last weekend's Institute for Workers Control conference in Sheffield. On Sunday morning the delegates at the conference unanimously condemned the Healey incomes policy measures. On Sunday afternoon, however, the same conference delegates were offered a main speaker, Tony Benn, who is a member of the the very Government which is imposing the Healey measures.
Benn s speeen to te comerence was itself quite extraordinary. It touched on everything under the sun, with the single exception of the question which at present dominates the political situation the neaey measures REVEALING Perhaps even more revealing than his silence on the Healey measures, were Benn's answers to various questions put from the audience. On the question of whether he should resign from the Government alie coul saw was amar tere were many times in which one would find oneself in a minority' the nearest he got to attacking the Healey proposals all afternoon; and that given our commitmcaLLo me ocope m me Mamiesto. te as far as can be the implementation of this policy".
The little fact that this Government is heading to inevitable defeat through its policies, that a Labour Government can't "be maintained' through capitulation to Wilson. that this Government is carrying out the most viciously anti-working class policies since the 1930s and that Benn is used as a left cover by Wilson to prevent workers from oppos ing, unese policies of Benn's answer.
NO ANSWER Perhaps even more revealing was his answer to one delegate who wanted to know why - as the incomes policy had evidently been discussed for months in the Cabinet - he had not warned the labour movement of what was being prepared. Benn did not even attempt to answer this question.
Instead he replied that the phraseology of the Manifesto is absolutely clear and on a number of occasions at trade union conferences I have attended in the last two or three months 1 have taken the opportunity of reading the words that were contained in the Manifesto on this matter. The commitment of the Party to collective bargaining within the context of an agreement between the quite clearly in the Manifesto and when I said that we must campaign to implemind."
sary to warn anyone because he thinks that the present Healey measures fall within the Labour Manifesto. supporter of the Manifesto, perhaps he the Healey measures bave been passed. No wonder Benn got considerably less - all this was left out applause after he had made his speech than when he first entered the room.
tinuing to demand that Benn resign trom me overnmen so tarne: either forced to leave the Cabinet which would be a step forward, as it would prevent Wilson from using his presence within the Government as a left cover to head off workers struggles or rapidly exposed so that he is no longer able to provide such a left cover.
REFORMIST
Benn's outless performance over the last weeks. Even if the best happens, and he pathetic capitulation before Wilson and Healey shows that no contidence can be placed in him to stand up to the ruling class and its agents in a real crisis. ment the Manifesto I had that passage in In short, Benn did not feel it neces NAME.....
PHs asca should be telling people it is a good thing All this shows the necessitv of conBut one thing is clear above all from does resign from the Government, Benn's Weekly!
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