labour movement voices were being drowned the oiDartisan policies of Foot and Healey. had to make our position clear in order to give expression to the thousands. and thousands of people in the Labour Party who have contrary views to that of Foot and Healey.
Twa Socialist Challenge said that Foot must go. We argued also that the Falklands/Malvinas issue was a crucial test which Foot had failed that Tony Benn should for the leadership.
This has never been an easy question. Personally, I've had long hesitations ding of the editorial is still a little cautious.
A decrepit clapped out leadership' at the and of the line?
Socialist Challenge 4 June 1982 the past lew years and the fact that he already has fought for the deputy leadership.
Foot and the other leaders might argue that the view expressed in your editorial over the Malvinas and hance the leadarship might represent the view of the constituencies. But the recent trade union conferences have been mixed, to say the least, in opposition to the the Continual procle problem COLHICEI that Benn faced in the deputy leadership camwinning over the We're not saying that we speak for the labour movement as a whole but for a section of the activists in The left has to orientate to women and the unions the Labour Party. The question of the trade unions is the vital Tacing the left. We went almost as far as we could the deputy leadership elecHaving got that far inere now nac to be a turn. in the sense that the constituency activists, really begin to organise in the trade LELLOLS themselves, among the of inactive supporters of the Labour Par ty. Unless we did that there was a real mune as to nos far we could go. That is still the case The precondition for reaching out to the trade unions is to show to the mass of members that there is an alternative voice in the Labour Party, that Foot doesn speak for the Labour Party and especially on this life and death question the Malvinas crisis, there is an alternative that must be clearly put forward. It is true that one of the strengths of Briefing has been to unite many disparate forces on the left. But over the past period you have had a number of issues that hes allowed you to unite in action: the GLC elec elections and to some tent the deputy leadership campaign But NOTECEL more there seema to be a tension inside Briefing; for axample around the editorial on the GLC a fow issues back and so on. How do you decide policy and what issues are you go. ing to take up without a clear focus?
Of course there is a real tension at all times. That shows we are on the right road. When there is an absence of tension, contradiction, then you're to be going one sided, one way or the OLher. There's Deen a. danger that , could dissolve ourselves in the broader movement so that we are unable to give any lead at all.
On the other hand there has always been the danger that can so can't anything that's real in the move ment. We have to best of both worlds.
Personally, I would like Briefing to be putting consistent: tionary position on every aspect of life itself. But w are justified in doing that only to the extent that we would bring some important sections of the movement with us.
What do you see the role of Briefing over the has disillusioned local election results did activists. The not give any more joy to the left than the Labour Our Way