How significant do you see the victories achieved at the conference by Eric Heffer: It is the beginning of the radicalisation of the partv. lne grass roots feeling in the party is that they want to see a much more speedy moye towards socialist policies. Part of that argument, and a very important part of it, is a move towards much greater Photo: G.M. COOKSON (Soclaliat Challenge true, as Jim Callaghan suggested, that the constituency parties will be taking Once conference decisions are made unev behind those decisions to be carried government. That is the basis of the action. I would argue we have seen an important beginning of that. on the right to return to the old positions, but it is my view that a lot of this opposition will melt away. the Campaign for Labour Victory and the Manifesto Group, declarations are only fierce declarations and when it comes down to it l don't think there will be very much in support in the trade unions and their that, for the battle in the unions will be What sort of issues should the left be We have to get down to conducting against Tory policies, such as the cuts in public expenditure and unemploysupport for the struggle of workers in standards. These are the basics, but This means raising the issues not The struggle against the Relations Act was a good example people like myself leading the struggle in Parliament, working alongside the ment have shown that they have been most successful when there has been a whether you look at the suffragettes, the right to strike, the right to vote. won because the campaign around it Do you see the current leadership of the Parliamentary Labour Party as an obstacle to these type of struggles? The leadership of the Parliamentary party came together to oppose the mysell, prepared to oppose what I regard as.
sures, it is possible they won't be so keen on the broader socialist policies. swords inthe House of Commons, but the struggleagainst the Tories has to be When you use the word 'obstacle', what I want to do is to get policies changed and then carried out. If there are people who won't carry out the policies, then obviously they are an one off ourses seat othe binding on MPs but on abortion rights restrictions on a woman's right to choose should not be binding. Conference is on record saying we are opposed to changes in the abortion law. But conference is also on record three-line whip in the Commons on the issue. I support both these decisions.
socialists, and I've got many in my constituency, who are very, very left wing indeed, but who take a different view even if one doesn't agree with it.
convince them, but I'm not going to put myself in total all-out opposition to very good working class comrades.
On Ireland you said at a meeting support re-unification. Do you think there isany growth of that sentiment in To be quite honest, the party has got When thetroops were sent in they were OI intentions and because Gerry Fitt and onlytwo voices raised in the Commons Devlin was one and I was the other.
I think I've been proven right. But because of my admiration for people like Gerry Fitt I've said little, although class has become divided. Our job isto concentrate on building the unity of the working class in Northern Ireland nas got lnto unis situațion by getting away from the support for these type of views, but because of the violence, people have been diffident about saying about the issue, because of the teeling rightly or wrongly that this could us who support reunification are in. "hen. of supreme importance acceptable to the amorphous you are defining the Labour so there is outside Parliament: Similarly, expressing support section of the leadership outside Parliamentary party.
the right to expect the Parliamentary wing from insulated in total to tre House of Commons and the What we have to do is to struggle against the leadershi