THE LABOUR Committee on Ireland has had extensive discussions about its tactics for this year's Labour Party conference. Last year several important developments occurred that we shouldn't lose sight of.
For the first time in 60 years, the trade union block vote went against the advice of the NEC in voting to affirm its opposition to plastic bullets and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PIA), stating our abhorance at the sexual harassment of women prisoners in Armagh being carried out in the name of securitv demned the notortous no-jury Diplock courts.
Through opening the dialogue with Sinn Fein, Irish trade unions and feminists, the ICI is setting Ine pace as tar as me inner party debate goes. Just about every political tendency from the Fabians leftwards was obliged to hold an Irish fringe meeting with speakers from Ireland presenting their views.
But at the same time as noting these positive developments, we have to 'withdrawal resolution got less trade union votes than the year before. Politics is about more than ritually putting up resolutions and It is about winning debates and moving the labour movement in acuon. anis year, wahe encouraging resolutions reflecting the experience of the miners' strike and resolutions demanding more action from the party ledership to implement its stance on strip searching, devale forward on une quesuon or willula wai The NEC sub-committee which was established last year is due to report in the autumn, updating the 1981 paper, which committed the party to its present policy for 'unity by consent'. It is expected unat te update will more borougay ehdorse the views of Clive Soley, who seems to take a tougher line against the discuss future options tor the North and supports the strip searches. They also conremember that the basking we want to move the Unionists' refusal to Cinessed momentous events in the last year. The witnessed momentous events in the last year. annual meeting of the Labour Campaign for Gay Rights (LCGR) this week is faced with equally important decisions.
Relentless attacks on our hard won gains nave continued, from the raids bookshops like Gay's the 1 Word Lavender Menace, ana allacks by councils such as Rugby on our get work cott Police Act.
Media -inspired hysteria about AIDS has transformed its victims inplagued gay men everyWIC especially work. Even lesbians, who actualiv the people least at risk, are swept up in the backlash.
But the year has also been dominated by a new, previously unimaginable The endorsement by une vom or lesblan and gay rights at Labour Party conterence was matched at rank and file level with the magnificent solidarity with the miners built up by Lesbians and Gays Support te vulners Lesbians and gay men were once despised in the workplace, shunned the picket lines, and ignored in the labour movement. Now we have received a boost in our fight for trade unions and councils and implement auvul anti-discrimination policies, and for the Labour publicly paign around a charter of full legal and social equality for gays.
Such a campaign must be central to the activities LCGR in the future. The victory over Rugby council the experiences of the miners' have shown it genulne support in the The struggle for the right of young lesbians and gay men to determine their own sexuality also element. wo years, the Lesbian anc Gay YS have been battlir away to make the LPYS more responsive to their demands.
This year, in the wake of the miners, conference was forced into conces-