present leadership -sts which is committed I means.' rawn from the mass In and Gay Young bur Committee on bombs both in a personal capacity Dave Sheperd, Southern Regional Committee Member Bernie Wilde, West Midlands Regional Committee Member SCOTTISH LPYS MIKE WONGSAM, black section national steering member, in a personal capacity, assesses the progress of black sections in the Labour Party to date, and what still remains to be done. FOUR BLACK section resolutions to Labour Party conference last year, 20 this. That's just one measure of the success the fight for black sections is haying inside the party. But the fight to ensure a real hearing at this year's annual conference still goes on. been party resolutions are urgently needed to strengthen our hand. Local parties who have supported the black section, but haven't prioritised a resolution on the to subject, are especially encouraged to think about sending in an amendment This to conference.
YSS ing in the original. One suggestion 1s pressing for black community groups sympathetic to the Labour Party being allowed to attilate be tee is asking that the Norwood CLP resolution - calling on the leadership to submit a rule-change amendment to of 1985 party conference to allow black sections to be set up — be amended to include opposition to disciplinary action against constituencies which have already established black sections open August. And constituencies should give the priority to choosing a black conterence delegate.
being set up in 22 constituencies. These are: London - Battersea, Westminster North, Vauxhall, Deptford, Peckham, Lewisham East, Holborn and St Pancras, Leyton, Woodle Green, Tottenham, turn Wood lively, Streatham, Greenwich, Norwood; Ladywood and Perry Barr; Manchester North.And at least 42 constituencies were represented at the recent black section conference in Birmingham.
The initial Labour leadership Young man, Hattersley, et al - has been much publicised. Neil Kinnock is quoted as saying he was 'still open to persuasion' official on the issue. But subsequent comments YS leave little room to doubt whether the Labour leadership will willingly accept black sections.
has been less than comradely (to put it mildly'!) towards the black activists in mass the building black sections as a way drawing more and more black people into the LADOU Party really represent the interests of black people in this country.
take off!
committee one very An 'racially Lalll Amendments to the constituency Wing movement.
especially 'The It only needs a word or two chang The black section steering commit- too. By to fighting for.
All amendments must be in by 17 Black sections already exist or are to encourage Hampstead In Hornsev and estonishmen Putney, Southall, Brent South, Birmingham Central and Gorton;Bedfordshire — sections.
response the for Kinnock, KaufI formed, ches;
So far the Labour Party leadership ference who are committed to of and ensuring the does in act bunding black sections li important way of turning Labour into a mass campaigning party which champions the interests of all the oppressed and exploited sections of society. It should be recognised as such by all activists in the party argument trequently used against black sections is that we are segregationalist'. In reality, our definition of black is primarily political, embracing the racially and culturally oppressed minorities in BriDiversionary arguments shouldn't be allowed to deflect from The radicalisation of black people black youth, over the las few years is a significant development inside the British labour movement whole turn towards this radicalisation, and show it really does support the interests of the black communities in Britain.
And there is a special part for the Labour Party Young Socialists to play making the youth section of the Labour Party habitable to young black people — by taking up their campaigns and espousing their rights — the LPYS can grow in strength as well as in size, and make sure that it is helping to build the sort of Labour Party of the future that all socialists are committed Norwood Labour Party resolution:
This conference welcomes the in. itiatives taken by some constituenc) Labour Parties to tackle racism and members of ethnic minorities to join the Labour Party.
particular welcomes the of in dividual Afro-Caribbean and Asian members and acknowledges that it is the wish of these members that such sections be formed and called black It instructs the national executive committee: 1. to submit to the 1985 conference amendments to the rules constituency partie. which will allow black sections to b where members so desire, with the right to send delegates to general mamagement committees and executive committees in the same way as women's sections and YS bran 2. following consultation throughou the party, to submit to the 1985 con draft regulations on the organisation of black sections; 3. to allow existing black sections to continue, recognising that they have a valuable contribution to make ir the formulation of the party's policy anti-racism and th wishes of black people.
Socialist Action 27 July 1984