The colossal social forces that the miners brought into motion have begun to totally transform the map left wing British politics. 1 ills pIo• cess, which started in the uake around the simple axis of for or against the NUM and its struggles, has developed and deepened since the strike's end.
The left in the Labour Party, under the impact of events, has been resolved into essentially into three components The 'realigned left' which Stood against Scargill in the strike and nave NOW aligned will Kinnock.
The class struggle left which stood with Scargill championed the social alliances he strike created. Since then, •particularly by figures in the Campaign black seculoll, NUM and parts of the women's movement these forces have deepened their conse to me el • An ultra left which supof the Labour Left Coordination (LLC) saw a crisis in that organisation over its structure and functioning. The next monthly meeting will probably decide its future. REDMOND O'NEILL and JOHN ROSS look at the choices facported the miners but considered that Scargill failed confront the bureaucracy and so contributed the strikes defeat.
The second of these forces, the class struggle left, is particularly important because it is a potentially hegomonic left. It is defined not by what it is against but what it is for -the miners chamself-organisation of the oppressed, building popular majority TOT socialism Precisely because a oleg hegemonic force capable, over a prolonged struggle, of defeating both Thatcher in society and Kinnock and the right wing in the party.
Activists The ultra-left in COItrast subordinate force defined Dy wilal it Is agallist, nol what it is for. It is by its nature 'oppositional', not hegemonic, it is therefore incapable of setting the terrain of debate either society or the party:
cal ills itself an 'antiKinnock left' and tries to itself Consulule 'ultra-radical' left consCICHICC ot forces engaged in struggle.
The chief tative of this ultra-left cur rent has today crystallised as Labour Briefing. This is now planning to launch a national newspaper.
Briefing represents
definite, legitimate, minority point of view. Briefing should be incorporated as a definite viewpoint in the organisations of the Labour left.
What has brought Labour Left Coordination to a crisis however is the attempt by Briefing to impose its views undemocratic organisationa means rejecting majorities that exist on the Labour Left Coordination is composea ol two types of organisation. he first are those formed the most On these, therefore, have developed.
the black the tee, the the Labour on others. have case thousands. They organisaon on LUIs which they constituted. Defence tion which 'form within flows be based their autonomy.
This within une This requires has
Socialist Action 12 March 1986
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LAST SUNDAY'S meeting ing the LLC.