Westland's ration.
seltine's lead in been ¿actions bour's election defeat in ditical move, and aself favour EC.
signifies an entire ers in Marxism Today technology, -operation mas, public the Thatcher government.' pendent European Airbus cing?' article by Jon cember ctively This book argues ability.' Marxism Today, articular, has progressive' ompetition with another set aropean the crisis, seltine's resignation, have posed int blank the left's attitude to the EC and to European military inbe Labour front bench, the SDP, ad the Liberals have all followed backing aropean bid for Westland. That is to be expected. But. equally riking has been the logic those actions of the left who support the EC and 'European integration' forced into.
ARTER looks at some of these Neil Kinnock's first policy step after 1983 ich was announced before any other before came party leader — was to declare of abandoning bour's pledge to withdraw from the To many on the left this may have emed a small question. But in reality political orientafor the Labour Party. The subornation of Labour to the imperialist mers of the EEC has now become the underlying political basis cit and explicit - both of Labour's aligned left' and of its political adAnyone who picked up last week's sue of the Communist Party weekly 7 lets. for example, would have receiva considerable political education in me of the consequences of this line.
According to 7 Days, writing under headline 'Thatcher strategy goes ina spin', the following was the situaa facing us: 'whether it is in civilian Miners, with the Airbus consortium, space with the Ariane (rocket), or in.
West vernments have sought to encourage agreements private. They have ked that encouragement with public ads and orders for the product. Not The article concluded: 'if the British avernment would happily allow its inhelicopter capacity to win the drain what sort of gumption it show in the fight to defend theproject from Tite House pressure in support of 7 Days however, simply carried to logical conclusion the argument of Bloomfield in of Marxism posed the choices facing the left clinging to a special relationship th Washington or participating in a re independent Western Europe.' rances Morrell, in particular, has been For a Pluralist Socialism Michael Rustin goes further explicitly favour nuclear weapons, autonomy Moence will only come about if the governments ne control over a minimum nuclear The reasons for these positions of Days, realigned left' are not hard to find. The fundamental axis of Communist Party policy since the rise of Stalin, in been the subordination of ibe working class to making pressure one or other group of supposedly imperialists Since 1947 that Communist Party policy has been consistently to support de United States. For all is alleged anti- imperialist policies Toda: — which is the leading force in fits for the DICK The least - Im• adopted by' member The CanC American redundancies warns Gill.' between 'Despite go the market"
Today.
Sikorsky Westland's stating Instead option — retain the planation of supporting against the tolow me of Marxism Common all the currents we have mentioned — pertectly Marxism Today stands unequivocably supporting progressive capitalists who look to the EEC against the United States.
development has been the line taken by the Morning Star. split between the Marxism Morning Star wings of the Communist was their attitudes to the EEC. The Morning Star, following the line of Moscow, stood for supporting purely local European capitalists against the United States. It remained resolutely opposed to the EEC.
But under the Heseltine crisis the Morning Star has moved distinctly closer to Today in its orientation — although its position may also be influenced by the fact that Gorbachev for the first time is alleged to be considering giving Soviet recognition to the EEC.
The Morning Star began to give at implicit support Heseltine/European January when it noted approvingly on its front page: Westland directors are facing a growing shareholders revolt after continuing to back an American take-over bid instead of an improved European offer.' real campaitAss The paper then began to mount its around European offer.
Star campaign in ine issue when it noted: "TASS, the engineering technicians union, yesterday published a booklet Westland in Crisis which put the case for the forgotten people of the option with TASS general By 9 January the Morning Star had become unequivocable declaring that:
frenzied efforts diplomats abroad, nion pressure is bullding up to reject the American take-over.' By 10 January was beginning to get a favourable press from the Morning Star: 'Mr Heseltine favours more state intervention, closer links with Europe and a degree of industrial recovery. wịth the prime minister's subservience US, faith finance capital.' But pride of place in the Morning Star's coverage came on 9 January with a prolonged on en it Gell spen of the position of Ken out, with the Morning Star's approva the ultimate logic of the 'support Euro ability develop helicopters. " Mr Gill outlined "Neither does it provide jobs in th coming year." "
'Choosing the "an equal partnership was based on tried and tested work with European aerospace industries.
has produced the Tornado, Airbus and now the European fighter alrcraft, for which TASS had fought, Mr Gill said.
Here the line is spelt out with total clarity. British trade unions, with Communist general secretaries, lobbying for fighter maments to be built.
If anyone on the left wanted an exoppose the EEC, and the entire line of European capital United States, Market Westland's affair!
in terms of A key part of the Today and pressure of the Marxism the position on position general secretary -Communist Ken Gill, supporting the started this of 8 January Westland workers. The would more to come, secretary nen by British international opiHeseltine himself sharply contrasting 'free backing of reported: offer "does not guarante to design This planes why it is so vital to totally againsi they need simply development of the proleft during
Socialist Action . 17 January 1986
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In the 'realigned left' of the Labour carty others draw the same conclusion.
campaigning for the left det a polley based on support for the