At the same time, Social Democratic Alliance, which has been effectively proscribed by ecutive Committee. Has against various left benn.
During the party conference in October it seemed that dire threats of a potential centre party back down in its fight for democracy. was certainly speech of Joe Ashton.
But despite the hesitations of CLV supporters like William Rodgers, the hard-core right seems determined to go ahead.
A split by ten or so right-wing MPs would almost certainly not trade union - even if Roy Grantham of APEX and Frank Chapple of the EETPU might sympathise with the splitters. In this sense a split would in no way be comparable to Labour's disastrous division of 1931.
Pressure What it represents much more is pressure ruling class foresee grave danger polarisation of the two major parties. While Thatcher's insane Tories and the Labour Party moves to the left, the dangers for the ruling class are grave: if Thatcherism fails, they cannot easily turn to the Labour Party in which the left is increasingly strong. tunity for a strong resurgence of the centre.
socialists in the Labour Party snould demand that Foot and the Labour leadership make absolutely no concessions to the split Inreats right wing.
Michael Foot should come out in support of the NEC's position on the composition of an electoral college to elect the party leader -the option giving 40 per cent of the votes to the unions and 30 per cent to the constituency parties - rather than compromising with the right wing by continuing to support MPs having half of the votes.
Socialist Challenge the ultra right-wing the National Exdecided to stand MPs, including Tony were being used to force the left to This the case with the hysterial be supported by any political forces which in the present monetarism rules the Therein lies the political opporIn particular, 15 January 1981