To highlight the anti-working class policies of the Labour aTACK wage controls and unCUlS. employment and to DUT TOrward the socialist solution to the crisis.
We believe that there are thousands of workers who are prepared to take action ainst betrayals Labour leaders, provided they are given a way forward struggle. That's the crucial point really. The present retreat exists because workers, even mutant work don't see any alternative to the Social Contract. CIs.
We want to use every possible platform to put forward the socialist alternative, elections are obviously a way of doing Second, think that we can USETHE platform given by elections to organise those militants prepared to fight. We want to as many votes as possible, but that isn't the thing Stechford was Roy Jenkins' seat. His ideas on how to deal wiln ne probiemns Tacine Stechford people are the same as those of the present Labour Government. To deal with inflation he with Stechford's declining inaustry ne proposed crease the dole queues;
facing Stechford's black community ne proposes ag- for the immigration laws.
the labour movement has now TOUnO chief butler to the bosses the Common Market, but his many policies live on.
What policies campaigning for?
Our Maln message
CanG election will be to DreaK CIne we fight to build a socialist opDOS OI We must lessons past TROSe Dresaree o get the Social Contract should be unitea in a CUHHHIUE struggle against Labour's policies.
We will need a range policies which are an alternaclass tive to the capitalist solutions of Labour, which those inside and outside the trade unions and Labour Party can unite their struggle wages we'll end to the Social Contract and a sliding scale keep up with inflation.
We want a total price fréeze support on all basic necessities.
social services glant putting The restoration of all cuts anc place for crash of useful public works - which can also help to relieve unemployment. We'll be arguing for the nationalisation, will you be workers control, creating redunancies.
All these policies have to be put in the framework of the fight to ight for workers control of the Contract: economy, which means fightWing to break the power of the bosses throughout the econperiod. omy. The two other themes of aga nat raci mill ba he figor COnTOnE against RaCisH class women s ngnts of But isn't the IMG in favour of a Labour Government? How do you justify standing against Labour in view of this?
around. On be fighting for an of wages to we'll be policies for programme of all firms and Labour Government for We are not in favour of time and in any circumstances. Today there is no realistic working class alternative to a policies that. Labour Government. So we say 'for a Labour Government, Dut develop a Tignoack against that Government: start to Durid d working class opposition to its anti-working class Too often in the past workers nave uta bake on suue gle because there is a Labour Government. We can't accep The best guarantee for the labour movement is not existence of a - Labour Government, but the fighting strength of the working class.
Standing a candidate against Labour could mean that Labour loses the seat.
But if that happens, the resFor any other socialist candidate. At the next genera election Labour will probably seats, but not of socialist candidates but because of working aisillusionment LaDous Forv DolIcIes If Labour loses Stechford of course i will try to bin the blame on socialist candidates but the real responsibility will lie with those who have purpro-capitalist policies, and with those who have refused to organise a fight against those policies.
The 'moderate' prospective Labour candidate in Stechford Callaghan anC Healey to the hilt, but would you stand against, ample a member of the TribMichael Foot is a member of group as are Orme and other min isters in the Government, with other alone Labour "lefts' such as Benn to support the Government's polFor us the which these people sometimes make are no substitute tor a struggle againsi the Social Contract - a struggle which does not base itself on manoeuvres in Parliament, but on organising mass action of the working class Few Labour candidates and virtually no Labour MPs have record. Indeed, few Labour MPs even have a consistent record of merely voting against the Government's anti-working class measures in the House of Commons.
Since the IMG announced a candidate in October, the IS that trade and •Labour Party leadershios have managed to derail any big strudale such candidates have not emerged from the mass Tovenell So now we are putting up an IMG candidate, who will argue IMG's programme yes, but also fight for the perspec tive of a class struggle op position. The SWP are completely opposed to such a perspective. All they have to say to workers is 'join us', that the SWP is the only way to launch a struggle.
Whereas the SWP will just be concentrating on building themselves, we shall be campaigning in favour of united campaigns of struggle - cuts action committees, anti-racist campaigns and so on. And we shall open up all our electora meetings to participation and debate by all tnese torces whether they support our candidate or not.
How mans votes do you expect to get?
Very few. ine best we car hope for is some hundreds Only a very small minority of the working class is prepared to give its voting support to revolutionary socialists. But as l explained earlier, VOLC getting is not the main aim The main aim is to utilise the local and national spotlight provided bi very important election to argue the class struggle alternative and to help organise a class struggle left IMG NOTES IMG National Fractios nom 1 At National Extended IMG Irish Commission, 12/ Any: Ram, All ura of venue from National Centre lational IMG Teachers Fract North-West NALGO n. At Mancheste Regional 2352)
IMG Womer Pd tare: Saturday 19 Fl G National NAC Fraction.
entative per branch. Sunday 20 is the Fi World Congress Documen Oppression) a able at e1 Order inrou Tor1