Over 2,000 poople attended the Tribune Rally against the EEC in Manchester last Friday. It was hailed as the largest political rally in Manchester since the defence of the Republican struggle against Franco. It was also the biggest load of left rhetorie for donkey's years-and not at all uninter esting for revealing the current divisions amongst the Labour 'left'.
Right in these for defence of national Parliamentary sovereignty" were Bob Wright, Broad Left candidate for general secretary of the ALEW, and Labour Minister Peter Shore.
*What is the point in the Labour Party winning an election if all trading agreements must be underwritten by Christopher Soames in Brussels?" moaned Peter Shore: The labour movement may also wonder what is the point of a Labour victory when they see the Shrewsbury pickets still lingering in jail; James White's. proposed reduction of the right to abortion: and the Criminal Trespass Ball making occupations illegal-to mention but a few of the blatant anti-working class actions supported by the present Labour Govern ment.
Barbars Castle, too, was on the same line, condemning the chemistry of fear and the threats to jobs, trade, etc. used by the pro-Marketeers She went on to tell how "Germany and France will walk into out markets under trading conditions that Michael Foot speaks at Tribune Rally in London-far from proposing any real on INTERNATIONAL MARXIST GROUP SAYS: & SPEAKER FROM PORTUGUESE SECTION OF THE FOURTH INTERMATIONAL serve their national interests and not ours. Her defence of "our national interests" amplied that it is better to be thrown out of work by a British employer than by a Eusopean one Slie had no alternative to the capitalist EEC other than to thicaten that the basis of this campaign is to pre serve our Social Democratic system"model for the world" -and if that fails cynicism would result and that would open the doors to communism.
In comparison with this nationalist nosense, Stan Orme and Eric Heffer decided to put on a distinctly left image Orme declared stoutly that We are sor here as little Englanders, opposed collaboration with "uncommon allies", and stressed the need for "internationalism" because if Britain does pull our we will need agree ments with the 27 countries of Europe and not just the Nine. Heffer stressed that he saw the campaign against the EEC as part of a struggle for socialism although he was totally vague on how to achieve that desirahle goal There is no doubt, however, that it was Benn wito came in with the lottest line in chetoric. He called for factory gate meetings and independent action of the trade union movement. In fact, to judge by his words, you would have dought Broad me Apist lecte BIRMING/AM Thun Mee HANCHESTER Friday Mar 2 GLASCOW Tan Mast that a veritable whirlwind of socialist activity aid semi- Bolshevik propaganda was about to be unleashed.
Unfortunately, when it came down to the meat to be contained in all this, mis answers were pathetic. He bemoaned the fact that stade intervention in the economy -supposedly to distort the market conomy in Lie interests of working class people would oome under the scrutiny of the "European bureaucrats', For him it is essential that the labour movement be able to use the ballot box lo remove wrongs.
In other words, Benn remains adamant that it must be true blooded British harenu crats who operale in the interests of the capitalist market economy.
But most significantly of all, not one single one of the Tribune speakers proposed any real organisation at the base of the working class movement to campaign against the EEC. This is one of the real tests for the lefts. At the moment their campaign is just a damp squib.
Their refusal to fight for socialist policies is giving the economic arguments to the pro-Marketeers. Their refusal to organise a campugn at the base of tie working clas movement in leaving the field open for Wilson. The Tribune rallies are doing nothing significant to combat tus. After their dismal showing in Isling tom, and their disruption of the Conway Hall anti-EEC rally, the National Front have now set their sights on Oxford where, on 12 May, they aim to hold a Town Hall meeting on their racialist opposition to the EEC.
Their choice of Osford is no accident ATeT iN appearinee of the Nhio te town last year, the ING called for a united front to light any fascist threat Allur an initial response from Internation al Socialists, the Comminist Party wel contod the initiative, An Anti-Fascist Committes was tben set up based in the Jocal labour movement, including representatives from trade union hranches and ward Esbour Parties.
The successtul campuign conducted by the AFC nached a highspot during the last election, when two NF meetings wen disporsed (one being transformied into aa anti-fascist rally) and the NF candidate goodived only 572 votes- the lowest in England, The No desperate to obtain a base, is manking another offort It applied to the Labour-controlled Council for a Town Hall mosting Immediately the -comes up truly grateful.
and chop down the left critics-that is Wilson's recipe for the EEC campaign.
holds Harold in the highest regard.
this statement is irresponsible and gives it to Wilson on a plate.
quiet during the EEC debate. If they too had publicly broken the would have been a hundred times harder.
aght wing all they do is curl up in the corner and whine.
ference and millions of trade union members. But the NEC can only defeat the pro-Marketeers by insisting that ail the resources of the Labour Purty are used to fight for a 'no' vote campaign in the base of the Labour Party and trade unions open interests of Brilish capitalism and trampling in the dust the democrutic rigbts of the ordinary membership of the Labour Party.
