another to itself?
Worse still, Labour members will probably now confront a right wing NEC and policy reversals on aporcane issues. block vote. Should they abide these policies and obey the NEC?
This brings the democracy campaign to a new stage. For the first time since 1979 the lent races alsooeying con/erence.
Yet this situation is not new: in many ways it is normal. Throughout the sixties and seventies the Labour opposed disarmament while its members took to the streets to support it. In 1979 the "winter of discontent' pitted workers against their own government. And throughout the fifties the Bevanite left was a minority on the NEC and in the PLP, often losing conference battles but continuing to fight on its own policies.
The dilemma is simple: The Party is dominated by a leadership which manipulates conference and jettisons working people's interests to save its own skin. Yet no alternative mass party TELS been Socialist Challenge 25 September 1982 page 8 Yet there is a third way.
sion, organise.
Moreover, tersley says, including political parties. which dependent Labour created, and democracy them from of this sovereignty the one hand, plete independence the other.
- Richard Crossman democracy This is to stay in the Labour Party (and, if one is threatened with expulfight to stay in) but also to Roy Hatthis is against Labour's constitution and practice.
The Labour Party was founded as a federation of affiliated organisations, The InLabour Party British Socialist Party were in the Representation Committee with members on its executive. The 'Since the militants tended to be "extremists", a constitution was needed which maintained their enthusiasm by apparently creating a full party while excluding effective power.
Hence the concession in principle of sovereign powers to the delegates at the Annual Conference, and the removal through the trade union block vote on and the comof the Parliamentary Labour Party on stitution and the Labour left have, at various times, accepted that a party within a party is a perfectly table form of organisation. really in question is the polities of groups being asked to register: the ILP stayed in and the Communists were thrown out.
The Labour Party's provisions have beer tightened up since the 1930s, and new affiliations ended forly vears ago. But the underlying basıs of a federal structure is still there. The Labour Party still claims to represent all shades of working class opinion The register is a political witchhunt, and will be used to give the leadership a blank cheque to expel people who threaten it politically, not because of the wav they organise Indeed the Parliamentary Labour Party itself is a party within a party, and has been since 1909, when it was agreed that 'Conference establish general policy principles, and the PLP shall determine its own tactics.
If one applies the register to the PLP, its members should be expelled on almost every count.
They have their own constitution - the standing orders of the PLP. They have their own international affiliations, governments states throughout the world — not to mention the international Monetary They choose their own candidates and have waged war to prevent resclections. The only thing they haven't got is their own principles -sumost as a part What is members views.
membership: and they anyone else exercising the same rights fortv and unscat inem Even under a democracy, La woman's right to abortion.
Editions.
shall and abuse so freely.
For these Party.
face. Over and above and even though a things:
command votes and money, operate witnut a party • IL Chapple recently sent a quite explicit circular to his members instructing them to fight in the Labour Party to back the moderates'. The block vote is cast with no regard for union The right want it both ways. They use the Party's leading structures to organise and impose policy on the wanto sup as them, for fear they will win a mathere are basic rights which no-one should be allowed to take away, for example, The right to organise is a right of this kind. It cannot be sacrificed under any conBut it is doubly intolerable to lose ming a right which our own leaders enjoy reasons alone, the register should be thrown out and there should be no restrictions at all on the right to organise in the Labour ty.
But this isn't the only problem we highting to decade change Labour's policy, what can be done about wrong policies it now has? For example, what about its refusal to call for withdrawal from Ireland -majority of Labour voters want this? Can we do nothing until these policies change? If we campaign around them, will we be thrown
and free conbe stamped Socialist Outlook 'There will be no witch-hunts — Michael Foot speaking at Tribune rally in 198/ out.' poodle. 'Many Militant sellers make a good contribution to the party. I don't want to kick them September 1982 Labour's reforms have been financed from overseas plunder, and its leaders have been tramed ov the treasury to understand this fact as surely as Bar- Michael Foot, World This Weekend, BBC television, 12 from becoming a majority?
How can we find two broad trends thought, corresponding 1983..? fight? Again, of the struggles, trade union action. and which promotes in the Labour Party those policies which will advance those struggles. Such a left wing could