APPROXIMATELY two hundred members of the Labour Party met in Manchester at the weekend with the aim of turning their organisation into a 'mass party...active in all fields .
The conference was called by the Labour Coordinating which played its part in the victories on internal reform won at the recent Labour rarty conierence. the faces associated victories were seen at the weekend.
Tony benn and Arthur spoke at a rally on the Saturday evening. They didn't conference itself but among. who did were Peter Hain and MPs Stuart Holland and Michael Meacher.
The conference was billed as one for 'activists' but it was dominated by public figures and there disappointing turn-out from rank and file members of the Labour Party. That is one indication of the size of the task the LCC faces in what Peter Hain described as 'creating a mass party.
Changes Hain's paper to the conference argued "central changes' required in the Labour Party 'are not organisational but political' He stressed the importance of 'extra-parliamentary activity' said that the 'immediate targets' of the LCC should include stewards, 'those in or around pressure group politics' and the 'periphery of Socialist Worker Challenge'.
Stating such aims and achieving them are two different things. It was, for instance, a sign of how much the leaders out inboaring never -learn about impressing phery' of the revolutionary left that it failed to organise a creche for the conference.
The issue of produced one of the best discussions of the weekend.
The leadership of the LCC came to the conterence sunporting. 'trom a purely democratic point of view', the abolition of the women's section paper presented to the conference, agreement on all sides about this'.
ONE of the main debates at the LCC conference concerned against the cuts in public expenditure.
Many speakers stressed the need for united action against the cuts and for the Labour left to link up struggle with all those fighting the Тогу. axe. There expressed to rate rises, an opposition we agree with.
TED KNIGHT, Lambeth conneil in South London, was one of the main speakers at the LCC. In a separate interview Socialist Challenge, views on the cuts and how to fight them.
Lambeth something in the region of £4 million worth of cut government funding in the current financial year.
The Lambeth Labour decided that such cuts were socially unacceptable and we asked the local Labour Parties to discuss the general situation. They were quite determined that there should be no cuts and that the Labour should lead a fight against the Tories We discussed this with the trade unions representing the They were equally firm and promised support for the council in the fight Socialist Challenge 8 November 1979 Committee those Scargill attend the those was and spirited shop the right of Socialist separately quences of such a right.
October,' said Ann, initiative, There was, said a fight was opposition leader Knight gave his we are facing Ted Knight against the government. council Tory government. that campaign council Parliament on 7 November.
employees. the demand Vul UWu.
defence of the women's section was made by Ann Ceseck of North Islington Labour Party. She referred to the general principles on women to organise and the practical conse- changes "The reason the TUC supported this the anti-Corrie demonstration on 28 'was because of the pressure put on it by the Women's TUC and by the Women's Liberation Movement.' Her speech secured an stated overwhelming vote in favour of the continuation of the women's section.
OI that discussion was the support shown at annual general meeting of the LCC for the holding of a special conference on women's rights. This well as further conference on economic strategy, will be discussed by the LCC executive. The AGM also agreed to calling a national decision-making conference.
The latter meeting will hopefully That proved not to be the case. A | clear up many of the ambiguities | The present deputy leader is Michael labour So the Labour group has decided that there should be no cuts in the and that should conduct a public campaign against the The highlight of the march to We are conscious of the need to break our isolation and we are makung that other Labour councils follow a similar position to We are calling on Labour which surfaced at the weekend.
An example was the issue of Callaghan leadership. speaker argued: 'If we want to build a mass party the main obstacle to all the the leadership. One of the main aims of conference should be to say "Callaghan must go"?
There was little opposition in principle to such sentiments, but the speaker warned:
Callaghan if Healey is going replace him:' In the end, the question of the Callaghan leadership was lett abeyance.
No vote was taken; agreed was that if Callaghan the next Labour conference, which will debate means of electing the party leader, the deputy leader of the Labour Party should take over on an interim basis. Parties and trade unions to bring pressure on Labour particularly in London and other key areas to oppose all cuts.
emphasis November demonstration - hoping that it wil show that it is possible to draw the movement, the Parties, trade unions, and others of the left, into a common fight against the Tory government Labour councillors worried that they will be isolated. The Clay Cross example is a deterrent because the Clay Cross councillors were deserted by the Labour Party and une Labour government.
