white men are going to have to be in the background for a period of time That's what positive action means, if you are at the bottom of the damn pile. That is what the left is going to have to support.
We've got to ensure that pressure on the government continues, sure that the black communities work hand in glove with the oppressed communities. In Haringey recently we were proud to invite Sinn Fein councillors to our council meeting. We have promised Sinn Fein that we will send a delegation over there. In our borough, the Irish are counted as part of the We have specific policies relating Irish groups and it was as a response to requests from those groups that we invited Sinn Fein to Haringey.
To defend black and other oppressed communities we have to ensure that the Labour front bench isn't let off the hook. That is why I particularly appreciate and why I support Labour Party Black Section. Kingsley spoke earlier of the Black Section policy with regards to the police, racist immigration laws, and defence of the black communities. Black Section keeps the Labour Party on its toes. If Black Sections weren't there, the Labour leadership would be let off the hook because they wouldn't have to answer to some of the charges nockery of serious issues and ave a right to expect our front ad the policies we are carrying I party policy."
that the black communities are levelling at them.
Finally I want to say a word about the unions. When it comes to racism a lot of trade unions have been found wanting. For example why will the National Union of Teachers be attempting to discipline a black head teacher in Brent Because he gave evidence ic Brent council that Ms McGoldrick told t310 personally that she didn't want black teachers in her school. I want the NU1 to explain how come they could end up victimising a black head teacher.
I don't want to be accused of being anti-union because that is not the case. I support the trade unions, but I also was involved in an organisation called the Black. Trade Unionists Solidarity Movement. We set up that organisation because we recognised that the trade by making LAST WEEK Amir Khan and Kevin Scally Sparkbrook Labour Party. Their reinstatement was ratified by the national executive committee. was a 100 per cent victory tor the Campaign for the Reinstatement of Amir Khan (CRAKKS) significant victory so far in the fight against the spreading witch hunt. MICK ARCHER reports. WHEN Roy Hattersley stood up to propose the reinstatement of Amir Khan and Kevin Scally at Sparkbrook CC last week, defeat was written all over his face. In his first ever direct ap peal to the GC in 22 years he asked his supporters to back a resolution Amir and Kevin's readmission.
It was, he said, moved in a spirit of party unity and on condition that the constitution of the party, and work for an early Labour government. I was passed unanimously although, true to form, the chair ruled that no discussion or amendments would be accepted.
Delegates who had supported Amir and Kevin throughout theit year long struggle were stunned. No notice of the resolution had been included on the G€ agenda.
In August, the GC had supported Shenomeno orwarma Labour Party along simiar lines, and a subsequent CC had moved it out of order on the grounds that any proposal to resciod existing policy required twe weeks notice This time, hawever, Roy Hattersley was in something of a hurry, He had been told in no uncertain terms that the NEC of 26 November would reinstate Amir and Kevin, The aiterwative was a court appearance on a December where lawyers representing Amir Khan were to argue that the expulsions breached natural justice on nine counts The Labour Party's owa legal advice was that the party would lose, the two would be reinstated and the procedure for cxpelling them would have were reinstated by Other inquiry and Kevin Scally the most open defeat on the NEC Apparently championed the for with Hattersicy shows you can win even involved?
2310 national conference Largely black commumity Led by the campaign been under attack. to start all over again. With 2.7 million votes at Labour Party conference and a campaign that enjoyed a broad band of support in the party, the result of a furwas by Roy Hattersley, therefore, had to move quickly if the damage to himself and Labour's right wing was to be minimised. Better to take the lead in reinstating the two rather than sutter Hattersley's own meeting with his supporters, prior to the CC, had not gone at all smoothly. Understandably some of those who d campaign against Amir and Kevin in Sparkbrook's Asian community were concerned about the long-term damage done to their own standing caused by such an about-turn. Some of those who had loyally voted Amir Khan for the previous 12 months failed to turn up at the GU The victory has already had an impact on Sparkbrook's Asian communi ty. As Amir Khan explained, from the start a lot of black people said he was foolish to take on an MP: But I said there was a principle involved and peo Campaign ple had to support it. Our reinstatement where the deputy leader of the Labour Party is Joint Amir is also hopeful that it will encourage more peaple to join Labour Party Black Sections, challenging the patronage of white MPs to represent a the party But Khan doesn't believe things will stop there Sparkbrook, he says, is like a prison whese walls have been breach encouragement to others like the LPY, and women's section who have also Kevin Scally pointed to the impact of the campaign nationally which he hopes will give the NECs right wing with some reason to pause and think. think they will remember for a long time the bruising that they got trom this campaiga and hopefully they will think twice before doing anything similar in in The success of the campaign also holds valuable lessons for the Cabour left. The campaign was initiated by activist forces on the hard left - through a press conference organised by thi Campaign Group, Black Section and for Democracy for Amir Khan, and then with Paul Sharma of the Black Section and Vladimir Derer of the CLPD as secretaries of CRAKKS. But while the hard lett got the campaign go ing and provides most of its activists, it pulled in the widest possible forces in - Including the LCC, and many individuals in the Labour Party and trade unions.
It was enticised for this in a left sec tarian way but as Amir explains: the victory itself tells who was right and wrong, 1 think it is important when we re on the floor and when we want te get up and fight that we ask those forces who are not hostile to us - who we have some sort of common issue - to work with us to light for vie tory. This victory has strengthened the whole labour movement. Scoring a victory in one case has helped the ligh against the witch hunt everywhere Kevin Scally believes that it wus its broad appeal which was decisive to the campaign's final outcome 1 think that these sorts of campaigns the their intentions. Our intention from the beginning was to gain the reinstatement of Amir and myself. We didn't lumber ourselves with other objectives because had we done so, we would have found that one or other group would have found reason not to support us.
The lessons to be learnt are that there are a whole number of issues on agreed, and it is important that if we are serious about success we draw the whole left into these campaigns otherwise we can't win. That's the mam lesson from this campaign - to break down the sectarianism, which we can do on a whole number of issues, not all issues, but on a whole number of Issues.
Despite their elation, Amir and Kevin are under no illusion that their victory Will check the witch-hunt against constituencies like Knowsles North While the outcome of then campaign offers some hope to those party members who challenge corrupt practices in right wing constituencies they believe momentum started with the Liverpool witch-hunt will re quire much greater forces and much greater victories to hait. Both admit to having been surprised at the amount of support their own campaign attracted but they think this is testimony to the sense of outrage of many party activist it produced.
Gina Khan, Joint chair of the na donal campaign and one of its most ac tive supporters over the last months summed it all up. My advice to those who find themselves in a similar position to Anur and Sevin, or aayone who Is running a campaign for people like Amir and Kevin, Is don l ever give uf you know that you are right. Don't le them get away with denying you your nights The lessous of the Khan-Scally campaiga now nave to be applee t Knowsley, to the expuision of Militan supporters, and to every other witch hunt which is proceeding in the party
Socialist Action 5 Dec 1986