Des Tierney and Steve Potter powerful speeches at the ning of a break-up of the initial nearsally TUC chairperson Alan a set the tone on the day of the congress. While formally bring the greetings of the : General Council, he the opportunity an anti-Benn ch by Helen Liddell, Scottish Labour Party deferring to her appeal anity in the face of attacks, Fisher askUnity for what?' ile went on: 'How did set a Labour governwhich was committo an irreversible shift calth favour king people when dected, and yet at the of five years per of wealth producing is were still owned by cent of the populaher must not have ce and simple unity, continued, must be debated.' iter his speech, Alan told the press that sonally supported 's candidacy and that the fourth largest with 600,000 votes, also be likely to Benn in a straight with Denis Healey.
Fisher was too polite Benn in his speech delegates, the Scottish president, felt no constraints.
cGahey thunderous he declared: I'm Tony Benn. The issue next government.' cognising the mood Scottish hostile reaction by trade union Alan Fisher (above left)
mas sala wurt is lkery to back Benn. Scottish miners leader Mick McGahey (above right)
rotovee meaner.
gress when he declared hintu Peter ren Shore (right)
took to the streets well, a street to brand the left with the crime of asserting the supremacy.
of the party over the supremacy of parliament"
addressed himself to the crisis in the party.
The Labour Party leader claimed he was 'the person in the argue for suppression of debate. But he tempered this approach by returning to the theme of unity against the Tories It was as much for this fine balancing act and for fact that he did not criticise Benn's candidature that Foot earned his standing ovation The shift to the left in the STUC was followed by another bombshell for the right wing on Friday when news broke that the leadership of the Transport and for General Workers Union • has shifted from its position of outright opposition to Benn's campaign.
motions being considered for the union's biennial conference this summer promote the idea of a vote by all affiliated members in their branches and a national count to determine the attitude of the union's delegation on the major questions at the ASTMS. Clive Jenkins, the union's general secretarv. was thi irst to attack Alan Fisher speech the STUC.
The credibility that Jenkins won in ASTMS because of his support for And the Broad Left in the Post Office Engineering Union CAUCCL hun dreds of delegates to attend a fringe meeting for Benn at the POEU conference this summer. sions should be made to blackmail OI this sort, while denouncing any such split as a treacherous attack on the unity of the working Class The strongest guarantee against a split. in the Labour Party is a strong Labour left which under-
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rs to Tony Benn's bid for the Labour Par- aputy leadership.