How do you see the outcome of party What happened at party conference is that the party is so keen to get rid of Mrs Thatcher that it demonstrated its unity in the presence of the media for that purpose. The reception accorded to the leadership of the party reflected that desire.
However, judging from the fringe meetings and some of the votes, it is clear that the party at the grass roots level is radicalised. The Labour party itself is wholly unchanged in character but feels that in ine immedlale pic election period it is most important to give an impression of unity - a unity which is genuine in that it desperately wishes to remove this government.
But underneath all that there is a desire for a government to bring about certain crucial social changes disquiet about whether the policies put forward would be adequate to meet the challenge facing an incoming Labour The way it was presented in the press was of the complete mastery of leadership over the party - which the party was prepared to go along with for electoral purposes. But anyone who misread the conference in any other way than I have outlined would, I think, be misunderstanding what had happened.
As far as its impact on the public is concerned, for a variety of reasons it has not been as great as had been pected by many people. First the SDP-Liberal argument about defence has weakened the capacity of the SDP and Liberal Alliance to attract Tory voters. Therefore they are returning to Mrs The fact that we have not unattic. presented our defence arguments in a way that goes to the heart of the matter means that Mrs Thatcher may be planning a visit to Moscow which she will present been because Mr Gorbachev only talked to her because she had Trident, Cruise and Polaris. The Labour Party's defence policy may not make the impact that it would need on the validity of the alleged 'Soviet threat' — which is the central question and which is not addressed by Labour's defence policy at present.
For these reasons I think conterence has to be read quite differently from the way that Fleet Street chose to read it.
We have to rebuild the strength of the party, and address ourselves to the central issues that face the British people during and after the next eleciton.
What do you think will be the effect of the break down of the summit at Reykjavik?
I think it will have a profound effect.
Since Gorbachev came to power proposals from Moscow have acquired greater and greater credibility for the simple reason that people realise that disarmament would be in the interests of the Soviet union and the Soviet people - and therefore that Gorbachev is genuinely reflecting the aspirations and desires of the Russians.
In parallel with that it is becoming clear that the mythology of NATO as a world wide defender of human rights and democracy against dictatorship is false. The United States supports some of the most right wing dictatorships ever because those dictatorships defend American interests worldwide.
recognition that there is an American empire of a part gradually coming home.
Without stimulating anti-American feeling in a nationalist way, would be a great mistake, people now see Reagan as a greater threat to peace than Gorbachev.
don't think Reagan wants a war. But they think Reagan's strategy of Stepping up me allis lace manes more likely. They also know that the arms are to be used for the protection of US economie and political interests, and they think that the Americans have in the back of their mind bankrupting the Soviet union. That is not only not possible, but it is not what people want.
So there is a big opening now for the next stage of the non-alignment campaign which was launched in the House of Commons in July.
Think anae peace movement in away from simply the nuclear weapons question to the whole issue of foreign and defence policy is greatly increased. I would see that as one of the major campaigns from now on — particularly as if the Labour government tries to get rid of the nuclear bases Weinberger has made it clear that this acceptable.
The question of whether we could within NATO ¡culalll that conference obligation to get rid of the nuclear bases does involve and will involve a fundamental choice. Not for the first time the left are just ahead of their time in anticipating a choice that will have to be made quite clear what choice should be reached when the moment comes.
I think that the event at Reykjavik have given a very big boost to the left's foreign policy.
Reagan staked his entire political reputation on an anti-communist, cold the war, Star Wars position. When he got to Reykjavik he had to make a choice. Was he serious about disarmament in face of absolutely sincere and verifiable Droosas urat lc ward or not?
With the mid-term elections coming Reagan could not face a right wing domestic opposition that hed helped to create. So he stuck his toes in and was manifestly responsible for the failure of the summit. The effect of that will be to stimulate the peace Western Europe States.
It is a big crisis for the American administration. 'he tact that the euro. pean governments supported Reagan separates them more Irom nell owl people and opens up a great opportunisuccess ty to explain the real situation.
of the important developments that was announced just prior to party An Alliance for Socialism. This involved a number of campaigns in the party Campaign Group Could you explain the significance of this.
