Socialist Challenge No. 45, 11 May 1978

Socialist Challenge · 11 May 1978 · 16 pages, 21,749 words read by machine

The scan: sc-n45-may-11-1978.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive)

Uncorrected machine reading of the whole issue. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from the scan and has not been corrected or cut into articles. Each page gives the headlines first, then the columns in order, so one article runs on into the next. Expect misread words. Use it to find things; quote from the scan.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

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Socialist Challenge WHITECHAPEL TRAGEDY RACISTS RAMPAGE

KENNITH SINGH

INSIDE: ANTENAZI RAGUE

Plaistow, London, 20 April: Ten-year-old Kennith Singh MURDERED

Whitechapel, London, 4 May: Altab Ali STABBED TO DEATH

Wolverhampton, 7 May: West Indian youths

PETER HAIN on the

INJURED IN SHOTGUN ATTACK

BOB WRIGHT on the AUEW

Demonstrate Sunday 14 May St Mary's Churchyard

East London

assemble 1lam

No 45: 11 May 1978 15p

Protest Against the

Racist Murderers:

Whitechapel Road,

KAMLESH GANDHI

on GRUNWICK

Page 2 scan of this page

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Page 3 scan of this page

Now we're in the big league

about the future of the League.

Despite the overwhelming success of the cursival 0a 30 April, which no one can deny, the National Front was able to march Into the East End on May Day without opposition for the first time since the "30%,

was able

It was a secrer march that we'd got wind of before. But realistically, all the energy and organisation mar into the carnival had

We had pushed them off the

months now. The next stage is to mobilise on a mass basis for any march that they might be planning.

If they do attempt to engage in a Lewisham-style operation, where they fixed the date in advance, campaigned for and mobilised beyond their

ranks, then I think we поша ос apic to bong oul these numbers to have a mass

We've heard that the ANL conference Planned. there any details?

The details havco't finalised yet, and probably won't be for a couple of weeks.

CHENIOO clearing dates, but it will be in late June or carly July.

Thee to inside emily

will be to consolidate At the Illord picket of the NF In February

Interview with Peter Hain

Following the success of the Carnival last week, JUDE WOODWARD interviewed PETER HAIN, press officer of the Anti-Nazi League, and asked him

action approach League has developed.

take action rather than talk CEOU

the rational type of labour

movement conference, whete you take nine months to set it

to up. getting delegates and so

The main purpose is less to discuss policy and the wider po momentum that on momentum that gone already been achieved. Orig nally we weren't thinking of JUSt holding

after the General Election, but the political signficance of the carnival demanded that hold one now

Will there be discussion alout

up immigration controls at this

it,

I hope this discussion take place. All the main ANL speakers are making that the Front is not the only problem, although it is the major target from the point of view of the League.

Are There is the

problem of racist immi controls. thought that would common ground What spend literally hours

the full stops and commas in political statements, often happens

We're until

we

conferences of It's a matter of building the it clear consciousness

issues our of the enthusiasm you had on the that the kids realise that it is not just a convenient bogey much wider much

opposing football team suphave

be What I don't

restricting and, want is to crippling the

of insisting that WICE WE put

which in any case the different groups

In

What will be the basis invitation to the conference?

I don't know at the moment, I think it will probably the basis of local ANLs, that has yet to be decided by the steering committee. Whar am anxious for is the broadest possible representation at the conference.

Are you happy with the present structure of the been criticised for its lack of LLLOLIALT.

I'm basically happy with in the sense that we are trying to rival the locally based miles, chitually have delegate structure within and around the labour Dur structure, if you ca I a structure, is hased on th original sponsors back in November. We electet the present steering committee open broadly representative of labour movement, We don't have membership CATLS. We don't pretend people that by paying a pound LOSYCELLE USELES I way of tensore cade a way of identifying with movemenr; giving it funds, am support basis.

You can join a local support group or form Independent: They so round, bese distribute literature paign as they want to. There aTe also Meginst the Nazis, or Scho Cids Against the Nazis What we say to people who

this sort.

of the wider

carnival; so resources.

over these groups.

want national level?

potentially, momentum wateristi

beginning.

agroc. on.

Terence

hiccups there may be.

view

but

Nation.

ANL? It has

into the wider labour Schindi. solidly based

comcoord. I thin:

LICICTE call else it would have beer

meeting attempts to do it.

meeting;

cbe General it's lemporary?

I see it as

class generally,

of recruiting

your

quite

cam-

like Women

the General Election.

PETER HAIN at the Tribune meeting at last year's Labour Party conference — hie tirest aince joining Labour from the Liberals. approach us, is: OK, you go and do it, it's your group, we'll belp print a professional kind of leaflet and provide some its supporters,

but basically its up to you. We have no control

What about democracy at a

The steering committee was set up on a quite open and

the We've this and the conprovide an What do opportunity to sorl out any

problems that anti-fascist cally?

What i would resist! either

that it is undemocratic operation, be cause I don't think it is; or the campaign like this by having a traditional model of organis-

That model is provided more the way than adequately by the ARAF committees, which I bope we will strengtben. I bope that in the end this new constituency of people would be channelled into these organisations and

movenent, so that it's not movement which comes an

and leaves nothing solid

The orber answer is that

a10ur you have to admit that it could not have been done any other way ar before. There have been other

Will the ANt dishand ufter the

Election"

an emergenc operation. Tbe Front has beer paining ground clectorally, in be schools, in the workin emergency job af propaganda and of activity lo expose and *Te arget always has boa be General Election, Frankly I bad not, and nor had anyone else on the steering committee, envisaged the absolutely plosive growth of the thing

We realised that there was a vacuum to be filled. We hadn't realised its full potential. After

the

Tribune

League will have to decide what it does next.

Does it disband and say to

go and feed in to your local ARAF committees, always assuming that the NF hasn't made an electora they advance? Or do we say that we have a responsibility to carry on our present activities?

All I'll say is that I see this a with an emergency operation and | don't think that we will defeat racism and fascism by this kind of campaign at the end of the

you think about committees lopeople. have voiced complaints.

1 understand that feeling. 1 think that many local ANL initiatives have been unsubtle in the way they sel them up.

They haven't talked to people

that they ought to. up and that these are just

Stop

Women

Stop

hese badges are all avallable trom The Other Bookshop, 3 Upper St, London N1, 20p each plus 10p pl

natural hiccups in a thing that has taken everyone by surprise and grown explosively

There has been SOmE justification for bad feeling, but also feeling that

the ANL muscling in on their patch,

We've not been trying to bulld a body

existing anti-racist and anti-fascist groups, Where that has happened we have tried from the centre to ensure that they are working in harness. But the local groups are independent.

We are involving constituencies which, rightly or wrongly, would not become involved in traditional labour movement bodies like the committess. which and man! others in the ANt have been WOLVERI over years

These new constituencie and their potential should be welcomed by tbe olde establisbed committees. We hope in the long run to channel them into the older established committees. Women

Against Nazis Anti

Nazi Nazi SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 3

Page 4 scan of this page

Racists bring out

HOME NEWS

be driven out and all traitors punished. now."

Several weeks members of the National Frost wete arrested and charged with -80R- currently facing trial for petrol-bombing ASIAT incidents to shops. shake The Wolver-

hampton happened in the carly hours of last Sunday morning A group of young blacks were on their way to a party. A blue Cortina drove past, a shotgun BERRY BEAUMONT speaking at the NAC Conference

Abortion

work and discussion in the coming year.

Socialist Challenge NAC group report on the conference.

The NAC at the end of last month, was disappointingly small, оліу bundred

was enthusiast for the campaign has not died down. Many NAC groups have become increasingly active, and like ours, are recruiting more people

The first day was deroted to positive legislation. We voted to adopt our own lepislation which would remove all legal and medical restrictions on the 0Е 1O: 20U0 400-cu50s that there is open access for every woman to free abortion Facilities.

Tbe main difference thar emerged over posicive legislation was whether to draw up

our own bill or to support the

one drafted by the Abortion Law Reform Assocation.

Some cople were doubifu

bout ALRA's bill because

includes a time Limit of 28

weeks, so that a woman would

not have the night to choose once the lotus is 'viable

This. wils presented

cactical position to make the

bill more acceptable to wider

groups.

We voted against

because setting the date at 28

weeks is arbitrary and could be

reduced still further

basis of viability. We also fell

that NAC should not com-

promise in any way on the

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 pege 4

Attacks in Wolverhampton

the guns...

ON 29 JANUARY 1978 the President of the Indian | Workers Association in Wolverhampton NS Noor received a number of abusive and threatening letters. One of them was signed by a body claiming to be the 'Popular Front for the Liberation of Britain'. It stated: "Foreigner Noor: The PFLOB has been formed to combat invaders and to free the country of foreign Influence and indigenous treachery. The invaders will

later five was poked out of a side window and shots were tired. youths fell down wounded Their comrades dragged them to safety, while others threw latest bricks at the car.

Some minutes later the car emerged again and there was another shotgun blast. police arrived after the attack was over.

The faet that even Maurice

conference

The National Abortion Campaign has just held its third national conference. The issues That campaign had been discussing throughout the year were debated and hopefully laid the basis for further

supporters in the Brighton

held right of women to make ail decisions concerning with fertility. people However, from that support the ALRA bill if it were introduced into Parlia ment, as it would be advance on the On The second agreed on a draft for the NAC leclaration of abortion rights he declaration of the rights of women in relation 1o abortion and a comprehensive gramme of what is needed p make these righis a rents It was decided that for NAC 10 pursue its aims nocessary for it to take a clear position agatest the cuts in the HS, particularly where thes direcily affect the provision of abortion facilities The main dehale of the day-eare campaign. We warr conference Was day-care abortion units to he set up, and we are hoping 1b this campaien lo win support in the labour and trade union movement, These units would help make aborlien a as a Tree, spfe, easily short operation in an our patient clinic.

We also discussed NAC and this clections, students. The trade union contercice on abortion planned Ocraber, on the implications of the slogan a women's right to choose, and a projected NAC international day of action on abortion

Huck, the Deputy Constable has stated that it was the seriousness of the situation. The response of the black community has been quick Bishan Dams, a member of thi Community Relations Council, attacked lie ponce lor not taking previous You leave This

moderate" figure said: we forming protection patrols for the colored communITy know the police have a hard job, but we are not completely saristied at the protection they provide The police are questioning three people in connection with The the attack. David Stevens, a

well-known local mistant and a member of th Anti-Racist London.

The local Asian community / is in no doubt that this was a racist radiatong mering of Asia murder, held on Sunday it was decided the 1o call for a demonstration to

protest against number of racist atracks.

The police confirm to Socialist Challenge that the acack was racist, bur STAC press anscho Street added: We are not ruling out any option Not so non-committal was decided to the Institute of Race Relations.

Commensing on the death of All, the shooting in Wolverhampeon, and the murder of Act. another 10-year-old Asian in day. Plaistow, London on 21 April,

the Institute said:

What we are witnessing is an both increase in the frequency and

The Institute addedi -pro- increased severity

Tacist. attacks coincidence Our researches show that ...when politicians and the press mount a racist campaign policical ends, it resales directly in increased attacks on black people. *Margaret Thaicher's pronouncement. or our

Box 53, 182 Ugper Street, Sendon Ni

London Coordinating Committees have decided to call a conference where some of the inues facing the anti-racist and funcist movement discussed and where hopefully

Socialis Challenge:

Wolverhampton nections

Chief

mittee.

that this event "days after warnings results in normally candidates actively consider

гасім humpton.'

Anti-Racist: scheduled

anti-racist Parther dete details Committee told hampton 29333

and in the East End

..and the

knives

AT 7.30pm on council election day last Thursday a young Bungladeshi, Altab All, wasstabbed in the neck in the Whitechapel Road district in the East End of

He died in an ambulance on the way to hospital.

and worked hatred.*

the growing its support for

officer genocide! police station Committee

May, leaving Road at Ham.

Supporting tion is

was murdered. of these

strengthi will se defear the rascists. their

"Swamping I dass.

ANTI-RACIST, ANTI-FASCIST

CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE

CONFERENCE 3/4 JUNE

THE CARF, NATIONAL and narional

delegates or

-can group

united democralic for details.

Birmingham

1241. 1174; Lib 253, NF 225 MOL 5.6 per

3.7 per cent).

In the previous wave of racist attacks 2.1 per cent).

conthe Nf were 1778. demonstrated. There have been persistent rumours over the last осіг). month and a haif which have reached the Anti-Racist Com

These related to thc 4.4 per cent). allegation that known members of the NF had been seen riding around with a gun io a car. We 2.7 per cent). believe that it is no coincidence

happened two the local clection 3.9 per cent). which racist fared badly. We London also believe that this demenstrates the total failure of the 1272: Con police to tackle the question of

Wolver-

An emergency meeting of the

Committec was for Last night.

The nossibility of a further demontration for this week-

discussed. Far 792, ring Wolver-

79 (SL

835:

1415:

Liverpool

2.5 ger centi.

Fairfield:

our culture" the Tory demand 3.0 per cent). for and cod to ail imutigration

up overt race

The Institute also reiterated defence. They commented that telling black people to rely or *the normal forces or law and order" was a prescription for

In Enst London, an Action

Against Racial Anacks has been formed and it is this body which has called the demonstration on Sunday, 14

Mary's Churchyard in Whitechapel

the demonstraSocialist Unity, whose candidates won an average 17.7 percent of the local election vote in the area where Altab All

Said Socialst Uaity: We mast begin a local campaign to sweep the racists off the sreels.

Caly he relate on our

be able to

"We urge all those who gave their support in the clection

campaign to give equal supporr to the protest activities chat une being mounted in the coming

SCRAM structure for the

movement can be built.

