on the left can deny that the Labour Partv has a lot to answer for in relation to black people both here most implacably section of the But what is essential and new is the tendency for black people to join the party in numbers and organise as black must look back over the past history of the relationship between black people The first large black communities to in Liverpool, North Shields and Cardiff. Economic decline and unemploy ment followed the First World War and ushered in a protracted period in which LOrally broke out, notably in Manchester.
The black population were forced communities and were prevented from organising within in working class politics today open uf the possibility of a new period in black political organisation.
economic depression, within which the black community is a particularly op pressed sector of society, the results of the last general election show that elecLabour mas veen pusncu back into its traditional strongholds: the big metropolitan centres.
The increased activity of black peo ple within the Party is the impetus for the demand for a Labour Party black section. Over 200 black activists attended the black section conference in Birmingham.
It is now crucial, if this progress is to be developed, that the Labour left as a whole takes up and champions the demand. It is perhaps not surprising that Kinnock and Hattersley are opposed to a black section. They the women's section tion of the Party would not only apply pressure on questions that affect black people, but would probably become a of the permanent left pressure on the Party on all questions.
In this context, while the Militant tendency's position against black seetions is not surprising given their position on other similar questions, their arguments must be refuted, as they provide a 'left' company's opposition to the black secBob Lee, in last week's Militant explained: separating blacks from the rest of the party might actually serve to undermine workers who are already active in th party at a grassroots level. black The fact is that very few black people are active at any level in the party, despite the fact that a growing number of black people are joining.
of the Party.
between, realise as with that a black sec CULTURE strument disunity. By tant cover fronting cover for Kinnock and class unity. class unity in a SM slavery. the basis the stated nature of the kind pressed minority they need to organis to ensure that their demands are taker up in a serious way by the mainstream But more serious in Militant's argument is the claim that black and white unity already exists in the Party. This r patently not the case. At Party conference the black faces are few and far , black candidates are not put forward at any level of the Party.
Outside the Party black people have deeDl ingrained racism within the working class itself, and this is reflected inside the structures of the labour movement.
A black section is precisely an inovercome existing talking as though black and white unity already exists the Miliup the real problems conblack people, and the figh that will have to be waged within the working class to create a basis for real commitment by the Labour Party to carry out a genuine anti-racist polic would solve the problem. But unless th black section is organised to fight for such a policy, it will never happen Finally they argue a black section mainstream of the party.
IS that they are not there now. As Dian the Labour hypocritical for people to go on abou the black section creating when they haven't complained abou the white separatism that exists in the Given the process of realignment in British politics today black community and the Labour Party. It begins to pose the real issues of more profound wa than at any time since the abolition o But class unity can only be built on of complete and absolute ecuality of representation at al ever of the movement. Any other kind is only disguised disunity The argument that all that black sections are about is lobbying for more MPs or councillors both misrepresents aims of the black section itself, and totally misunderstands the British The black section is a first step in the fight against the racist division of the work. Ing class, and tererore a sep loward:
of unity the working class needs to build to take on the Tory and ruining offends. , class offensive against our rights