as a which vote in the constituency section of the NEC Coran candidates (4 out of 7), and those that vote for a minority of Campaign Group candidates (0-3 out of 7) then of 566 CLPs voting last year a small majority (51 per cent) voted for a majority of Campaign Group candidates while a large minority (49 per cent) voted for a majority of right wing and soft left candidates.
Tony Benn has personal support exceeding that of hard Campaign Group constituencies. In 1987 out of voted 422, voted for Benn. However it will be significantly harder to get CLPs to vote for Benn for leader than for the NEC. The goal of getting a majority of CLPs to vote for Benn is theretore not unrealistic but is only going to be achieved by very hard organisation.
Candidates Regarding the deputy leadership, wo Dolluca factors will be crucial for the deputy leadership and he campaign in gener 'he first will be the vote tc Prescott, and how to dea with it. The other will br regional differences.
It is clear the CLPs will vote massively against Hattersley. There are only 135 CErs wnien vote essentally for right wing candidates • including the top placed right candidates (Ăshley and Kaufmann) ir Prescott stand an excellent chance of defeating Hat, tersley, hute wolle wil easily without Neil Kinnock's intervention. Kin nock is going to have to pull out every stop to save his deputy - - and even then he may not succeed.
This makes it clear that the campaign for Benn and Heffer must not cut across he campaign to defeat Hat ersev. Nol ony would ulle be objectively sectarian, waehas une most muooltant, but it would also inevitably alienate the party membership - who see the opportunity to strike a blow against the right.
Cut This means two things First making it clear that if there is a second round ir which Prescott is standing the Campaign Group candidates will be calling for a vote for Prescott against Hattersley. If that is not done Eric Heffer's vote will be cut down because CLPs will be tempted to strike a blow against the right by likely to defeat the right.
There should be no problem here as Campaign Group members have made clear that they will be votin! for Prescott in a secon round. It simply needs to be done openly so that CLPs can see clearly that they can policies, voting tor the first round and still vote against the right in the second.
Secondly CLPs must clarify Prescott's stand on the policy issues. So far he has avoided clarifying his
Socialist Action May 1988