If sou would like to send

smur organisation committee:

write to the

огдаліеть як мніп an possible

Election results

Bolton

Sultles: LP 2780, 2576: Con

Lib 190, SU 274 CP 196 150 cent of the vote) Bradtond

Sono: 1P 312E Con 54 SL 160, Lib 136. CP 60 SU won

All Saints: LP 1331. Con 466, Lib 115, SU 42 (SU wor

cent)

Sparkhill: LP 403), Con

SU 294, CP 149, -ladep 115, Tad 63 (SU won 4.6 per

Small Heath: LP2823 Con 1066, Lib 363, SU 194 (SU wớt

Duddieston: Lih 1430, Lah 911. Con 461, SU 80 (SU -WOT

Sparkbrook: Lab 2600, Con SA 1051, CT 200, SU 87 (SL worL

SUI

Deptford: Lab 1386,

1421, 4- 376 237, SL230, NE 233, 218, 205 CP 188, WRI 113(50 won 9.3

Isington Highview: LP 746 643, Con 572, 544, SL: 115, 106 NF 48. Lib 46, NF 45, Lib 36 (SU averaged 7.6 per cent).

Blington Hillrise: 1.ah 858.

Con 843, Lab 819,

730, SU 110, 97, NF 44, 34 (SU average 5.9 per cent)

Tollington: 1027, 1023, 989: Con 455, 434. 392, NF 100, SU 97, NF 83, SL

мод 5.4

Spitalfields: L.P 950, Q41

SU 337, SWP 325 318, Con 163, Others 145. 125 NF 87 (SU averaged 17.7 po White Cap: LIP 1783, 1493,

Con 607.

won 3.0 percent.

Sandhills: LP 1783, SL 281 Con 173, CP 61, Lib 56 (SL won 11.9 per cent

Granby: LP 2110, Con 32

Lib 447, CP 103, SU 92, WRP 39. Others 23. SU averaged

Elh 1684, Con 834, T.P 735, SU 102 (SU wor

Huime: LP 1483 Lib 523

Con 386. SE 139, CP 54. (SC

waring letter

occupied the site of a proposed nuclear power station in Toress. TECHIYOO

near Edinburgh, on Sunday

The letter, from the South of Scotland Electricity Board, sail

that SCRAM would be liable for any damage 1o the site. It did not

say who would be obliged to accept liability

explosion. Among the demonstrators were Scottish miners and

groups from France and Germany

Bolton Weil: LP 1710, Con 913, SE S8 SU won 2.2 pe

Brudford: LP 1451, Con 165. SL 71 (SU won 4.5 pcr

Brektuet: 2583 Con 2439, SE 83 (SU won 1.6 per

Bradiord Moor: LP 2295 Con 1672. SU 456, NF 194 (SL won 9.9 per cent).

Basingsloke

Basingstoke: LP 923. 906 Con 675, 438, Lib 154, 152: SL 131(SU won 7.0 percent) Swindon

Siviadon: I.P 998, Con 656,

78, (Socialist supported by the wand Alliance candidate

Socialiet Unity and National Front votes

SU NF Birmingham:

274 223 Loman:

Deptford 230 218

205 237

Spita fields 373

315 Istinetons

Highview 115

105

Halrise

Tollingion -LUD

79 33

Bradford:

73 456 194

Socialist Unity and CommuBist Party Votes

Birmingham:

Sales 274 196

60

Sparkhill 149

Sparkbrook 200

London:

Deptiord 230 188

Manchester:

Hulme 139

Liverpool:

281 6:

Granby 92 103 the Scottish Campaign to Resist the Atomic Menace

before demonstrators

for a nuclea

Page 5 scan of this page

Grunwick: more of the same is hopeless

A left reputatation

is the fighting policies

HOME NEWS

APEX Conference

to finally kill off the Grunwick strike. conference, reports.

Grantham was summing up | not allow on inc ocoac which had Docu creting leadership from the carefully prepared Minister nt Sporon start conference.

Dennis Howell, giving the Presidentini Address set the scene. "It is a pity, he said, "that so often the far left in politics do

to the end'

TESSA VAN GELDEREN, recently interviewed KAMLESH GANDHI, a member of the Grunwick strike committee, discuss how he sees the future of the strike.

I'm afraid that there nothing effective that we can do any more. If we call a mass picket we have to be certain Wedon't want a repetition of 1

when very Tew

cople turned u

PEX and the TUC won' support the resumption of the mass picket, so lots of trade union delegations would be reluctant We could lobby the TUC but support what's the point? Look at the firemen. Theirs case; the. CUC Had a polic opposing the UTE CULL WEE limit, and they dide't get any support So what would me get when we are asking Гог much more?

SYMPATHETIC

As for sympatnetic industrial action, well, officially, we come up against a brick wall.

We've had meetings with other unions, We lost the vote with the electricity workers at the end of last year, The General and Municipal Workers Union is obviously not going to

support us

Unofficially, there's only th Postal Workers Union. But on 14 May.

CPSA Conference

forum'.

the Civil and Public

day of the CPSA national conference.

So cobcemed is the modersle block to keep politics out of the union that accordine to a lesliet I IcalsCts. distributed by the left at the conferenes, The CHOLOYULO 810, notion ederate Kate THERE OU Losinska's campaign for the DIESELY

The leaflet, jointly published he elected committees of the

Broad Left and Redder Tape

THE APEX leaders think that the time is almost ripe

General Secretary, Roy Grantham, made this clear when he told the Union's annual conference in Eastbourne last week that unless ACAS recommends in favour of union recognition within four or five weeks, then the strike would have to be called off. JONATHAN SILBERMAN, who attended the

these (reason aid 000d sense) 10 assert themselves but wish to pursue confrontation politics. "This approach does great damage to the movement. The voice of reason is easily drowned by the chanting of mass produced slogans. And I the almost inevitable violence

"We'll stick it out

now the mail has been diverted and it doesn't go through Cricklewood any more. It goes through four other where we've got no contacts, and there are even members in them.

Lots of people think that our struggle is all over, that we've tried everything and there's nothing more we We've conference. Firstly, we want to thank the movemeet for its suppont.

LESSONS And we also want to araw the lessons from the Grunwick dispute This is very impor lant. There are a number ol disputes like ours — such as Carners. Sandersons othets. If we lose at Grunwick then we are going to lose all HIC CUSHIS The most important lesson s to tel of our own wrencin and not to go through legal channels, We stil have to look for support from the labour JUVECIL We will stick it out until the end. We are committed to the movement and to our people on strike. We can't just give up. Many people have found it difficult to find other jobs once they say that they are from Grunwick If eventually we do have to look for other jobs, the strike committee will be the last to go. The main thing now is to get delegates to the conference THE fact of the matter is that the majority of the National Executive Committee moderates are Labour Party members, socialists and social democrats. And they do not belleve in using the union as a political

So says Daylight, the paper of the moderate block in

Service Association.

PALSER reports from Brighton on Monday, the first

groups, states - this moncy was speat for meetings,

branch annual general meerings. that finances Daylight

- MODERATES If any of these accusations

which such occasions produo not only stoke the fires of extremisin but drives away moderate people.

This Union, above all otbers, has cause to understand these truths, Grunwick. Here a dispute with

thou as horn rabled and

Lion has been tarnisbed first, by those qualities

and the collective wisdom of the elected leadership of this Union..*

DEBATE Ine debale on Uluswik was introduced by Vice-President. Les Smith He justified the suspensions of the depots,

NF

can do.

and

are true:

they

keep our of the unior Replying to these accusations moderates Truemid has given financial RICH

produce Daylight. It is money they say is being progressively repaid some time, however. moderates continue to lavish resources like they staffing a permanent office at postage

the conference at The Old Slip Hotel.

Tracmid totally FINANCES

But finances are not enough.

In the presidential election at conference, Losinskas polled only 66,420

He delended

we have seen cutting off services

an illegal act in the

to conunit one noW.

Kamlesh Gandhi Howell and Co. question of the

the Union's

APEX

ASTMS Conference

annual conference this weekend. It seems set to adopt a far-reaching position on racist activity in the union, and to re-affirm its opposition to the Government's economic strategy. An ASTMS delegate reports.

What counts

Rented eviden based Leer getting in with 103.622. show just what sort of after

admit that

particularly to NEC wether or Repayment may take i the in the union.

IANC

LESUS: the

STIG MULACET

JODOLLELE I in Ireland.

officers of the Strike Conunittee for the hunger strike outside the TUC which, be described, as 'wholly counter-productive'

Jibe TUCs Failure to lead a campaigo for

He said that to attempt to do so was both 'impractical and illegal"

past, he said, and it would be incerrec

Committee Chair, replied to *It's not a strikers not accepting the discipline and collective widsons of the union leaders' be said, "It's a question of the leaders not supporting Lions. the actions of the strikers!' Delegates Kamlesh Gandhi speaking in the Grunwick debate at APEX conference. Dennis Howell in the chair. THE WHITE-COLLAR union ASTMS holds its| ASTMS is the fastest growing

union

Jenkins'

TUC with independent Ken real

Peter Colman, tbe Broad

MAJOR Militant

supporters of the Broad Left the

supported Ken Lever. It seem more than ik cly that the Broad

Left will win a majority on the

not they really

campaign for fighting policies

That will be decided later in

[be conference when delegaces

will be voting on motions to

oppose all incomes policy and

executive for controls,

supporting the 12-month ru Public

Others call for affiliation to th

ANL, for a campaign for Tree

provision and

support for tbe international

Tribunal on Britain's Presence

Conference was not totally convinced by the leadership's position. It gave newly elected big applause when be said that [be road of excessive rehance on legal form and procedure his meant flure betle EC L mobilise the full strength of the union and the union movement at large"

SENTIMENT

But this sentiment was not expressed in votes. Conference overwhelmingly supported the section of the Executive report dealing with Grunwick and voted out the critical resolu-

could see Britain, having erranded from a memberslid of 70,000 at its formation in 1968, to just under 400,000.

It also has a 'left' reputation

maintain. Under Clive leadership, it has consistently opposed che poli cies of the Labour Government and the collaboration of the

Yet the conference agenda does not allow for real debate

where the strategy of 'convincing the broad move. ment has got the union. Nor will there be much opportunity for socialists to put forward a

alternative 10. build co-ordinated action

On most of the major topics,

selected STCYLIEILLILIES debate are limited to re-iterating existing policy, such urging the national execulive *to use all its resources to

Similarly in the major debate limited to a single composite moton to witch there are no amendments. Resolutions calling for an end to immigration

tbe repcal of the Order Act, and affiliation to the Anti Nazi League have been excluded. 10р.

The only additions to tbe -policy adopted last year are proposals to encourage participation of minorities in union

alternative in practice. Over the last six months the Strike Committee has generally endorsed the Executive's objective of winning the strike through ACAS. The APEX leaders were able to use this to their advantage.

Tbe conference ensure that continuation of this strategy ELLIES strike is now demonstrably hopeless.

Unless the Strike Committee is prepared to rebuild the mass picketing against the wishes of strike is dooned. This is the strike is doomed.

Saturday's conference

to keep

affairs, and a strongly worded statement that "racialist expres

Many member incompatible with membership of the association.

While fascist activity within the unions should be opposed this formulation suggests that racist ideas in the nnion can be toughi by bureaucratical exclading them.

The tensions that exist in the union will most likely emerge in tbe debates on the rule book, bo

which many proposals seem to

the growing right wing in the

Through Red Collar, the first

steps towards an organised left

wing in been taken. Red Collar can avoid the same fate as previous rank and

Becomings i netide tor

vehicie

developing an analysis of the

ASIMS and brand of Heft

jendership.

EXTENSION

It must also fight for thorough-going extension rank and file control of the

Red Collar No 2 is now ouf and

svailable from EDA Books, 34 Cowley - price

Fringe meetings at conference

Nazi League public meeting on

Sal 13 May and a Red Colli

meeting on Senday 14 May.

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 5

Page 6 scan of this page

HOME NEWS

W. Yorkshire

Transporting

unity

PLATFORM was formed in September 1976 as a pressure group in the Transport Union to help unite busworkers West Yorkshire around specific issues.

At first, there was talk that we proposed to t HE SUIC a threat to the existing union structure. But The local TGWU now under sands our tole within the union progressive influence on its policy and day-to-day decisions,

One of our hest known activities is the production of our monthly magazine Metro Platform. At first, we took up the issues bus cuts. carovini de union demo.

rank control, health and safety, and general conditions and wages of busworkers.

Since then. the Leeds Platform Toended and produced hy group interested busworkers expanded into Metri Platform. It now invohes workers in Bradford, Huddersfield as well as Leeds.

JOINT STEWARDS

We Faced with metro-wide manapement, so in addition to a metro-wide Platform, we are fighting for a metro-wide TGWU joint shop stewards commillee.

The most consistent issue we have campaigned around has been bus cuts.

setbacks have occurred.

example, last year the Brad

ford area struck, but was not

supported hy Leeds.

Now the chickens

coming home to roost, Leeds is

miles go

ON 26 April the first

stage of London Trans-

port's 'reorganisation' of

buses took place. Despite

claims by management that i mable service, i

more reliable service,

represents a cut in the

target for total bus miles

from 211 million to 193

million, MARTIN

EADY reports.

The next stage of reorgamisa-

tion due to he introduced In

October will reduce the service

even further. In response to

this, and pressure from the

Campaign to Improve London

Transport, the official leader-

ship was forced to call a series

O1 BE Sopp

have now been suspended while

TELS TAKE PION

UNDERGROUND

Meanwhile, fares are set to

increase again in June, and a

plan. cuts

underground is to appear soon.

It is in the light of all this that

the Campaign to

London Transport 15 organis

ing a lobby of the GIC OD

Tuesday 16 May from 5-6pm as

the first step in reversing the

safeguarding Jobs,

reducing fares. The aims of the

lobby are to gain publicity ant

begin to mobilise workers and

passengers in defence of their

transport services.

The next steps must be to

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 6

faced with major cuts of it"

own. And once again, the need

i clear for an effective jount

shop routh our acti stewards in have been able to develop close

relations

West Yorkshire

Transport group

transports users group

have consistently opposed the

Cuts.

TRAVELLERS

Platform believes that fare

rises lose passengers, which in

turn loses revenue. And so, a

vicious spiral of cuts is set up.

