GG THERE ARE A FEW occasions in the lifetime politics when you can actually move up a gear. What the British people were saying in response to the attack on Libya - loud and clear, without any doubt at all -is that they want to see the removal of all United States bases. I am sure most men and women in the street, on being asked about the Libyan bombing, would call for the closure of US bases, full stop.
think they would somewhat disillusioned to find out that a future Labour government would not be committed to getting rid of those bases from which the attack took place. It would be a strange irony if, durof be By Denniş Skinner MP ing a general election campaign, the leadership of the Labour Party were to announce in answer to questions from the press that the F1-11 bombers would continue to be stationed in Britain.
This attack States bases in Britain has created a new dimension in the argument about removing those bases.
activities of president Reagan and Mrs Thatcher maiming innocent Libya as a result of the use of the bases in Britain, a number of people in the Parliamentary Labour the attack by Reagan and Thathad nuclear weapons. Whilst that ought to be supported in line with Labour Party policy, I put down a simple amendment: it called for the removal of all the United using United Immediately after the criminal in killing people up to conference.
Party put down a resolution on the order paper of the House of Commons, using as a focal point leaders cher on Libya and calling for the removal of all those US bases that States bases in Britain - which is not undermining Labour Party policy, it's building upon it.
In view of what has happened, the Labour Party policy is now seen to be inadequate by a lot of people both inside and outside the party. That's why I think we have to move it up a gear. Calling for the removal of all US bases will, I am certain, be part of a big cam paign during this summer leading I always hesitate to speculate about what a few trade union might convince their delegations to do especially in the run up to the general election. Anything can happen at party conferences. But if I were asked the question as to what the constituency parties will do, my guess is that the overwhelming majority would call for removal of all United States bases.
The chances are that in most constituency parties a proper democratic discussion would take place amongst the activists within the party - and I'm pretty certain that would be the conclusion. But in the trade unions, as we've known to our cost before, that kind of discussion may not go deep enough to ensure that more than a few of the leaders of executive committees will discuss the matter.
So we call upon all people involved in trade union activity, at all levels of their organisations in cluding the most important level, namely on the shop floor and in the various branches of all the service unions as well, to make sure that a proper discussion takes place with a view to ensuring that the leadership of those unions support the policy of getting rid of all United States bases.
Socialist Action 2 May 1986 ACTioN cut and run
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Vote Labour on 8 May
WE'VE HAD ENOUGH THATCHER BASES