SocialistAction 1983–88

The paper of the Socialist League, formerly the International Marxist Group, 1983–88

"Liverpool today, others tomorrow"

· Socialist Action No. 145, 27 June 1986 · p. 4 of the scan · 543 words

The scan: 145-jun-27-1986-SA-UK.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 3-7 of 7; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 4 of the scan

party members are an absolute disgrace. In many inin supporting a particular newspaper.

Concerning the so-called malpractices Liverpool District Labour Party, the fact is that there rover there either. But if those charg ed with navracuice were guilty, then so were the District members who were not charged.

The procedures for the NEC trial were also disgrace. For example. in the case of Tony Mulhearn, material was introduced and referred to durdiscussion after he left which was never actuany been pur lo him.

I objected very strongprejudicial to follow such a practice.

I don't normally agree with people taking the nar. ty to court. But under the THE PROPOSALs put forward by the Labour circumstances think Mulhearn is right to do so. Those simply aren't getting square deal.

After his expulsion, the Garston party nas taken a allow Tony Mulhearn to continue aliena tne meetings or tne party. The fact is that they ahemselves inte difficulty with the rules of the party.

The NEC has decided to send Jovce Gould Garston to . outline the situation. That is against my wishes and those of other members of the exopposed to expulsions.

We have argued that this should be a question of mediation - a question with the local party. This has been done before. As chair of the party I was involved in such discussions mysell.

But in Liverpool the heavv being threatened. fear that Garstor itself disbanded.

This won't apply only to Garston. My own constituency has said that if Felicity Dowling is thrown out they will not recognise We could be faced with the same situation •SO could all the other Liverpool constituencies who stand four square with those who have been thrown out by the NEC. We could end up with the situation where most of the constituency parties Liverpool are disbanded That is a very serious matter.

What rank file members don't underslanu — wilal s not gelling across to the party - is the pening . It isn't just a ques of individuals being LUll serious though that is. It is a matte whole parties being disbanded, of "111 dividuals then being vetted as to whether they can reJoin the party once this has happened When you consider tha the 'crimes' of the Liverpool District Labour Party were that they discussed such nucotics The party leader_LIe ship election all these things are said to be out. side the rules of the party!

would put it to every single party member in the country: it parties are no allowed to discuss such matters, what is the point having • organisations like District Labour Par shes having coordinating bodies to mobilise the par ty in the city to carry out the struggle for socialism?

This • 18 belg missed in considering the expulsions as just an issue witch hunt is far bigger than that issue.

An enormity is taking place in the party at the • Garston and other parties in Liverpool are threaten ed with disbandment, the entire Labour Party across the country must mobilise against it. It is Liverpoo today but them tomorrow.

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stances nothing at all has been proved by the na- tional executive trials. In any case, there is no crime

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