Socialist Action replies to Tribune es which en more it than ensure a ervative minster because ck with ich sup- apparent to find warned the councils: Raine 1 Evidently we do not accuse Nigel and Tribune of conscious racism. I we ala unal we would write very different articles indeed.
What we state is that the articles appearing simultaneously in Tribune intestin Neu Society, and the Guardiun following tne clections or the theme "black candidates OSC VOLCD aided racists and racism inside, outside, the party.
Nor are we isolated in Ta view e cabour rarty Black Section has also strongly replied to, and attacked, the articles carried In New society and New Statesman.
2 The way in which this occurred can be seen clearly in the title of the article we referred to in Tribune. this selectively referred to cases where it was claimed that black candidates did worse than white. It referred specifically Wandsworth where there has been the biggest publicity for this claim.
But Tribune's article was totally cavalier factually. It did not deal with the cases where, on the contrary, black candidates did better than white for example Duncan brainwalle wno nad ine highest Labour vote of all Couldale in his ward. It did not deal at all with the situation in Wandsworth where it clear the had not adequately fought racism seriously or selected black candidates DaCK Labour candidate Aubrey not have been quite enough to majority unexIn prejudice against won control of 1• Escoffery outlined in detail last week.
Tribune have dealt of racism here roblem WILd what UNDheadline stating the truth:
failures to tight racism cost seats. But instead have a Tribune WC headline 'Did anti-black prejudice cost Lauvul crucial seats?
The problem therefore norears, Labour Partsis Party's fight which certainly will lose scals. but running black candidates. This rubbish aids every racist inside and outside the party.
By not dealing with the core of the matter, which is the failure of Wandsworth to select black candidates in safe seats, and the indifwhich their proposals for fighting racism received, Tribune's article covered over the problem which is the failure of the party to aesu effectively. Where this was ConC Haringey Hackney, Brent, Lambeth excellent results were achieved.
3 On the women's conference Tribune ran whole series of articles leading to conference. The one chosen for selling at women's conference itself, however, was spread over nearly half a page, and was entitled, and argued, 'Constitutional change will not win women's votes' The editor of Tribune knows perfectly well that what is politely termed constitutional change four others which Milton and which in reality is the right of women to control their own organisations in Galle _nol nave them controlled by men -is exactly what WAC fights for.
Nigel Williamson knows edit that type of material, and such series, as well as we do. If three or four weeks before the Tribune had run an article 'Constitutional change will not win women's votes, and at ine conterence one enutied 'Support WAC's demands', Iribune would have been carrying on a debate in which it was interven ing in favour of WAC's demands Instead the choice and timing of articles was such as to cut against them.
This was made even clearer in the Diary column of 23 May which accused WAC of lining up alongside at Concicict 4 Nigel Williamson can of course prove wrong very simply. He can, for example: • Run articles explaining the failure to adopt black candidates in areas like Wandsworth which is the real problem.
Support the demands of the Black Section. • Call for a Labour Party campaign against racism Including centrally the call for more black candidates achieve this. demands or warr Clearly the Finally, hope by seat, white Conservatives.
bad heen hala t Tribune will band together with us to overcome one rather shocking point. The New Statesman has refused to print the reply of the Black Section to their articies on the local govern ment elections even as a Tribune have a long record of excluding black people from writing on their own behalf in their pages. Having one column by a black Prospective Parliamentary party. Black Section is a legitimate voice for black members of the party black people get from Tribune is white Section having a regular column to write about ourselves? They want to choose which individuals' views they carry. We want support for our campaign and our individuals.
on the hea Chernobyl tions in the from Frant fewer for Stockta Lamination tivity answers L The D letter. We hope that the eone Tribune vigorously demand that une ew Statesman prin this reply. The issues under ale LOC serious to be dealt with by bureaucratic suppression Mark Wadsworth:
Candidate is not how you genuinely reflect a plurality of black political opinion in the - but all people writing about us. How about Black collective demands — as a group and not as
Socialist Action RAPIDLY DEVELOPING events in the Labour Party are potentially Namely that Labour should prepare itself for a coalition with the Alliance
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at West- of an
pectedly good Alliance showing in some areas, and some voters
black and openly gay Labour Crewe, candidates in the inner cities.
Bristol, Great Grimsby, Hynd- burn, Rossendale, l'amworth, Worcester York, Lothian.
appeared to be within reach, Chorley,
Keynes and Peterborough, los- see to the SDP offset gains
candidates were successful in two seats where their black and, in one case, gay running mates polled slightly votes and were eased out by
In one ward Labour and the Tories each won a seat which