WHAT HAD been a squall only six weeks ago has now turned into a cyclone for the government.' That was one minister's response on Tuesday to the Westland's fiasco. With the resignation of Michael Heseltine being followed by lisgracing of Leon Brittan in the House of Commons, the That• cher government faces the biggest internal crisis since it came to office.
The reasons which have brought the Tory splits to a head are clear. • Westland's is an important issue in itself. Military production is the area where the EEC countries have achieved the greatest cooperation with the United States.
The 'pro-American' EEC' lobbies within the Tory party, within British bloodily fighting Westlands. • Thatcher's economic position is being undermined by the fall in the world price of oil. Interest rates had to be sharply raised to 12.5 per cent last week, hitting industry, to prevent the slide in the exchange rate of the -pound which was decline in the price of North Sea oil.
The Tall In North Sea oil has already cut half the 2 billion in tax cuts wiien Lawson intended to give away in his March budget. • Following the miners' strike, and last autumn's inner city sections of the establishment continue Tory cabinet the public 'pro- still industry, over caused by the tion.' revenucs Nigel rebellions, to fear that Thatcher's policies will finally lead to some sort of social and explosion. creased given the new problems with the government's economic policies.
Put all these things together and you get not only a sharp fight within the ruling class but a struggle breaking out within the Tory party for the successor to Thatcher. That Tory fight is likely to get worse and not better.
What is criminal in this situation is the policies being Kinnock the leadership of the Labour Party. is the moment when Labour should be smashing into the Tories in a totally united fashion. Not only is there the Westland's crisis, mass ment, the welfare state, and the other attacks of the Thatcher government, but lurking in the background is the smouldering Johnson banking scandal.
But in this situation the leadership has instead turned the party inwards for a witch-hunt. As ArScargill said, Lambeth's on Sunday: It is almost criminal while the Tories are turning on each other to divert our energies in an inward attack on ourselves. should be fighting for nationalisaThe response of the party to Kinnock's failure must be clear. meeting of the NEC must drop the witch-hunt. must turn the outwards for mass against the Tories.
Only by doing this can Labour make the gains which are now possible from the Tory crisis. This fear is inpursued by Neil parliamentary This unemployMatthey speaking We The next campaigning
ACTION SoCiAlist Socialist Action 17 January 1986