AS WE go to press, substantial victory for Chesterfield by-election. Both Conservative candidates are struggling hard not to come last of the "big three'. Over 100 Labour MPs have been to Chesterfield, cereal that the Alliance could at scare lactics points to Tony in the the Liberal and including all the main the basic realities of British whole Falklands affair was poluca.
which Tories did that gave the not decline for nearly 20 moulas Secondly, the Labour 1983 elecuol Callas and chaotic sabotage.
various times in the camnour s aerence boncy.
Foot was incapable of giv Slaleill chances however llas because of a reversal in the level of support between not because of a sudden arop in tne national leve of support for the Having said that, it is of course true that the Liberal candidate in Chesterfield, Max Payne has given a dismal perfor mance, and thus we could even see the Alliance pushed into third posițion. Victory The General Election defeat was generally inter DECLCU as a left defeat WIn! for and by implication for the left wing of the party. A substantial Benn victory at Chesterfield will show wha victories in ties •cam wIl victories the heartland of the working class. Socialist policies can be made popular provided they are clearly explained for consistent way.
question which now arises is what to do with a Benn victory? What does it mean for Labour and the left in terms of future strategy? The wors possible approach would be for Labour to collec tively pat itself on the back wall the next General Labour's victory must be turned into an against the Tories; to transform the present defensive struggles being waged ove unemployment, rights and local government into a powerful offensive to bring down Thatcher.
Mobilise This means two things. First. even from the nar row viewpoint of electoral success there is no reason whatever to jettison radical socialist policies. Second. abou has to do everything in its power to mobilise against the Tories, by for example backing Liverpool Council and by backing strike action over the GCHQ.
The Cheltenham affair has its own lessons which those Chesterfield The union leaderships have don everything possible to le Thatcher the hool with snoday COlL promise Thatcher has declined the otter. but me with an intransigent union workforce. As a result th are in trouble. you back down and hanc the Tories easy victories they credible and hea will more popular. If you fight them intransigently in a united fashion then they can be shaken and even forced to back down.
Every time Len Murray other movement resists DOLI only 'realists those who want to fight the Tories to the end. victory for Tony Benn will aid that cause.
Socialist Action 2 March 1984
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MODERN TUC seem set on a course
the opinion polls
ly beaten at Chesterfield it they have now established