this month. to find out what was going on. Despite approaches, constituency itself. ON WEDNESDAY 22 October the Labour national executive will take a report on the enquiry into Knowsley North CLP heard earlier This enquiry, including the 'allegations' which occasioned it, are shrouded in deepest secrecy. Not even Euro-MP Les Huckfield, likely to be its main vicitm has been able to find out the facts. What is known is that Les would almost certainly be the winner at the constituency's parliamentary selecDelegates supporting Huckfield and his Euro-constituency of Merseyside East, against which accusations of 'irregularities' have also been made, IrOM Walworth Road on 13 October. The officers of Merseyside East had iwice written, without success, to general secretary Larry Whitty in attempt What has occasioned this latest kangaroo court is a claim that Huckfield gave an undertaking al his Euro-selection meeting in January 1984 not to stand for parliamentary selection. As the Merserside East officers point out, in response to specific question about whether or not he would put himself forward for a by-election in St Helens Huckfield indicated that he would not do MP Kilroy Silk in Knowsley North, officers of the Euro-constituency encouraged Huckfield to allow Wigan CLP, and others, who are part of th Euro-constituency, have 'complained' directly to Whitty and by writing to the local paper. allegations have ever been raised with the EuroThe three officers of Merserside East, response to the secret enquiry, had this to say: 'We Makersfield, Leigh and Knowsley South, since they contain accusations which are without foundation and which have never been brought to the Euro-CLP, are a carefully-orchestrated attempt to undermine the chances of Les Huckfield in the allegations are sufficient, either for an NEC in.
- when we have never been contacted to ask if they are true — or for intervening in Knowsley's selection procedure' Put bluntly the Labour leadership have cooked up a take paign so they can prevent Huckfield being adopted This latest attack on the left is an extension of the witch hunt started by the vote to expell the Liverpool council members. It bears no relation. ship whatsoever to 'uniting' the party ready for the next general election, nor to defending democracy in the party. Far from it. In fact, as in other cases, this is yet another attack on the democracy within the party. It is a follow up to Neil Kinnock's decision to abolish the post of party chairman' so that As a Euro-MP, Les Huckfield is a member of the Campaign Group of Labour MPs. His selec tion for the safe seat of Knowlsey North would swell the Campaign Group's ranks in Westminister. In the face of a leadership which is leading a determined assault on the left wing of the party the attack on Knowisey North's selection represents a further extension of the witch hunt. What is now right of party members, who have nothing to do with Militant, to flood Walworth Road if