every fect all sections of the party.
For that reason it is unfortunate to report that the London called against the witch hunt on June was a tailure. Not because opposition to the witch hunt is shrinking — on the contrary it is growing, The reason was that both the of the conerence, and the resolution coming out OI lL, were ruined by childish ultralett sectarianısm pul lor ward by supporters of Labour Briefing The first step to wrecking. the which led to its failure, started when the steering committee to prepare the conterence, with the vote of Labour Briefing SUoporters. refused to allow Livingstone to speak al tne conrerence. Whatever other positions Livingstone has expressed, he has spoken out repeatedly against expulsions the including those of Khan and Scally supporters, and all others. THE WITCH hunt is a fundamental issue facing pulsions of Amir Khan and Kevin Scally have shown any witch hunt, whether launched against Militant or anyone else, inevitably spreads out to afThe sectariar ultra-left basis on which the conference was built, meant that despite impressive platform the conterence was very small - around 100 people.
The resolution adopted Ine continued the same path. The ICSOLLO presented attempted to lay down that the conference: 'calls on CLPs whose "expelled", by the NEC or members ale Regional Executives ... to reluse such decisions. Only at the last moment, after the conference had been built on the original basis, was the resolution correctly changed to being that the 'supports' the CLPs that take the path of refusing recognize expulsions.
Any attempt to impose such universal tactic, which involves the risk of disbandment of CLPs by the NEC such conference is absurd.
Earlier proposals by supporters of Socialist Action to remove these ultra-left sections of the resolution had been voted down.
Proposals to suppport Campaign Khan-Scally Defence were diSO attacked from the floor as 'dividing' the against the witch hunt victory in restating i an failing to and Scally would, on the speakers Audrey convincingly Linda VICe perspective. She pointed greater vilification within the Black hunts. She out Black Section member Amir Khan in Birming ham.
Dave Anderson, speaking from the Durham mechanics, pointed out the dual standards being applied in the witch hunt. People were openly associating with a non TUC organisation the UDM in the Labour Party in Nottingham, action being taken against them.
Tony Mulhearn's Soceci also seemed to represent a certain step forward in how Militant were expressing their thinking. He strongly defended the right of the Black Section to put forward their ideas in the partywhile expressing the opposition Black Sections.
In short there was a lot of fruitful material that . was brought GUL conterence that could have provided the basis was wrecked by tue ultra-left and sectarian policies both before the conference and at it This type of infantile leftist politics is not a joke, it has to be fought against by the left if it is not to suffer unnecessary reverses. even because it is estimated there are divorce.
public be neutra on the fight the case for ban on the right to divorce.
for what is, in fact, a basic civil right.' Hypocrisy or idiocy?
councillors claiming that violence' could be so honoured! • From Republican News, 5 June 1986.
They have chosen to introduce such an amendment now, not because it is a basic civil liberty, nor 70,000 spouses in a 'marital breakdown situation' — but because opinion polls show 57 per cent in favour of They calculate a successful referendum will reinvigorate their 'reforming' image as against the more traditional Fianna Fail opposition The Divorce Action Group, which for years has been trying to introduce a change in the law is frustrated by the cynical establishment response to Whilst extreme right wing religious organisations like the Knights of Columbanus and Opus Dei, under the umbrella of Family Solidarity', have been mobilised to visit every home, the government has put virtually no energy into its vote 'yes' campaign. Fianna Fail claimed to but every major spokesperson has identified with the anti-divorce lobby. It has been left to the labour movement to divorce as a civil rights and feminist issue. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions identified itself early in the campaign as in favour of the deletion of an 'undemocratic and sectarian Sinn Fein president, Gerry Adams, accused the forces behind the anti divorce campaign of engaging in a subtle form of blackmail to force their own views on society in general. Once again,' he said, •Sinn Fein is calling for a massive show of support in Omagh recently presented a plaque to the Irish Anti Apartheid Movement honouring Nelson Mandela. Two months previously they had made him a citizen of the district. In contrast to the stated position of the SDLP leadership, its local councillors objected — 'no one who failed to renounce
Socialist Action LAST WEEK Oliver Tambo, president of the African National Congress, made a speech in Paris which was reported around the world. Speaking in the UNESCO hall Tambo said that South Africa must prepare itself for war. The ANC hoped for a speedy end to the apartheid regime, which could be brought about by international action, but if that were not forthcoming it would take any measures necessary to free South Africa. We are printing OLIVER TAMBO'S speech in full.
THIS HALL, situated in historic city of Paris, evokes in us a feeling of inspiration. We who come South Africa always associate it with our strugthe will
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member of the Labour Party. It threatens every single campaigner for women's liberation, against racism, for socialism, for British withdrawal from Ireland, or other issues in the party. As the ex-