THE STATEMENT 'Labour, the Liberals THE SPLIT of the SDP, so clear at its Portsmouth conference, has nothing to do with constitutional arrangements for a merged party, the inadequacy of two leaders in a general election campaign or trivia of that type. It has everything to do with the proposed party's relations with Labour.
Serious culliculatuls Party must be willing to open about The their Economist, surveying. the prejudices. row over the merger, didn't even bother to discuss the formal estes simply headed its editorial "The Emerge words: David Steel would Alton clearly outlined what Labour would have to take Britain's Alliance parDavid a pact would nor accept for such a deal. First: David would renatonasanon Is notac ceptable. Second Labour Hence the ructions. (The Economist 4 July) must acccoi DioDorlollai Steel is representation which Tiver would aim to make Labour La permanent minority in in which he parliament and leave the Liberals Iree o orm a he is formally future government with the Tories. Third the whole process must be part of a pro. cess of weakening Labour's links with the unions: must first put its house in order by removas . his proposing organisational Steel shackles and union block votes ... it must take firm sunoes towaros a centre-en coalition? (The Indepencampaign its 1983 dent 12 August)
Steel is explicit that any Lib-Lab pact must SIONCE "on safeguard the essentials of Thatcherism. He argues that the task of future of going into politics is: to define then give the political lead governiell for the post-Thatcherite agenda That implies mor on from Chatcherist - 12K. rather than everything doctrinaire 'On some issues inere grounds? (Guardian August)
The This task is made easier Campaign because Steel knows that Assembly, the entry of the SDP pro mergerites into the Liberals Will greatly strengthen the issue, should not most right wing forces within it. The leadership oi convene the Liberals therefore relishing the prospect. put in this week's Sunday Times: officials of the Liberal Parliamentary Association have Maclennan that there common ground between a with that: even "substantial group"
Liberals and the SDP ... on inner-city mass іле ксу threaten to jeopardise the the all merger talks. Specifically: 'The defence policy of a could be into merged part should be If Steel be cir- based on "full support for NATO and an independent British nuclear deterrent' ampie and that should include leading consideration ideologues the available weapons systems. merger SDP including Trident. Maclennan ... has been "most encouraged" by the warmth mediately the Tha the association's overAlhance totally ture: according close associates.
Tu e an illu- The pro-mergthey demand, as with Steel, it is a defend the essentiais capture Thatcherism. Bill Rodgers the writing in the Independent in July, characterised any The the Labour attempt to overturn the fundamentals of : Thatcherism uracceptable revolution' by Since destroy whom Mrs Thatcher or he successors are replaced will depend on the manner in which these David Alton, Liberal aspects of her revolution are chief whip, argued in the In- accepted. They will. stay dependent for the forma- salient issues as long tion of a 'Progressive Coalition' He stated: To forge тет boasted: "Inf this Progressive Coalition, Alliance... had pioneered both the Liberal/SDP Alliance and the Labour cepted July)
into pact But if Steel camp In politics coherent.
Owen:
aim July 1987)
In bourgeoisie, Lab pact cher in. ci Davi mett. istence Owen mus independent party so inat. in the event of a economy wolld be more free-enterprise than public sector. (The Independent 23 the of what Owen's perfectly His entire Brian supersede beer sup the pieseni • Lib-Lab against it, naenenaent September:
pact be alternative say whom didate for natural' backing bourgeoisie the tight of the Sainsbury, ion bola ne nus. ma tain a bridgehead in parliathe Haseler, a lurks opening the without more such 'more it is As thi the 'more for the the David Owen ment Owen's to Ene Social - the SDP's He can These 'SDE 50-60 Over term he light ho „neonse nill Liberals are committed to destroying Labour not the Tories or pro-Tory Owenite Roy lenkins demanded a: the SDP conference that the merged party not run candidates against Owen Barnes and Cartwrigh Owenite MPs De Wilson, president of th Liberais, wrote in the Time. lasi Saturday: 'Obviously we are all sympathetic to the view that we should not op pose the three The aim of both wings of the disintegrating Alliance is clear. They bot intend to maintain the essentials of Thatcherism One intends to do so by fon