future of reselection.
tinue.
Superficially the choice will be between approval or rejection of the NEC's constitutional amendment which gives CLPs the oppresent reselection procedure The NEC's proposal is that the selection conterence may be dispensed with. Instead the vote on the re-adoption of the situng Mr Is lo be taken either at several branch meetings at which none of the competing candidates ballot of all members. present, postal Here would obligation either to call a meeting at which members would have the opportuniIy IO question the various candidates, or to circulate the candidates' stateme The suggested introduced proccuure, behind the smokescreen of phoney extension franchise, would not just favour the readoption chances of the "sitting' MP but would ensure that the MP would cease to be accountable to the ror the onlv rank and file body which is in a position monitol the MPs parliamentary work - the jeneral Committee of the wole ose ne power to decide whether the MP is to be reselected.
The present real participation in the decision members Ilakilg Parliamentary PERHAPS the most important decision this year's Labour Party conference will have to make is on the What is decided will show whether the party's drift away from socialism and democracy has been arrested or whether it will conwhich has through the influence a General Committee can exercise on its MP, would be replaced by the illusion or parncipaton Inal Is so common bourgeois The timing of the NEC's proposals is not ac cidental. he conservative elements within the party, always intent on removing the cancer of accountability, have been given their chance.
Neil Kinnock, whose victory owed so much to the support of the 'soft' left, has thrown in his lot with the right wing, leaving the former 'left' supporters bewildered. Their pathetic hope that they wil be able to intluence him has come to nothing.
What are the chances of success of this …пей centre-right coalition within une varly. Superreforms 1979-81 were achieved in the wake of the Labour government's defeat.
unionists, including their leaders, were still highly critical of Tabour's record in ottice The NEC was still enraged at the way was then treated by the then party leaders over the manifesto.
CLPD's arguments in favour of democratic reforms were still widely accepted. Under these conditions it was relatively easy to win the vote on reselection 1979 1980. It was also relatively easy CLPD the SocialisI to bring Loselici LCI left-wing organisations under the umbrella of the Rank and File Mobilising Committee and to the CLPD strateg The result of this unprecedented cooperation was the setting up of the Electoral College by Wembley in 1981.
No such favourable conditions exist today.
anti-working anti-socia policies mean that most trade union leaders prepared anything the leadership parlamellary up The fragile alliance of the lett has disintegrated.
The Bennite left the ultra-left groups failed to appreciate that during a period of reaction a ditterent strategy is ap previously achieved sateguaraed the ground for further advance prepared.
CLPD's compliance with the conference decision on the register, imperalive i polical class struggle was to be carried more ditticult conc'itions, was represented as an act of betrayal. (What respect do these "revolutionaries' show for bourgeois formalities!)
Much of the 'soft' left which originally, like CLPD prioritised democratic demands drifted towards the centre.
lights even engineered in the name of democracy needless to say 'acceptable' formulae for the demolition of institutions designed to secure accountability.
Yet the picture is not altogether grim. Even if most of the trade leaders have already forgotten the argument malev were parrotule only yesterday, about the damaging effect OI Internal conflicts over constitutional issues, the rank TELe unionists have not.
watever 'deals' Neil Kinnock may have made with top leaders, indications at present are that these leaders' recommendations may be ignored by delegations at Blackpool. The executive committees several unions have already rejected the NEC's proposal.
If conference follows their example, what needs to be thrown out is not only the present NEC's proposal, but also any resolutions which would give the NEC the chance to bring in a 'better' proposal next y cal