The South-East region of the TUC mobilised over 300 delegates to its confer ence in London last Saturday on how to fight education cut The conference was introduced by Kent miners' leader Jack Dunn. who said that trades councils should be the fight against the cuts. Ironically enough, Dunn is a member of the Communist Party - which is collaborating with the TUC's attempts to limit the independence of trades councils through its new Rule 14.
The main speaker was "left' MP Stan Newens. Unfortunately his only ansWer to me cass was to cals ot 110 port controls. This attempt to draw a ine between nations Tamer inan casse was aso rerected mn contused talk abou education as an investment for national economic recovery.
The conference was sponsored by many umon brancues. waues counci and several Labour MPs. It also involved many people concerned with education who were not in teaching unions. But instead of giving a lead by calling for support for such action as the 25 April NCC demo and the 26 May day of action on jobs. it wa: simply reduced to a talking shop.