THE 100,000 votes for Sinn Fein candidates exceeded their 90,000 target and thorn in the side of the incoming Tory government.
Bobby Sands, this result shows the lasting impact of the H-Block protest movement and the strong anti-imperialist consciousness of the nationalist working class in the North.
The army's campaign of physical harassment supported by the Southern government and Catholic Church failed to reduce Ine sinn rein vole below levels achieved the Assemblv elections Acres of free publicity Social were gıven to ine Democratic Their campaign 'against violence' was publicly backed by church leaders and the Southern government..
The first meting of the 'All Irland Forum' was deliberately organısed the middle of the election campalgu lo suggest Illal a united can achieved colL110u2 l laboration with the British ruling that Loyalist intransigence should be answered by gradual compromise. wins 42 represents the biggest Two years after the death of hunger striker MP By involving the SDLP and excluding bie cab taisi Darues or uc South tried to restore the nationslst credentials of the SDLP after their collapse during the H-block campaign.
Throughout the election Sinr reir WUIKCIS have been intimidated and harassed bv the army and RUC. , Head-quarters have been attacked, callvasscls have been taken from the doorstep ana. held for speaker cars Lucoliulll. nave been stopped Irish flags forcibly removed, the collection of postal votes has been disrupted.
Absentee MP for West Belfast, Gerry Fitt has been profiled in every major newspaper ul usl allililc The house he owns off the Falls Road, heavily guarded against the locals. was unsealed for a series of interviews Fortress Fitt'. Although he proudly clalmea lo nave Teceved half his VOLes the strongly Loyalist Shankhill Road area, the meoa er aoe o rac cd all his votes in a totting up exerese suggest Gerry Adams did not have the support ot a clear majorıty of nationalists in West Belfast Mourn A dishevelled Michael Foot made his only poste ecuon Colluicilt mourn the passing of Fitt.
operation slowed the col the SDLP who asse still got 137,000 votes Neither the SDLP, nor the Workers who polled under 22,000 votès, can be further displaced by the simple combination of military activity ane elec tioneering.
Day-to-day involvement of the mass of naThe Tories the OF Posters getting the message across in Derry tionalists in Ireland as a whole cán turn around the situation and give the lie to politicians of the SDLP who claim to be working towards a united Ireland.
In the North, Sinn Fein nave established dovde centres in the main working cass areds Centre in West Belfast. hese are intended to combine fighting inCivela housing and social benefits gritvalce. OVCI will Centralsne opposition to the extension of the Northern DOWCl. ot the Ireland Assembly the of the Tories in the allil coming year The left in the Labour SORUSE welcome the fele electoral gains of Sinn Fein who now hold the support of 42 per cent of the naTonans vole.
build withdrawal movement in this countrv that can 11gh1 repressive measures being planned.
The Labour CommitLivingstone are jointly in- on Ireland and Ken viting Gerry Adams ralles in the maior towns in Britain and to Labour and TUC Conferences In the coming weeks, this invitation will be back. ea oy consuluency parties organisations of the Labour left.
Ken Coates of the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation, IWC END, was defeated by the Tories Nottingham South, with a Tory majority of 6000.
Beaten only likely black MP Paul Boateng suffered a huge defeat in Hertfordshire West, being pesen HALD AnTrO ADaLe the Tories SDP.
Other important left wing losses were leading Bennite Bob Cryer Keighley anti-imperialist campaigner Stan Newens in Harlow.
In Birmingham Ladywood, where the first re-selection _ol a sitting Labour MP was carrier out when John Sever was removed, left winger Caire Shor won a 9001 majority for Labour.
6/83 CELEBRATING THE VICTORY OF GERRY KADAMS IN WEST SALTASI under way.
mote model Against the CLPD Women's Committee on Labour Committee on Gay Rights.
. sucn resululiuls CLPs.
Prime Minister this century.
and their links with our party, and crushing democratic rights and living standards to defend its numune cu-Labour camealeı parliamentary and extra-parliamentary, Conterence reens parties in unionists, tacks, a) defend the weapon:
Sanudr us the right to an Assembly in Scotland f) defend gay rights black people from any quarte Conferences asserts that this is the most Tories.
assess its strategy against the send a delegate or observer.
brie ing suppiemen For Socialist Action model resolution THE DEBATE on Labour's future is already Socialist Action urges its readers to proresolutions Witch-hunt, Action Committee the the But the labour movement at all levels needs a clear strategy as a framework for We therefore urge all supporters to put the following resolution endorsed by London Labour Brifing to their labour movement bodies as a statement of general position, and to ensure that it goes forward to Labour Party conference from a representative group of 'Conference notes that Thatcher has been returned with the lowest popular vote of any Tory Conference does not accept this as a popular mandate for her 'hidden manifesto' of dismantling the welfare state and public sector, breaking the unions Rather, her victory is a verdict on our party's failure socialist policies in the face of a witch. Conference pledges the party to all measures, both resist Tory attacks and bring an about early election.
a) any alliance with anti-Labour parliamentary b) any watering down of Labour's socialist Nefther esuld allow Labour to defend those it represents, nor to come to oftice in the face of a media and establishment bitterly hostile, not just to Labour's policies but to the Labour Party as such. Conference resolves instead to rebuild the Labour Party as a mass campaigning party among trades women; youth and black people porting and chamoioning all resistance to lory at and to approach the TUC for joint action to public sector and the welfare state b) prevent all further deployment of nuclear c) defeat Tory attacks on the unions and on livin d) defend the GLC and City Councils and uphold e) defend women's rights to abortion, equal pay ana work, and against sexual nart assientt g) curb police powers and stop racist attacks ol effective means to unite the party against the • Labour Against the Witch Hunt is to hold its postponed National Conference on 2 July. This will be the first national forum in which the left cun witch-hunters and readers should ensure their Party wards and YS The day after, 3 July, will see a national conference of Brifing groups, called on the initiative of london Labour Briefing in consultation witł other local groups, to discuss setting up a national • information and affiliation to LA W contact Keith Lichman, I1 Wilderton Road, London N16 01-802 1709. London Labour Brifing can b contacted at 23 Leghorn Road, Londón NW1O.