Because of this, Platformn has

willingly provided speakers to

support, and seck support, for

various initiatives throughout

the Community Associations

and labour movement.

transport

organised is chaotic.

why we afflinted to Transport

2000 local branch. We are

absolutely against

lism. There has lobbies for the

Union

Linion. Our policy is clear. We

support integrated transport. and That means a fight for a whole

cake of sufficient size - not just our own slice.

The group meets monthly lo coordinate these policies. produce our paper, and to press for the implementation of our policies in the union. ROD DAVEY. secretary of the Metro Platform LEEDS busworkers unanimously Some continue their strike against For КОЛЕНН

bring transport cuts.

Monday, workers in the other three areas of West Yorkshire Joined the are

strike in solidarity with Leeds.

London: 18m bus

shOW how workers passengers by their own activuly can take control of fare and service levels, and to develop a workers" and passengers" plan for London Transport, Such a plan would be a powerful weapon to counterpose to the Tories plan to make LT pay its owil way. MCLELL completely incompatible with an adequate transport service.

ROUTE 256 The campaign of Waltham Forest Trades Council against withdrawal of route 256 is an excellent exampie to follow, involving a massive leafletting campaien residential areas served by the SOLIC These Socialist Chailenge

porters are urged to mobilise for the lobby, and for the next the BILLULL which is on Tuesday 24 May a

1.30pmin Unity House, Euston

Improve

committee.

with the Passenger a public

who sectiona-

SITAIL Railworkers Transport

Union newspapers

The NUJ leadership voled decide at the end of this week Sunday whether to call out all 1,400 which would journalists in the regional group on indefinite

strike. tus- A third of the journalists have already either been locked out for imposing sanctions or are. action.

The dispute, which began on the Evening Hemel Hempstead. promises lo bring to bring the biggest strike in the NUD's history response to Tbomson's attempt to inflict a defeat on the journalists in order to pave the and

FIVE HUNDRED attended the that is Education conference held by the Socialist Teacher Alliance at the end of last month, spurt JAN POLLOCK and CLARA MULHERN for Education

Ference were organised on the questions of Educaton Social Democracy it Industry ELIC factories and Education.

Platform speakers. included Raymond Frith Hollowas, papers for peneral discussion,

campaigi and this was

wartshops on more specitie topics.

PROGRESSIVE The very conFerence, teachers showed a willingness to work out a concerted response to lie education crisis ished left Education, and Teaching Landon Kids

CARDIFF journalists lock out by Thomson regional newspapers. The Times and Sunday Times

time if they don't agree to knuckle under.

Newspaper lockouts

AND meis mid before National

of Journalists Thomson one of the largest provincial press chains. GEOFFREY SHERIDAN reports.

will way technology.

Three ENSICA sacked for taking

taking solidarity strike

CONFETTI Post-Echo,

took solidarity support of journalists,

Classroom politics

people Politics

the STA Working Party.

The themes of the cont-

and and on and

who Williams, and 30л. presented thei

Why

the STA conference whom had

SiZE of the organisod left which attracted sector, the diversity present

Besides members of extab.SIA CP. Radical Teachers Action,

the conference was attended by of sexism —

progresive teachers from the confused.

iherlarian tradition, many of

also part of Thomson — have just announced that all their workers will be locked out in two monthe

1,400 journalists

ready to strike

regional

management. for job-saving new working weeks aд0 77 journalists on the Echo were

improve on a 17.09 a week narional pay settlement. They refused to accept a loss of jols

detbe price for a productivity

other

When journalists throughout the Thomson regional group UTERULI

the Hemel being

wete handed out like confetti.

STA'S

BETTY HUNTER speaking at tion experience of the politically previous

offer,

The conference's size and currents to unforseen

difficulties. There was frictior

the question of the Bambine

organisation and the emphase

conferenes itsell.

Merseyside The debate about structure

raised some valuable points

botably amound the operation

but was often This prevented

I many coniributors from direc

As the NUU chapel on the the Western Mail and South Wales Echo in Cardiff put it: We worked to rule by refusing to go out of our way to heip our

Normally we do this by

uspaid overtime meal breaks, and working on more than one joh

time." Management responded with a lockout.

In Cardiff and Reading. tbe journaliss have produced regular paper to report their

together with Jocal and The Cardil! paper has so far made a profit

The printing facilities are

provided by Transport Union, which has I told its menbers not to cross

This

ting themselves to the politica themes of the conference.

Despile these tensions, the need to take advantage of the powledged in the workshops. Most decided to form them meet to consider areas like l conference Is not dissipated. selves into groups witch will

Speke - slim chance left

AT A mass meeting in car Liverpool on Saturday

workers from British

Leyland Speke plant

voled by a two to one

majority against a resoln-

from their shop

stewards to reject the company's latest pay

reports JACK

BEAUMONT.

This decision represents the

major blow, not just to the

shop stewards and the Lesland

committee who

backed them, bur to the whole

of the labour movement on

At least 2,000 lost Jobs will

now be added to the dole qieue

in an area in which there is 15

percent unemployment The

effective closure of the plant

pucket line However. prineworkers in the NGA and SOGAT have been told to scab by their unions.

PROTRACTED

The bartle could well be protracted. Thomson, which last ycar made a profit of ver I9ot in is regional papers alone, can sustain is plan to weaken the journalists through its assets in North Sea Oil, TV. and package holdays.

"Another of the newspaper baronie: take Its journalists is the Westatinster Press group, where journalists Warfard have been Forced to Acion. and strike in order to gain full back pay on a national settlement.

school and work, curriculun: and standards and assessment.

will aid the STA in developing on key educational issues.

A newsletter assessing the conference and reporting the proposals made the workshops, is so be circulated bordly to chose who atteaded,

, help that che enthusiaste generated at the

only demoralise workforce which was alread

weak through last year's lang

drawn out management provoked strike Photo:

Responsibility for this serious defeat rests with shop stewards and combine committ toe leaders who offered no real lenderslip until ir was too late

Even al Saturday's meering chairperson of the combine committee Derek Roninsan

was still quotine with approval

much vaunted plan or

Leyland boss Michaci

Edwardes. Yet it 1s this ver

plan which insisted thai Speke

be dosed.

Only The fact that one thied

of the workers in the mass

*cre opposed 10

closure shows there isseill a slim

Sope left to save the jobs.

Page 7 scan of this page

Socialist Challenge Paper of Socialist Unity?

the International Socialist Alliance.

Challenge supporters when they

debate you think conference.

The main way a revolutionan paper's succis cumbe measured is how well it can be used by militants to intervene in the class struggle. Does it address itself to the crucia

the audience they are addressing? It is this concern which holds back tootentalt altiates International Socialist Alliance Socialist Challenge.

AUDIENCE

The heart of the question is who the paper's audience 1s. The main readership of the the vanguard Bur what e

Bur what this wanguard or as we often say, this 'advanced layer of working Class mutants

This concept contains two elements. First it gives a class identificabion We are niere, ted above all in addressing

Malene

Conference

Socialist Challenge registration fee.

NAME..

ADDRESS.

Please fill and send Conference, PO

Socialist Challenge

International Socialist Alliance

WITH the Socialist Challenge conference just three weeks away, we are printing a contribution to the debate around the paper submitted by RICHARD KIRKWOOD, on behalf of the steering committee of

This article is a shortened version of a paper which, along with others, will be available to Socialist

apply for their conference credentials. We invite all readers to put their pen to paper to respond to the points of debate raised by the ISA comrades or to open up new areas of

should be covered by the

purselves to workers.

surrendering to the prejudices of groups of workers. But it calls for a writing style and language which is acossible to people of little or no formal education, many who may be "advanced in political or trade most union terms. should be raised that relate to the lives of workers: to what workers, as workers, can do about ireland for instance Complex or theoretical issues shouldn't he avoided academic jargon that often goes along with them must bo Many of our articles mus also be within the reach of slightly besitaat readers with whom this advanced layer of the paper's ideas.

On feminist THURS example, workerism al best

level. Other socialists write on

and discuss

Hoke

we can;

19778

HALL, LOHOON,

CONWAY

"We're coming' to the

Socialist Challenge

I would like to attend the annual conference

supporters and enclose SOCIALIST CHALLENGE GROUP (if any)..

Socialist Box, 50, London

feminist in terms which appeal only to those ut least partly convinced. The task is to take feminist seas to socialist workers unconvinced of their relevance.

This class orientation does. n't ignore the problems and concerns of other Articles on student issues or on debates in the intelligentsin can be writlen so that workers can read them casily.

The definition VALEURO B COUNCE BE RYCES specific sense. it docan'T reter This workerism these activity they undertake. Con cern with programme must focus on the consequences for uctivity concrete situations.

This doesn't mean igboring marxist fundamentals. important result of the twi dominance of stalimism social democracy exclusion from bobbca development or man advanced workers of ideas tha

nature to many aries. Our paper will need to argue for these, not take them for granted

EXPANDING

The

for amongst new people who don't have the political experience,

older" political generation, A

paper must continually repeat basic politics, analytical level for these newcomers. And it must have the sensitivity to identify new audiences, strengths, its needs, and so on.

How does Socialist Chal-

Jocasure up. 10 criteria? Alas, not very well. In

itself to a vanguard defined in

logical terms. arises from the tendency of the IMG 10 ideas than with activity.

Ideas and programme are relevant, but they are not and cannot be the main stone. formalistic, intellectualised

practice. In this case, it leads to

Challenge.

More paperes and merfect bies paper's is its failure to get the source of its right.

MISSING

A concern for the issues and problems being within the class is missing. One

Worker remains EI

OF course part crilicism is due to a differenc conception of granube, tion,

onal politics for today is to be created. For us experience or workers 15 crucial importance and guide the puper.

A paper must learn from readers who may not be politically, is essential if we are to develop Challenge living relationship N12PX readers and thus create a paper with real and deep roots in the working class.

GUITART the

but l0 the

specified and

An

and was the the

revolution-

"vanguard" is always

it both the

and intervention

the theory" has to he

mediate politicni the working class The problem always be "industrial". equate politics with and programme carber

touch- in a popular way.

This equation leads to

SHIFT in Socialtst

than the articles. few involved with the

generated Tayers in.

Socialst of the paper this sensitiits base. this

how . pro-

a conception of transir- It means

the LIVERS political control. •DE must

Very

sophisticated. This

mon Ground' suggests,

Stop the N

This has implications for the secondary balance of the paper as well as its style. It means more shorter articles. It means that more of

written simply. Bul ahove all it means that there must be a conscious

BEIC" effort to make at least hail, An and usually more, of the paper paper directly related to the issues in day-to-day struggles or im

1 concerns of

will not They

polite prais The may i community"

For national

campaigning Issues. But the will be popular" and written

This sort of orientation will not emerge overnight. Many of the people who can feed in the anaterial are not at presen

paper. But many are on its periphery. And many will come in to writing reading, selling, If they see a

Such a change requires thar SC lean over backwards to bring nev

Finally, the political control stumbling bick in widening major

The change from a purely IMG paper to a more CHELTERAN open one is not yet a reality To make it so means once again leaning over backwards

concretely, abandoning

Whether this means the IMG

editorial board is less impor tant than a clear declaration on Name he policeal princes o Addren

accepts, as Our Com that Phone most of the disagreements with Big Flame, TSA, and ocher revolutionary groups are on

HEHEELS questions of principic - then i lollows that many the detailed positions that the IMG adopts on this or that question are not the only revolutionary

open revolulionary might well therefore avoid putting bese particular positions in its peneral articles.

On most major issues there is more agreement than ditagreement on the revolution-

proposals The campaigns and so on, could be

seperate articles.

This practice would, at first, probably blunt the political

CHELTENHAM MAY 27

"B' THERE!

A DAY OF ACTION, organised by the Aubrey. Berry, Campbell Defence Campaigo sod the Peace News/ Leveller Defence Campsige. ASSEMBLE. Comer of Rentall Are and Whittington Rid. 12.30pm TRANSPORT: Coaches from Londue and lift exchange system.

ACCOMMODATION: Limined. Fri Sat nights aar Chettenham

Contact office Chellenban is the has for Corera hub of the secret and wept sirin? sectronic car

May 270h

That (Renderous wil be netibedi Lift exchange schame Compiete thia side it you need a lift

NEED

Alden

1 woald Ilke to being friendi

ABC DEFENCE CAMPAIGN, 15, James Street, HC2. Tel: 836 4411

HA

edge of the paper. But if, as we all hope. the development of joint work in other areas leads to greater clarity about areas of political agreement or even to some poitical convergence, then we could help to develop a areas and political debares in others In the end the aim must beto make Socialist Challenge the рарет of Socialist Unity whatever form or name tha grouping eventually lakes. would help make the раро Leas "SOCTELLAD and would be crucial to turning Socialist CHances! wider popular paper Contact Campaign office for coaches from other towns

TRANSPORT BOOKING FORM

Mends. Tendese deposit of 21 per perve

Complese thie side if you can aller a Uf

seate spare and will be barbig si

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 7

Page 8 scan of this page

How the AUEW

'You personalise things, we don't'

The Economist bluntly headlined its report on the AUEW's presidential election: "The engineers" new Scanion is a right-wing Duffy.*

Duffy was the phantom candidate who last week beat Bob Wright, the Broad Left's candidate, by over 40,000 votes.

leadership of Britain's

On these pages, Engineering Union shop steward in Birmingham examines the reasons for this disastrous defeat, and GEOFFREY SHERIDAN questions Bob Wright on the implications and the performance of the Broad Left.

militants must waste

as the end of the era of the arch right-wingers Deakin and Carron that came with the election of Jones and Scanion. But the "terrible twins" were to join with the

Labour Government in present standards to an extent unprecedented since the *30s.

underlines the need for Socialist Challenge's trade union conference to be held in Birmingham on 1 July.

body in opposition to other organisations of the left,

Bob Wright interview

What are the immediate effects of Duffy's and the other right-wing victories?

The immediate ellect the ascendancy within the union of rightwing thinking and poltics. Their Influence will be felt in the TUC, the Labour Party — one could speculate on a lot of possibilities

John Boyd will be a very clever instrument in manipulating that. He's the power that will be behind the

Boyd is very experienced, with year: of knowledge of the union and the movement. holos of Bob Wright: GM COOKSON [Sociallet Challenge organise the machine. He's the man with the power who will consolidate the right-wing moves.

