Socialist Strategy Communist Party argue for Western Europe their stralegies for socialism in Western Europe.
Mandel v. Fri 9 Sept. 7.30 pm Johnstone St. Pancras Assembly The debate not to miss. Rooms, Bidborough Rd., Ernest Mandel of 'the London WC1. (Opp. St Fourth International and Pancras station) Tiekets Monty Johnstone of the 75p at the door. DAVEPURDY & MIKEPRIOR CP members who favouran incomes policy -p.8&9 HUGHSCANLON died last week in Blackpool after a protracted illness, He had been suffering from what is krown in the trades-unions as "Carron's disease, a particularly virulent form of cancer very common amongst trade-union officials who reach the top. Last-minute attempts to save Scanion by members of his executive failed miserably. He was determined to die. In the end one of his oldest political friends, the Morning Star had no option but toannounce that he had ocased to breathe.
Scanion was born in Australia in 1913, the son of immigrant workers. His father died soon afterwards and Hugh and his mother returned to England He was greatly influenced by Jack London and Upton Sinclair and many years later he admitted that it was this type of utopian socialist writing that mpressed me rather than any high-soundine theorelical works, a factor n loubt in hisinability loresist tie onslaught of "Carron'sdisease le left school at 14 to start an apprenticship, as an instrunent maker detro-Vickers and was impressed byshop-stewards there who won him to! union Atthe ageof 23 in 1938 he was clocted a shop-sleward; in 1947 he was clected divisional ALIEW organiser for the North-West, a position he held for sixteen yeurs. His position in the Union was further strengthened in the coming years but it was not until 1963 that he was elected to the Executive Council Inthe 1960'sche President of the Engincering Union was the notorious Bil Carron, Right-wing to the core, a cold war anti-communist and lot more besides, Carron used to take a delight in riding roughshod over democrati decisionsarrived at by national Committees and conferences. asit camero be known was that the President had the right to cast the Union vote whichever way he thought fit. This was strongly attackod by the left in th union. Scanion fought the election for the left on two basic planks: oppositios to Labour's incomes policies and as he himself putit: The second point wa that of internal democracy within the union. This is founded on three broad principles the right of every member to clect all officials from shop-stewards to the president. Secondly, the right of the National Committee to be the policy-making body. Thirdly the inviolale right of the final appeal courtagain a body of rank and-file members - to adiudicate on any dispute berween the membership and the Executive Council - and for these decisions to be binding on the executive.' Yes, this is the basis on which Scanion defeated Carron and raised the hopes of thousands of militants in the engincering union 'In the first flush of his clection victory in 1967, Scanlon stated his clear opposition to Labour's policies on more than one occasion. When asked why the Labour government of 1966 had opted for right-wing policies, Scanlon onmenied: The problem is not that the government fell for these polic but that chetrade union movement fell over itself to endorse them. Buc has more difficult. But what is the difference between a reactionary Labour governenent in 1966 and a reactionary Labour govermment in 1977? Nonc Theonly difficulty is the failing political health of union bureaucrats By thetime the miners' strike of 1974 had returned Labour to power, Hugh Scanion was well on his way to being described us a stalesman'. Wilson, who loathed him personally, was to describe hin on the television as an extremely Intelligent and responsible trade-union leader, Carron must have been chuckling in his grave. Scanion, together with Jones, hacked Labour's reactionary policies to the hilt, They defended the Social Contract in no uncertain way. It seemed as if though the circle had curned full whee Scanlon's friends in the Conmunist Party headquarters still did not give up hope. After all we live in the ageol transplants Blackpool 1977 was to shatter all these illusions, Scanion did th unmentionable. Herejected an overwhelming vote by his engineering section delegates to the TUC to prevent him from casting his votes at the TUC for the 12-Month Rule. Scanlon walked out of the meeting having refused any discussion on the subject. The Morning Star headlined: *Uproar over Scanlon's edict on 12 Month Rule'. But they could not explain the whys and hows. Why was Scanlon reduced to "edicts"? Why had he evolved inthis way? Why nouricicismof ham beforcon a consistent basis: Tothese questions there were -по replies from King Street Scanion had done a Carron.
In this fashion he killed off his own left origins. Like many other utopian sociulisis. heended his political life as a reactionary. Whether he will end up in Hell or the House of Lordsis besides the point. The struggle against Labour's policies und against the likes of Scanion must be continued if the Labour movement is to he in a state to resist those for whom Labour is opening the door: the Torics,
SOCIALIST CHALLENGE, 3 September. 1977, page 2
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CLIVEGOODWIN VOTEFOR BOB on TV censors — p.15 WRIGHT! by Mick Grunwick and the Rice - p.6 TUC-p.3&16