Inflation is averaging 20 per cent and real baying power hus fallen Sillion pounds has been chopped from public expenditure. This means lese houses and higher rents, less hospitals and longer waiting lists, less schools and Tewer teachers and less murseries and facilities to care for the The centrepicee of Govern ment policy, the Social Contract has been shown to be a con trick The promised decreases in un employment, price controls and increases have preictably failed so materialise. While working people have faced wage cuts, tax relief and profits soar for big business.
berties and hard-won gains are racist attacks, spurred on by the ration laws. The few concessions won by women are under tracaL, especially the right to abortion. Aid in Ireland, Britain's bloody and costly war continues, while Irish activists in Britain are conThe INTERNATIONAL MARXIST GROUP and BIG FLAME are launching an appeal for Socialist Unity candidates at the next general election. This is a new initiative which needs some explanation. Our starting point is the performance of the stantly harassed, The result of these policies is by E10 a week in two years. E8 clear The complicity of the union leaders has limited the Bighback, and working class apathy and disillusionment is that such distilesionment linked not Jase to Labour but to socialism in general. The humilating delcats for Labour in the recent by-cloctions show the fruit the nation thar only by supporwe keep the Tories out.
DANGER The other danger has been the rise in the votes for the fascist organisations like the National.
Front. No matter how false the solutions offered by the fascists, they will appear as an alternative so the bankrupt policies of the major parties and are gaining working class votes. Their hop is to become a respectable part of the system by standing enough CANSIOHECS TO CEL TECHSOO TEME and compete with the Liberals as the third major political party.
Therefore we think it vital that a radical social alanatus be put forward at the next general election Parlaicut wil solve the problems facing the growing rapidly. The danger is paigns can give us the oppor tunity to do two things. The first i to present alternative socialist policies, a programme of action that deals with a wide range of Issues facing as today.
However, we are not solely concerned with propaganda, The coction campaigns must be used lo advocate and develop practically the fightback Labour's policies. In this sense we must convince people chat me are more than an election cam NEW UHELTE fore and after, bulldine i Support could be given to local racism. for better housing, for the strate of women ind so an A radical socialist slare would therefore be building a coalition of militants and organisations based on their activicy in class struggle.
What is needed is the bringing candidate Brian Heron community.
naticinal and local lines a campaign.
PROGRAMME against • democratic whenever possible. reprosculative capossible lores Door to door canvassing in Steonford when Big Flame worked for ING logerher of all dose political labour movemen. women's and black orgailisations as well as individual militants oo would be committed to slich a fight. We aim in huild towards a conference in Ocrober, open to all organisations and individuals who would braadly support sach NAME Before and at that conference discussion mus start to thrash our a national clection slate. Such cand daces should be clas: sruggle in their area and be decred by and responsible to the the working class movement. Hope fully, such unity in action could be continued after the elections Aull agreed programme would have lo be worked our We shall be resentine our ideas. hut we want the process to be as open as pantributing idear and eventually having the option of Mexibly Sporisorslip does not imply support for any parricular programm of financial committient Merely suppor for the conception o Socialist Laily cand aces and the necessity for organised discussion of the political best for such a campaign. including the CUCEHCEEANTCICIER ORGANISATION ADDRESS Please indicate if yoa intend to attend the National Planning Meeting which will be on 2 July at the Golden Eagle, Hill St (nea New Steel Starion). Hirmingham, starting at noon.
All correspondence and inquiries should be addressed to Conference Planning Committee, 3rd Floor, 14 Piccadilly, Manchester 1.
BIG FLAME
relating the final programme to local situations. But such a pro gramme would have to take in starting paint from the view that the working class can take no responsibility for the crisis of capitalism Insecad it would fight for the power. Independent organisation and control over its conditions of life in the working class. It would oppose the Social Contract, cuts and unemployment. I would right for the rights of women and black people, and against British TECHINA and Southern Africa. Finally. would tick these national issues with the key local ones, conference would have to discuss raising money fo finance sach un Intervention: how the campaign should be organised, and the attitude of such an alliance to other candidates. particularty Labour We urge ull orgaeisations und individuals on the left to sponsor this conference. In the shurler lerm, we are culling -FOr national planning meering that can set up a mach brouder based organising committee to build towards the conference and locul meetings and coalitions. It could SIS See to Issue a ben ahe brunder appest.
INTERNATIONAL MARXIST GROUP
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Labour Government under which living standards and the quality of life have drastically declined.