NEIL KINNOCK is now treading a well worn path. Only the 'realigned left' Meacher, Tribune, possibly have any illusions on that score.
Kinnock's strategy is the same as was wilson and Callaghan's. Move Labour to the right and capture the 'centre ground' of politics. Everyone nows just how successtul that polic ween them the 1964-70, government's permanently Labour's support. We are getting another exam• pie of the same policy over the. the Mitterrand government in France has succeeded highest post-war level.
Chastise This is what any serious current in the left wing of the labour movement has to face up to. Kinnock is not just blocking struggles now with the miners and rate capping - but he is preparing a disaster for a future Labour government. To support Kinnock is to fail to support the Labour Party and labour movement.
But how is the left to respond to the situa tion? With the defeat of the miners' strike a definite setback was suffered. Not in any sense a decisive defeat as Ron George Wright, and the victory in the political levy ballots, continue to show. But nevertheless a significant setback. One from which the left has to rebuild. This means understanding of the political situation.
The key line of divide in politics today is not against Kinnock, as some on the left are sug cest. Kinnock today stands in the way of the fight against Thatcher - and that is why he must be fought. support to the degree to which it advances the struggle against Thatcher reasons why we strongly support the initiative and stance taken by Tony Benn and Eric Heffer in their May Day manifesto to the national executive of the Labour Party.
Sharp This means that priority is not given at pre sent to inner party dominated from 1979-81. be on mass campaigning, the fight against the Tories, and opening up the policy issues But there are two dramatic exceptions to this — which relate directly to the fight against Thatcher as well. This is the question of black sec tions and that of the demands of the Women's Action Committee.
Labour has no chance of victory whatever if it fails to unite the working class internally, and create an alliance between the working class and its allies. And that alliance can only be built on the basis of accepting the right of the oppressed to organise themselves. Women's liberation will be no more 'given' to women by men, or black liberation given to blacks by whites, than any beneficient government will 'give' socialism to the working class and oppressed.
Neil Kinnock is no more a 'socialist' other. There must be movement оп organisation until these issues are completely Editor: ALAN FREEMAN Published weekly except two weeks in August and the last week of December.
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- Michael and the rest - can was. Betsmashed down Channel where in advancing the fascist vote to its having a clear of The key line of divide is against ThatWing That means the left will advance in - which is one of the in issues of the type which The emphasis must 'democrat' or a on these issues than he is on any no truce in the black selfAS 1985 LABOUR Party annual conference draws closer, so the debate about black self-organisation within the party hots up. black section are beginning to emerge: one from Mi Kinnock and enlightened Guardian-reading liberals; the other from none other than our old friend the Militant tendency. CAROL TURNER looks at, and discounts, Labour Party.
WITH a few blatant exceptions, most Party members would be downright indignant if you accused them of racism.
Yet the turore gallering around the demand of independently within the proyokie some responses which are exactly that.
Neil Kinnock's reply to the positive discrimination working party report that favoured the establishTwo alternatives to the Neil Kinnock and Derek Hatton: the Kinnockites and the Militant tendency share one Mining in common — their refusal to challenge British imperialism