We were surprised to read Geoff Ryan's article Against corruption lalist Worker' in Red Weekly (28 Octoben. in our opinion iris not wue unar te Socialist Worker campaign in Newcastle has genuinely taken up corrupton dna reideo i to une mont to! workers democracy'.
Comrade Ryan points out that the fight against corruption must mean fighting for real democracy in tne mass organisa tions of the working class against the hold of the right-wing burcaucracy in me labour movement... 10 make all MPs bound by conference deciAbove all, it means a fight for a noner Torm cemocracy democracy. But this is the sort of fight that the International Socialists do not There is a lack of democracy in and in the organisation Right to Work Campaian. IS don't see the need to make Labour MPs answerable to conference decisions or Auer dil. who wants to botner with mose reformist hacks when the socialist alternative to Labour and the Communist Party - the Socialist Workers Party - is being built?
From what we understand, the Newcastle Socialist Worker candidate, David Mayes, was selected in a bureaucratic and undemocratic manner, and is in no - vote socquestion of La fight workers of Economic Development Council.
David dare. of his supporters or the Right to Work Campaign. Nor have the IS taken up the question of corruption in a real way as far as we can see, despite their gimmicky publicity stunt or picketing ine Nortnern Finally, instead of challenging the Taise. bureaucracy in the labour movement, the ultra-left sectarianism of the Newcastle nition to that bureaucracy and drives militants and around Labour Party and CP (and around Eddie Milne into the nanos or inal oureauc racy. In fact the whole campaign to build the Socialist Workers and IS's campaions aaainst unemoiovment racialism, actually cuts across the dev elopment of genuine campaigns against corruption. mne curs ano unemoiovment women's oppression, etc We feel that Red Weekly should not nave civen ine impression mat lo co non correctly. It may be correct to support Hayes against the Labour candi DUL because paigns'. - TEESSIDE SUPPORTERS.
SOUTHAMPTON I understand that your newspaper has recently published an article on the telephonists' strike at Southampton General Hospital in which it was claimed that I had refused to support the strike. As you no doubt now realise, . this statement is completely fabricated, and with lega be construed ov inost HOT US qualifications as malicious. Since | cannot personally accept that tarian and uncomradely manner, I trust that you will print a statement with. drawing inese remarks as soon as Dos • ALAN WHITEHEAD (Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, New Forest CLP).
hea weekiv. na. written Brother Whitehead as follows •We would pleasec to rectiv anv error contained i our interview with the NUPE chairman al Southampton General Hospital by carrytelephonists' action. ing a statement of you We are sure you will SUDDOT TON agree that this would both clarity situation and aid the workers after all, is the main consideration.
Alfio Barnabei makes large claims for his new play, GAST, performed by the BITE theatre group and due shortly to go or tour; he is attempting a new political theatre, he says. Towards the beginning of the play, one of the actors spells it out for the audience: In this play you will not see Mr So-and-So meeting Lady So-and-So, witness their encounter, their Love-Story and Happy Ending Adieu. Nor will you see the Abominable Boss employing worker. mixture of the two: the Committed Play.' The play itself is about the causes and course from the labour theory of value through imperialism to the everyday problems of the immigrant worker. There are no characters, no story, no music and no jokes: i.e. no concessions to bourgeois