THE MESSAGE from the Tory conference was totally unambiguous. Despite Thatcher's embarrassment at the leak of the Think Tank' report, and despite Michael Heseltine's annual appeal on behalf of the inner city poor, Thatcher's Tory party is set on a brutal right wing options' are still open in relation to privatisation of the health service, and the destruction of the free education system. Instead of passing sweeping laws, the Tories will encourage pilot schemes in the localities.
Tebbit put the blame for unemployment on the unions, and made clear the determination of the •Tones to pursue incur ar tacks on trade union rights. in other words. the Tory onslaught continues.
I hatener's authority as leader remains unchallenged. The Falklands factor is still operating strongly in the opinion polis the Tories still have well over 40 percent of the intended vote.
Thatcher's own the "wets' who want a softer approach has completely successful.
With a few exceptions, the wets have been cowed into silence.
At a superficial glance, all this should add up to plain sailing for Thatcher and a grim time for the rest of us. With such a high rating in the opinion polls, a cical programme, Lord domination party, and the SOP in decline, everything should be fair for a storming run up to the general clection. But things are not so simple.
In the first place, the dizzying Tory success over the Falklands does assure them of being per manently able to avoid other political issues. The Falkland war came at an extremely fortunate time for the Tories — the much vaunted tur'A GREAT LOSS tO the railway industry which he has served as a dedicated and wise trade union leader. He has always had the wider vision to consider the longterm interests of the industry and will be greatly missed.
Unfortunately Sir Peter Parker's eulogy of Mr Sid Weighell cannot yet be read as an obituary.
But it is certainly a tellWeighell's treachery to his indictment members the Labour Party conference only differed from his past and possible Socialist Challenge 15 October 1982 page 2 Keith Joseph has made it clear that 'all the naround" on the economic 1EHCU materialise. Despite the for Thatcher the business the economy has not ceased its nose dive, and unemployment can only go upwards.
The Tory standing in the opinion polis has begun to decline slightly. History may wel conchude that Thatcher made general election in the immediate wake of the war victory. By next summer much the WUSL Falklands glow will have disappeared 19th century liberals.
In the Tory party, of tice and succece are al! powerful. The new Thatcherite dominate so long as it is successful in purely clectoral terms, But Peter Walker's theme - that the Tories should be a party of compassion, of one na 20018 economic reflation -privately held by many of the Tory leaders.
The the Thatcherites, there is no alternative forward on their present deflationary course. But in the medium term the con ditions are still being created for the utter col lapse and shipwreck The electoral arithmetic WOENINg against the present Tory leadership but so is the logic of the class struggle Tory domestic policies are hugely unpopular. А recent opinion poll showed LEHE public support the health workers claim.
Irrespective of whether strike, winter is likely to be one of bitter By the spring the basic issues of welfare cuts and uncmployment will have re-asserted themselves.
The big losers from the "Falklands factor' were the SDP-Liberal Alliance. Within the alliance it has been the SDP who have slumped popularity much more than the Liberals. This reflects the fact that the SDP have, despite intentions, been a bigger threat to the Tories than to Labour Once Tory fortunes start to decline, the attrac tion of the SDP-Liberal alliance will continue for middle class voters. The Thatcher spells out her regardless.
The Tory faithful here worship Thatcher. idea that the SDP-Liberal alliance finished is Toolish. On the economic ront the Tory project ha alled and will continue to fail. Even within capitalist framework very different policies are needed to the elfects of the world recessIon.
The Conservative con-