IMGpapers 1980–83

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1980–83

Labour can win

Socialist Challenge No. 268, 5 November 1982 · pp. 1-2 of the scan · 412 words

The scan: sc-no268.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 1-7 of 7; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 1 of the scan

THE TORIES are getting ready for a General Election in 1983 They have the bit between their teeth. They miners out of the way for now. The TUC is fragmenting the health dispute Labour Party is split by an all-out assault from the new right wing NEC.

A Tory victory would be a disaster. How can prevented?

First, by that we are not being driven to defeat, but led to it.

It is not because the Tories are strong but because and Labour are catastrophically that Thatcher even Number 10.

Her own backers in the CBI admit the economy is in ruins. One fifth of industry has been wiped out. Millions reject this wanton destruction. health strike showed they will fight if the TUC gives a determined lead. And socialist policies have never been more popular.

majority would Labour's grasp if its came out fighting unilateral radical measures to secure full Yet there has never been less confidence in the Labour Party and trade union leaders. Railworkers, healthworkers have stead of have the and the it be ing understanding office, leadership the return. leadership weak, socialist stays at The left must learn it.

be in leaders polls or for and left, been betrayed or led to defeat. Incampaigning for socialist policies Healey and Golding have launched a vicious internal battle to purge their supporters.

A return to 'Labour's traditrong back he voters: This il bring back the voters. simply not true. We do not live in 'traditional' times. The rulclass does not want any kind of Labour government in and the right wing's merely loses rank and file, without winning anything in Only the most determined lead combining mass action with the defence of Labour's socialist policies, can secure a Labour government against such opposition.

There is a straightforward lesson from the setbacks and dereats of the last two weeks, from the miners' ballot to the Labour Party NEC. The whole Neither the Labour Party nor the trade unions can progress an inch further in the fight against Thatcher, at the on the picket line unless the left organises an all-out fight to remove the right wing traitors. Tony Benn's line of conciliation with the right is the road to defeat. The time has come to organise a united throughout the Labour Party and unions, to fight for a Labour Victory through:

Defend

policies Replace the right wing leaders

page 2 of the scan

AS WE go to press. it looks certain

← De Lorean: all cokedFacing reality →

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