Labour Party democracy organized by CLPD, and the Women's Action Committee, and the Black Section, and the support all these groups gave to the miners strike, it pretigures the type of Labour Party that is needed.
•And it also had successes at what was a very difficult Labour Party conference. 1 know that I have to thank people in the LLL for the work that was done in the NEC election. But I think it was very important for the left that we saw Bryan Gould getting 40,000 less votes than myself after the whole of the press and the whole of the right had been building up a campaign 'Livingstone'. it was blow to psychology and credibility of the right that this campaign fell flat on its face — was the support received by Diane Abbott.
But most important is the impact at the rank and file level. What is important about the particular coalition of forces that has come together is that it prefigures the Labour Party as it will be in the years to come. It represents an internationalisation of our movement and a widening of our class, race, and sexual base within British politics. starts to put the issues and aspirations of women workers and black workers centrally on Labour's agenda and not peripheral to it. I think the Labour Left Liaison and the coalition of forces it represents, and the links it has with the Campaign Group and in the NUM, prefigures what the left will be in the abour Party - and eventually what the and trade union movement will represent.
A similar process is also being reflected in changes in the trade unions. Arthur Scargill played a decisive role in the way the NUM supported women other unions w35zn recruit part-timers, to recruit more black people, is going to change those trade unions tally. In the TGWU and in NUPE, although the left have reverses, still remains strong that it's possible to win imporpolicies in these period ahead. Equally it is important to see what is emerging in terms of the link up between TASS and ASTMS. I was and TAS hoote Tor way resterd al the debate was luminating. Because at exactly the same time the electricians and the engineers against are rabbitting on new realism and nothe strike deals, and seeing their membership decline year by year, we are seeing the creation of a powerful union in the growing sectors of the British economy which is aligned with the left in the parfound significance in the struggles bet- • and that is going to be of proween left and right in the labour movement over the coming Developments which start in the international economy will work through and reinforce all these trends in British politics So I have no doubt whatsoever that whilst a lot of people are still suffering from the depression of 11 June, aren't taking on board what has happened in terms of the shift in the international economy. I've no doubt whatsoever that suddenly things have changed dramatically. take some time to work through, but what happened on 19 October (the day of the Wall Street crash) shifted world politics.
If we've got the ability to lift our eyes from the sectarian squabbles that assail so muc i of the left, and take the measure of what has occurred, we cal plan for and achieve major victories for radical sociaise JUis FITIT JE IET On Livingstone's ternational recession since 1914.
Livingstone only LWO possible Europe. The first, ty and arming to the teeth.
¡the "Eurobomb"
Owen), increased maments, increasing Named potential trade wars. Recession to recruit women, fundamensuffered sufficiently liberties.
unions in the non in allamells ding position in society. extremely 'Reduction of national debt, force.' Correct years.
comments and add some points to it.
Western Europe.
The consequences will tion, then there is no colonial countries it isn't.
drastic reflation of the SINCE THE stock market crash of 19 October Ken Livingstone has been putting forward a consistent line which can easily be summarised.
the stockmarket crash has opened up tred on the debt. not simply a recession but a shift in the relations between the United more serious States and Western Europe. As he put it in his Guardian article of 6 November: What took place on 19 Cras li October was not simply about share prices. Nor does it involve only an inalthough that will certainly ensue. Much more fundamental shifts are involved...
"The foundation of the crash is the attempt by the United States to maintain an international supremacy for which it no longer has the economic base. The economic and political consequences of this for Britain will be particularly direct — relations with the United States have Le CasE dominated Western Europe and Britain Correct Redmond O'Neill replies to Ken According to Livingstone: "There are developments already being promoted by some West European governments, is to meet the possibility of increased tensions with the United States, and increased pressure to US disengagement from Europe, by economic austeri'This reality lies behind current pro- most corrupt in the posals for a right wing solution in Europe so beloved of Dr conventional West military integration, policies of austerity at sustaining rearmament and fold in the Gulf.
