Three candidates from the labour movement are contesting the by-election in Newcastle Central: Harry Cowans, the Labour Party candidate; Dave Hayes, the Socialist Worker candidate; and a member of Eddie Milne's Northumberland Labour Party at me ume or woungs Milne has not announced the name of his candidate].
Red Weekly urges support for Dave Hayes as the only candidate with any history of fighting the Labour Government's anti-working class policies. A large vote for Dave Hayes will strengthen the nignt against une cuts, racism and unci DIOTHECERE.
However, it is necessary to make many criticisme of the Socialist Worker camp. aign. It correctly calls for a fight for the right to work, against all cuts, against against the Social Contract, but it does not give any clear idea on how to fight for united action of the widest number of erposed instead is tne building of tne ers campaigned for a candidate supported by all those bodies fighting the anti-working class policies of the Callaghan/Healey leadership — such as the Right to Work Committee, Tyneside Action Committee Against the Cuts, Tyneside Socialist Centre, Working Women's Charter Groups, the committee set up to fight for enquiry into the murder of EEPTU shop steward Liddle Towers, etc.. This support would have embodied the practical action being taken in the area on unemployment, cuts, racism, women's rights and corruption.
IS chose instead to put forward their own candidate and made it clear that they Car Nova Howas this will not he the hasicl candidate based on such bodies were nominated. It is not surprising therefore as eir current accon matena core. and key issues like labour movement and police corruption and the fight for womwitn is speakers, sales of Socialist Worker and leaflets calling for the building of a real fight against the policies of the Labour Government, but do not necessRank-and-file Labour an aign for the official Labour candidate or simply abstain. Those militants could have been won to campaigning for a class struggle candidate. But that is of little importance to the IS.
policies of the worker campaiga lisch.
Party?
member. involved in the Cuts Campaign and the Socialist Centre will now probably campDespite the extreme sectarianism of the IS, the IMG in Newcastle still believes perspective. that all those wanting to fight against the should vote for IS. However, it has proved impossible to support the Socialist not lost Therefore the IMG in Newcastle is fighting for broad-based action to intervene in the elections around the main questions of cuts and racism, and for action against the National Front candidate. Whilst the IMG will argue for a vote er cane cares in oraer to ouro ine would be the consequence of fighting in every by-election possible and raising the idea of developing a revolutionary socialist alremative i a rank-and-file fight back.
• But those who are prepared to fight the Labour Government exiend beyond the ranks of the IS While IS is the biggest organisation on the far left, would not the unity of all the forces of the far left make a tar greater impact inan me orrend left. All we say is that workers who become disillusioned with Labour are also confused about what the alternatives are. It is therefore imperative that we begin to draw those militant workers to a revolutionary Because IS has maintained its strength over the past two years, has ground, and has retained its capacity in organising around the Right to Work Campaign and various rank-and-file organisations we ofter the only credible alternative and only serious possibility of building a revolutionary party.
Those elements inside other org anisations who are serious about ThAT We think that the Right to Work campaign can be built into that sort or organisation When I asked you the question _ on the united front, / was not referring so much to the forces of the IS and IMG being the basis of that united front. I was thinking more of the militants of the Labour Party, the trade unions and the Communist Party. What vehicles do you see for work with these people if they are not prepared to join the Right to Work Campaign?
I'll have to take your word for it that there is this layer of people who are sceptical of the Right to Work Campaign but yet want to be active. Our experience is that in fact those people who are prejudiced against the Right to Work Campaign are prejudiced from the point of view of the Communist Party or trom a very strong adaptation to the right wing of the Labour Party.
The Right to Work Campaign, because it has IS activists in significant positions inside it, does not frighten those who are genuinely interested in building a rank-and-file Right to Work Campaign. Because it is the only force they can rally around inside the trade unions, they are prepared to rally around to build a rank-and-file organisation like
The Trico strike ended united as it had begun, with the victorious workers mar. ching back to work as one body.
Last Friday's jubilant mass meeting of Trico workers heard the terms of the employers' surrender. The strike won its main demand for a common operational rate throughout the factory. This means down
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en's right to work. The Socialist Worker campaign is in fact limited to meetings
arily agree with the perspective of build- ing a revolutionary party from the IS.
tion towards a Socialist Workers We do not pretend that we are A the only organisation on the