Six months ago the events in Newham NorthEast Labour Party were plastered across the front page of every national paper. The members of the General Management Committee had actually dared to sack their MP, notorious Labour right-winger and coalitionist Reg Prentice. The Labour Party activists had done nothing against the book-simply exercised their limited right to choose whether or not Reg Prentice would be automatically reelected as candidate for the seat.
Even this was enough to send the Labour right wing and the Tory press into hysterics. After all, if Prentice went, who would be next to feel the hot breath of the rank and file on his collar? The ability to bring these bureaucrats to account would significantly undermine the ability of the Wilson Government to carry out its anti-working class policies with such ease.
It was around the issue of working class democracy and accountability that Red Weekly spoke last week to two members of the General Management Committee of Newham North-East Labour Party who have been heavily involved in the fight to remove Reg Prentice. The militants asked us not to reveal tel names, as to do omerwise could lead to a renewed round of witch-hunting which would simply serve to obscure the issues. We have therefore referred to them as A and B throughout. Our own views on the struggle for workers democracy are printed below.
A. Since Prentice was voted out there has been an organised attempt by the right wing to move into the constituency and recruit support for personalities rather than political perspectives. There has been a swamping of party meetings. There have been delegates sent to the General Management Committee who are not even members of the party.
there nas been a 4u per cent increase in the size of the GMC. But at least half of that growth is in spite of the media campaign. The dialogue about Prentice's suitability as an MP has caused an increase in political awareness and encouraged people to enter into political discussion throughout Newham.
B. Prentice's support is organised purely on the basis of personality. In St. Stephen's ward, for example, a motion was passed last week unanimously calling or a recall Labour Party conference to reject the Government's present economic proposals and re place them with socialist policies. Now that is one of the wards that has been taken over by the pro Prentice group, yet they all dutifully put up their