4*****************+ the same date, and launched a campaign locally, calling for the Council to ban the Front trom public promises.
Muttering plous phrases about tree speech?, the Council Estate Comittee accepted the Frant's booking, taking the hypocritical position that to grant the AFC's meeting would produce confron tation'. The AFC then launched a public signed by 1400 people within ten days.
When this petition was presented to a full Council meting the Labour majority meeting An NE secret document in the had a twinge of conscience and referred buck the Estate Committee's report. This august body, despite a Labour majority, wallinned their carlier dovision!
Relationt an organisation designed to starling arrangement with the Council to hold repulat meetinsin the Town at least he is out while all the other lefts such as Fool and Benn continue In grace the Government benches- but it was a little belsted to say the least. After all he has sat quietly throuph the passing of the Prevention of Terrorism' Act, the sending in of troops apainst the Glaspow strikers, the refusal to release the Shrowsbury building workers, and many other vicious acts by the present Labour Government.
But Eric Heffer's previous thick skin, and his final display of prin ciple, are as nothing compared to the bankruptey which has been shown in the last week by the Labour Party NEC. Rurely can the load of fake lefts on the Labour Party leadership have had a more overwhelming line.
up behind then. After all, Heffer and the NEC are not just speaking for themselves but for what everyone knows will be the decision of the Labour Party conference, the previous decisions of the TUC, the alseudy taken decision of the Scottish Labour Party, the line of the Co-operative Party, and the policy of the Labour Party Young Socialists REFUSED Despite ali this the NEC has refused point blank to commit the resources of the Lahour Party to a campaign for a "no" vote in the referendum. Now, according to the latest reports, the lefts' are worried that they have gone too fir! They have decided to 'cool it when the next cig test for Wilion's guidelines the answering of Parliamentary questions The anti-Marketeers, it appears, will agreo that relevant Parliamentary questions should be answered only by pro-Market Ministers. This decision ties Benn, Foot and company even more closely to Wilson and his dictates. As for questions not so directly related to the BEC, the antiMarket Ministers are reported to have decided not to antagonise the rest of the Cabinet by their replies - which should make the right wing Wilson is bothered by no such lack of decisiveness. He didn't even go through tite normal procedure of inviting the ex-Minister for Industry to submit his resignation. Within an hour of making his anti-Market speech Heffer was out on his ear. Rely on Tory and Liberal votes in Parliament NO BITTERNESS Meanwhile the "eff" are doing everything they can to avoid i real showdown even when they are forced to make some fight. Heffer says that he "feels no bitterness' about getting the sack. "Harold is not the Ransey MacDonald type. He will remain leader. The Labour Party Despite the fact that an unrepresentative clique of right-wing Cabi Ministers are quite prepared to overturn every decision taken by the majority of the labour movement on the EEC, Mr. Heffer remains with out bitterness. Either he does not understand the magnitude of the issues involved, or he does not feel responsible lo the millions of rank-and-file voters for whom he claimed to be the spokesman. In either case Mr. Benn and the orber anti-EEC Cabinet Ministers "regretted" Heffer' sucking. Hor touchine. But they themselves took good care to remain Cabinet's directive, the task of the right wing in disciplining its dissidents RETREAT The retreat was taken a step further on 10 April when Michael Foot spoke at length and with great emphasis at the Tribune Rally in London on the need to maintain unity in order to preserve the Labour Government. No wonder Wilson and company can afford to treat these cardboard heroes with such contempt, when in the face of threats from the The National Executive of the Labour Party has a majority apainst the BEC, Its majoricy will carry the backing of the Labour Party ConThat means open defiance of Wilson and a refusal to make any funds. printing, rooms or other resources available to the 'yes" campaign. All socialists must demand that the NEC and the Labour lefts take this line. Most important, they must demand that the lofts actually organise a A failure by the left to fight means that they will be acting in the *44**4 thute were probles about their ext mecting oo 12 May. Although the Labour Council finally confined the booking might want to sootsider your decision."
They thus soem to find the NF distinctly preterable to an organisation which ToCoVes BE arnoal collocil crant of about 25,000 in order lo promote tacial har All evidenou points to the importance which the Front an attaching to this AFL's posession shows that they intend to import their "honour guard' lete The Oxtend Committee for Community tinues with its unprinciples cowardice, If the Okford Labour Caunell conthon the AFC will call for and organise the biggest possible picket of the Town Hall on 12 May
scats. This speths the beginning of the
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NO FOR FOURTH INTERNATIONAL RALLIES ERNEST MANDEL
COMMON MAI EEC, he stressed the need to maintain unity with the right in order to preserve the Labour Government! A UNITED
-NO! d action by the labour movement against the NF's honour guard for Oxford