•TARGET LABOUR Government is about getting a Labour government into power as fast as possible, said Jeremy Corbyn MP, opening the first TLG conference held last Saturday in Birmingham. And the 150-odd Labour activists who attended were all agreed that it wasn't just any old Labour government we wanted, but one committed to campaigning for — and implementing when in office — a programme of socialist policies.
A Labour government of the Wilson, Callaghan or Kinnock type WHOL do. To be a credible and effective opposition to the Tories, as well as impic ment any socialist course, the Labour party must oc representative of the people for claims to SDeaK on whose behalf governments claim to act.
That means a policy of positive action to get more women and black people parliament. Dianne Abbott chord when she described the anniellav as *a white male club, remote from the paralways inward looking' Tony Benn described TLG as being about 'how we win, what we do when we win, and what sort of party we want'. He spoke or the need for a refoun đing of the Labour Party, based on affiliation by those groups within sociebian and gan, women, black, and every her oppressed group for whom Labour claims 10 speak.
Benn described 'the anti-Tory allance lal should become.
Vot that advocated by Eric Speaking at the Target Labour Government conference Sharon Aitkins, a Southall councillor, said:
people, black people, women won't be invisiGerald Kaufman claims there are black people to stand for parliament. The a list of black candidates of all types: women There and we're going to stay. against them.
what Target Labour Government is about.
because we need them. or women sell out? We're in this fir change.
that black people time round.
but issuecomplete rethink the manifeso.
manifesto should be the movement makes every promises.
'Saatchi Saatchi partie have to get rid of the pollster policies and renlace them with a concept of Labour supporting struggles of the working 'We must,' said Tony Benn, 'restate the meaning of exploitation'.
The key issues today the miners' the campaign, racism and sexism in sociely are precisely the awkward ones for Consensis policies. The issue now facing the party is how to build on the tremendous and men, Asian and West Indian, left and right. We didn't endorse them, but we produced that list to show the party that we're In my constituency Syd Bidwell has been our MP for the last 19 years. He's well past retirement, but he says he won't go. He says that these Asians in Southall aren't ready to speak for themselves.
I've been in the party for many years, and it's only recently that I've been on this sort of platform. White men must stand aside for black and women candidates who have all the odds stacked At Blackpool last year the NUM were the only We're campaigning for bold socialist policie Why should black people Next time round is too late. We must ensure and women are selected as parliamentary candidates on socialist policies this gains of the miners' strike, how to consolidate the energy generated by ine strike and in the support committees up and down the country.
It was on this very problem which way forward for Labour that the Target Government stumbled ano one lal disapworkshops discussed internathe the SLalC Afternoon discussed WORKSIOD.
Nowhere did these Contilluc to case while remains this Not Target Government IOU the business of organising the candidates particular constituencies, nor should it be. That can only done locally. What it can aspects has positive action against sexist and racist discrimination which will bring together exactly the sort of that was described by Tony Benn.
Target LADOUl celebrated in Chicago conditions of working women.
With the rise of the modern women's liberation movement demonst rations took place in tain starting 1971 focusing the demands of the modern women's liberation movement for equal pay, job free contraception on demand ana free hour nurseries under community control.
Since that time the movement has not only broadened its demands to include issues of anti-racism, against lesbian discrimination demands condemning male violence but it has also noneneds scope reached out to ever broader layers of women.
This year will see women from the communities leading. demonstrations and celebratall over to highlight the significance of the rise of the Women Against Pit Closures movement On 8 March in Hackney the Women's Forum for Peace and Jobs is planning an evening celebration tor women from the mining communities.
dentify those sections o society with whom Labour must make alliances and in so doing can begin to map out the key issues of policy on which the party must fight. Many speakers pointed out the embryo of SuCT anance. OlIC which has become visible during the miners' strike. NuM at aast year's pahy The actions lne ported the demands women, the demands the demands of blacks, of peace campaigners, the demands of Irish people democracy within the parto ensure that all such policies carried through by the leadership of the party point the way forward for TLG and for the Labour Party.
Only if it takes such a direction will TLG continue to maintain the support it has the potential to women, from black gays and lesbians. the way for Target Labour Government to move forDCCOlLIC a rea force within the campaigning for all alliance of all the oppressed and exploited. But this first conference was only a partial first step in that process. TLG must take some hard political choices if it is to go forward.
WOMEN'S day was first in 1909 when working women, on strike over low pay and bad conditions, marched on the streets to protest over the general They have invited the machinists Dagenham, a woman coal miner from the USA.
Entertainment is being provided by the Hampstead League the Dalston Asian women's group.
next day in Chesterfield sees a rally in Saltergate Football ground with streetbands, stalls, exhibitions street then Aganist Pier Women Against Closures movemell lationally.
Many visitors are expected to attend this event and the national leaflet urges many women's groups as possible to support it and to raise funds to enable women from the pit com munities to attend.
On that same day in Kent women in Aylesham Day celebration and they also planning organise a national march Bernie Grant, Haringey Councillor, addresses the Target Labour Government conference BENEFIT CONCERT FOR WOMEN IN THE MINING COMMUNITIES N ORGANISED BY LONDON SHAIN STORES (MARKG. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'SDAY+ ONE YEAR ON STRIKE!
MARIA TOLLY SPENCER:BOOTS-CO-OPETC
----- pull-quotes -----
WE WANT a better soceity, one in which gay Black Section Steering Committee produced
union to support the demand of the black section. A defeat for the miners is a defeat for all. That's
aspects of police as Ire poli identified
International Women's Day 1985
speakers from the Barking dispute Fords