rignt to dread'key strategic cemure: Pritain and to carciz and vetain anyone Passed as subversive'.
suckers evidence throughout that day. And the overwhelming support for a resolution demanThe campaign for gay rights continues 3,395,000 votes to 2,805,000.
The resolution called for the party to commit itself CLU end allega discrimination against lesbians and gav men: outlaw discrimination in employhousing, child custody and so on; and end police harrassment. It also calls for a campaign to educate the labour movement and win lesbians and gay men to the party. A new NEC working, party will draft the policy in detail.
The massive support for the resolution Caric the significant number of lesbian and gay delegates, as well as sup porters of the black sections, ACTIO Committee, and the vast majority of rank and file delegates and visitors.
The outcome of both the TUC and Labour Party debates is a tribute to the hard of the Labour Campaign for Lesbian Gay Rights (LCLGR) to the unflinching support given by many heterosexual activists from other sections of the movement. especially from the black section After a week of lobbyed and publicised before the next election.
Despite the NEC propOsal SHODOM resolution the contribution to the debate defence spokesperson Denzil Davies left room to doubt that ihe: intend to carry out such a campaign. This made CND's 'Cachpaign kit' a popular celieurors item among consultuens! dejegates, pro viding as it cores the hasi La construency-based campaign on unilateral Copies of CND's campaign kit and the national executive recommendation to remit and carried the lesbian and gay rights composite by ing trade union delega tions, we were confident of victory in our call for a card vote We knew the NUM would cast unstinting support they had received from lesbians and gays during the Unions like NUPE and COHSE have been forced to take up the issues it ria wake nystella generated around AIDS.
the vott also dicated the effects of many years of hard work for lesbian and gay rights in other most notably the TGWU The anticipated supOUTL delegates showed a understanding developed in recent years, that it is impossible talk of equality, socialism without taking up the oppression of lesbians and gay men.
In the debate delegates seethed with fury at the one delegate who voiced opinions which might even have commanded a ma jority just five years ago.
AL They rose to their feet and cheered wildly when the vote was announced, enthusiastically with lesbians delegates afterwards in our celebrations.
Now we must fight hard for the implementa. tion of the agreed policies. We … need to get voting against us to change their views, and suppor ting unions to go out and convince their members.
We must continue to build up a massive campaign for the movement to recognise that AIDS is a trade union issue. It is a crime against humanity that those who suffer and by implication all les blass ana say mich — to be treated as worse than But we can now carry knowing that in one short forward this vanials week we have achieved as much as was achieved over so many years. We go forward with the confidenc that millions of lesbians and gay men will respond • enthusiastically to the lead given them on Friday mor ning.
Above all, we know we now stand with the authority of the TUC and Labour Party conferences when we demand that the working recognise that lesbian and gay liberation is a central part of the struggle for socialism.
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Soviet Union's trade che- with Western Europe and
Photo: TRIPLINE Labour's NATO Debate Heathfield. An emergency
A WAVE of euphoria swept Labour Party con- ference last Friday morning when delegates ignored