An old economic partnership | Socialist Action 1983

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'WE MUST be honest about what we can and cannot do. We must promise what we can deliver. We must not promise more than we can deliver, and we must deliver what we promise.' So said Norman Willis introducing the joint economic policy statement to this year's TUC congress.

mise nothing at all, Mr Willis was onto a winning bet at last.

New Britain is a masterpiece of empty retoric.

That is DOL say, however, that the document is devoid oi content On the contrary, fitting ticle world be an *An Old Partnership, An Old IOr ILS intention rather openly is to lay the groundwork for comes policy the return to a Lal bour government of the WilsonCallaghan type. The entire structure is there.

The partnership document promises a national economic summit', betCill ployers and the unions: an 'integral part of our policy for extending industrial and planning' in the task of getting 'our people back to work'. The Willis TUC speech «llTUC-Labour Party In supporting a statement that managed to proFor the misnamed A New Partnership, A phasised the 'f50 billion spent abroad since 1979 -twice as much as manufacturing investment in this the same county period'. t was al shades of George Brown's 'National Plan' of 1964.

Wilson Despite speeches deploring any hint incomes policy, what is clear is that the partnership' is not one of the working class against capital, but a tripartite deal Labour fingers will remain crossed that the old trigger of 'increased demand' will of Tos ale celes Neither the leadership of the TUC 1IUl the Labour Party have learned anything from the lessons of the Wilson years. Nor do they avul criale the changed situation in the 1980s.

The motive force Thatcher's attacks on the movement is precisely because emplovers no longer prepared maintain anything like full employment • a lact Laciliy aumitted in the partnership This statement shows the ICAl government will reduce unemployment and get to grips with Britain's longterm industrial weakness. And it reaffirms our comfull employment."

But it proposes preciseEven previous pledges are largely abscill As with the debate on the anti-union laws. so too the economic policies adopted by this year's conrepresent a sharp hift rightward