Then: Clay Cross councillors even won right wing support for standing up to an unjust law...
EIGHTY COUNCILLORS from Liverpool and Lambeth were surcharged in the courts last week after their two-year long Labour Party policy and defend working people from the attacks of the Thatcher government. In the case of Liverpool that has meant refusing to set a rate, for Lambeth simply setting one late. In addition, the 80 will now be faced with huge court costs and, of course, banned from holding office.
The leadership's TENDULISC Calic quickly enough. Labour's This Conference considers that the present Blunkett and others would risk precipitating response from the Labour leadership that the Tories their legal stooges were confident of avoiding in the case of Liverpool and Lambeth.
Reach The NEC's 'support' for Liverpool Lambeth doesn't reach the level the right wing gave to Clay Cross in 1972 AS the Guardian editorial of Friday March archly commented: It is already clear that the national party leadership's response much more forthright than ever it was years over Clay Cross "Then, the mining village's refusal to implement the 1972 Housing Finance Act led the party's deputy leader, wing Mr Edward Short, to tell the 1973 party conference that the next Labour government would see the rebel councillors right. In the event, it was Mr Anthony Crosland, also a man of Labour's right, who automatic disqualification from office that had been imposed? Idle Despite two party conference decisions, , in 1984 1985, the leadership today expects to be able to sit idly by while representatives of the party are pilloried for their stand in support of those policies. Indeed, the immediate background for the Tory court's decision was set by the party's naProbe Tory Corrunlign Speaking at a meeting of the local campaign group in Pontypridd last weekend, Eric Heffer explained: "These councillors strictly carried out policies agreed at 1984 parcomerence For that political act they are being treated like criminals.
That suits the Labour leadership down to the ground. Policies defending working. people are fine for Sunday-best speechifying, Criminalising but not for action.
Liverpool Lambeth councillors dove-tails into Neil Kinnock's own policy of illegitimising within the Labour Party any currents who are prepared to stand up now against the Tory attacks.
Fuel That ver / court decision - by the enemies o the people whom the Labour leadership claims to represent — will be used the fire against Liverpool Lambeth councilors anyone else who offers an alternative to the 'drop the policies and get line of the Labour leadership.
In reality however it is the refusal o1 leaders to stand in support of Liverpool and Lambeth councils, and the peopl whom they represent, tha risk losing Labour the next - and not, as the leadership claim, the determined stand taken by such councils.
'Liverpool and Lambeth councillors, said Eric Heffer last weekend, 'are courts bankrupt them.