Duffy has suid he is in tavour of

amalgumation with the Electricians

Union and nome ke n STELLIT

reduce the aumber of elections in the

ALEW. What impuct would such an

amalgamation have?

The root of our union siems trom

the branch and the district. Every

district has a distret committee ot

rank and file activists, and they have

quite clear prerogatives and pusers.

Whether this strecture is pertection

when you Ec dealing with large

national companies is arguable, and

is being osed as an argument for the

diminishing effectiveness of districts

But what you've got to do is build an

•ne districts. It va very clear counter

balance to autocracy and bureauc-

The EETPU's structure has been

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 8

The pun on his name is not an oversight. Terry

The right wing is now firmly entrenched in the

second largest union.

JOHN GRAHAM - an The editorial on page 2 argues that engineering

time shedding tears.

A decade ago, militants celebrated what they saw

slashing living

It is this class collaboration of the 'lefts' which

The conference is not designed to establish a new

centralised. All officers have been appointed. The executive as clocted They have the power of appointment.

They deal with appeals against their appeal court of clected rank and own Judgements. We have a final All these counterbalances are in jeopardy from what we know as the trend of discussions with the EFTPU.

What are the main factors ibut lie hehind the right wing's success?

Their machine, the press, and organisations such as Truemid: mass of invective literature that's circulated inside the union, financed from doubtful sources these are major lactors and wil have traumatic effect on the thinking of the members.

Couple this with the right swing; the emergence of the NE. and organisations like NAFF and Truemid. We wideratimate them at our peri They se got well-paid organisers behind them. It the election had been largel activist members, 1 would have walked it.

How effective has the Broad Left been in the last couple of years?

No more and no less effective than all elements of the Broad Left and that doesn't Include all the left by any means. The Tell lend 10 be divisive among themsches 1 don't think certain left groups can attack me in the first ballot and then suddenly say, as the lesser of two evils, support him in the second.

It'sseen as nonsense. It doesn't have

such as the Broad Left and Rank and File, but to provide a forum where militants can exchange experiences.

Discussion will centre on how to fight for a united democratic organisation in the unions to struggle against the right wing for socialist policies in the interests of workers and for a leadership prepared to carry these out.

Copies of a four-page perspective, published in Socialist Challenge, are still available. fill in this form and mail it to: SC Trade Union Conference, PO Box 50, London N1.

NAME

ADDRESS

TRADE UNION.

Labour movement position[s] held..... any impact ar all.

#seattempled to bring abour what 1

cail a left unity movement in the union

because of the challenges and the

belief I have that it' we don't the right

wing will come cagether and masacre

the left. Now they've crucked it at

national level, they'll move into the

localities

We would argue that the Broad Left

has not been active in sapport of such

strugeles as there have been against

Social Contract uctively

campaigning against the policies. Do

you think there have been weaknesses

in the Broad Left?

I don't agree with the presumptions.

Last April we had a conference in

Birmingham and the lads decided to

Launch a paper called the Engineering

Gazette, There have been tive issues

We've certainly projected opposition

to wage control and on unempios

ment the central industrial issues.

What we've readed to do is to hold

off the pure political alternatives

because which one do you put? Tha

zan be fragmented. we've

certainly spell but the challenge:

industrially and wily

We've tried to produce a journal

auned at the middle band of workers

to bring torategie. Were or aiming Partle then over to

left itself, because there are sufficient

jnurnals that project their own slant

and argument

The Broad Left's conference in

November

national support for the wage claim.

with u planned national conference of

convenors to mount a struggle on the

already

If you are interested in attending the conference, claim. But nothing happened. This fuilure of open cumpaigning and organising has surely been

What we said in Nosember was tha the nations commillee had adopted a policy that the union convene mectings of shop stewards in every discrict to further the campaiga on the policy. We said we would press for that policy, to pet it implemented in every discriet, with the shop stewards quarterlies and so on which we did

We'renor looking to set op a union wathia the union. IT we did, in my view we would rum into a fatalics, because che union's constitution provides thic basis of doing at within the union and that's where the battle has got to be.

Wehavehad Broad Left meetings ir atmost every district. I've insisted in my election campaien and in broad campaigi. that we shouldn't have restrictive necting: They should be open to any activist in lis union rigiu, left, or bloody centre We won't win support on a mass basis hy creating паттом cell perfection. Chis is a mowerent m

must dévelop, and in a number o

areas we've been able to do it wit some effect.

Hugh Scunket's role must recent supporting the 12-month rule at the

against the decision of the national commitice and the while AUEW delegation, and his Mote against the firefighters on the TLE General Council - has pluced him fienly on the side of the Governinent.

Do you think the Bread Left has sufficienily dissociated itself Trom him, and campaigned guinst him?

Page 9 scan of this page

was duffed up

The Broad Left sowed the seeds

We light the policies. Scanlon and tlie union for the past two years has pursued a policy of support, for the Social Contraci. Whatever we argue about what happened at the TLIC on the 12-monsh rule, it was endorsed by the policy conference in November

One thing we don'T recogaise, and certainly recognise is that Scanlon isn't a persona] free „TECHIE here s execütive which decides. There's no doubt - Hugh Scanlon gave his full sapport to the TUC and Labour

including the vanious phases of incomes policy.

I don't agree with Hugh Scanlon or anyone che who araues thai lic strategy that'y been pursued in in the interess of the working class. And if I'snos, then it's nod in the interests of

The alternative to even lower living standards and higher unemployment

without saying it's socialism: of coarse that would be beauriful, but taking what we have — the alternative Is a challenging cconomic strategy of decent wages based un cutling our some of the rot in our society.

But you WOD T 00 TTTE condeming Scanion: Thai's mistake the uitra-left made

personalise

Anack that blgody policy, and it |

Victory for the right

future does it have? What went wrong?

shop steward in Birmingham reports.

Roh Wright, the favcurite to win the position of president and succeed Hugh Scanlon, losl by a margin of nearly voles.

Party member Les Dixon'sseat on the executive WeI TOBOAInCI leaving Rep Birch as the sole left winger powerfil 7-person ceccutive. Ron Halveston, a leading

hallot for one of the TENISE SOUSHUS

Gverall the right-wing machite run by John Boyd tramphed in 23 our of 26 clections. They sucoeoded in taking full-tinic positions ranging president to district secretary of the new Birmingham South Distriet.

une resulls or TAEE. announced at the AUEW national commitiee last weck, are a massive consolidation for the gains the right wing in the unien has been making since the return to btfice of the JanET LAWE ED SHI

The argument What it is mecessary.

power through support for thie Social CWLETHUENISEVE stages incomes policy and the conversion of

such TLII CIA allowed them to now recoup all mhe uround. they lest Tollowing formatipn of the Broad Lel in the 1960,

But the impact of Terry Duffy's victory over Wright cannot simply be measured in terms of clectoral results. Ar the employer's pandits in 'popular' press have been quick to point out, Callaghan and Healey will EnspH pecaly Soe te ciect res1 à green light for amothet tound of

atfacking him and all those who go with him. Ji always amazes me, Boyd produces the union editorials, and so on. 1 never sec them attacking Boyd.

Rab Wright, Let' satlack the real right wing-

doesn

The opposition by the Communist Party to the Lestand tooleakers stnke must have been very confusing to those hostile to the pay potiey.

support this action against the Social

SEOLLCS

fieht against in?

T only wish it were true that the Joolmakers Tought Contract. Thestatement they made at the beginning was: We are not opposing the Social Contract. We are not opposing Government policy. All we want ik a separate negotiaring MiCTCT It might have ultimately been about Esse laueEEnua HaL they could break away from the mass BLUSCB negotiate from a position of sectoral strength, 2Tlc 1 undertand their everything differentials. Chily some 45 per cent of

the Leyland Can the left in the Engineering Union survive? What | having the

These are the questions posed by the trouncing that the Broad Left in the AUEW received in the lates round of elections. JOHN GRAHAM, an AUEW

EOAHDUEISE

PHEW!

DAN T DO WELL

national

from RIP BROPT

elections.

has

wapc restraine. Within the working class as a whoic, the resuils will be seen as a further indication of the LIRIT trovernnenEs stymie any opposition sr its policies.

Wilhin the Eugmccrms cia bl the effect will he equally enmediate and elling. Nac onl will the policies of the ripa wek em overs and le Gesermcat - moeise a big boost us

journal, the rest

because they're Bur they atrack have somethine different

E10 increase; we'll get LS.

CUBITOS

wtahentu ine ceneral

Leylund, and the Social

somethane

Leyland Iringe.

-BOUlE and all that

toolmakers

Through the nianneu tion with the

Frank Chapple with the

ContrOtTOr gond

UNDERMINE

the rule book.

Enginecrine

COTEEIS

disarray by the wayside.

record,

the election of ACISEUIE alternative to

ELDHIT- 10

chat is not su very were tabir with

if they really bebered that if they had a separate negotiazing group then the

would say that was alright, separale they can principles yO LUL arguine

If the company had settled, the rest of the plant would have sat back — af Locy coup sarssict aiew ycans ase and said: We want E10 and thai's it, That diffuses the battle, It won't be won by differential arguments. but ultimately by a real challenge to wage

Would you agree that the ucceptance

Edwardes" plun the Communist Party shop stewards al

purliculariy Derek Robinson, has been a big set back?

with people

#'s always dangerous to comment

you haven't heen involved in, and 1 can only see the

devciopments TTDIEI ihe

Iled the whole of the trade unions in the original issues on Leyland, Ryder

Nowed from that. masn't perfection by any means, but one thing we did succeed in achieving: a clear commitmenr that no plants would be hived off and none ciosed

There's no doubt that the strategy

sceming stump rank-and-file opimon, but the tight wing will be encouraged to sceam ahead with its plans to arfack union democracy within the AUEW.

amalgamaElectriciane Union.

Boyd and Dully hope to link up with

aim of wrapping up the two main skilled engineering unions under right-wing

DOICE.

claim:

In the process they will altempt to undermine the fundamental democratic righte of the membership of the ALEW where the right to clect all Fell tome officials is still coshrined in

hey will only be too happy to s

he ama pamation with TAS: the STUNET

Union's white-collar soction, fail by the wayside, in short the rank-and-file is in for a rough tinse in the AUFW with Hovd and Duify in

The only prestion left umanswered as vet ls wlether the Broad Left can tcer thar challenge and lend a hun back or tall Inti

CAT TAC MOMCNE DORe On IEs nAS

the latter must be on the cards. The rectinns bst werk wen merely the respiag of the whirwind. the ceeds of which were sown by

Reoad Left leadership itsell F LICL

Bob Wright is reported as saviog tho

- Tesults: 'indicate the Jefr sociahie present policies" simply places the blame for the defeat at the door of the unicn membership. bestead of the inahility of the Broad Leitto mase ans headw ay aming the masvol rank -and file in recent ycars.

And when ane considers the record TUIC

surprising. It has meen the teilure of the Broad Left to

schous campaign in delence of the anion membership in

over the head of the cousultatise macacy: bs a step awas Hom te

wc fought for. I'm not CELIEI acrangements were workers" contre - I never have done. But what we had was a tremendous victory.

We advocate un urgent meeting of all your sapporters to discuss how lo respond to the right wing's victory and the threat to democracy in the ALEW, Woald you agree with this:

Yes. 1 chink we noed to asseas chis I sespect shat a lot of the lads fand lawies" —ed.1 who artend meeting and l've had some washing meetings

Jeft lads andi uncomulitted feel a sanslaction thar they 'se had a good debate, go away and forget thai if they don't harness 50 votes cach in support of what they re doing then we don't win,

Our only strength is through the shop stewards movement and the activises in the union. Litile enclaves of convinced members wan't de this. Tas Isinc gap we Pegorc

More than just calling a national meeting, in every region and area wENe got to have an active force aSTEOCH CHI the last four vears in particular thai has led cirecily toils present isolation. So it is mot easy to campaign for support far Bab Wright as a successor

Scanlon when no explasation is ever given of how Scanion came Lo actively suppert the Social Contract and wage restraint when he bad been elected to office Gonowing a massive campeign by the Rroad Left Who had argued that he woult oppose such

nol withoul justification that Dufty was able to.

grcat difliculty th diftering trom Mr Scanion.

When that silence on Scanion's defection s0 the night wing ES compounded by attacking the Leyland toolroom strike and the Heathrow engineers, as did Dixon when he voted with the right wing on the executive, then the position of the thoroughly compromised in the eyes of tbe membership.

INCOMPETENT

And when these facts are combined All photos of Bob Wrichl GM COOKSON (Soclallst Challenge)

with the pichre of an organisation which was ser up to campaign for ution democracy, defending the fact that TASS officials were nod subject to election: which in many areas of the sonte eoy pemunts for al

manths for CIcETon, aMEn TancO Io MOLILE du campaien around the recent nacional nas elaim other than a purely verbal! onc, thea ic becomes comprehensible how Bon wanhi cogat Innse ta a candidale such as Terry Duffy.

Add to this the fact that Dolly was cureful to use the full weight official Latoar Goverument and

policy WiHleiE too clasely associating hanself with the more obriously unpopular aspocis of ils policies and the end product is last week s clection results

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 9

Page 10 scan of this page

Defend Republican News

"White is right, Irish is wrong'

IRELAND

This what lies behind the

harges brought against 1

cople in Belfast last Thurs lay. Afler raids the previous week, the 12 have been charged with membership of the IRA.

Even by the standards by operates in the North of the list are extraordinary. They

John Joseph Kenned a member or the Socialis Democratic and Labour Party and the printer of Provisional Republican news-

Republican News.

Prisoner writes

Isolating

the Irish

imprisonment in British jails.

HILL writes of his experiences.