Some of those councillors are still paying financially quences of their action.
What we have to show is that there needn't be this isolation again.
So we would urge that Labour Parties in their regions should call conferences which would together the various sectors of the labour movement: so that thev car thrash out a clear line and build support for each other, link up with each other and with other struggles taking place on the question of jobs and wages.
The Greater London Regional Foot.
Other decisions taken conference included support for the establishment of factory and the election by an electoral college system of Labour shadow cabinets.
The discussion on such issues represented a general move towards securing greater democracy within the Labour Party, but they also reflected the obsession manv on the Labour lett continue to have internal affairs.
This, together with a somewhat drawing room, academic atmosphere •at the conference wil not helo the LCC in its stated intention of relating to workers in struggle.
Suggestions were made on this front. These ranged from community politics to the anti-nuclear campaign. attention was paid to fighting the cuts.
Such issues are seen as a means of revitalising the base of the Labour Party. But this intention, honourable or otherwise, will need more than the *resolution mongering' referred to by one speaker.
For instance, rally on Saturday evening spoke out against the Leyland ballot and why the workers there should have voted 'no'. But Benn did not make. such to Party Peter Hain Council of the committed to such a policy, but if we can't push it into conference hesitate to call one ourselves.
On the issue of a rate increase next April, don't principled question.
Labour The object of our whole activity is to mobilise which will defeat government. I don't believe you can are mobilise on cutting services or. on doing nothing and handing over to the Lores • year to off-set Lambeth alicasucs bankrupt in a short time and the Tory commissioners would be in.
bring T&G Speke:
at the individual branche cabinets and LCC than a few the party's And the support it more grandiose Special "active did conference.
Tony Benn at the . initials.
Labour Party is calling such in Lambeth won't peneve workers into a struggle about the Tory vall But if we don't increase rates next Krent. cneaker government's would be Camden: (Lambeth Campaign against But we don't start from the base Conference to discuss new technology/alternative plans 17 November — N.E. London Polytechnic Separate workshops on GEC, heavy engineering, aerospace, telecommunications Details and credentials from N.E. phone Tammy White, 01-597 4630. Sponsored by Lucas, NEI Parsons, views widely known before the ballot meetings or issue leaflets explaining why the workers should have voted against the Edwardes' plan.
while Benn was sympathetic'when a delegation from the threatened ICL factory cornered him about their struggle, what comes of such sympathy only time will tell.
Nevertheless the LCC now has the leadership of the Labour left. It has membership hundred, with 39 affiliations from constituency Labour Parties and one from a trade union branch.
That lack of enthusiasm for the rank and file trades unionists indicates that it needs more well-known names and promises of action to re-establish the authority of the Labour left.
eventually it will be • the actions which the LCC initiates and 1 it and the Labour Party generally will be judged.
Similarly, it is all very well to talk of the need for the Labour Party to be in fields', but it is interesting that the issue of Ireland surface during the LCC And yet, in the last ten years, it has been one of the greates! indictments of the Labour left that is has, by and large, kept its mouth shut on Britain's war in Ireland Unless the LCC breaks from such traditions it may well be that those on the left outside the Labour Party will conclude that the LCC is just the old, discredited Labour left under new that we haye to increase rates next year. We are starting from the base that we have to organise to defeat the I'm in favour of industrial action to achieve a political end. I believe the fight against the Tories will take place outside of Parliament, and that the party and trade unions should bring the defeat of this government by any means we SKA Uroanser London meetings: blo thrent sneak, sTed night leader back.
Lamn DeLI Rd/Chichele Rd, NW2 speakers James Ryan (Islingtor 130pm, quires, 83 Carson St, NWI. 15 Nov London Poly Resources s Centre or
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dilemma the Labour left faces was • It is stupid to get rid of