'Increased spending on "European armaments at a time of economic recession would increase demands for deeper cuts in the welfare state and further reductions of trade union power and civil ly the most archaic, *The second possibility is a Western Europe based on detente, drastic reducgressive domestic policies, and with the labour movement placed in a commanarmaments expenditure and economic cooperation would release economic resources for development. Reduction of unemployment, and would improve the framework of life throughout Europe. Such a direction in European policy could only be led by a socialist political Large parts of this analysis are entirely correct. But we would make some First the economic implications of the crash will be even sharper and more rapid in the third world' than in Europe although Livingstone is right that there will be major consequences in The initial effect is going to be a resurgence of the debt crisis. If there is a recession in the United States, or if it cuts back its imports through dollar devaluaway the semiwould be able to generate the export surpluses to repa! their international debts even if it were right to demand that they did so which It shouldn't be forgotten that the I'S economy ed by the threat of Mexico defaulting on its debt. A new international recession will deepen the international debt crisis. again. Brazil already called a halt to all interest payments earlier this year and there is a deep political crisis in Peru cenBut beyond the debt crisis are still both positive and negative. There is no doubt Torcer that the economic consequences of the Canstoone quences in some parts of the third world. Famine is already rampant in large parts of Africa. A country such as Uganda is on the verge of disintegration. Sri Lanka is wracked by communal progroms launched by the Sinhalese majority. Right wing separatist movements have been strengthened in the Punjab in India. There are going to be horrific and right wing developments as entire countrie and societies disintegrate under the impact of economic consequences that wil follow the crash and the consequences of But there are also going to be, over the next 10-15 years, socialist revolutions in the third world - in addition to that which is already proceeding in Nicaragua and its accompanying struggles in Central America. The first and clearest prospect for this is in the Philippines. Already there the government of Corv faces an armed resistance of 10-15,000 fighters of the New People's Army which controls 10-20 per cent of the country. The Philippines ruling class is one of the The entire Phillipines economy has been reoriented to exports over the last 20 years - which means it is going to be particularly hard hit be a recession of a dollar devaluation. A huge political struggle is going to unPhilippines with the possibility of direct US action as in the Explosion Another country in which there is already a huge social and political explosion is South Atrica. Here there is not onreactionary despicabie regime in lue worla bul disc one with a relatively strong ruling class and with a mass white reactionary base. This combination means that there is going to be a prolonged struggle in South Africa — one with a major impact on world politics.
In short the developments that are going to take place in Western Europe must be put in the context of real socialist revoluions, and struggles for freedom. that will take place in • semi-colonial countries, which demand our solidarity which are decisive in themselves. anc which will push forward the relation of . Ine imperialist countries themselves, We doubt that this is a difference with Ken Livingstone, whose record on for example, the most creditable of any major figure in the movement. But it means the points he makes on Europe must be put in a wider context.
Europe The second point concerns Europe itself. In his Guardian article Ken Liv. ingstone puts forward a whole series of demanus in burope walen are correct. n calls for detente with the Soviet Union, opposition to European austerity programmes, and opposition to European militarism. The demands which flow our of this we completely agree with.
But this raises the issue of what type of Europe is going to emerge from this? Ken Livingstone rightly notes in his Guardian article that Western Europe side its real relations with the United States since World War I. Therefore what would be the social and political dynamic unleashed by the practical steps he proposes?
Austerity We think it is obvious. Any attempt to oppose European militarism, break the link with the United States, or oppose European austerity programmes would mean ferocious resistance from the West European bourgeoisies - let alone the United States. Economic and political sabotage, cutting off of trade, economic destabilisation, and ever other mechanism of sabotage would be attempted. We do not believe that it would be possible to stabilise a neutra capitalisi Europe. Embarking on the course Livingstone outlines would in. evitably end either in a collapse or in a socialist Europe.
These are some of the key strategic issues which need to be discussed out in the next period.
Socialist Action 20 Now 1987 Republicans will never forget it