THE RAPID fall in the pound, and the political stir it has created, have done more than any other recent event to expose the real bases of support government.
Despite the huge amount of theorising on the left concerning the 'ideological' character of port, the reality is that the revenues she has received from North Sea Oil are a thousand times more "ideology' in explaining the relative political level of support of the government -cluding its ability to win the 1983 election.
It was the revenues from North Sea which generated the consumer boom which Thatcher deliberately started to wards. Thatcher was resources in turn to seriously exacerbate the divisions within the working class. A major section of those in work have seen their living standards sharply improve under government. paid jobs, have seen their conditions seriously deteriorate. has been based on a massive redistribution of income within the working class to conceal the still more substantial redistribution towards capital.
Given this political policy the rapid decline in the value of the pound is a decisive question for the Thatcher government. The enormously high exchange sectors of manufacturing industry lengthened the dole queues. But it also lowered the price of the flood of consumer goods which entered the country. The 'video recorder boom' in 1982-84 was just the tip of the iceberg of that process.
A falling oil price, and a falling value of the pound, policy of 'divide and rule' no matter which way the government tries to tackle the the pound is allowed to continue to fall the price significantly hitting the living standards of tse imported working class — including those skilled workers whose votes Thatcher has so carefully nurtured for five years. If interest rates, and therefore mortgage rates, are raised to protect the pound then this also hits living standards of those same workers. Either way Thatcher is seriously undermined.
All this makes even more criminal the policy which the Labour leadership has been pursuing during the miners strike. ment is not, and never has been, impregnably strong. At the time of the first and second dock strikes, and at the TUC and Labour Party conferences, the government found itself in deep trouble confronted with the miners. A push by the Labour TUC leadership either won the strike then or maintained its full momentum. oriented to blocking and sabotaging the strike and not developing it.
Imagine the situation today if Thatcher had either lost, or was simultaneously with the economic crisis. Today Thatcher finds herself faced with a new Labour having failed to take full advantage of the last ten months government. Simultaneously rapidly marching economic policy.
For if there is one thing many sections of the working class found made them even worse off than Thatcher it was the types of incomes policy Hattersley is once more trying to foist on the movement.
There is no doubt about it. Kinnock/Hattersley are a disaster machine for the Labour Party whether it comes to a miners strike or to economic policy.
Editor: ALAN FREEMAN Published weekly except two weeks in August and the Signed articles by contributors do not necessarily repre- be. last week or Decenci sent Socialist Action's views. These are expressed in editorials.
of the Thatcher supposedly Roy Thatcher's supimportant than any create from 1982 onable to use those oil they the Thatcher Those out of work, and those in low The government's political policy rate of the pound crushed to death all and further rules above those of the national union. sion by the national NUM is a flat rejection of any compromises with the Notts areas's attempt to establish a 'union within a union'.
The executive delin, end this stand was defiance the national confirmed by the arca council on saturday The intention of the scab leadership Notts was made qure ciear Dy Link, Notts financial secretary. He has stated that an independent Notts area could become the basis of a new national The Tory-inspired working miners' committees are hard at work trying to produce just such an outcome. South Ber byshire has indicated that support Notts. there is speculation se caseste would also join Notts.
The fight against the Notts scabs is vital to the future of the NUM. Their decision to put area rules above national ones faced the union with the prospect becoming federation of conflicting areas.
Notts would have been a union within a union example would quickly have been followed by some of the other areas.
The special delegate conference on 29 January The deciwill undoubtedly expel the area. The fight will ther egin 1o reestablish the NUM in the area and drive signs that of the do not the breakaway Ollerton have join the area.
believing many the rule changes steammeetings.
Striking ing the miners question ruled out of order.
Change was quashed by area council, the main upholder of Dallots throughout If the Notts area its presen course of action expulsion will be essential.
The national union will then be established in Notts. and new branches would be empowered to admit into membership all members of a branch en bloc or individually.
secretary Henry Richardson who was suspended by the meeting the national union, sing the national union, that any member of the former area who wished to remain the national A sizeable minority of Notts miners oppose the scab union union would be welcome.
is clear that a bitter fight, with scabs, the NCB: and the Tories on one side, NUM on other, is now being prepared.
The TUC should make it clear that any breakaway union in Notts will face the hostility of the whole trade union movement, and that everything possible will be done to break the and assist the NUM The development of an 'open scab could survive only by the grace and favour of the employers is a threat that must be defeated.
Photo: MARK SALMON Within the Duffy will be reluctant to support the NUM. These union leaders already support no-strike deals The difference between them and the scab leaders in Notts is minimal. The left must force the TUC to come out clearly against the scab unions.
The greatest contribu tion that the TUC could at however, is to fight to implement deci sions. Victory for miners will be the bigge single blow that could t struck against the and their Tory backers.