THE SPEECH which Neil Kinnock made to last week's TUC achieved a remarkable feat. It made Gavin Basnett sound like raving militants.
Even with the framework of Neil Kinnock's overall politics it was a consciously right wing speech. 'miners' violence' was long and harsh. The demnation of the police was non-existent. There was no mention even formally of a victory miners Basnett and Laird had been forced to give lip service to.
through the National Economic Council, over NATO, over the 'no-strike' pledge at GCHQ -himself with the right.
The sole issue on which Kinnock went out of his way to intervene against the open right were his opening remarks stressing the unity of the Labour Party and the trade union movement -an obvious attack on the EETPU and the other supporters of 'non-political deals with the SDP etc. Kinnock, in short, aligned himself solidly with the right and 'centre' of the TUC.
The leadership of the most powerful unions returned the compliment. The 1 the left of Kinnock on the immediate question of solidarity with the miners, has taken the political lead to support the new, Labour defence document. Ron Todd has made it clear he personally wants the TGWU to supposition GMBATU of Trade Unions for a Labour Victory, continues to be one of Kinnock's key links into the trade unions. The fact that Neil Kinnock's secretary is married to Norman Willis shows the long standing personal links between the Labour Party leader and the new TUC General Secretary.
extreme trade union right for seeking to weaken their links to the Labour Party, but above all to seek to isolate Arthur Scargill and the militant left of the unions.
Labour Party to prevent Tony Benn getting into Parliament, now is attempting to break the basis of mandatory reselection, and at the will be attempting to get Robin the NEC to displace one of the left wingers in the constituency section seats. rhetoric Kinnock is seeking to strengthen the 'centre' in the labour movement.
But what is important to note is the direction in which the centre is headed.
Kinnock's entire policy has been to rebuild Labour's base, Alliance, by taking Labour to the right. were three key policies which British capital found absolutely unacceptable at the last election - • Labour's opposition to membership of the EEC, its unilateralism, and its failure to adopt an explicit incomes policy. systematically to eliminate all three.
Opposition to EEC membership has already Unilateralism is degutted by the defence document. new explicit incomes policy were clearly visible at the TUC. are the first shot in the campaign to limit or reverse the rank and file of the party.
Kinnock's whole policy is to meet the threat of the Alliance by taking Labour rightward to occupy the political space of the Alliance.
Neil Kinnock took Labour a big step in that direction at the TUC congress. The right wing speech was just an accurate glimpse of where he intends to try to take the whole party.
Editor: ALAN FREEMAN Published weekly except two weeks in August and the last week of December.
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