trying to avoid admitting too openly what everyone knew to be the case, day has finally come out in the open. Its February 1986 issue carrries a 5000 word article by Michael Rustin arguing unamween Labour and the SDP-Liberal Alliance.
Just so there is no misunderstanding Rustin dots the Is' and crosses the t's'. Preparations for this coalition must start as soon as possible ground for it beforehand.' Rustin discusses the tactics in detail stating: 'Groups on the left, who would no doubt be the most vocal guardians of party commitments, which to judge whether a coalition deserved supstupidity, is quite unbelievable. He argues: 'It is full employment.' Apparently David Owen is now to become a convert to full employment policies - which is rather like asking a tiger to give up got news for Rustin on the next page of the journal. In an article entitled 'Goodbye to all that' Aaronovitch argues explicitly that it is necessary to bury even the reformist Alternative Economic commitment to full employment must now be abandoned and that 'opinion is growing that full employment in the 50s sense is not attainable.
Aaronovitch argues on an alliance with the EEC. He states: ! want... to confront one particular controversial issue: Britain's membership of the EEC. I suggest that those who have argued for withdrawal should have second thoughts. "European" cooperation has clearly grown so as to match the competitive strength of the USA accept fully the need for involvement in the EEC and to work with all forces available to change its Cut out the cackle, because Aaronovitch's olicy has about as much chance of controlling the EEC powers as Gerry Adams has of being elected head of the Orange Order, and you do get a real basis on which coalition with the SDP iberal Alliance could be negotiated Labour should accept mass unemployment It should be integrated into a capitalist Europe which is both engaged in increasing economic competition with the United States and arming itself against the USSR. policy Labour would become a pure adjunct of Of course on that basis undoubtedly a coalition agreement could be negotiated with the Alliance. They, after all, are precisely the Eurogramme is virtually indistinguishable on these basics not only from Owen or Steel but from right wing fringe of the Labour Party.
But this is a real fight over the future of the labour movement. There are only two coherent The first line is that of coalition with the movement this necessitates. A policy that lines up the theoretical journal of a Communist Party with the Eric Hammonds and David Owens.
The second line is one which appears on the masthead of this newspaper and is advanced by alliance for socialism'. For Labour to turn out to Alliance but for socialism. To ally not with capital against the working class and oppressed with the working class and oppressed against capital. All other orientations are simply eclectic and will be ground away as the years go on.
At long last fundamental strategic questions challenge which is now before it.
Marxism Toestablish minimum terms by to complete the issue of Marxism CPGB economist, has this new Labour Therefore the decision must be "to of the savage attacks on the labour politics are being openly joined and This company Yeovil was a clear example that. Here was helicopter company that was thrown to anybody who wanted to pick it up. I know it was ons of war but that wasn't une man Doll When it went on the market Westland exposed powerful conflict between the United States and western Europe. Americans wanted Westland to be a bridgehead to sell their arms in Europe. The European industrialists made this the occasion for resisting US industrial domination. The fight over the helicopter company brought into play really deep aspects of the crisis the capitalist The government did anything BOI because Mrs Thatcher is under orders from Reagan Star Wars debtedness for his help ir the allu over missiles. She beat yet couldn't nounce the European bid because she is suspected, quite correctly, of not be ing a passionate federal On this COll tradiction two of her key Cabinet ministers went.
In the process something else happened. we had exposed for all to see the nature British government which . is really ministerial government. This fact, which has never been pro. perly discussed, came to the sullace and cabinet reponsibility broke down.
Two cabinet ministers left was delighted. Heseltine had attacked Molesworth Brittan attacked the miners. Bull to have such centrifugal Duroucal strategy. don't know if you saw the arguments in the Guardian and New Socialist pushing the idea that we've got to capital against the United with States p wino the BisC.
with What is your attitude to that?
I think there are a lot of myths going around based on a tallure One myth is the NorthSouth gap -where it is all about the need for the rich countries to help the poor countries, whereas actually the being bled coute bes wille by rich ones.
I think there Is new continental industrial competition and - Japan, western Europe, and the United States three superpowers. They suspicious of each other because of their realharsh industrial competition. This is to be dealt with by consolidating and fighting each other.
Heseltine is the arch example of this. tew weeks ago he was apparently seeking Star Wars contracts but then emerged as une caudi of hE Competition from the don't think the Labour Party should have anything whatever to with that approach. COur interests should be with the sacked Yeovil under Thatcher, workers in America under and workers in Germany under the west right wing of Chancellor Kohl. We wan a labour internationalism we dont want to mor our weight continental nationalisms.
Photo: JOHN HAPPIS Your Board will shortly be in touch with you to give its considered advice on the Consortiums tender If you accept the tender, you may I think this reveals a serious gap in our analysis. Of course we want much closer links with Europe — but not just with Europe of the west, not just the industrialists of Europe. W f want links with the trade closer trading links with eastern europe. we want a demilitarisation policy for Europe Our policy should be to bring Westland into public ownership. Convert TrON helicopter company company which adapts its helicopters to be third world relief vehicles and use them to ferry food famine area in the world A sort of British state Bob Geldof programme That make sense. would win wide support.
To say 'let's join with Aerospatiale or Augusta in Italy fight Sikorski' would merely be to become an adjunct of the type infighting that characterises capitalist crises.
There is a lot of work to be done on socialist internationalism at the moment.
Finally one of the aspects of the Westland affair that was widely commented or was the lack of any offensive by front bench. It seems extraordinary WIlt government go such crisis without the Labour party DODOSITY confidence. It seems feeble vote or ILU compared WilCYCl son's offensive against MacMillan during the ProTumO CISS wlal do you think lies behind it?
It's been true of other things as well. The Dalyell. The City scandal was fought by Brian Sedgemore ane Dennis Skinner. The Westland crisis was hand.
ed as 'let's sit back and enjov it while they tight 1 out.' The real issues were not brought out nola nan of ersonalities, but the 'let' down' of thought, 'we sit it out affects parliamentary performanty it permits is in clobberFebruary 8th. You can afford to wait. WESTLAND lony benn ing the left, because that is part of keeping your head , your head down and see that nobody else puts their head above the parapet. I think it was very disappointing.
But I wouldn't focus on that because the Campaign group is there, and active, things do emerge from it. But the doesn't want to DI COS report it. motion on the public ownership of Westland for example, which was not reported.
The argument on the vote if confidence we have argued it in the past on the miners - is that it Tories and we don't want consolidates to be defeated.
But if you don't start things that might lead to a parliamentary defeat then • Argument frustrate the Board's plan to rescue Westland The tender has to remain open until you might as well not be at all. Because by aeningon, once anciechol has occurred, for the next five years oppositions are going to be defeated by the because they've got the votes Won is stated is a question • strategy how parliament should be used. parliament should be a platform and a pulpit which you use to ex pose what is happening in role ministers in it and to present your alternatives.
That is different to using it solely to exploit little mini-embarrassments withof things. think the save frat tied whas you sall • LICIC War much of a parliamentary fight.
The facts behind the Tory crisis •The best short handbook on the Conservative Party that currently exists Andrew Gamble, Marxism Toda essentat for any activists booksue Available from The Other Bookshop. POS Box 50, London payable to IMRS
Socialist Action 7 February 1986
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AcTioN goes all the way AFTER FIVE years of half guarded hints,
to be
ce and policy making. The only sign of activi-