democratic reforms methods, and in particular in the 'block vote'. He says this should be divided between majority and and minority views in the union.
His proposals, wiaely reported in the media, appear in New Left Review, where Heffer also argues for the 'one person, vote method of selecting the leader deputy leader. He insists, however, that votes cast union and Labour Party meetings and not by post, and that the votes of trade inion members paying th Donucal Icvy be counted equally with those individual members.
Heffer also supports Alex Kitson's proposal, made in Tribune last year. for a different method of counting votes at the that would give the constituencies a greater share of the vote.
Heffer's call comes as a breath of fresh air. Until twO vens do it was variably the Labour left called for more democracy - both in the in society at large. But since the deputy leadership campaign they have lost the initiative to the Labour right who call for postal ballots for the leadership election. The Tories have even stolen some of this ground.
Tragically. it ISOW Norman Tebbit, and not Tony Benn, who appears television talks about democracy. Because the Labour left stopped short of fighting for trade the Tories have put forward their own ideas. These will not strengthen democracy but are intended to weaken it. The postal ballots will help bureaucrats their media minders to bypass MP has called for widespread in Labour voting participatory on the shopfloor and in union branches.
Worse still, the Tories are using. the very weaknesses of the unions which the left failed to attack, to try and cut the links between unions altogetner Thes can appeal to trade union members who rightly feel they have no say at all in the way their union bosses cast millions of votes at Labour Party conference, with a simple proposal: have anything to do with the Labour Party at all?
The Labour right have played into the When Roy Hatnialius. tersley calls for 'one perone vote, what SUlL. really means that Labour Parties should use the Tebbit advocates. A postal sallic methods vote in which individual members vote without nearing the arguments or being able to ISSUCk meetings of the movement undemoCIaLIC.
called for instead 'use the of Icaaels, they have severing the the unions DeLWeCHl Party at local level. they strengthen the leadership at the expense of the membership by allowing be fought out in the media through Instead meetings where all une arguments can be heard. even staging a debate between the leadership contenders at the TUC if there Angry AUEW delegates attack former secretary Hugh Scanlon for undemocratic and manipulative use of block vote Sporting Kitson's call for a greater share for constituencies at Labour Party tions, the main abuse the block vote would be removed. thing nevertheless is that Eric Heffer's proposals point the way forward for the left inside the Labour