WHAT'S YOUR assessment of Labour Party conference? How do you judge the mood of the Party?
The mood of reflects the fact that a lot of people on the left had a genuine blow to their confidAfter Thatcher's reence. election they thought there was a real possibility that the Party could be replaced by the SDP. The media and the British establishment created the impression that Alliance would replace the Labour Party.
This is starting to evaporate now - the Party's started picking up in the opinion polls, and the government is SCCil vulnerable. It's not even necessarily the case that it will survive it's full term of office.
So, I think it was a very quiet and subdued should ever underestimate the level of tolerance and desire the Party. It hasn't been evidence in the post-Callaghan year, but it's very much the tradition of the movement.
The interesting thing about the last four years is that the left have been able to mobilise a better vote in the parlamentary Party than in the constituencies.
That reflects what's been happening in the constituencies.
No. It reflects what's happening in the MPs are actually better vote than CLPs. haven't changed drastically always been leftish inclined. But it's a left which has been prepared to give the leadership ine Denenl l lIC again and again -of that, again and again.
If you have that assessment, how do TeSDONd ordinating Committee letter!
The leiter calls for unity around the present leadership. It says that its proposals for lefi unity are premised on no challenge CUTCL before the next election.
The left has to have a positive approach to the leadership.
to proceed on the basis that the Party has elected the leadership it wants.
We've been arguing tor some that the leader isn't paramount. Now we have to argue policies that the leadership are going to carry out up to une ciecuol, anu aklar it. The left can't start by saying that the first thing to do is expose Neil Kinnock the to for unity within much in - for the first time -mobilising CLPs - thẹy ve doubt - and it's lost because Co- tne communily.
I agree leadership port.
You've actually got teller, HIRIC E time about the sort of — it's got to start by bulding a base in you don't start by saying you think Kinnock will sell out — you have to have a positive approach to unity ... Then you must agree with the LCC letter. There's nothing in it you can't supI agree with the mood reflected in that should be unity fight the Tories. Socialist Action would say that the whole of the Labour Party should unite to fight the Tories. That is the single most important thing for the British working class, unity in support the struggle of the health workers, and the POEU, and to defend Party conference drew a line under the splits of the last four years. and file have actually wiped the slate clean for Kinnock and Hattersley. You can't opt out of that.
All the democracy battles of the last years have been based understanding that everyone in the Party - left and right — is tree between conferences to argue to change policy.
I'm in favour of changing most of our policies, because I think they're wholly inadequate.
Exactly! And I think the expulsion of Militant editorial board, the expulsion of Tariq Ali, and the ban on the sale of main.
Coming back to what we were saying earlier, that the left should go out and campaign. to do this?
If you start fighting on the issues, you're actually drawn into the links that are necessary. If you sit down and try to construct a structure in advance, no one will ever have to get a series of groups coming together on a particular issue, like the Rank and File Mobilising Committee or the Benn deputy leadership campaign.
But leaving aside the fight against the lorles -not important, but I believe we already have agreement on that - there are two key issues I think need raisıng durıns the pero dirst borso posdam weakness in looks as if Kinnock and Hattersley be buying the LCC version of the Alternative Economic Strategy. the AES was exposed as fairly inadequate by the debate in the election cam paign. say that's ocdsc the borrowing side of the package, and didn't emphasıse exporting capital. But unless you tie the Party down package will inevitably emphasise the borrowing and the high taxation rather than the control of capital.
the Party committed to take control of capital: the banks, the finance houses, ana so oll ing it to rebuild our industry and our wenae suale that's streets ahead in importance, it's getting the Party committed to that. If we don't, any future Labour Photo: GM COOKSON ment's bound to fail, possibly within months, because of the economic contradictions that programme economy without controlling capital.
the significance of PLP. Heffer got more PLP than constituency votes in the leadership elections.
ted on control of the Labour cabinet.
It's not good having won all the adThe rank vances of reselection dramatic, qualitative improvement the nature of the PLP unless the PLP controls the executive, the cabinet and the Party leadership Labour Group controls the committer chairs and the Labour leadership. the be an influx of MPs who'd be com pletely on the hard and the soft lett -you'd have a broad left in parlament with a substantial hard left minority.
PLP is elected and they all mill around for three or four years unable to actually gel lo grips cabinet and the civil service.
Even with your How does the left organise organised.
would say get agreement.
not because I think it's fundamental economic policy. will That's how In a sense, The defenders of the AES will Shore emphasised Many of the controls on on how you pay for the a future Labour government side London.
Wing bulletin All we want to do hinges on getting ference.
— controlling capital and usthere's one policy They Right. would follow from a bridge that , reflate the The second key issue follows from tion had the left vote in the stead We've got to get the Party commit seeing like a council If we won the next election there' I'm It would be a big weakness if a good possibility pletely with controlling the be broken by international lorces scenario, the left will still need to build because it's been unquestionably the case that what's been won over the last four or five years has been because the left has fought and Yes, the left has got to give the lead.I should meet discuss the LCC letter. If the LCC are prepared to accept that you need to control capital and the parliamentary leadership, then we have the foundations for a socialist programme within the next Labour government. The left has to organise to make sure Labour wins on a particular sort of programme, that's what you're saying. But what's the potential organiser of such a campaign? The national supplement Ol London Labour Briefing for example?
we originally Briefing, and it played a major role getting big breakthroughs in the GLC and the London boroughs Do you think there's a potential for Briefing to play that role nationally? I think there's a potential. But to be able to do it, Brifing's got to capture a broad range of opinion, especially outLook at what happened with the Brief • Parti C 11 The lunchtime editorial metings were crowded with delegate: and visitors, people who weren't part of the regular London Brifing team.
were looking for something to plug into nationally.
Brifing could begin to precisely • because it wasn't associated with one particular set of ideas. Socialist Organiser bulletin didn't have that pull. If Socialist Ac (neteced iwion Breletig n with Briefing wouldn't have had that pull either.
If Brifing is to fullfil its potentia — and that's still an open question has to be in the democratic control of brifing groups and brifing sellers ap and down the country, it has to have links with the union broad lefts, and il has to include all the : different paigns: Labour Committee on Ireland Witch cAgams I'm not sure the left is at the stage ye where this can be done. It sees things i terms of what'll be happening over thr next year or two.
convinced that there's a rea that the next governmer will be Labour. It makes er 3 com different perspective.
got to start planning now for the Labour government and what it does
Socialist Action 4 November 1983