By Tessa van Gelderen 'ONLY extra-parliamentary activity will stop this war.' Tony Benn, speaking at the Tribune rally against the war last week, has become the spokesperson opposition to the war.
Tribune itself, now under the new editorship out clearly against the war.
Its back page has an article 'Will the real Michael Foot stand up?' Written by Anthony Arblaster, it ends on a note of warning to Foot: 'Your failure and that of the whole official Labour leadership, to oppose this ruthless, futile war makes it your darkest leader of the Labour Parly.
This growing awalc ness inside the Labour Party that the Labour are on the wrong Icauchs side in this war has raised the stakes inside the labour movement as a whole. The crisis that is looming for the Tories will not by-pass for the growing movement in Labour. ne resuis for Labour in the local elecMichael Foot, 'inveterate has shown his true colours: he SUDOUILD Elle forces of oppression and exploitation.
The present leadership of the party has shown itself to be incapable implementing socialist policies in the next Labour government.
growing imperialist movement is chanense LEUS leadership. Between now and the Labour Party conference in the autumn, that movement will be out on the streets in its hundreds of thousands: against the war that Thatcher, aided and abetted by Foot, got into;
Trident and Cruise; against visit and his policy in El Salvador.
That in itself will be a indictment Labour leaders who supporting •nalener s toie in the South Atlantic.
How can root pose as leader nuclear movement when he endorsed the sending of the fleet? More and more the voices of opposition are making themselves heard.
Arthur Scargill, president of the miners union, has come into conflict with both right and lett allke ir his opposition to the war. The Barnsley Labour Party supported a resolution moved Scargill and backed dalegates, calling for the miners' task force to be sent back.
The Malvinas issue will lorce tne dig ballanons Ill the working class to take sides. LOUS DOS union, which supported kenn in une cebury cali paign last year, cannot remain silent tor long Labour movement activists the trade unions and the constituencies will want to register their opposition war and the stand taken by HOOL and Co Lası ycal. the left focussed its campaigns for reforms in the party through the Benn for deputy' campaign. The campagn was, as Benn put it, around 'politics not personalities'.
Now more than ever the left needs a focus to take deep into the Labour Party so that it can register its opposition to the war, leaders. Tony Benn has to stand in opposition to that leadership.
Michael Foot can no longer, by any stretch of imaginalion. regarded as a prisoner of the right'. He is condemned by his own words and action. Denis Healey continues ne spokes person for the British ruling Tony himself has argued at 82 that Labour Liaisor the crucial issues facing the labour movement are the Falklands/Malvinas issue, defence, the Common Market anc Tebbit.
Scargill: facing opposi. tion from the right anc loft But the over-riding concern of the left now has wild side will the Labour Party take Thatcher's imperialist war? It is a crucial test for all socialists. How Labour responds to this issue will determine its course over the next few years.
The growing anti-war movement in this country Britain's war the South Atlantic is the basis for winning the Labour Party to socialist policies.
Tony Benn making a firm challenge this renegade The 'peace monger' supports Britain's imperialist war leadership of the DALV can be a tremendously imGM portant component of that process. Standing against clearest way of showing opposition to all nat ine Labour leaders stand for.
As the leaders of all parties take into bloody war the left has to take a position of outright opposition. has as matter of urgency to fight to link local Labour parties to the growing aiSwar movement Never was the need so great to oppose Thatcher and her attack on workers and abroad. Opposing Foot would be the best opposition to the war leaders think Roy Grantham: saying what other Labour defectors