VALERIE COULTAS looks at why the Labour cases miners, reinstate all sacked miners, and reimburse the fines inFormat Labour government will be returned if Thatcher Is defeated at the next general election.
Two key arguments will be put up against the NUM position. The first is tha some of the miners in jail are criminals. Pete Carter CP denounces the NUM for referring those in prison as 'political prisoners'. While some miners should be released others should be left in jail according to Judge Carter! Jobs In reality every miner, or miners wife, arrested during the strike was carrying out NUM policy to fight for jobs. They were implementing TUC decisions in refusing to bow to a High Court ruling that outlawed Dicketing The miners were treated as criminals because every time they tried to picket, the forces of the state were mobilised against them.
Contrary to what Willis argued at the TUC about Chc it you bay the lay 'obeying the law because she is precisely making all forms of effective resistance illegal.
second argument against the resolution will be that the demand for amnesty will damage Labour's chances of being re-elected. Une ol lie members of the miners executive — Dennis MurNorsuccumbed to the pressure of this argument eporter as thinking the resolution. Pete Carter believes the 'NUM should reconsider the potential damage of pressing this (resolution's) approach. Votes This argument, that identification with the NUM's struggle for jobs will lose Labour votes, is wrong to the core. First it is Labour's duty to sup port jalled all vit did lose votes. But second.
Carter's argument
toral terms.
Labour's vote actually went up during the middle of the miners' It went down when Kinnock a UNION a SYN: CATS MINEURS ETAM _ NORD P. began to stab the miners in the back.
1ne idea that 'radicalism' by loses votes is Just false The largest vote the was in 1945 when it had a manifesto which seemed to most PeOpleur ten in radical. won 1974 wnen lt nad unt most left wing manifesto since 1945.
To suggest that in Thatcher's with the SDP stealing the clothes of Labour's right wing, there is any advantage in Labour dropping radical policies, and its stance of support for the miners, makes no sense al all even in ine crudest electoral terms working people's votes because it attacks on working people and their living standards, not because makes radical commitments and sticks to them.
After the NUM's resolution passed at the TUC conference Kinnock said that the vote 'wouldn't make any difference to the way in which programme to present to the electorate' Inese arwords are the clearest statement vet thai whatever the party decides Kinnock wants to return to the Wilson/Callaghan era of right wing leader party rule Carter just the right wing's argument. He portrays the miners case as 'moral blackmail' How low can the Communist • arty stoop! Ink most elementary concepts or class struggle scem now to have disappeared even Delegates at the al t thankfully unlikely to heed Carter's advice although the trade leaders who voted for the EIGHTY ONE Labour Councillors in Lambeth aer Liverpool now face surcharge and disqualification from office because of their refusal to implemen Tory cuts in local services imposed by the 1984 Rates Act. Jack Cunningham, Secretary, is annoyed by their stand and has urged them to comply with the Tories legislation and 'get off the agenda. to the Party leadership at last year's Labour Party charges immediately they come to power. Another repeat of Clay Cross in Lambeth Shadow Environment This runs directly counter to the mandate giver It is vital that this year's conference backs those councillors standing up for local services and pledges a Labour government, if the court appeals are unsuccessful, to lift the bans and surwhere former Labou ministers now in the SDP — betrayed their comrades and refused to lift their fines — cannot be all owed to occur. GREG TUCKER looks at the situation