photo: Pete Grant Freeze is a cop-out for fighting for unilateralism OUR MOTTO DROP IT" lookout for are the insidious shifts in future.
pear.
The preliminary agendon cained only on for a openly multilateralist the AUEW now amended by the EEPTU to include support for NATO! The rest contain a commitment to unilateral Bds alamen one form or another - - but with some important additions and ommisions.
A non-nuciear detence thread runs through many of the resolutions, reflecting the pressures from the defeat tackle the Tories on their ground for defence, not our ground of disarmament.
Whilst it is necessary to take on this ucoale. must framework of clear active commitment to unilateralism. The multilateralists in our party will use this terfain as an opportunity to NO ONE FOLLOWING the Labour Party mood in the last few months will seriously expect this year's conference to be dominated by dramatic and public reversals of party policy. What they should be on the emphasis which are the harbingers of just such reversals in the The debate on nuclear disarmament is one important area where such cracks are beginning to apwin back their lost ground.
Similarly, the • discussion around policy Obviously we should support position the United In the absence of a CND-type mass campaigll, the freeze movement there represents something positive. But what would a freeze position represent in Britain?
Labour CND Executive In reality, would mean a reversal of what CND campaigners inside ana outside une party nave won over the years. It would allow a campaign to support the status quo, after the missiles have arrived in Britain.
Whilst it's unlikely that the last year's composite 51 wil be openly disregarded, it's on the cards that the overall majority will be reduced. And it's even more likely that the final composite will contain only inadequate proposals for what action the Labour Party should take on disarmament over the next year.
Rub This is the real rub of this year's disarmament debate: will we make our commitment to unilateralleadership hook, or will delegates ihsist the fights regain some of the lost ground in the general election?
Committees to discuss the ins and outs of non-nuclear defence policy are no subsulule for a buon campaign Trident.
WC passively back while the missiles arrive, • Hu alloun of sub-committee reports at next year's conference will convince people that the Labour Party is serious about its disarmament policies. We will abandon fight agains _Thatcher's war drive.
The action demands in CND's model resolution cal tor an anti-nuclear weapons campaign organise public activity and tor the Ple to use parliamentary procedures to put the case This together with sup port for CND's 22 Oc tober demonstration still represents clearest course of action. Calls for the NEC defence group to explore the issue alternative defence should not be seen as an alternative mass public campaign. Practical All members have a very practical opportunity to show continued commitment to by demonstration, and by the fringe meetings during the week OI conterence organised around the issue of nuclear disarmament and defence.
Socialist Action 30 September 1983