In "justifying' the presence of blacks in this country, the campaign pamphlet (fou pages only, cost 10p.) uses only the bosses' arguments for cheap labour and condones racist employment policies:
•Post-war immigrants did a lot to help Britain's productivity. As with most immigrants, they were full of get-up-and-go and they were willing to work anywhere. They never did, nor do they, take white workers' jobs. The fact that black workers were herded into the health services, and on to the buses and trains - • the most menial and low-paid of all jobs — is considered ' a very positive contribution to Britain'.
Immigration control is, however, the issue on which Labour's condoning of racism is most blatant. Far from attacking the viciously racist 1971 Immigration Act, Labour Against Racism goes out of its way to stress that *free entry into Britain is confined to holders of United Kingdom passports who are ALSO patrials (emphasıs in original). For patrials read white.
Just in case anyone in the commuter belt is worried about hordes of illegal (black) immigrants storming the white cliffs of Moreover, while giving support to Labour councils that ban the fascists from using public halls, the party, according to lar Mikardo, 'has always left it up to individuals as to whether they will go onto platforms with NF candidates or not' The attitude of the Labour Party leadership can be summed up in a single phrase from Ron Hayward: 'We don't want confrontation." No, the Labour Party leadership certainly does not want to confront the fascists and racists head-on -in the streets or anywhere alse.
To do that would mean putting their own house in order: opposing all Immigration Acts. supporting the right of the black community to build self-defence squads aralnst une racist allacks. and driving une fascists off the streets. It would mean supporting the formation of black caucuses within the trade unions and Labour Party to deal with the specific problems they CONITONI The Labour leaders won't encourage this. No wonder lan Mikardo was nonplussed when asked why more blacks didn't involve themselves in politics and the Labour Party. "We have the same problem with women', he mused. They don't often put themselves forward as candidates. I wonder why.