CND's GENERAL ELECTION campaign has been a flop. The CND leaflets and posters a picture children with the legend 'in the nuclear election vote for them' lacked meaning or cutting edge.
While CND was correct not to endorse any political party, the determination of many CND leaders to avoid doing the slightest thing to aid Labour's campaign been at best ineffective, and at worst looked at times like endorsement of Alliance candidates. ( EP Thompson reported to have endorsed the Liberals at a meeting in Oxford.
CND branches were confined to eatletting, questions to and meetings with candidates. along with the peace canvass. CND did not port for the one mass action during the ampaign which could have made a huge impact the 24 May International Women's Day for Disarmament.
Edward Thompson. Bruce
other, anti-nuclear leaders refused even to speak on the same platform as Labour candidates!
The CND ased on a false premise and overal trategy. If CND'S • campaign meaning, it meant for the CND leaders Vote for the candidate with the position on nucłtar disarmament' The problem is that it is the party with the best position weapons which will be most effective -LUL ets individual MPs. SDP/Liberal Alliance oll the nook, because Il lans lO make them account for the poncies or tell parties.
Thompson and Kent, and the other CND leaders should have spoken Labour Party, platforms all over the As individuals they have called for a vote for Labour. But failed to do that because the approach they are developing downplays looks 'pressure politics.
Joan Ruddock, even said that in the event of a Tory victory CND turn towards lobbying Tory MPs!
re-affirm the determination to fighting. of nuclear disarmament, tions for the struggle to do that. has Inass labou mobilised.
is an increasingly desperate nature.
Thatcher
as a missiles. The next step, prioritise supSea In all its strength to Greenham Heyford camps.
Kent have Linked campaign was had any best tories. nuclear CND's strategy leaders act, candidates proach. pro-nuclear The should Healev.
Cell ycals towards doubtless discourage from seeking wouid On 12 June CND is holding a mass rally at Wembley Conference Centre to go But it must be said that the CND leadership is preparing the move ment for defeat. A Tory victory will be a big setback, not because a Labour vicwould have automatically meant but because would have created much better condiBut'even under a Tory government the missiles can be stopped, if the anti-nuclear movement is turned towards movement action. it the power of CND's strongest allies in the Labour Party and the trade unions 1:
Instead, we face the danger that the movement will split between an increasingly right wing 'pressure politics' line of the leadership, and direct action of will use an electoral vicmeans for bringing in the as the mass arrests at Upper Heyford showed, will be police repression of the peace camps. The labour movement must be mobilisdefend the Common Upper Direct action at the bases must be linked to a campaign to get the Labour Party and trade unions to pull out their HARRIS members for huge labour movement demonstrations, and to move towards 'warning strikes' perhaps for a symbolic five minutes at first — in the facThe CND leadership has not Photo. Inu moved to make the labour movement precisely because they disagree with a labour movement aprefusal to appoint a Labour CND full timer speaks volumes about their attitude. In fighting for the labour movement to act, CND's main enemy 1s the right wing of the labour movement.
Callaghan and Dutty want to roll back the unilateralist gains of re- wing Their attacks on unilateralism will activists an alliance with the tion But despite the betrayals of the leaders, the mass of the labour movement stands four square for disarmament. This year's Labour Party and TUC conferences must made to call mass action against the bomb If the turn towards lobbying right MPs wasn't enough, political retreat tor the anti-nuclea movement is being prepared from unilateralism and anti-missiles actowards the campaign 'nuclear freeze'.
On 6 July a big rally is organised in London on the theme PROTEST AND BASES Greenham blockade: CND missed the chance on 24 May to make a huge impact with these mass actions 'Time for a nuclear freeze'. Naturally be enough, a freeze on all nuclear weapons development and deployment would be an immensely progressive move. But in big unilateralist movement, any attempt to divert its main campaign tocus towards - away the 'freeze' demand would be immense. ly retrograde and harmful.
for a crucial practical step of fighting the being missiles here and now, for the sake of an alliance with the Liberals.
La crushing ment.
It would divert attention from the CND's national conference is no: until December. But tivists face an immediate dilemma how to stop a lory victory turning inte of the anti-missiles move.
The answer is to base the movemen: on the forces that will fight labour movement, the women's peare movement and the youth.
Most of all it means fighting fo movement Utherwis defeat is staring us in the face Socialist Action 10 June 1983
Socialist Action 10 June 1983 ACTION Middle East Пр