'WHATEVER emerges from the International Monetary Fund negotiations, it is clear that the Callaghan-Foot alliance intends to endure ...' (our emphasis)
Not a quote from last week's Red Weekly. but Sunday Times reporter Michael Jones commenting on the present Government assault on democracy in the Laoour rarty, ror u is no colnciaence that both Labour Party Young Socialists chairperson Andy Bevan and Hayes & Harlington Constituency Labour Party have hit the headlines in the same week. Both are committed to mandatory reselection of MPs, and both are hostile to the Labour Government's Tory policies.
Haves & Harlington are in the news because they have decided to put reselecton ol Mrs into practice, wnist Andy Bevan's appointment as Labour youth organiser was to be considered by Tuesday's meeting of the Labour NEC Both developments have come at a time in which the Labour Government has been seriously weakened. So they have been a cue not only for the usual press nystena about leit wing takcovers , nate campaigns' and "red Trotskyites"; and not only for a repeat performance by Callaghan of Wilson's defence of Prentice last year. They have been above all a cue for une overnment to arenonto reasserets lost authority.
The case of Hayes & Harlington MP SANDELSON Neville Devonshire Sandeison is particulariy revealing. Ever since he was elected at a by-election in 1971, Sandelson has been opposed by the local labour moveTHE Criminal Trespass Bill introduced under 'Conspiracy Law Reform' in the Queen's Speech is a deadly threat to all Crec acuol. occupauons ano Dickers. and is being smuggled in under a smokescreen of anti-squatting lies.
This was the main message developed by the 350 people representing 150 organisauons ano groups unciuoing qu trade union bodies] who assembled at the Conference on Direct Action and Criminal Trespass at Reading University last ment. He was one of the 69 MPs who voted with the Tories in favour of Common Market entry. He refused to support the Shrewsbury building workers, was a founder member of the right-wing Manifesto group of MPs, and led the campaign to defend Reg Prentice.
nesums up his own attitudes as a 'centre-right Gaitskellian influenced from childhood days by Christian socialist values in their broadest sense.' In other words, he is a loyal supporter of the present anti-working class policies of the Labour Government!
That Government today faces an increasingly weak position in Parliament, massive abstentions by traditional Labour voters in the recent by-elections, and a rapidly deteriorating economic situation. Two weeks ago it faced the biggest working class demonstration since 1971. And when you're negotiating with the international bankers of the IMF, you have to be able to demonstrate the unity of the Government in seeking to re-establish its authority. Hence the public support for Sandelson from Callaghan and Foot.
RESELECT Yesterday's "left' Michael Foot went so far as to offer to speak on Sandelson's behalt in the constituencv. What Sunday Times called the 'Callaghan-Foot alliance' is terrified of moves to reselect sitting right-wing MPs because they threaten to challenge the authority that the Government derives from Parliament, arguing Instcad mnat ine rarnamentar) Labour Party and ultimately the Government itself should be responsible to the organisations of the working class.
Callazhan spelt it out cleariy at the Labour Party conference. He reminded the NEC that it was responsible only for its resolutions, and that the Government was responsible for its actions to Parliamena When Callaghan, Foot and Sandelson detend the authority Labour Government in terms of responsibility to Parliament, they are defending the interests of the ruling class. When Hayes & ANDY BEVAN Harlington Labour Party supported the conference resolution calling for mandatory reselection of MPs, when they take steps to put such policies into practice, they are challenging Labour's Tory policies and marching in the direction of a fight for a Labour Government responsible to the organisations of the working class.
Callaghan's attack on Andy Bevan's appointment as Labour youth organiser is just an extension of that fight into the party apparatus. Bevan has more than adequate credentials for the job. As chairperson he represents the views of the majority of the Young Socialists. He was appointed through the procedure laid down, though publicly stating that he considers the procedure inadequate.
But as the Sunday Times put it, Callaghan is launching a challenge to the idea of giving the post to someone who •detests the present Government and wants a completely different sort Labour Party'. The Daily Express carried a front-page lead article last Saturday saying that Callaghan had threatened to kill the scheme for State aid to parties, worth some E573,407 to the Labour Party, if Bevan was not ditched. Callaghan has shown nothing but his own consistency It is his right-wing policies which are destroying the present Labour Government. It is his right-wing assault on democracy in the Labour Party which is OUL LO destroy the possibility of the Labour Party making any independent challenge to the Government's Tory policies.
ARITMINAL ATRESPANA