Revolutionary Socialist weekly PO Box 50, London N1 2XP Phone 01-359-8189/8180 (editorial and distribution) how David Steel described the prospect of a social-democratic-Liberal electoral alliance during his party political broadcast last week.
of the Council for Social Democracy as markina a aecisive turning point in britisn politics; that we are witnessing something entirely new in post-war politics. This estimate is undoubtedly correct.
ror many paradoxical. went from bad to worse, the old political certainTes a•dearer ro rematar de centre nerdi 1970-1974, it seemed that perhaps the pattern was changing. Labour swung| developed their 'alternative economic strategy'.
Thic wac in emergence of the mass trade union struggle after since the 1920s election of a Labour wing firmly in control. Labour's austerity offensive Was met oniv resistance until the winter of office the decisively to the right politicisation of the crisis.
The view put forward by bourgeois commentators and some Labour Party activists that the swme to te fert i ne rowing by leftist activists is pure myth ing worked out are the inevitable cor the development of the or ine miners imprisoned dockers, the vark at UCS, and so forth.
Ultimately the struggle between left and right will be resolved by the mass struggle and not merely by in-fighting between left and right in the party.
The polarisatior creates imm ruling class. as easy as it was in 1964 and again ten years later to turn to the Party.
An important factor in the emergence of the 'social democratic so inside the political 'leadership teams' class is resulting in new formations which can be utilised to force ment - or at least to prevent Labour's outright victory.
The scene is now set not only for an attack on outside the monDack inside ike Roy Hattersley Gang of Three ar approacn wnich Is dirrerent Within the constituencies we can expect the right wing to launch a witch-hunt of the left.
It will attempt to repeat the operation of the 'Campaian for Democratic Socialism' in the earlv '60s. In order to guard against this danger, it is vital that left caucuses parties to prepare te battle against tne rignt From now on battle will be joined between left and right in the unions in a much fiercer Way. ing for months - that the Labour left has to organise in the unions - is coming home to roost.
It is hopeless relying on the benevolence of the 'friendly' union leaders. As Foot proceeds with his project of attacking the left and 're-centring' party, the union leaders will be pulled into line. The soount waca nas deen ouroa mne cock voto nas axposed above all the undemocratic way in whic t is wielded in most unions Fighting for democracy and accountability in the Labour Party necessitates doing exactly the same in the unions.
politics, then, remouroeo. wnetner the svstem can de remouced to benefit the struggle for socialism remains to be the coming months, both in the Labour Party and the unions, will not be the only determinant of the The struggle against the Tories will determine the final outcome. never advanced by constant defeats of the working class.
If the surge of the Labour left is the result of the working class struggle in the early '70s, the product of defeats on unemployment, the cuts, and wages will be the re-consolidation of the hold of the right in the '80s. Many commentators have seen the emergence vears bottics n aritain nave been While the economic and social crisis During the last Conservative government, from HeTT 'Bennites' itself a response to the dramatic the biggest wave of industrial struggles This development was stalled in 1974 by the government, with the right sooralc working-class 1978-9. But Tories had moved seeing now is a rapid •arty is tne resum or ciever oul sen a prolonged campaign but wnaris oe mass industrial struggle strikes, the struggle to free the five for the right to the two major anse difficulties and dangers for the If Thatcherism is a failure, it will not be council is the attempt :to preCrISIS 01 which faces the ruling of the centre party, but major Ine dar soearneade• ov beoole whose differences with the not political. It is their tactical function in all the constituency What Socialist Challenge has been saythe certainly being arei The crucial battles between lett and right ir The fight for socialism was While 3 million suffer on the dole TUC leaders try to persuade the Tories 'to change course' natives.
Unfortunately their outrage will not prevent TUC leaders from attending the National Economic Development Council this week, with the prime minister in the chair - with the bizarre illusion that the Tories can be forced to change The TUC's pamphlet spells out the problems. Industry is decline, machinery is out-dated exports are dwindling -and much of the world is recession The government's policies, says the pamphlet, are leading economic disaster illustrate unemployment ingure 2,066,000 12101 'hidden including number of married women, those affected by short-time working, and others whose only job is On a governmen training scheme.
The pamphlet drafts the historic decline of industry to the present day when has £7,500-worth of machinery to work with while West German worker has £23,000-worth, and anorker Japanese £30,000-worth.
Tories and une posses ine man bre blem isn't unemploy down in order to return prontablly. process they are much worried it sections of industry are destroyed Individual bosses gIve themse ves goldel handshakes as unprofitable firms are merged, while the bosses' organisation, the CBI, dominated by the British branches of the multinationals, is happy to see the closure of thousands of competitors.
tration of capital can only nelp lne survivors monopolise the remaining markets.
surprising that the latest CBI survey based on highly LONDON: Regional Labour Party Tickets at £18, tel. 01-703 6511.
three trains. Tel. 061-736 7439.
582351 SCOTLAND: Details from Regional Labour Party, tel. 041-332 8946. representative sample of 1,800 firms employing more than 32m people does call for refla• tion. This is in spite of its prediction that between next May up to 500,000 jobs manutacturing, Will have been lost and that in ne nexto montas mere will be a further 30 per drop dustrial investment.
priority pro. claims Sir Terence 'bare knuckle fight' Beckett, is not to increase inflation.
What does the TUC propose? Apparently the flood of and reconcer alone kick out the Tories, the for boosting public spen• ding; creating new jobs now; planning for dustry; controlling imports; controlling prices and sharing une wedith Thatcher is about as lkelv to implement these policies President Reagan to nationalise the ailing Chrysler car cor poration under workers control.
There section headed 'Union policies action' which the main section is concerned with Bargainin for jobs'. Here is some of the advice: 'When job: are threatened, unions should always aim to op pose redundancies and seek alternatives In some cases succeed, and job loss will unavoidable unions will need to go for maximum compensation 10] lose their jobs.
When 590 workers at the Gardner diesel engine plant in Manchester were told thạt they had to lose their jobs they gave the reply that the whole of the movement should be givTine enemy and and negotiate Murray and the TUC - they occupied and fought and won.
In the next few weeks will be examining poncie. SuCT worksharing and the demand TOT the 35-hour week.
train departs from Euston on 20 Feb at 10.15pm.
NORTH-WEST: Regional Labour Party has TEESSIDE: Stockton Trades Council coach. Tickets at f4, tel. 0642 817699 or 0642 the Scottish
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British politics at a turning point 'AN unstoppable
Socialist Challenge 5 February 1981 Page 2 combination.' That's
HOW TO GET TO GLASGOW ON 21 FEBRUARY