What Campaign Forum has done is to bring together in an effective form a going on in parallel with another. What is important about it is that it was not a case of people meeting in a smoke filled room. It is that the parallelism the become apparent. There is a national recognition by each campaign that they need the others.
I think it's very important, for example that the Women's Action Committee have been explicit in saying they need the left to win their demands and the left has said the Women's Action Committee's campaign is right and asked what can we do to support it? It's the same with the Black Sections.
1S the principle solidarity which has hasn't been done by little private arrangements tions. Not at all. The reason that the Campaign Group of Labour MPs has acquired any credibility is not because it represents a little group of people with particular of parliamentary has interpreted its function as being one of giving support inside and outside parliament whole which movements. This was the case with the women's movement movement, and the lesbian and gay movement, the withdrawal from Ireland. It's given supwar port on these issues become a body that has earned the confidence of those engaged in these campaigns. That process of solidarity has gol enormous potential.
I also think that Campaign Group News as a bulletin board of the left is enormously important.
press don't report what is going on at all. But even the left press has tended to and discharge and making the Kussians but Iormovement United MPs. has present things trom one ideological veiwpoint. didn't fit neatly into their Ejected or attacked.
paign. They can discussed and argued for.
of political developed.
manipulative coali- people can see.
Group News view faction. It is because it range printworkers, Militant this week, black movement for portant. This and therefore has that you can't afford not to read.
the but socialist traditions, particular And if things categories fact the then they tended to be ignored or re People can open Campaign Group _think it is News and see within it their own camsee it developed, Then on other pages they can see what other people are saying. And they're attracted bv that. This is a new left function ot hard news and analysis, and reflecting aspirations, and set out in a way that transformation.
They can see that there is a parallel and common interest in success in all these different areas. I think Campaign represents not only significant new agency of the left in Britain, but a model for an awful lot of other press. I would also like it to include perhaps quotations from other press that shows Socialist Action this week, in Socialist Organiser this week, Socialist Worker this week, the Morning Star this week, there was a story which we think is im- strong.
advertises the other papers, but also provides information would make Campaign Group News the one paper, of all papers, that There are all sort of possibilities Take on here. I regard it as an absolutely fundamental instrument for what we call themselves to it.
which is really the rebuilding of the labour movement with CODICIC trade union demands, roots, and its new and more organic connection with other movements that have been pushed to the margin by the Party is no longer organisationally representative of the constituency it seeks to serve.
important that we should, so to speak, turn on an electromagnet that attracts people. I don't think we should attack people. The problems that the labour movement has had in Britain are not due to individual villans and ine alm is not lo replace them with individual heroes. The aim is to draw people into the work of socia One of the most important decisions of party conference was to open up the biggest review of the position of women within it in the party's history. What do you think must be the outcome of this I think the reason people are prepared to enter negotiation with the Women's Action Committee, is that the Women's Aciton Committee's campalen was so Strough a whole range of activities, ng It was only mobilising which I think the shadow elections were the most dramatic in character, people who are the powerbrokers in the old system realised they either had to the women's movement, and fight it to the death, or accomodate I don't think that anything less than victory the particular that the five places on the NEC are elected by the ago Gorbachev summ women's conference, would be right.
You've got talk to everyone because by talking to everyone you alse drive those who are against the princi ple more onto the defensive. But you must keep the campaign moving for ward. That is a perfectly clear strategy What has been launched into is the right strategy for increasing the suppor of the campaign and requiring those who oppose it to rethink their positior which they will have to do as it i wholly insupportable I hope also that WAC will be able to continue with tne snadow which I think were a wonderful innova tion and should be extended into othe areas of the party as well.
How do you see the question of Ireland at the present time? This was an area where the left got much publicity but still only con ference. How do we change this!
No Labour government really wants tr have to think about Ireland. Therefor there has been a return to bipartisan ship via the Anglo-Irish Accord. This i a bipartisanship from which a few year we thought we had completel
dependent Labour Socialist Action 24 Oct 1986 formed and was then expelled when it
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THIS YEAR'S L for the party. It s Kinnock and his by the Tories rapi the same time the reorganise the left
British memberst conference. Socia assessment of pa. the likely impact