Rally to the 'dream ticket' was the slogan. All the Labour left's past had to be junked in favour of 'new thinking and the 'new realism'.
What a contrast today. It is the left wing of the Labour Party and the trade unions, together struggles which are shaping British politics For the Labour left which has emerged in the last ten months has a quite different level of activity and political sense to anything seen for Tony Benn, Ken Livingstone, Arthur Scargill and others were dead right, after Neil Kinnock had won the Labour leadership election, not to get bogged down in purely internal party fights There are internal struggles which need to be waged in the Party today - to win the demands for the election of women to the NEC, to create black sections, to defend reselection, to stop the local witch hunts going on. But the key issue is how the left of the Labour left has turned out to the mass struggles which have erupted.
In 19ze name by the struggle for internal reform and party policy. But now, since the election, it is the Arthur Scargill, Peter Heathfield, and Jack Taylor leading the most militant trade union struggle seen for a decade. Tony Benn speaking to miners railies, in Liverpool, and in defence of and David Blunkett leading the fight to defend That is the image the Labour left is giving today.
And that's how it should be. The struggle inside the Party was to get the freedom to act in the class struggle outside it. Never an end in It is also how the leadership question should be settled. By his actions over Liverpool and the miners Neil Kinnock has already himself far more than any amount of criticism If Kinnock is prepared to lead the Labour Pary to defend its supporters and those on whon he movement rests then well and good. If no then the Labour left must act independently of, and if necessary against, him. Never must it be paralysed by what Kinnock is prepared to accepthat is the tactic of the last ten months. They are the correct ones. It's the Labour left, not the Published weekly except two weeks in August and the las week or becember.
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Send all correspondence regarding subscriptions, and receipts to Socialist Action Distribution, 328 Upper Siree: London N1 2XP. (Tel: 01-359 8180) Send all material for publication (including advertising) :: Socialist Action Editorial ai the same address. * = egret nal que to the nign cost or postage we canno eum or acknowledge unsolicited copy or photographs ...=: accompanied dy a stamped dadressed envelope Liverpool Council, Ken Livingstone sales AFTER FIVE weeks of phoney war and ballyhoo about ballots what people really think about the miners strike is now out in the open. all along. He and the NCB don't give a damn about ballots. Ballot or not their intention is to starve the ment to intervene — to br"DOL SOci negotiations bere that it convince the mineworkers sible negotiators, will The sole reason the top Talk.
calisill MacGregor has said openly what we've known the TUC leadership workers CASINO The union leaderships who wanted the strike to the urging of Ray Buckton and Jimmy Knapp. flave al c showed its attitude when it through every level of the group of MPs as a whole Local Labour Parties hae. LOCal silence on the real issues azalll.
reaminess unnanel?
weren't far from monteretes colauseu •democrals are no angel TUC General Council screaming to do so.
There Havel not often said thai there against venturitist working class?
the exaggerations of the ultra-left!
miners financial £50,000 has been voted by NUPE. A levy has been introduced by Scott Lithgow Thousands pounds has been raised by local subport condullces and workplace collections The Scottish TUC has called for support But much more needed. Trade unions and workplaces should be looking to a 50p and fl a levy to support the • In towns and cities support committees for the miners strike based on the labour movement should established bringing together trade union brantrades councils and Labour Parties. This has already been Golf places like Stockport, Birmingnam and bristol These support commitice» wan prcpare sulludill! action through organising delega tions to picket lines, winninterview with Tony Benn carried out for Socialist Action by John Ross.
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It will probably b months before i policeman can kill a trade unionist and not be harder with ing bovcotts of coal. anc making collections.
Local demonstrations like those planned in Manchester and Huddersfield, following up the huge success of the Kent to Not NUM march should take place up and OWI counuy The should be at the toretront of everv marci and rally on May Day bul murc lall lllal needed. The success of the Kent miners march shows une nuge possiolly 1or c national demonstration in support • of the miners day industrial action with the miners should be named. The STUC has taken the lead herethere should be a fight to force the TUC to call a day of solidarity strike ac non. but i unis is relused the unions already taking miners must name the day muuustlla. themselves The May Day issue will carry a special 8 page a CORMAT
and what's needed to win.
THE DELEGATE conference was born out of attempts by cerLast week the NUM national executive decided in favour of a recall delegate conference. PETER HEATHFIELD, NUM general secretary, told Socialist Action why the conference had been called, what's at stake in the strike, Coal Board, the government and even the Electricity Socialist Action 20 April 1984 movement.
Board are playing mainder of the movement was intact. almost untouched, after the general Today, the 1980 '82 legislation is designed to achieve the disintegration of the whole labour The miners sill at work must recognise who's supporting their right to work and their right to express a democratic view': the tabloids and the
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A PiECE OF CHE ACTION ecutive. This move havex
'Labour's Alliance for Socialism' — Benn.