Dear Socialist Action, publication you have become. What Call unpleasant, 'vicious racist articles', eh? (SA May 30).
editorial saying about some facts.
not quote the next two lines:
the SDP must be exposed for what it is?
head-on — and you call that a 'vicious racist outburst'. Are you people serious or have you just escaped from Billy Smart's circus? You do not confront racism by denying its existence.
'an open attack by Tribune on the demands of the you mean a signed article by a contributor? Can you not bend your kindergarten minds around the concept of a newspaper which acts as a forum for debate and ideological does tralist line like yourselves?
Socialist Action which open It itself into the left's answer to The Sun. Editor, Tribune Dear Socialist Action, How dare you selectively quote from my articles in Tribune and my paper for Islington Labour Party to give the impression that I support any kind of watering down Your publication is almost as contemptible as the policies. scab sheets produced behind barbed wire at Wapping. I enclose a copy of my paper and I demand that you print it in full as my right of reply to your distortions. We cannot fight racism unless we acknowledge that it exists, analyse what forms it takes and what its origins are. If I report that racist remarks are made to Labour candidates and canvassers why do you assume that I support this? How about the following quotes from my paper? 'The truth is we haven't done much for black people or for gays. "To sum up we lost in South because starting from a small base of activists we failed to build a party which went against the grain of a great deal which "Labour" in South Islington had stood for ingiven (by the new council) to anti-racist work. In cluding particular housing policies need to be reviewed in the light of the PSI (Policy Studies Institute) report on discrimination in council housing in Islington. Efforts by TAs to combat racism should be fully backed. Neighbourhood offices should be made aware of their responsibilities, and independent advice organisations should continue to be funded for anti-racist activities which stress concrete work with tenants and members of the public.' You are right to suggest that in the wake of the setback in South a new right has emerged in Istington calling for the watering down of radical policies. My paper was intended to alert comrades to this danger and 1 am happy to say that it has succeeded. The claim on your masthead that you are building an alliance for socialism sounds extremely hollow when you attack fellow socialists in this fashion. I see that you don't have a letters column in your paper, so I doubt whether this will ever see the light of day. (Or could it just be that no one bothers with writing to you?)
I suggest you stop trying to cram everything you don't like into the mould of a 'Kinnockite con spiracy. Such delusions run clear against the first task for socialists; to understand what is happening in order to be able to effect events. suspect you will prefer to go on fighting with your eyes snul.
PHIL KELLY • The paper which Phil Kelly demands we reprint as his right of reply is approximately 2000 words long — more than a page of the paper. Unfortunately space does Anyone who would like a copy of this however should contact us, c/o PO Box 50, London NI 2XP, enclosing 37p to cover the cost of photocopying and postage and we will supply a copy - Editor.
squalid and dishonest So Tribune prints *Several black candidates You quote a Tribune Well Alliance exploited this racism quite unscrupulous- 'The Liberal-SDP article seems intent on turning. never happen in of anti-racist and positive action This is the exact opposite of the truth. white supremancy Priority must be But I pity, leader, Alex sditors, the incy firm orton, told enditure on 34, "Improting Jobs" e, in their rty politic applied to of "Demoional rally ratety said.
officials claiming would not the provi1 Governiets counmpaigns. ed Armitering up, e a legal y of the them. linburgh case. We THE SOCIALIST campaigning is running out to tackle the pr Kinnock, and her colleagues, the arms race, ald and politica said that One World called for expansion of Third World cour efforts. Phote: Andrew Wiard (Report)
ELECTIONS LABOUR'S strong showing in last week's local elections may to these articles — although New Society has.
continue and invite contributions.
Union of Communication Workers, promised that members would work hard to support One World's / districts Blackburn, Brighton, LAST WEEK'S Socialist Action contained material by Socialist Action and members of the Labour Party Black Section sharply attacking articles in the New Statesman, Tribune, New Society and Guardian claiming that running black candidates had cost Labour votes in the local government elections. The New Statesman has refused to print the reply of the Labour Party Black Sections Socialist Action has received replies from Nigel Williamson, editor of Tribune, and Phil Kelly, author of the article we criticised in Tribune. We print these in full with a reply by Socialist Action. Marc Wadsworth, national chair of the Black Section has also taken up another aspect — the question that Tribune fails to support the demands of the Black Section. We anticipate this debate will now carke, of the The f NationE ployees ecte t Icy. tater orded confi imu ed by Wars Idea wage in f minimum EN!
DEMAND the Barth i
----- pull-quotes -----
It may have escaped your notice but a leading member of WAC's executive has a regular column in Tribune. That is the nature of the paper — free
ly. Nor was it averse to the anti-gay smear. Such at- titudes must be tackled head-on and the hypocrisy, cynicism and sheer opportunism of the liberals and Racist and anti-gay attitudes must be tackled But your lies do not stop there. You criticise purity and dictate a democratic cen-