Having read several articles on solitary confinement and its effects I feel compelled to say something. Unlike most writ ings on the sebject this is not some such person; it is written long period

most means being alone. To prison KUND BC HINDICES isolation. They state that in

oF prolonged solitary (rule 43) the prisoner needs to be isclated for the purpose of 'good order and discipline',

They also say there are no after effects of long solitary because the prisoner who isolated will sooner or liller be returned to the main prison. prisoner, why is it used in the

SCARRED

The truth of the matter is that most people who. have isolation are mentally scarred for bie. Only the very serone willed suffer no after-effects, Tor IDe D or Solary is 10 break the subject mentally and bodily.

Because of the lack of food and proper exercise, breaking the body is the casiest. After they've done that they so to work on the mind.

Anxiety is one of the main weapons they use. Create B * stare of anxiety, and depres sion. worry and fear follow Minor worries become славteraled is the mind has balle lo occupy it. This induces intense bouts of depression.

HANGING

At the end of last year one prisoner, Joey Day slashed his wrists and Inter hanging in an isolation cell. He had spent six months solitary and had in front of

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 10

THE BRITISH Government is now doing all it can to shut down the most popular left-wing newspaper in these islands, and to outlaw its political organisation.

*Alain Frilet grapher on the staff of the French daily left-wing paper *Tom Hartley — press officer ol Sinn FeD.

The entire officer executive of Sinn Fein has been arrested and charged with membership. Tens of thousands of copies of Republican News were confiscated by the Army Royal Constabulary during the raids.

Kepublican News, the wockly circulation in excess of than say Socialist THE Irish prisoners are in British prisons because British troops are on Irish soil. If that is not political what is? I have been told that I will spend the rest of my natural life in prison. I am 21 years old.

So wrote Paul Hill In a previous letter he bad written from prison. Hill is one of many Irish political prisoners currently serving long terms of

Like many of these prisoners he has suffered long periods in solitary confinement. In this article PAUL

him another long spell.

ROUTINE Almost all segregation units are white and very quiet, so the prisoner boses master sense time. Everything is done by

peopic slop out and exercise.

Almost every spell outside your cell is confrontation with the screws, When you slop ou they space themselves behind you, beside you and in front.

The same al exercise time.

Thes never speak, not thar we'd want to converse with them, but by these actions they is hope to make the prisoner paranoid. I's enough to make

It is impossible for me to go into as much detail as I would like and I don't chink it is possible to relate accurately what happens to a person's mind in solitary.

I'll just say that a battle is fought every day political prisoners who despite everything continue to resist.

And why shouldo't we? Alter all the screws try to break your mind for the sake of their pa packets, but we resist for thi sake of our sanity, They cannot isolate what they cannot see, Our spirits remain free.

HER MAJESTTE PRO found

Socialist Challenge and Newsline put together.

Provisional Sinn Fein has always had a separate identity a photo- from the Provisional IRA, but

now as well attempting to shut down Republican News, the British Government is aiming to make membership of Sinn Fein political So yet further IRA and to politically

have been abolisbed North of Ireland by Britain. Urgent solidarity with ReLister publican News is vital in this

country, and Socialist Chal with a lenge earns that

under way to organise action to show that sobdarity. More Worker. news next week.

intends showing a play

The play is based on the transcript of the "trial" which Will Galacher received and which, as with all such 'trials held under the special Diplock non mur courls was a 1a000 However, semitscant ol remarks made by Mathison who produced the play: 1 was aghast at my own by Trish ignorance of the manner in

A CAMPAIGN is being launched by Democracy Movement for a Socialist Republic (Irish Section, Fourth International in support of PD membes Denis Murphy.

He was arrested in March 1977 after a major army swoop on the Dermott Hill area Belfast where ne aves army alleged that a rifle and

and, after spending & year on TOTESUS 1S come to trial on an arous

possession comEHe first received a trial dare

offence. basic free organise in tbe

plans are by RG McAULEY, Political Prisoner, Long Kesh

SHORTLY, or so we are led to believe, the BBC

postponed on one occasion — entitled Willie. It deals with the case of a young man from Strabane who is presently serving 12 years here in Long Kesh for a political offence" he had nothing at all to do with.

which

in Northern Ireland." -Tus enorance.

perhaps most immense all the Margaret the 6 Britain.

Peoples then postponed, and the drew up and

and that there

Loyalist paramilitaries

The the the Peoples shortly to Movement for

REPUBLICAN

NEWS

JOSE

which has already been seven

part slaughter WOLLEN

political offences are relatives handled in the Diplock Courts

which in cludes the Irish problem" in

demonstrates the lack of media coverage which the conflict in

Counties receives

The British media have more important toples to discuss. туре.

Irish revolutionary held

over a month ago. The trial was

but at that -LS time a group of his neighbours

circulated a Six petition supporting Denis.

The petition pointed out that ists on several occasions in the past there had been a grave danger Beitain, of civil war in the Six Counties,

history of attacks on the area by

In a few days over 300 in

Dermot Hill area signe petition in support of

Democracy and Socialist Republic have now decided ro coming to tril.

La broad campaign around the petition in support is the

ALL KILLINGS AND TRAGEDIES

On 13 April Natiomwide spent

shedding OTTES crocodile tears over the fate of

Imprisoned in Appala for their

Indiscriminale ever of Angolan men, and children. The programme presenters spent a great deal of time questionin

and detailing the alleged inhuman conditions under which the convicted war criminals are being held.

MOCK UP

Indeed, the BBC's engerness to drue up sympathy for these paid white mercenaries went so far as to build a mock up of the Irish

cell which CAE of Denis Murphy, The petition

being made available anti-repression groups in the

Countie. I is beung circulated among trade union

and civil bberties to porters in the 26 Counties.

members the Labour movement are heing asked for support,

PD and MSR believe that

are bound up with Denis Murphy's case. There is the issue of internment by remand system that leads to prisoners serving the equivalent of two and three-year sentences before

Even more importantly there

British policy OF

mercenaries are held in

In the H Block here in Loo Kesh there are 350 Republican political prisoners held in 8 by 6 concrete celis. They ane naked: denied aces to i dave been deed access to radios they never leave their grey drah concrete coffins.

ILLEGAL Unlike the paid British mercenaries in Angola, these men, in spite of British claims to the contrary took up arins against an establisbmient which they believe to be forcien, oppressive and illegal. In the two years now in which the men have languished in the H Block, only one British documentary programmuc any worth dared to meation it while the British press has totally ignored it.

EVIDENCE

Yet there in an abuidance of evidence, well documented and substantiated by many indo pendent parties, to prove that almost every International Human Rights Convention

deliberately and blatantly ignored

British Labour Government and the prison administrations in Long Kesh and Annagh.

If is typical of the political hypocrisy and COROLICA which now pervades the British establistupent that the wellbeing of seven highly palc professional mercenaries should take complete prefer ence over the treatment of 350

Republican political repression based almost exclusively on military domination of the anti-unionist areas. coupled with discrimination within the legal system leading

disproportionately high sentences for anti-imperialist prisoners Finally there is the issue of the defence of Catholic areas, given the history of British collaboration with Loyalist paramilitaries and the many

RUC and UDR Loyalist paramilitary groups.

Copies of the petition are available from: Connolly Bookshop, BUSES. Andersonstown Rd, Belfast 1l

Page 11 scan of this page

Sounding the knell for Eurocommunism

time from outside the party.

Semprun is best

recent PCE Congress.

Revolutionary Communist League. From Elleinstein Althusser, including other crities such as Jean Rony and Gerard Molina, all those who have had the chance to express themselves publicly challenge bureaucratic functioning of the French Communist Party (PCF) and centre their fight on the demand for permanent discussion forums in the party press.

They challenge the vertical debate which exists from the cell to the political burcau. SEREN CEDIETE SAUTOELRH debare from cell to cell, with opinions being tbrough open forums in the party press.

AIL are unaninous sn rejocting groupines and rendencies. But af this point a sucsuon ansewaue btc purpose of debate in the party?

rontation of positions has the function of arriving at the best orientation passible, one which reflects the richness of contribution ol thousands of militants laced with all sorrs of difterent experienoes

Such a debnte can conclude in general agreement, in partial disaarcemnents. or in totally diferent orientations.

achickd democracy aneans that

must H SLSS minimum level of understaiLing IREC-ENUUE. means that those who feel close polthenly ta one another on this or that question must be able lo muet to ciarily their position and inervene in such n way that the cilitants as a whole can make a choice ou the basis of a cleas diferentiation:

TASTEPHS CHENCE than a multitude of shades of opicicn MSICI cover over the rent questions al surke.

lote not a question of stiring un ditferences, because Ibey are bound to exist in a party which has any Bie in it.

Te example: the dictatori p proletaria. There are milliant;

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 11

INTERNATIONAL

French Communist Party crisis

Last week we reprinted an article by Louis Althusser on the crisis in the French Communist Party. On this page are two further contributions to the debate — this

JORGE SEMPRUN writes on the report presented by general secretary Georges Marchais to the recent Central Committee, Semprun is a former leader of the Spanish Communist Party ( PCE), expelled in 1965 after he and Fernando Claudin had presented a devastating attack on the party's Stalinist practice.

known 8S An anthor screenwriter. His films include Z and L'Aveu. He was the only journalist to be refused press credentials at the

The other contribution is from ALAIN KRIVINE, editor of Rouge, the daily paper of the Trotskyist

Democratisation or

liberalisation?

to in the party whe are against it for fundamental connected with a gradualist. and concepcion of the way forward socialism. That option, it hangs together.

Others are against it solely the afier the tragic caricature its application by Stalin, They continue nonetheless OUTS TC CaE TOE UBd content embodied in this term,

militants who want to retain the formula.

Wouldn't it be logical and help to clarify things if these two currents could meet up just before a congress to sec if there was a possibility of presenting o common text CATAHISE redurditren retie be suca a prienee unhealthy?

In adlual fad the funcbon of democratic debate is not soleiy to deline politica. orientations. conf- SErUMLA to convinoe, Ipiprove, or even to win and change the line the The means for this do not exist, then democracy focmal and simply into the right to bave ideas a comunist organisalicn, acicaco OBOoL mphes the line of the majonty Throuch this experience Il ca reai cither be convinced that it was all wrong or, on the contrats, i should be able in convince the Furoriy nt lhe next corure thai it was righe.

IF the PCF leadership were to grant open forums in the party press lo militants, would be a step forward. Bel to stop there would he ridiculaus except Tor questioe the slowies of the narv'e Furgonmin BVn tion, and who are only the advance goard of what is ar Ireversible evolution in spite of the val ous tachen detes l takes in.

With discussion fonums and nothing else, the 23rd Congress would threaten le be mearly as inanimousas the previous onc.

Today all elections tae screened by Che coltmission'.

by JORGE SEMPRUN Three times in little more

and than twenty

Central Committee of the French Communist Party [PCF] has helped to block the possibility of opening and renewal inside the Communisi movement. as many posts as candidates Above ail, i majority vote b required for delegation. reformist There could be 49 per cent of

militants in all the celis opposed 1o the naclear strike force; get the present mode of representation would pive rhem O per cen! at the Congress. of minorities should be able to get together and be represented in proportion to the number of votes, Otherwise the discussion

as the is purely literary

The existence of tendencies ses many problems. But it did лог Party from making a revolution quite the reverse.

The banning of tendencies,

however canenly motene in

SIL BISI the burcaucratisation, and thus in the AOWDGOMMCHL revolutionary because the PCF leadership las abandoned any STiery that Il Is Bot DiCDarOO to accept democratisation, and It involves a anly a very limited liberalisa-

ELDIL.

of the party. If

hecornes transfornied

that

OrEly ilTh

cadre There are often

First

the

Union — cheoretical

relationship

Then in 1968, movement of May Tre gosstosaly

years the

political begemony in France.

capitalist

Crechoslovakia.

RETROGRADE by ALAIN KRIVINE

Prague was only phruse, SITEE

USSE

unanimously approving incrodible

party.

strategy of disunity.

the left.

to Temark prevent the Bolshevik

from the rostrum at the

model, Conpress in July 1956,

objective. Il is

revolutionar)

for revolutionary tasks, "The PCF has chosen to shut itself up in the fortress Semprun

1956 when Khrusheher's secret report to

LOTEECSS Communist Party of the Soviet

in spite oi its gross deficiencios obiectively opened the way Eu destalitisation, to the achieve Ment o1 a new autonomy and a

with the

when the opened up • LITOLLIdI undoubtedly complex proocss

democratic rupture → of an overthrow of

and social

On this occasion the attitude of the PCF leadership not only consolidated the power of the

state. cqually outlawed any concrete support to the democratic and socialist

To 'reject" or :disapprove of the Russian intervention in

an empty the strategy of the PCF had the same retrograde significance as the arnied diplomacy of the

Today, for the thind time, by

the given Georges Marchais, the PC.F has

"to confirmed its arrogant blindness, its burcaucratic complacency. its historic choice of a

,fragmen and ILUSUEAC HIS Or HI

The bistorians will not fail And

hove the lasting nature of its political choice is revealed in a conrinuity of

"Certain people', said Thorez

14:h have called for permanent discussión

withoul exception: asii we were ID ENE THTLY Qu W questIOEl plaving305 a club, a debating school, anc not a vanguard detachment o the working class, a party of I action which is preparing itself

There is certainly room for

Lhe

Jevel establish

patro

anything else"

chic Die base!

How a PCF pamphlet was consored: the left-hand page in the spread on democratie rights at the top shows Plerre Juquin, ofr behall of the PCF, greeting Soviet dissident Leonid Plyushch. But hard-line Stalinists in the apparatus protested, and so a million copies were pulped! The final version (below| played saia with a picture of the party's 22nd Congress instead.

Irony on these 'revolutionary sions tasks', for which the party is so constantly preparing iscit thal it lends to forget about theai once they are realisable.

But the key thing to note is cbe paint at which Marchais wooden language CNCNIO with that of Thorez from more long wan Twenty seara dao nism"

"It is clear' says the presen General Secretary of the PCF

with common-

ense, that permanent discu sion amounts in the end lo a CvCr. paralysis of decision making

action. democratic party, we are not a discussion club..

