delegation at the Labour Party conference or the TUC had to be held if a majority requested one. THESE days it seems that everyone in the Labour Party is democrat. First we have had right wingers like David Owen who at the Labour Party conference was threatento defend the sole right of Labour MPs to elect the leader.
Then Owen and his coGangers were suddenly promoting schemes involving a postal ballot party members in which MPs as a group would gel no special votes at all!
Now the Parliamentary Labour Party is advocating a hotch-potch proposal involving. posta ballot of members; a postal ballot of attilated trade unionists who are also individual party members; and a vote among MPs. Ditched These votes for the leader are to be aggregated in an electoral college in the ratio of a half to MPs, a quarter to Darly members, and une ollie! quarter to Labour Party trade unionists.
The defence of MPs only naving a vote may have been but would any these schemes realv amount Trade union block votes to more effective Labour Party democracy?
converson PLP is suspiciously sudden. The Campaign Party Democracy fighting democracy since 1973, yet only now when victory is on the horizon has the right discovered that the party conference oca (GCs)
Never mind that the MPs inand have plained about that.
the right wing. sullioly. recognises that there future in simply defending the A new illusion of 'full party democracy' is needed while ensuring the dependence of the PLP to do as it pleases.
Strength The power of the labour movement derives from collective strength; members coming together of meelings 1o alscuss, and act. Lacking the power of wealth, organisation is the onweapon have. by-pass party and trade union structures been members as individuals.
The only Dally inose voting in the of their home would be that wing of the mass media campaign.
Wing on behalf of right-wing general candidates. are resources could be commandLed by the left to put over their selected by Control COll Quite In such a situation Labour right feels fairly conis no fident that it would win. The PLP above this mass of individual members with no party control continued in- MPs.
A vote by individual party members alone mean by-passing the organised link with the trade unions.
This link is one of Labour's greatest strengths, breach could be the first step the Lowaires regular right-wing social democratic cecoe party like the much working people and isolate influence on isolation No similar the would remain floating organised over Labour would also and creation of The ference, West German loved by the DELEGATES at ASTMS's annual conference. This year they GANG of Three-er Shirley Williams, who lost her seat in the last General Election Labour Party conwhich brings together constituency delegates trade union delegations, and Sea Ior the widest possible franchise the leadership Th Maynard plan in the view of the maioritv of the delegates, did not quite fit that bill, but they were certainly against it as a fallback position Censure Their view is summed up in a statement signed by all thi delegates airectly-elected at the Wack Has •cel circulated to the union's 16 division hey stated: We call on the union executive to censure castme our union care vote against the Maynard amendment when the delegation had assurance Doug Hoyle ASTMS would abstain, when a very clear majority of the delegation objectin to his casting his vote in the way he did.
every the representatives of affiliated socialist societies, is potentially the most democratic way to take all decisions There has to be a fight to be a vital factor' (in the defeat of the proposal).
Their anger was in part due to a row which 1 follower Jenkins voting behaviour at the 1979 TUC.
A proposal from the furniture trades union for General Council to organise mass actions against the Tory icrcale the Jenkins ongress. the Again, , vote against the proposal • had seen the deciding A majority of the ASTM delegates at the TUC were in ravour or the proposition, but Dresiach Hovle remusee! hold meeting which could mandate general secretary The ASTMS conference loophole by that Party conference had to be held if a Hail one deeder questea came Jenkins' defiance at the 1980 At least four of the diviSTOlS ensure that trade union block votes really holocal democratic decisions taken in the unions, and to open party affiliation to all working class organisations, but the princiCOT elected delegates debating and deciding polic colecuve framework framework far more democratic that dum of isolated individuals. Elected The same true for reselection of MPs by • local GCs. delegate monthly meeting of representatives of ward parties and trade union branches can have tar effective control of its MP; and a lal better informed judgment of his or her performance, than individual party members called together for a reselection jamboree once five years.
Unlike MPs, delegates to general committees are elected each year by meetings of individual • party and trade union And again unlike MPs, GC delegates can be withdrawn and replaced any time the ward or trade union branch no longer has confidence in them The aim of the right wing is to dissolve this potentially democratic and accountable structure into an occasiona mass meeting no effec control over represenLaliyes.
Photo: John Sturrock (Report)
ruled that a meeting of the union's London division, No. 8, passed it unanimously ASTMS executive has Dalk secretar meeting earlier this month the executive supported Jenkins' position put for ward in a three-page • slalc • mal • ine delegator wasn't for abstention. one executive Urgent These details are related simply to put spotlight on dubious practices in ASTMS. in a number orrespect the fact that a majority of the delegates are directly elected procedures been laid down by union con terences good deal more democratic than most unions The circumstances of the Jenkins' vote e are recounted in order to emphasise what is an
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ing to 'fight, fight, and fight again'