Tarią Ali | Socialist Action 1983

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Conference on the NEC's recommendation, on the asis of legal advice that the NEC could not prevent Hornsey — Tariq's party — recruiting him.

The NEC then took the Extraordinary step This recruitent in order to expel him The NEC heard a short atatement from Tariq but not questior him.

mbers of the NEC who ranted to ask him quesions were instructed do so. Diana Minns, Hornsey sculelal y, as not allowed to accomTariq into the neeting.

Tariq explained that he ad been a Party member efore in the sixties, — like thousands of left in disgust the party s suppor the Vietnam war. He ad rejoined after the SDP left, having himself left the Marxist Group. He accepts the objects of the Party as laid down by the •onsulutiol.

Oxroe HE ISTMS Tariq's period of officially recognised memberThe most alarming feature of the discussion inat tollowea, aller land had left, was the attitude taken by Neil Kinnock and the reason given for Tariq's expulsion. Jim Mortimer, spoke Tariq's expulsion. Unlike said, Tariq's expulsion Was question of ideology, since he was not a member or For Neil Kinnock, however, was precisely Tariq's ideas that made him ineligible: 'We are a parliamentary party, not a revolutionary said, in the keynote speech of the discussion.

Neil Kinnock has now introduced a new principle of membership which raiser une witch hunt.

First, he has persuaded the new NEC directly to contradict the promise given by Jim Mortime and Michael Foot to the _conterence of the Labour Party, that no-one would the Labour Party for their views.

Arbitrary Secondly, Tariq has been expelled for views which contradict personal interpretation of the Party's aims by Neil Kinnock.

In short, the basis for his expulsion is totally arbitrary. Nowhere the does it COnSULULUl state that Tariq's ideas are incompatible with membership; nowhere has the Party ever taken this decision.

Neil aims according to his own narrow philosophy and discusTariq Ali

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THE NEW Labour Party NEC has expelled Tariq Ali, the party's best known black Marxist. hip was approved by the Labour Party national

any organisation. Ideas