Marchais poes ONLC

better: *The Connonist Part is a revolutionar party, vanguard party, and there are tendencies towards a cult of spontaneity, anarcbist tenden cies 1o which we cannot siek withour renouncing the ver existence of a party capabile of

vanguard role. (Those who specialise in such signs will note in passing chis kind of tautological reasoning: we are a vanguard party and that is why we must play vanguard rolet)

Thus, and contrary to the strategy sketched out in the articles by Louis Althasser (ser last wock's Socialis Challenge) - and which are worth a more extended analysis for their radical novelty: the philosopher finally understands that just

tea theondical prnbien today is tisar of the Communist Party's practice, that it is at this

that i is necese tf Line demarcatien" and prooved 1o

"epistemological break PCF leadersbir

has chosen to shut inself up i the fortress and constantly

to preserve tright Thinking, But could one expect

Did hot the strateey of the PCF Icad inevitabls to this conclusion, ro this freering of

possible dialectic hetwcen the leaders and the militants, the party and the masses, the organisation and society?

Did it not include already this reproduction of the capitalis: division of labour between ll knoledge of the (small time leaders and the daily practice of

thar decisions or the PCF Contral that ss n -thr Committee will have repercus-

NEW JOURNALS THE Paris weekly Nouvel Ohservafeur tenorts olans to Inunch a nes left-wing weekly discussion TOULLE Septentber. This would involve Jean Elleinstein and other PCI intelioctuals, the CERES wing Onitte Socialist Party st) the Socinlist Party; and Revolutionary Comunist League taki on tae tar beEt the editorial team of' the journa ouase-reCu SE DUSSE aiso Regis Debray and Nicos

serious ones only an the evolution of the left in France, but also in Southern Europe; and more concretely, on the Communist parties ot this region.

In fact, the choice made by IDC TLT TOUS TOC KOCE TO EOC

Grin for *Euroconcu-

Undoubredly the latter har not yet gone beyond the stagt of rather liazy formulations, of declarations or intent. How

constituted the theoretical project whose real practice remained lo b worked out of a new road avoiding the impasses of Social Democracy as well as chose of

To survive as a practice of the masses, rosting ibeit in their rcal movemenl, communism', had to pose clearly the historic problem of the revolation in the West problem which if bas rather tended to dodge up to now

The blow delivered by the PCF will undoubtedly check the present novement. One can

foresee that it will turn in on Itself and become crystailised into ser actitudes of "right" and "left* - both prohably isolated from the real social terrain of the class struggle.

But, on the other hand, the leading group of the PCF has

clarified the situaticin, dispelling a number of illasions and possible 'wrong readings'

of thé Communist srategy in

Western Europe.

Beneath the understandable tacticul (and bistorical -SInd

cultural) ditferences, which run

from the THEINS "histonic

compromise to the breaking of the Union of the Lett in France. by way of the •democratic concentration' of the Spanish Communist Party, thore exists In effect a common basis for the policy of all these Communise TAnTES TINE CEHE HaTECHauL!

of the salus guo, thai of the

rejection

end. existing socia

and political hegemony

Faituful to an already long tradition, the PCF has hIst rentioded us once more that the that the rant o

the transformation

society is not its objcctive. Thar is its message for those whh

know how to listen to it

Page 12 scan of this page

three years South Africa has invaded Angola. Although early reports suggested that this was a khodesian-style hit and run raid, Angolan government statements, confirmed by journalists with good South African sources, claim that racist troops are still occupation. RICHARD CARVER reports.

South Africa claims its troops were on a search and destroy mission against SWAPO, the Namibian liberation organisation.

Their powers of search leave something to be desired: they

encounter SWAPO

Their destruction is second to none: more than civilians were killed, according to Angolan Government esti-

DELIBERATE

This was deliberate. Paratroopers and infantry flown 180 miles into Angola to hit a refugee camp

The South Africans know military concentration in Namborder and they have been

France

moves

against

Chad

rebels

Unnoticed by the British press, the former Freach polony of Chad become the target for European imperialism's latest African adventure. RICHARD CARVER reports.

The word former' is used our of sheer politeness. French President Giscard seems bliss. fully unaware of the winds of change in Alrica, and regards any challenge to its client states

The Chad intervention involves 1200 TERES paratroopers and legionnaires

and len Jaguar planes, plus transports.

They have moved in on behalf of the government of Felix Malloum against the rebels of the Chad Na Itional Liberation Front (Frolinat).

THRUST

The occasion for the French intervention was a military thrust by Frolinat

DALILIS goveroment garrisons in the centre of the country.

Altbough Freoch troops have

combat against Buenius, Front a buotary

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 12

INTERNATIONAL

Struggle in southern Africa

Racists strike

at Angola

FOR the second time in | frequent, if unwelcome visitors

-both during and since the Portuguese colonial occupation of Angola. knew deliberstely

CLEVER So it was not a case, as some CommenDs nave Sagest of the South African military

in overriding the Pretoria politi-

Acos. The decision to was taken LILC political level. Why?

Only days before the raid South Africa had announced its acceptance of the Western Namibia. • for the "liberation' of The prescatly WHOLE a African demned by the United Nations as illegal.

The imperialist scheme was a clever one. li maintenance proposed ed South African military prescence until clections were held under UN supervision.

This would be acceptable to the Africans possibly to SWAPO too. What were SWAPO had rejected

South African supervision of SWAPO he way would be oon to neo-colonial Nambia. If they refused, SWAPO seen as the party disrupting a has

Frolinal guerillas on the offensive position remains unchallenged. The Salal garrison to the north CINE -ENC N'Diamena remains in hands. So do Arada, and Abeche in the east.

Froliner's strength

Partly from the sopbisticate

radical Muslim Colonel Gadaffi in Libry.

But Libya has retreated in tbe face of the French presence. It has called on Frolinat to call off bostilities and refused to issue a statement of condemnation of the tbe invasion.

Frolinat also appears to have

invade

highesi

con- sellierent.

SWAPO fell for it. Had the raid not happened they would almost certainly have accepted a compromise.

The timing of the invasion TELLODI

indicates that wanted to force SWAPO into

leaving its multi-racial puppets and Alliance in control. was At the same time the attack was aimed to demoralise the civilian population and gnaw compromise away at SWAPO's support

But it won't work, and that is why the Western powers are so furious with South Africa would he

They feel, rightly, that their support There were pro-Frolinat demonstrations in

rebel Moundou in the south after thie

Biltine French arrival.

Initially called as a protest ar

Nows the government massacre of

children and other by the victims, the regime of turned violently anti-French.

The French

of any active military presence.

milicary advisers" in the mouth 01 Horcien Minister Lows de Guiringaud. This is despite the death of at least three French personnel in combat.

South African soldier on Angolan border original plan had far

The fighting

Africa

settlement, EATOSES

make them out to be.

weakness, measure of popular

violent

innocent demonstration

Government

ssaul

which witnesses

puign for detaiis.

getting shocks,

black Ministry

tew policemen. haring TUTC

popular support of SWAPO

has never been greater, But the FRANK

understand that SWAPO's leaders are not the the uncompromising Marxist cut-

HIC DOUEA ARTICI

They bave no programme to rewa, the wrest Namibia out of imperialist control. At the negotiating

the table that would be a crucial

But now they are back in the bush with guns in their bands.

And no capitalist would like to

are Zimbabwe the settlement.

2000

military some time, Less

Stop Press

POLICE lunched an stuck on • peaceful picket outside 'Israel Duy' at Earb Coart on 7 May.

There were five arrests and two Arab women were charged with because tbe

A defence campaign is beins organised to fight the charges

say sTe ludicrous fabrication. Contact failure to the Palestine Solidarity Cam- anytbing,

The

disappearing

Bishop

Anyone who thought lan Smith's 'internal settlement had sorted everything out in Zimbabwe is

some rude writes ROY ALEXANDER.

The deal started to show its cracks two weeks ago when the

representative is of Justice, Byron Hove, sated that the Internal Rew better Jobs for black

better jobs for

Not the sort of language that you would expect to give the ruling class restless nights, hut

too strong for Rhodesia's hyper-sensitive racists and their black allies.

Hove was denounced Tor the

violated the spirit of and was given the hoot.

This frank admission that

settlement holds handly s trickle of beefits for the black majority was too much for the United African National Con- ions. gress of Behop Abel Muzo-

only organisation with mass influence Involved in

Coverument.

The UANC denunciation of Hove's sacking led to a farcical discussion over whetber tbe Bishop was at the TELECEI op?

SA troops in

Zimbabwe

SOUTH African troops

moving back into to shore up crumbling internal

A South African force of

previously

returning as the political and

situation becomes

the 'transitional' regime.

South Africa's backing for the internal settlement between the white settler regime and nationalist Jeaders Muzoresn

well known are the

black members of the new governmeut and the apartheid

Gordon Chavanduka, payed at

Solidarity-17 June

PRESS HYSTERIA about a | anniversary demonstration all possible Cuban intervention into Zimbabwe has only hidden the actual interventions in the past few days. There are now there South African troops in bath Angola and Zimhabwe -well as the regular quols in ocempied Numibin,

The British Labour Government has chosen to say nothing about the Zimbabwe excursion. And it has only shown concern over Angola can.

numbskulls in Pretoria had just messed up the British master plan outwit the Namibian peonie

The Labour Government's

come with better than this makes the 17 June Someto

which decided to sack bis Minister.

The Bishop denles that be was there. Every one eise says

unaroidable impression that

Muzorewa 1s — incleding the Bishop himself.

DEEPER

After this unseemly row, has coise an even deeper division.

Government [apparently with the Bishup there] called on the Patriotic Front guerillas to luy down their arms.

However, the LANC Executive promptly issued a statemeat charging that such a call was premature, and criticising

release political prisoners and

tribal trust lands, the guerillas"

What this shows is that there can be no mass following for a deal which only patches up racist rule. Elther Smith and the white minority will have to come up with some concess-

in LUSH the confidence of the black masses will start to threaten the roots of racist domination, or the whoir interen. scitement will fold up like u house of cards

Anyone in the market for a well-used disappearing Bishleast two visits to the South African capital las

The Bishop himself is above chatting with top racists.

EUCODULY isreement he had resched with South African Foreign Mini Mer Botha at talks in London

ACTICACT ME TALEN settlement parties met a South African business delegation in

chairperson of Anglo-American, the giant mining company said he was impressed with what Sithole had to say.

l is a measure or the weakness of these would-he popular leaders that they have TO CIS South Africa le secure their future.

But it is a threat nonetbeless and one that must be resisted the more important.

The march is called by the African Students Union and

-Bre open planning meetings every Thursday at th Architectural Association, 1Bedford Square, London ar 7.30pm. Argue for local labour movement bodies and AntiApartbeid groups to sponsor

along to the meetings if they

Remember It's not just about repression in South Africa but racist strategy ir soutbero Africa as a whole

"Smith out or Cubans in warned the Ohserver lead neanne last sunny. We'l drink to that!

Page 13 scan of this page

RELEASE BAHRO OPEN LETTER to ERICH HONECKER, CHAIRMAN, STATE COUNCIL OF THE

AUGUST 23rd. 1977, the state secur

rces of the German Democratic Repul arrested Rudolf Bahro "espionage", and since that date no further information has heen forthcoming on Rudolf Bahro's fale. We, the undersigned, wish to express our grave concern ahout this case and appeal to your to take immediute steps to secure Rudolf Bahro's speedy

What are the faets as known to us West European socialists? Rodolf Bahro's urrest followed the announcement of the publication af his book 'Die alternative. Zur Kritik des real existierenden Earopaische boase owned by tie West German trade anion federation DGB, and the several interviews with Babro by various West German news medis.

Could it be that this man is an ugent of th Federal Republic's intelligence service? Wr have never heard of 'imperialist spies' openh announcing their dissident views and writing and publishing books which thes expect to

WHAT'S LEFT

Column men. Damasatur micre pubiication FLAT SHARE share micrape Nort

inclusive Margaret Hickmar

WOWENS CHARTER are Poly 17 and 10 tume Furthe Bring Bank, - -Ta. -0323 FULL-TIME Worker To the tanet in seeming and

ВАУ / 99-88 805

with lime

May from 6.30pm Ad ury Grove, Londen N FOUR SOCIALISTS lunk.

29323001-34.814

INTERNATIONAL

release,

Sozialismus' by the Verlagsunstall, the publishing

conscience

publicaticn of Haymarke

it is may e TONI Lenden WC2. 01-240

NOISS Fally: 1908

board Woman's Voicei WER LSE

discuss

GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC

result in their arrest. And the sad fact la that Rodolf Rahro could and did expect his arrest for publicising his polirical views, since all previous expressions of uny criticism of your party's and your goverument's policies have heen met by immediate police action resulting in long prison sentences or the expulsion from the German Democratic Republic.

Article 20 of the Constitution of the GDR stutes that 'Every citizen of the Germun Democralic Republic has, irrespective of his nationality, race, his philosophical or religious convictions, his social orpins and position, the

righis und duties. and

Why are Rudoll Bahro and others lik Cobert Havemann and Wolf Biermann thes prevented from submitting their views to an open and democratic debate with the same righis as are exercised by propagundists of your party? Rudelf Bahro, at the home of his arrest, was a member of the SED [und has been a member since 1952).

The Statutes of the SED declare that the

DAY Sprool

ner House for see

Trace Cene Cub, 2 Saile Moun - 1978, Tee Year:

THE OTHER BOOKSHOP is coking

that "all critical views?

The freedom of are guaranteed.?

freedom even the democrucy can lenders and GRUPOS COMBATES. around

DAYS OF HOPE

HILE SOLIDARITY CU

Mar the Old

COTTISH SOCIALIST PUBLIC MEETING; Fri 12 Mar.

organisational structure of the party is hased

party organs are demncraticully elecied from the bottom to the top' (Clause 23]. But how can genuine internal party deucrucy function if party members have to Tear urrest before they huve an opportunity to submit their criticisms to other party members, if they are jailed, expelled from the party. deprived of their livelihoods or expelled from the GOk for the only crime of holding

We bellere that, far from "defending socialise", such repressive measures only serve In discredit and therefore weaken it, in both nationalisation of the means of production and a centrally planned economy, it isabso a hieher form of political freedom than the political

liberul hourgeois offer it working musses.

