THE BEGINNING of this year's Labour Party conference summarised perfectly the situation in the labour movement.
Overall the conference was a clear shift to the right. But there was significant minority op position on three key questions - on the miners, on the black struggle, and on the fight of the inner cities.
Neil Kinnock's slashing attack on those who cling to old dogmas is all the more disgusting because those he attacks are those who are leading the fight against Thatcher, those the thusiastically also testifies that there is a fightback, though a minority one, and that those involved in it are a forces to be reckoned with in the labour move ment.
On the miners the path was clear. Scargill's leadership of the NUM has reaffirmed itself as the only leadership oriented to solving the problems of the working class by class struggle means which exists in the labour movement. It is only necessary to contrast Scargill's fight for the amnesty resolution with Knapp's capitulation on the question of the ballot to see the difference between Scargill and a traditional Broad Left leadership of a trade union.
The second crucial step forward was on the question of the black struggle. The step forward taken by the black sections at this year's conference was qualitative.
Last year the question of black sections could still be portrayed as a 'fringe issue'. Only one major union, the NUM, and a number of constituency parties voted in favour of black sections.
But this year three major unions - the NUM. NUPE, and the NUR - voted in favour, black sections moved to being a powerful, and significant, minority force. Given what is taking place in Handsworth, Brixton and the other black communities nothing could be more timely.
Third was the fight of the inner cities. While the majority of councils Liverpool have so far déserve the support of the entire labour move ment — and got substantial support. and Liverpool are part of the most deprived areas of the entire country.
What is taking place in British politics is dear. The right wing is considerably strengthening itself. Not only has Thatcher moved the consensus' to the right but the SDP/Liberal Aliance has strengthened itself in its role of atlempting to prevent the formation of a majority government. Within the labour move ment the hard right around the AUEW and EETgrown bolder and more organised. But this shift to the right is not universal and not homogeneous because Thatcher cannot absorb and integrate those who suffer the cutting edge They have stood firm since then despite their defeat and refused to compromise the principles on which they fought.
Faced with the intolerable situation in Bri tain's inner cities, back people on the streets and in the labour movement have shown that they too will not be crushed by Thatcher.
The situation is that relatively small, but inQuential minorities are fighting back and, indeed, are radicalising dramatically through the experience of their struggle.
This st wws how labour's left can build an fiance which can both propel labour to office and defeat its misleaders; an alliance of the working class, the oppressed, Fighting Thatcher which is forged in struggle.
We apologise to readers for an eight-page edition of the paper this week. canistances beyond our control.
and hence should endorse. But Kinnock's speech capitulated Lambeth stood firm. They Lambeth If The miners fought one of the and bearing the brunt of it, full.
and all those de.
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