THE FOLLOWING letter outlining steps that can be taken by local Labour parties in the fight against racist attacks is being circulated by the Labour Left Co-ordination. Dear friends, The last few weeks have seen an upsurge of fatal TaLs attacks black Country: The media have country. media have concentrated on the more serious arson incidents, but for each of these there many attacks which go unreported. We write to draw the attention of local Labour Parties and trade unions to these attacks, and o demand that they take them seriously, using all organisational facilities available to them an effort to passing of a beyond the routine resolutio! - Important though that may Dalli and union branches should consider calling (public) meetings to for example: • show the strength of anti-racists in ine area. • compile a list of those who are willing to carry out various tasks, eg meetings with Black organisations.
lobbying local . authorities, developing a public profiie, etc • set up a telephone tree of contacts and advertise the fact through leatlets, posters ano the local paper o be available at short notice to provide practical and physical support to victims of racist attacks.
Harry Cohen, Labour MP for Leyton, has taken the initiative through the promollon Private Member's Bill, entitled the Harassment Bill, which deserves discussion and support.
Labour Party members should prepared work alongside others in broad-based campaigns to counter these attacks. In ment played a major role repelling attacks fascists on Jewish people Exercise in the repeat this exercise in the Comradely greetings, Narendra Makanji, larg Labour Party Black sections Dary Jones. secretar Labour Left Coordination
THE LABOUR WOMEN'S Action Committee as usual will be campaigning around conference resolutions and elections aimed at improving the represen.tation of socialist women in parlament and public life, in order to promote the needs of oppressed women — black, working class, lesbian, and others — everywhere.
WAC sponsored with one exisolatio, ception, under Organisation' on the asen la pad Resolution underline the need remedy the powerlessness donerece and the national Labour committee. whose demands for posinve achiol tor val ty women have been ignored year after year.
Motions 16-24 reiterate WAC's constantly tabled demands for the omen's to elect the women s secuon or tue national executive be allowed table tive resolutions at party conat Party conference low-paid shortlist.
Only 12 women have so lar heen selected for safe Labour seats. Calls from the '8 women' s conterence for this situation remedied L0 OC VIZCILY WAC Press Officer before the next general election have been ignored by the party institutions This line is underwritten in the one resolution not on the women's section of the agenda. This is 31, which demands mediate action get women into parlamentary shortlists. Isolated in the 'party franchise' section ot One can but wonder aloud the standing orders chis odd agenda placeodd agenda placement!
In the NEC elections, WAC CLOONE LILI four rather than the full five wornen needed for the section. These Maynard MP Margaret Beckett MP.
Short MP
Diane ANDOLL Westminster city cillor and black CeLLOE The missing name ALLIVINL. is Francis Morrell, leader of ILEA who cannot be nominated since she is not, this year, lelegate This highlights the wal the party machine against women. Existing NEC members and MPs are eligible ex-officio, but contenders not in parlament have delegates.
For very good reasons different party members NEC hopefuls must always be delegates is a shibboleth designed to keep new faces with new ideas at bay.
Among these, of are women committed to reform in parlia- LOUISE. mentend so illich wil TeOrH which favour the oppressed half of the population: women.
The arguments to de fend this condition similar to those denied Women Against Pit Closures membership of the NUM that encourages 'undesirable elements' This is nonsense since : the nominations for the NEC by CLPs ensures that NEC contenders are thoroughly known within the party These problems come to a head soon. The insulting way in which the section the NEC, through being only one elected b full onference rather than At '85 women's conference a resolution calling tor ine natola committee hold shadow elections for the women's section of the the ensuing (in 1986) was overwhelmingly carried. The women thai women want should not be constrained by artificial party rules or the fact that their faces don't fit with the party establishment.
• For those ready once more for the fight, WAC iS organising at conference follows: Fringe Meting September, 6.15-8pm, Bournemouth Pier Centre. Speakers will include Richardson Review 2 Oc9-12pm, venue HoV Ve The WAC hotel for sisters wanting advice or a chat is The Cliffside Hotel, Durley Gardens, West Socialist Action slate for the Labour Party NEC 13 September 1985 Diane Abbott, Westminster City councillor, is on WAC's