Unless socialism can be seen to mean the broadest working class democracy, with the freedom of political expression, debale and

HOCUASICI SE Lalin America Socialy hims. To

Battle of Chile Lane SENAC •c'Etal by Princio Gurman

Contre Paria

WSL

meaningful COMBET

miliant

every

a public debate.

of his book in the GDR, discussion of

media of your country.

Robin Blackbum Ken Coates Tamara Deutscher

Trevor Grittiths

Agnes Heller Tom Lillerick, MP Denis Macshane [President NUJ] Raiph Millband Stan Nowens, MP Tom Naim Bruce Page, Editor New Statesman E.P. Thompson Raymond Williame

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP

Communist Purty

German embassy

this autumn. owe with the abore signatunes.

OPEN LETTER

NAME..

Address...

Position......

SPANISH LCR comrade wishing Pane an Englise wants comrades to sta

WORKERS 9 * Woran:

organisation at all levels of society, inclading within the socialist and communist purties, the Western working classes will continue to prefer bourgeois democracy as the devil it does know to socialism, the devil it does aot know, and dissidents in Fastern Eerope will

defenders of human rights such as President Carter in beir despaer over the unsence of

socialist democracy in their

As is clar from the printed evidence Rudolf Bahro wrote his book us a communist

SOCHIKI елитасу. We may not all agree with ever aspect of Hahro's Views, bur we agree that

citizen of the German Democratic Republic should have the right to form his or her own opinion and discuss it freely and opealy with the author's participation in sach

We therefore demand the immediate release of Rudelf Babro from prison, the publication

and a public Bis Flews in the organisations, the political parties and the WE WANT as many signarures on this appeal us possible from trade anionists, Labour and

memhers and socialist activists in generul. We hope to present the Open Letter and the signatures to the East

coincide with the

We want all Socialist Challenge supporters lo help get at least several thousand signatures, starting with your local Labour MP

Bahro Defence, c/o Socialist Challenge, PO #ox 50, London AJ, but you can print your

Reuders willing to sign our appeal should sige the form below and return it to us. Tagree that my name shoeld be appended to the

TO HONECKER .. . .

IRELAND - HOODED MAN. SPEAKS NATIONAL SPEAKING TOUR organi SPONSORED BY THE MUS EXECU WICKY MONTol the Icurson

Landor May 17m THesis Frica May Hih Lelpester Polyschn

acay May 23rc Manchester Are 25th Brightor Poylas nic/Suesex Unisors? See your focat callege lar furthe

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 13

Page 14 scan of this page

COMMENT

Shallow

coverage

I MUST criticise the coverage that you have given to student

ingly against ultra vires limitations, to get clected to conference, or to come lo a personal position on the SSA. Questions that should have been answered (admittedly they (so have been askedi) includ firmation of NUS's charity status f it was simply a reaffirmation bov ould the situation b en changed by it? What extr pressures were to be individual unions to enforce altre vires? Why have, despite pressures, colleges simply disregarded ultra vires and remained in NUS? onsitional Vegal definition of constitutional (legal) definition sayments which are beyond ou powers'? Why wasn't it mentioned that there has never been a court room verdict or prosecution of a union said to be making ultra vires payments. (1 have heard that dispuses of this sort have always coLt)? It should have been pointed out that BIC NUS setting up itself, and individual union executives as interpreters of the law — over and above general meetings and

Also, is 'No Platform" ultra vires? If it was simply linked to autonomy and the enforcement of the constitution more generally. why was it enforced? Could the consider expelling NUS Wales simply

be consistent?

I have found the answers to most of these questions, though they are not all very clear to me and have often arrived too late. I did not find these answers in Socialist Challenge and too often found them embarassingly out argued by Broa Lefties.

In short I do not think that Socialis Challenge has done

resent the policies and real battles o

SA to independent socialist student: In a convincing or usable way. don't recall any clear setting out of the unifying demands document that SSA is based around

When I walked Into the conference I saw a Socialist Challenge seller, having already read a copy, be seemed compictely there was nothing in it with which he could sell the paper to an average delegate. In contrast Militani the Marxist paper for non-Labour students', had a two page article on the conference!

The reports in SC so far have been written by people in the know who think that everybody SSA is also in the know. Thus they srite reports that are of interest only to non-students, People often meet

apposition groups like SSA (particu-

SSA is strong at conference known at grass roman thorin hole of the paper. Then through the people must therefore get something from the paper otherwise they may suspect that the group's general

Socialist

Challenge

EVENTS

NORTH WEST

anti-lasciet

LIVERPOOL Spee Sociallat Chal

ange group moets every Wednesca

Liverpool. Bpm.

SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 14

analysis is just as shallow.

LES HARTOP (Cardiff)

union leftwing papers is likely to

meaning of the

said to have

put on

these

have put

NF and the Liberals.

for everyone who

setted out bl

was groups made an together — for elections at least

own cosT

glibly

Parach -

constitutionally Socialist

leftwing Labour voters

L MILLER (Norwich) through being

Reply on

anything

Brixton

founding battered NUS

long time ago

issue.

Labour and

with local

interested in

WeEC people in the area

they

(abortive)

Council community.

OUTH MANCHESTER Socialiat ange group meels every othe the Albert cin

YORKSHIRE

meals next trade lub. Northum Friendly and Trades berland Stret (opo station!

NORTH EAST

ARLINGTON Sacidiot Challen 1U0-7308131

MIDDLESBOROUGH

Finally I would like to say that it is not too late to answer these questions - the autonomy debate still rages.

Off-putting

competition

[AM writing to you because probabl inly Socialist Challenge among th

CENCE consider publishing this letter. What a shambles the by-election in Lambeth Central was! There were five different leftwing candidates. No wonder the press and TV made fun of such a Despitening meing betting

competing leftwing candidates, the revolutionary socialists polled nearly 900. Let's be kind, and say that only half that number may have been put off from voting for a revolutionary socialist candidate by such competition. That would have made some 1300 votes, and would

revolutionary sociatist candidate third, ahead of the fascist

To be more realistic, 1 reckon that

voted for revolutionary socialist, at least two others were put off and probably abstained. I know my mates where I work had a good laugh about it.

It's about time the various leftwing

effort come - if they really want people to take them seriously. Or are the SWP, the WRP. working and others only playing some kind of selfish game, aimed at boosting their

But

The IMG is to be praised for its more

practical and serious as is shown by the fact Unity candidates among asually come out at the top of th

candidates. Ordinary and trade militants want unity in action at least. Briston. SINCE 1 now feei like tbe most

journalist since Carl Gardner, the time has come to stagger back into the ring and try to defend myself. I'm going to leave aside punk and Italy - since those were rather a

WHO CODECELLO CUL Nick Davidson's letter in last week's

First, my feature on Briston was based on fairly extensive interviews

people and my own experience — I've lived in the area for several years. So any mistakes were not those of an outsider writing about what he thought he ought to see, but

based on misconceptions of

Are Brixton people proud of where union.

live? Nick thinks interviewees said the opposite. More importantly i was trying to reflect the opposition felt by most blacks at thie

Lambeth to disperse the black

available newsagent is Lintherpe Street WALES

meeting

SOUTH WEST OUTHAMPTON Socialist Chall les every Saluntery from 10am-t abora bar, Poet Difice, Bargalo

Etecter and Precinct SOUTH EAST

• FREE

DERRY

homelessness in Briston? You don there have to see people with empty bedrolls under their arm, Nick. Just look at the empty houses!

On the more important political point I admit that was (partially) wrong. Along with most of Socialist Unity I underestimated the latent working tense in thetantial

class. substantial National Front vote and the high swing to the Tories indicated this

stick by the politica argument. That is, that the Nutional which underlay Front is not geocrally able to recruit

the white population beavily black areas and tends to dras its support from predominantly white areas on the fringes of places despite the NF vote.

It also remains true that, despite the importance of the anti-NF during the election campaign, the first

15 to take un various forms of state racism whic permeate people's everyday immigration controls. nationality proposals, police harassment and so *That was what the artide said and 1 stand by it.

RICHARD CARVER (Lambeth)

NUR and

the NF

J ADAMS and 5 Bell (SC, 20 April

are mistaken in thinking that the National Union of Railwaymen calling for expulsion card-holding NF members from the

The executive committee (which is a

and

"buremicracy") made the following decision, worth repcating entirely: secretary to laste a circlar to all That we Instruct

Harrisons 10-45am-1pm. Further into Angleses Fid. Wivenhor

13am-1pm. apporters wolcome. Ne May and fortnigh

SCOTLAND

Wednesday:

EDINBURGH

* YOU CRUEL MANX BASTARDS BEATING KIDS, WHY DONT YOU COME INTO THE 20TH CENTURY!*

TIMETES and reiterating tbe abborrence of the anti-union policies of the National Front and othe racialist organisations which seek to divide workers on the grounds of race, colour, or creed.

"We further instruct the general secretary that any case or cases of BRUCER. BLOODED inconsistently with the duties ibe owe to the union and its members wh this respect, or membership further the racialist policies of th Front, placed before us under Rule 3 Claust 5.' (This rule provides for disciplinar; action against members including

like expulsion).

So in fact, the NUR decision has more similarities with the proposals of Bell and Adams, with the emphasis pickets pursing N policies on the railways. being on fascists

the present expulsion of all fascists would be counter-productive: the issue would lives: be presented by the bourgeois press as

one of trade union "tyranny' individual liberty (as indeed it already has), and could precedent for a witch-hunt against the left.

The background of the decision was the activity of a shadowy group called the Railwaymen's seems to have a small following in the London area. Most ot us acavity up to now racist filth and mounting obscene attacks on long standing trade union activists. The executive decided 1o take action complaints from branches and district councils.

How far does the decision take the trade racisma? It certainly represents a step forward: we can expect other umons to take similar action against fascist aclivity. 24I93, the anti-racist work being done on the railways at depot level. general However, it falls well short of its

stated intention to rake a strong line

LONDON BIGHTON Socialist Challenge sales Sunday Rose & contact Socialist Challe

ingot fair lamentin

Socialist

lornighty Unily.

total membership. overcoming.

Manchester personal capacity)

cost

elses bere

COHTCICILE Marxist Group.

district councils

union's complete

for a correction

such correction

SUE COOLESE who

who their Labour

union activity

very large immediately

Indeed Lambeth

who are actively George

stage a blanket candidates

since you

versus constituency

casily provide

SO ECHIL

NUR's

"Nationa] Front AsSocIatIOn'

not?

has been peddling its usual

following several

union movement in fighting

at all

truthful policy it further legitimises

politics Box 51, London N 2P

purism god the Len Paris Weet

119001910. пва

against racist activity. A circular was issued to branches, but is likely to reach only a small proportion of the What is urgenrly required is a united ban the chac Tri him and aR ASLEF, TSSA. The Front feeds on the three tail unIons the racist feeling prevalent in some sections of the industry: it is these prejudices which need tackling and

PAUL SELVESON (Secretary, NUK

District Council

Ignoring

the facts

IN Socialist Challenge (20 April 1978) you carried a story by one Dave Baile about the picket of the NF meeting in Brixton during the recent by-election

Central. You state Seetantiat sectichs had to be laid conference are he near

International

Having read the story of the picket! can only assume that it too was laid out in advance. Indeed it contains a lie of massive proportion:

1 therefore, in all fairness, waited

to appear in the following week. Despite a story by Bob Pennington on the campaign no

appeared. This is despite the fact that Bob Pennington claimed an intimate knowledge of

In the article in the sane issue you state the Labour Party, including tbe LPYS were not present. Well as a

Party member who was indeed present 1 can state tbat I saw a

nutober of my feliow members. Indeed looking round the picket the most obvious badge wa "Vore Bogues and the second mos obvious badge was "Vote Tilley"-

3214 al the picket the Central Labour Party Mary Nevilt, the candidate John Tilley and the agent

Catchpole among mans otbers including many of the council

from throughout Lambeth. Indeed you may not kni,

were ar your Conference that the LPYS had a day of action 15 April and after a morning in the

LPYS generally came down to the picket in the

Indeed 1 would say that about a third of the pickets were Labour Party /LPYS. I would alao say that the size of the whole picker was nowhere near 1500 but tbat fact is incidental, is it

It is of course possible that you chose to ignore these facts as they do not tie in with your preconceptions about politics in Lambeth Central. Another fact worth mentioning is that Lambeth Central Labour Party is

the Lambeth Anti-Racist Movement (ALARM). 1 must say that printing lies is a tactic that helps the movement generally not

I bope that your paper will have a

and as part of that truth policy will make stories tie in with the facts not your

ALAN CRISP (Brixton)

no occur megular

WALTHAM FORCE! the post coa, HoWalllan

mates. Wa are establiabing a CPE supponers group to work in the unico Loviest chillanget ideas, wrie to London SO organisar clo PO Ben 50, London Nh MIRANDS re Midland:

Challeng: andre. 76b Debeth Sires 10211 9000 meeto nest pollarion, PaT. Soon Speake LEICESTER Socialist Challeng fortnightly Highfulds Community •Стіна пно коси

Page 15 scan of this page

Art for us

of

kind

THE ART world is obscure and elitist. Until recently vacuous formalist JUSLECHOR dominaled as the leading style promoted by a ruling class 'enlightened artists the 'freedom" to j their trivialities, writes PAUL RUSSELL..

few attempted to relate their work

either ignored or were considered to have abused that given Treedom

In the last year a dumber of artists and a group known as the 'social crities" (including Socialist Challenge supporter Peter Fullery have attacked the com places anorasna series of articles, debares, and exhibi-

One of the critics. Richard CORES TON arranged an important exhibition of social

out

MALE DOCTOR to husband: "Get her a dog

reviews Takeit like a Man, Ma'sam.

LAC ceatral character a woman in her fifties who is experiencing ber meno

politics of female sexuality in a scrious and unsensa bona was Film unlike the recent spate of

which exploited the 'we are examining Temale sexually meresT

The subject is also important

of the women's movement's emphasis that its concerns should be relevant to

of all RECE 95-minute film was entirely by women, the Danish Red Sisters Collective, who are active in the women's movement in Denmark.

