EVENTS in British thick and fast. In the last two weeks we have seen mainline sections of the right wing for the first time openly confess their coalitionist perspective, a massive new extension of the witch hunt directed against the Labour Party Black Section, and a huge explosion in the teachers unions. week before that we had a new outbreak of crisis in the 'soft left'.
How are we to make sense of those events? What is their guiding thread?
To understand that you have to grasp the historical character of British society and the process which is now gripping its labour movement the process of the labourism'.
For almost a century dominated the British strength of British imperialism meant that concessions could be made to every section of the working class — even if far greater concessions were made to some than to others. On that basis a tremendous united reformist labour move ment was constructed - or to be more accurate a labour maie section of the working women were never included within its bounds to anything like their real weight. The process since 1979, in an acute form, disintegration of this unity although, since 1979 crișis which set in since at least the mid-1960s.
Ihat labour movement is, progressively, fly. ing apart along its lines of social cleavage. and 1983 two to three million workers, the majority skilled and well paid, broke with Labour to go over to Thatcher and then, more permanently, the Alliance. base that new realism in the unions rests on.
Secondly, and as yet small in numbers compared to the first break, a small section of the most militant and most oppressed — miners, the black community, among women, in the social movements, individuals in the trade unions and Labour Party -The great majority of the labour movement, the 'soft left' and 'soft right", is of course still tryıng to stick the whole pot back together again on the old basis. But the problem material basis which created unity, the strength of British imperialism to maintain a united reformist labour movement, no longer exists.
These social lines of cleavage dictate the used by the political formula of Gavin Laird of the New Statesman -witch hunt, down with trade unions in inner city areas, smash the Black Section, left - - has a social base. It is 'white male better paid workers of Britain unite with smash the blacks, the majority of women, the lesbians and gays, and all those whom British imperialism can no longer afford to give anything to.
The perspective of the class struggle forces is of course exactly the opposite. It is the unity of the great majority of the working class with the oppressed against capital. The developments in the left of the labour movement miners, tion, in the women's movement, in the Campaign group, in Labour trade unions and CLPs — is precisely to attempt to forge the political basiş on which to achieve that.
The problem is, of course, that for a long time the new realist forces, the force of the new right, are going to be far more powerful than those of the emerging struggle tleground fight for the majority of the labour movement -that part which, firmly in the old labourist perspective.
Who wins that fight, a fight of years in duration will determine the entire future direction of the British labour movement. The political basis of that fight is the most urgent task facing the left.
politics are coming in "break up of single feature working The movement which united at least the because precisely the of labourism of course, the spectacular explosion was prepared by a more hidden and political First between the elections of 1974 They form today also the mass broke with labourism to its left.
is that the old different sides. The 'forward to calition, long live the throw out the capital to among the among the teachers, in the Black SecLeft Liaison, in innumerable lett. The between the two is going to be the for now, still remains locked COUNCILLOR PHIL MURPHY, leading member of Birmingham Black Section, is facing possible expulsion from the Labour Matter addressing the Birmingham Black Section rally on 7 April. The call for his expulsion was made at hastily convened meeting of the city council's ruling Labour group, which also decided to suspend him membership and to take steps to withdraw the whip. Murphy was notified of the group meeting which took place immediately atter a full -council meeting that he had left early to attend the rally.
The resolution passed the gives reasons for disciplinary acton but asks 'the National Constitutional Committee lake such acele necessary to exclude him tom macmdersmp or ine thought thai the Hilalle will be discussed by the next NEC.
Phil Murphy has been a Birmingham citv councillor since 1984. As senior executive at the Commission for Racial Equality he has been a constant thorn in the side of the labour goup's right wing leadership. His uncompromising stance on issues of anti1 alisil van Licuidl suspended for other 'I think essentially have been suspended because the group sees me threat on several levels. They see me as so meone who has been instrumenta. helping to Orerinisc ane ell ,here Birmingham, on the They find of course they that threatening. Also I have beeT involved in organising Black Section and that is also seen as a threat. Bul probably more profoundly I think I've been suspend. ed from the Labour group. with the threat of being expelled the because there number of sitting MPs in the city who feel that someone nke mysell, or the I represent self-organisation of Black people, self-representation of Black people by Black people «u ze ne Ia their personal position.' Level between Black Section and Labour's right wing. This characteristic w ds more open offensive against Black Section and the Birmingham Left by Roy Hattersley others since their defeat by the campaign for une ems alement or au Khan and Kevin Scally He and Denis Howell, MP for Small Heath, have made several statements in support Knowles leadership attacking his lett wing critics in the Labour group. . In a recent article in Birmingham Evening Mail Hattersley branded Black Section activists 'ambitious agitators' seeking ploit 'the Black and Asian British' Endorsed Hattersley has publicly endorsed the suspension of Birmingham District Peter Snape, MP for West of men Hast and chai West Midlands Murphy already won the support of party Visal els Ladywood, Selly Oak and Perry Barr constituencies The Sandwell ward of Ladywood CLP, which Murphy represents, launch a petition within bimmincar calling his ICSaLC iC l a tul group member and opposing any futher disciplinary action against him. View The ward has written to Knowles expressing its view ana intenas to write to the NEC. The Black Section discuss the matter with Black organisations in Birmingham and to contact other constituencies waras lo soncil thelr support.
As Phil Murphy explains: : 'Even though initially we are going to carry out a tairly low-key campaign obviously don't want to damage th‹ Labour Party — if the parmoves towards my ex pulsion are certainly golng to escalate position to what they doing 'If Neil Kinnock feels he has had problems in the past then he doesn't even begin to understand what he inviting. I want make it quite clear to the NEC and to the party that Black people have had 400 years of struggle. We have been learning trom the exstruggle, wilclilc that experience comes Africa, the United States, the West Indies or Latin America we know how to struggle.
Kinnock has never taken on the Black Colee donı think even he knows what it will be like.'