AUL FOOT talks to TARIQ AL! just before the debate begins. Both the Socialist Workers Party and the International Marxist Group put the case for revolutionary change in Britain today nset: HILARY WAINWRIGHT, one of the authors of Beyond the Fragments; and TONY BENN, main speaker on the Labour Party side Photos: G M COOKSON (Socialist Challenge)
tionaries.
TARIO ALl, speaking for the International Marxist Group, received a massive ovation for sayulg that, after a decade which had spawned the most right-wing Labour government since the war:
'Labourism is a sickly, Well pathetic ideology. We want to dislodge it."
Audrey our coordination chairperson of the Labour Committee, got caught up in a net of her own making. Trying reply Tariq Ali, revolutonary perspective, she asked: DESPITE a spirited defence of reformism from Tony Benn, the 2,500 strong audience in Central Hall, London, at the 'Debate of the Decade' on Monday night, saved their loudest applause for the revoluSheffield could teach you lot a great deal about solidarity. You can shout now but if we don't win this strike; you won't be shouting later on.' Sheila Rowbotham, one of the authors Beyond raements. pointed out that 1t was sectarianism "autonomi', which had made the women's movement wary of far left politics. anarchists finally and failed in destroying the meeting and filed out. and for his view that the labour movement can use parliamentary democracy.
He said that many workers feared that if the far left groups came to power democracy would be ended.
The critique of the far left made by une authors Fragments lent Benn's view. The Communist Party's interventions from the floor also endorsed this view.
semi-syndicalist then such But ne won anti-authoritarian of Beyond the and other Labour lefts and so on, Paul Foot echoed Hilary's theme of 'going to where the power lies bourgeois - on the shopfloor' and of the need to win the argument for socialism in the 'foundations of Labour applause for truly exposé of the left in the Labour party - he quoted from Benn Fi sayıng that cuts, prescription charge were regrettable' when Labour was in office.
jibes When he asked the audience democracy. workers' councils is a far higher level of democracy than that of democracy, which never goes beyond the right to vote once every five years.
He also suggested that if the Partr was realy the democratic 'socialist federation' described by Benn then it ought to allow far left groups, like the IMG and the SWP, to affiliate.
Audrey Wise, who spoke last from the LCC side of the which exactly the Labour lefts did during the last five years of power The dilemma of the Labour lefts. — the constitutional road became clear when members of the audience held up a banner which read: "Are you with Benn or the H-block men?"
Tony Benn, the true democrat, said that he had been brought up to believe that partition was a crime against the Irish people, but he was not • favour immediate withdrawal of British troops. He had nothing to say about when, if indeed ever, the troops should be withdrawn.
The problem for the Labour Party today as in the past is not whether to reform enough, but whether to reform at all. This is particularly clear with an issue like Ireland. allowed to represent socialism Such a vision • cannot be in the '80s.
As Tariq Ali said. revolutionaries will enter into united action anyone prepared to fight to turn back of this Тогу government and to defend working class rights They will fight for joint action with Benn and the rest of the Labour lefts. But they will not subordinate the task of building revolutionary party to building such united action 1S this maximum united action and maximum political debate, that socialists can socialism in the '80s Socialist Challenge 20 March 1980 Page 3