IMMACULATE

We are shown a woman who does Teel superticoes because lier sole arena of action n an immaculate fat and a husband to service.

Take it like u Man. Ma'am opens with SCOE nicunting frustration

plitied at her bescand's office marty where she 3 simply

ignored because women anomatically excluded from

all serious conversatiuns; and

te: too old so tank in the Mating stuker

#i B however, precisel this mare nalisation and mccasing isola or which makes begin to esantine her life, herales and altitudes.

UNDER REVIEW

A canvas

another

List artists at the Serpentine Gallery in London. Cork has still selected artists whose divers-

fied approach to creating soc: ialist an shows unexpected possibilities.

Although assembled for display in a galiery space, each of the exhibited projects was who designed for outdoor, commu-

Unity, school or trade union purposes:

DOCUMENTARY Conrad Arkinson is exhibiting

only nine moaths in the asberlos indusiry In scars ago, and has now died as a result of this

pleasant lung discase Copies of his medical record, correspondence beiween widow and the company for an unsuccessful clatte for compen-

Take it like a man, ma'am

Sex roles inside

E her age often feel superfluous. JANE CLARKI ence paisall aspecsor female The Film oppression - econonuic, social and Sexual — and It docs Chis LI a very funny and effective way by switching from its mode into fantasies of the if bave only things were the other way

Tound tYpe

REVERSAL There is lotal reversal of sexual roles for the section of the film with man as made homekeeper, secretary,

and it's very funny All the detals are there, and this works to de-naturalise and make strange the most every day. U001835013 usually so 'normal us to be invisible, For example. there is a scene. in an office with woman as Ісстіл EXCCULINE. service atachine AC We dare work. women step out briskly

her THAT WATCHI

by shopping and worries. The

at the hus top or cycle off

Ere aden with plastic carrier bags

The rechsation of the differener Of conomic power berwoen the women and men his our with impact in thes short scene Take It like a Mun, Ma'am

her Changes hack to its reaint mode

in the last hatr bour. wore reluses to take the

SECON company ments on thesafely of astestos. all are arranged as a case astory as co wan Suspended heights are plastic bags contain ing raw or finished ashestos products. In the context of the unfolding drama, these bags might he taken for the lurid evidence in a murder Irsal — as indeed they are.

Peter Leeson have heen conducting a DostcE ano video campaid so evidence save Bethnal Green and ocher

hosnials from cosare using photomontage similar 1o Peter

Challenge, crcate and adapt their posters in quick response to the shifting tactics of the authorities guerilla art which should he used morcollen.

The Islington Schools Envir women

_DUL

realist ccatral

husband.. her ment rather than a poodle. At which her workplace

involved responsible for persuadine the office wannen to suppor their sisters in the factory: for which she is sacked /This section is a bir latoured.

the but it dnes

into importan, issues, as when we

see her finding a job only with real difficulty bocuse of her age tian which faces older women irving to retura to work -sheer Tatebund by the one

distributed Cinema, which is making it the ablete ten Es, hor available to wumen's Ki other groups the irre fee is E30.

Posters ure suppine

The The Other Cinema, 12/13 Eärtle

Newport street, London WEL

Would these murals of construction workers be out of place in a company board room?

designs children to briphien

different exciting play

this in every school!

QUESTIONS

Stephen

residents from Perivale. volunteers seis of questions work in Socialist Dunn and Leeson

authoritarian employee) (spouse lo spouse) like to differ.

found it full

the confines of practice.

way to be subversive,

naturalism. to Dush of Hope.

DISRESPECT

doctor and seeks employ

accepted becothes in a strike, and

raise sonse radical TV practice.

coul discrimina

filen Other

From:

Than accept i:

onmental Project is displaying nood

submitted by

school walls, plus photos of the

structures lies designed for their playgrounds. Get your children to agitate for

David

On a more intimate level, targe

Willats organised an exercise in politeal conscious ness rassing among 50 or sc

These answered weekly and added their comments - on patterns of social relationships, from

(employer co-operative white-collar

The exercise is complex, bur is evident success among The participants proves that ant

Rare coinage

the discussion of In short, TV series Pennies from Heaven, I would materialist,

comsiderably in emphasis with the review Sally Feldman 16 April.

humanistic platitudes which in no way

grips with the How significance of Potler 3 plays as programmes working within

TV

PT DECENTECHLE SELUCILE reason why this extraordinar series is one of the most radical on TV — itarempied in a small and pollica we have ever seen voices inserting

both at 'artificially" the level of content and in terms ifele structure of the medium

This is rare on TV, Fed as we are on an unremitting diet ol carried

from Crossmads

What Potter attempted, not cazTy always successfully, bur with courageous disrespect for the conventions of TV "forms', wat a fruitful collision becaeen th

mode of TV naturalism in drama and the 1930% musical, in a way which was thoroughly disorienting.

He recognised that to puzek

us, to make us stop short and reassess nur accepted calceorics and ways of viewine television isan indispersable clement of g

In the procest of judaposin;

these two form, Deania Potte

subserted the meaning of both

so that we were forced to

asses the sile was a

einstructs particular reality for

formally cassie paze. Th

medium al TV. In a certai

sense, became visible — rather than Idden or transparent, is

A normal. We were forced ca sik questions about TV. rather

patroning to be understood simplistic by a nom art public.

this SATIRICAL Finally, two examples of the increasingly popular mural art.

Binnington and Desmond Rochfort are showing sketches and models of tbeir power

murals under the Westway Myover at Royal Oak.

Many of the murals now being done are guided by the local inhabitants and reflect concerts, but the Royal Oak murals portray anonymous work conditions.

Binningron has done a quasisatirical mural about office and

WULT and Rochfort a skilfull eulogy to Rochfort's painting is socialist realist; hut representational

what the series revolutionary ArSHA must do questions nbout the nature o TO EACTIONAL DELAC MICATEI itself, not merely it apparent achieve specifically was this

By the simple cechnique of removing songs and dance

Trom archetypal utopian 1930s musicals tin their original form Same

and recordings) and them completely into tragic and oppressive situations where they didn't really fir' - thus undermining the associations which such tunes normally

In the contexts in which those hopeful "sunshine" songs could have been previouly found (the musical, generally) they would have conventionally helped

the action lo Its inevitable, happy, non-contra dictory conclusion.

Here on the other hand localed as they were as part of the characters dream worldstemporarily caternalised unconscious they largels contradicted the plot as it evolod

socialist

No. 2 out now. Special 40 page issue with:

Alain Krivine, Chris Harman, David Widgen

and Tariq Ali on May '6E Plus part two of David Edgar on socialis theatre; nuclear power; news analysis; film and book reviews and more. 35p (inc. post) from Socialist Review, PO Box 82, London E2

painting is as capable of mis understanding reality abstract painting Rochfort's mural illustrates whole mural could bave been cointed in the boardroom Ca big construction company: the directors would then own an image illustrating the labour-

•commecht of their workers which they also

Where to see it Art for whom? is at the Serpentine Gallery, Kensingion Park until 14 May, Open daily 10am Tom Admission free. y puge catalogue with statensents 21. There will be discussion with selector and exhibitors on Sunday 14 May al 4pm. Tel: 01-402 6075

Yet ar the same time as this process helped "subvert" the meanings of its two cements, d ate succeeded inter ng

specitas oppressiveness of the social situation during the Depression in which the characters were located. 1i did this by revealing

he gap between their desir

he hopes and their futur prospects

Curiously it was the scene where Poster tried to use the songs in 10 mOS overly "satirical munner •fic ostensive political intent) which were least successful

Song and plot then began to directly complement other in a rationa, conventTonal manner coherence or hartony" was establsned, where productive "contradiction and "disincation' between the elements wa: suppressed for the sake of immodinte polemical meaning.

Pennies from Heaven was by no means perfect. Is rechniques were in a real sense very

'moderate certainiy in terns of much radical him or drama practice.

But for TV of this kind, in this siluation, it represents a real Step forward! which hopefully will open the ideas of many socialists to the direction that "political" television should take

CARL GARDNER SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 11 May 1978 page 15

Page 16 scan of this page

THE TRAGEDY

Relgocrest Lid. for Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London N1, Printed by Goodhsed Press Limited, 25 Murdock Road

discussion, writes NIGEL WARD.

make bout the Syri Army, Before the Israeli attack They were everywhere Beirus, When they first arrived they had checkpoints every few hundred metres!

But after the invasion, with the exception of a small group

isappeared from the streets

People came running Beirut from the south. They would try to find lost relatives whilst looking for somewhere to stay. Well over a hundred thousand refugees, that's ob

enth of the Lebanese lation, came to the Moslem half of Beirut.

Neither the Syrians nor the government did much to help the refugees; they were forced to wander from one place to another for shelter.

DROWNED

The government did provide tents for ten thousand persons, but Beirut suffered a freak thunderstorm and could use this accomodation. In fact, one woman drowned.

There were some other attempts at aid for relugoes: Some individuals tried to make political capital

refugees

Since last week W.H. Smiths | have has stocked Socialist Challenge in a number of its retail outlets in London, Oxford -Cambridge. As It Is prepared to supply the paper for individuals, Socialist Chal lenge can now be virtually anywhere in England and Wales.

Scotland is a little difficult, as John Menzies has a near monopoly. We are, present, awaiting a reply from

Menzies to our proposal for them to stock the paper.

lored with the Post Office i

March for Palestine 13 May

When the Zionist army invaded Lebanon, Socialist Challenge carried many pictures which illustrated the scale of destruction. In a recent discussion with a Lebanese militant, I finally came to understand the human suffering which even the camera had been unable to capture. This article is taken from that

The first point | distributing blankets and the progressive forces were unable is mobilise popular support, so they too could do little The Israelis had shelled southern when the Palestinians under took how small

BODIES 10 With their invasion they had the chance to kill as many Arabs as they could and they vanco to turn te cpanes peasants against the Palestinare still finding bodies of the Zionists* victims Often the peasants would have few belongings their house. When the Isracil attacked, they hid in mosques and schools, as they tell sure the Israelis would recognise these and would therefore not attack killed in the shelling of one Most of the retagoes you one talk to have lost relatives in the attack. The Israclis have also was been quite successful in their second aim.

Confessional and localist the divisions, eVen Moslem Arabs, are now acute The petty bourgeois in Beirut by. blame the Palestinians for

OUR FUND DRIVE

similarly written to Surridge Dawson.

The fact that Smiths has taken and the paper caused a stir among also certain diarists in the "quality" press last week.

Hillmore in the Guardian and PHS in the Times commented on the decision.

Hilmore noted that Socialist more Challenge bas achieved accolade of respectability.. the only journal of the far left to achieve this distinction.

He came to the conciusion: *As far as I am concerned tbis

L

Socialist Challenge

OF LEBANON

always

everything: tbey Just want to get tid of

Reactionaries like Kemal And. Ibe Lebanese parliament, have now been able agaipst the Palestinians and fascist groups A bie part of the Lebanese population ductive. agricultural workers of the

LILE south ENSC OCTI

forced by the earlier actacks to try and find a safe reluge.

bicans that the longed lac revolution is almost upon us....

'Sir Tan Gilmour

himself with сотися ведатані дави 8о Both Peter our only hope for salvation and

WaH South to mine forces with the International Marxists, it's a bit difficult to know which side of the barricades to be on.

In the Times, the affair was treated much more seriously. PHS concluded by Smiths, who stated they were taking the paper for 'economic reasons solely.

Mm

...they had the chance to kill

as many Arabs as they could...

the southern that the

leader of the was developing. mobilise for these workers. are growing. For example

Fi now wro peasants and

groups.

Zionist The Isracil Lhe Maoist

small

quoting We assume Name

Address

It was among these people |

most important radicalisations had occurred Alongside their national aspsrations, a class consciousness healing

deep wounds the beginnings of a trade union

peasants had been shot by the police and army when on strike, This was the source of the growth of many of the Lebanese leftist

Invasion de straved not only whole villages

it has destroyed the whole

The Times also mentioned | toheipcover the costs. We need that the condition for the paper being taken by Smiths is that it is read each week by a libel lawyer. That is now being dooc Needless to say that is costly

possibilities via this Smiths deal are tremendous for

left-wing paper.

However, it is also expensive following We do not receive payment at once, nor do we get the tull 15p. . Hacker

DUT readers recognise the opportunity thes S. Page represents. So we ask you to . Vieux help us by sending in donations

Domestic: 6 months, £5; 12 months, E10 Abroad: Airmail, €16.50. Surface, £10 per annum.

I enclose a donation for the Fighting Fund of

Complete and return lo:

Socialist Challenge, 328/9 Upper Street, London NI,

Hence the population as a social class.

In shorl, the Zionists have destroyed a poople; there, wil

rapid

these y

PALESTINE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN

Demonstration

assemble Ipm at Speakers Corner, Hyde Park

March past Israeli embassy to an outdoor rally

SATURDAY 13 MAY

This week's food drive cotal is respectable — revealing a little more of the slogan hehind the bricks - but still leaves us way behind in our attempt to make €2,500 by the end of June. We made E153.12 thanks so the

3.38 10.00

Hackney supporter

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Cheques, POs and Money Orders should be made payable to 'Socialist Challenge".

While Lebanon bleeds, the

murder and oppression.

The alm of Zione is an exclusively Jewish state in

This has meant expulsion of the Palestinian Arabs and a never eading conflict between the Israeli state and those it hus

oppress. Only the ending of the exclusivist. Zionist state will make possäble

cading of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

By equating Arab national aspirations with anti-semitism and lascism the zionisis have sought to they can

against Palestinians with international condemnation.

Bailding the Palestine Solidarily Campaign demonstration on 13 May iN vitally important.

munder Lebanon, join the demanstration and ct the world bear:

PALESTINE LIVES! | Anon

D. Boyle A and R Spalding

T.A.

Camden supporters A. Storey

M.B 5. DET Prof. E. Hoyle-Price

M. Resney Oxiord supporan Hand HAyer

H. Johnstone, Oxford

A. Holling

E153.12