tional executive meets to charges against clusion: the object of the NEC exercise is to alleged old discredited proscribed list.
The 12, along with the Liverpool and its city council, have already OCCI tried found guilty by the party ¿cadership, loudly supported by the media. All that remains is show democracy of the Labour single member understands that and resists the attacks of giona conferences hicl have taken already show the situation that is being created within the party.
In the West Midlands last weekend the chair and standing orders committee blatently manipulated the agenda to allow a resolution calling on the NEC to Out Now cooperation with the Campaign Group of Labour MPs as a service to the labour movement. The latest issue contains material on Labour's NEC and on the richt of an.
peal to party conference, as well as an update on witch-hunts happening across the constituencies.
Orders to: WHN, c/o 36 Melbourne Road, London E17 Contribution to the costs of publishing and bulk orders for distribution are particularly welcome. Cheques should be made pavable to 'Witch Hunt News'.
Price 20p per copy or fl for 10 copies (both including postage). ON WEDNESDAY 26 March the Labour Party naconsider disciplinary members of the Liverpool Labour Parties. The result is already a foregone conexpel supporters of the Militant newspaper from the Labour Party, thereby re-establishing the expel all supporters. It was carried by a luge majority, with aid ot the trade union bloc Yost. Midlands regional Midlands regional conference carried a statement in line with the NEC majority position, also by a big majority (see reports on this page).
In the North West, an emergency resolution to lit the suspension of the Liverpool district was massively defeated. at ine South West conference efforts to raise expulsions of Devon Briefing supDOLCES were blocked bv the platform with threats to close the conterence Likewise, Yorkshire conference the previous Witch Hunt News No 2:
Kinnock weekend saw attempts to agenda trustrated And at the beginning of March, even London regional conference the past a bastion of the left• — narrowly defeated a resolution too against expulsions. all of these cases delegates witch-nunting speeches by Labour's right will. and the retusa condemn the purge was accompanied by attacks left policy, including those passed by previous annual conferences.
At the same time that the regional conferences Larry Whitty have shown the delegates lining up in support of the Liverpool witch-hunt, the Campaign Group of MPs fringe meetings at those saline LES.
the annual that women black of the the which in strategy, this onslaught by leadership. serious strategy of leadership centre the need campaign within the left the pressure must The produced the Larry. disciplinary arise because Dally been breached. In a letter which accompanies a summary of the majority report sent bulk every Constituency Labour ParWill see, Whitty says: 'As you there can be no doubt that there was widespread abuse of the party s constitunion. abuse is the reason for all the recommendations oi the summary report.
Compare that sentence - and the content of the summary accompanies - with the full version of the majority report. Whitty's claim downright fabrication. The majority report is clear day. says (14.10): 'In addition queries about irregularities in the DLP itself, thereiore the yesusa tion team consider that there are serious questions about the eligibility for party membership of a few key. individuals in Liverpool. It is therefore suggested these individuals be presented formalv by the NEC WILl such charges with a view to disciplinary action.' The so-called abuse to which Whitty simply the peg on which to hang a lustitication of the leadership's drive against socialists in the Labour Party. By expellLa few supporters are trying to lay the basis for weakening those currents within reparedarty the which • LO fight the Thatcher government and which demand that the Labour leadership do likewise.
It is in the interest of the labour movement as a whole to repel this attack. report on the inquiry ceedings against some of its son and Dennis Skinner, which said:
scciclar y or une Lavour rar ine lent willin une barty 'We are not intiating a witch-hunt or a purge.
said we should not labour movement'.
The a democratic, sometimes therefore accepts that in the party and has existed since its foundation.
another, Livs ul cue people into government.
ly begin lo ucal will brilal s prodiems resolution to the NEC THE February national executive, which heard the into Liverpool District Labour Party and voted to bring disciplinary promembers, presented with a resolution from Eric Heffer, supported by Joan Maynard, Tony Benn, Jo RichardThe NEC recalls the words of Jim Mortimer, then general ference when introducing the NEC report on the Militan al une or Dartv cor Tendency. He made it clear towards the end of his speec that the NEC proposals were not a "prelude to a purge ol • He underlined tnis by sayıng Fi be afraid of entering into ... debate will supporters of tae Ivuillant newspaper, on wnat ne rightly referred to as political issues of importance to the NEC endorses those views and is therefore against the expulsions of any members because they read and support une views or tne journals or tne lett or rgni within the party. The Labour Party, because it believes pluralist party, does not indulge in witch. hunts, thought control or guilt bv association. Within the labour movement, and reflected in the Labour Party, there have long been groups of different kinds, standing for certain political positions and views, who are organis with paid staff, at varying levels. It therefore acmany shands of opinion and views, bre od broad which are influenced by the views advanced by socialist journals and newspapers. This is not a new phenomenon The party, in our view should not return to the days o! proscribed lists and intolerance, but should accept that in an age of increasing demand for diversification, groups newspapers oi boulu to exist. tus aversilicaton is sometning to bi welcomed, showing that the party is a healthy, dynamic socialist force, able to mobilise support from wide secOur main task today is to work for the election of a Labour government at the next general election. To do that we are convinced that internal attacks on each otner leading to disciplinary action, can only help our political enemies who are backed by an anti-Labour press which is to stop Labour getting back We ask all party members to stop any witch-hunts, to get rid of the witch-hunting atmosphere that is beginning to develop in the party, and to concentrate on defeating Thatcher and her government at the next election. Labour is the only party which can serious-