people. As Tony and big political success.
That theme was set by the first session at which Marc wadsworth Ine Labour Party Black tion, Tony Benn, Ann Pettifor the Women's Action Committee, John Ross for Socialist Action, John Lang from the I spenders from the joined speakers ANC and FMLN/FDR of Salvador representing some of the internationa alliances the Labour left must forge.
Benn cantured the mood of the weekend when ne said that what people were interested in discussing was not rhetoric but the systematic hard work that doing. The witch lar press and some in the party around the left in the last 18 LACU Hollis was breakind down. Right wing policies simply Benn explained thạt the left now taking shape in the Campaign Forum and Labour Left Jason was Dased on people working constructively, in support and for agreed policies No and for agreed policies. single school of thought could, or should, control it, and support was welcomed from any quarter. What was of ideas but practical That message was hammered home by other speakers: Black Section, WAC strikers, ANC, FMLN/FDR. Socialist Action. In their own way every speaker said that they did not judge people by what they said but by what they did.
In line with that, the sessions which filled the rest of the weekend took up virtually all the key alliances the labour movement had to make.
Saturday afternoon saw Linda Bellos, leader of THE SECOND annual Building an Alliance for Socialism' conference organised by Socialist Action in London 22/23 November was attended by 624 Benn and other speakers commented, this event has now established itself as the opportunity for the left in the party to come together to discuss strategy and tactics following the TUC and Labour Party conference. The political theme of the weekend, 'Building an Alliance for Socialism', was given flesh and blood by the wide range of speakers attendance. It was a major Lambeth council and vice chair of the Black Section, belly meannela or women Against Pit Closures, Hill Pettifor WAC discussing the way forward for women in the Labour movement. Simultaneously workshops were being held on justice for mineworkers, the fight for sanctions against South Africa, and the fight British withdrawal from Ireland.
These were followed by soosions un tuc suralcy o. the ANC, Thatcherism and the SDP, why Britain mus wittend Labour's youth movements, the lessons One lece strike, and Chile since the Sunday morning, saw workshops on of Sinn Fein led by Sinn Fein speaker Padraig Maolchraoibhe, on fighting the witch hunt, on lesbian gay rights on nuclear energy The highlight of Sunday afternoon was undoubtedly a well-attended session U1. the fight against racism led assiswant secrew or me ack Section, Rose Alaso who is threatened with deportation, Jagun Akinshegun from St Paul's, Bristol, Stafford Scott from the Broadwater Farm and Bernie Grant, leader of Haringey council. (We have reproduced Grant's speech on page o ot this issue.
Other discussions were on Central America, the Labour Party and the state, the pamphlet A Million Jobs A Year class politics?, a debate between Labour Lett Liaison the Coordinating Committee, Freedom for Palestine with a speaker the PLO, and socialism and the environment.
The event was an enormous success, not only for socialist OUt. think, for everyone who atbelow some of the audience tended it. Fifty two weeks of the year Socialist Action tries to support those in struggle. We think we have established weekend ycal when socialists can come LUZCLIC discuss wadI unites them, and thrash out Above Jamie Lopez of the FMLN-FDR addresses conference; what divides them, in lively discussion.
The Saturday evening social saw the same theme continued in different Fergus Hare and Padraig O Maolchraoibhe, 1CU songs the Irish freedom struggle. They
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