The front page of the CP weekly Focus last week had an article by Communist industrial organiser Peter Carter stating his views on the NUM's call for for jailed and victimised miners. It stated: 'The NUM leadership consider the potential damage of pressing this approach at the forthcoming Labour The moral blackmail involved in converting the widespread sympathy for the miners into support for a particular dogmatic stance does the greatest disservice to precisely those victimised during the dispute, whose Fringe Meeting at Labour Party Conference interests it claims to represent.' Carter goes on: "To imprisoned during the dispute as prisoners" implies that any action, however individualistic, irresponsible o destructive, is beyond criticism if perpetrated by members of a certain trade union.
'Similarly, the argument that a Labour government should reimburse their allies when they are in power embodies a concept of patronage which should be anathema to anyone seriously committed to a democratic and socialist society.'