This will involve more than simply directing the campaign's attention to union branches and anti-racist committees which often have few links with the Black or Asian communities.
It is the latter groups which bear the brunt of the racist and anti-democratic nature of the immigration laws and it is for this reason that it is vital that they are encouraged to play a central role in building a mass campaign.
Such participation must not simply exist at the level of coordinating pickets etc but also involve a continuous trading of experience with regard to the operation of the law and the 'spin off problem. It is only through this that the campaign can effectively relate to the concrete problems of individuals who suffer the Act bar'. 2 Immigration from the Commonwealth flouted immigration regulations.
ment. 3 Commonwetath Immigration Act Introduced by the Tories in 1962 in response to pockets of racist feeling in the Midlands at the influx of Black people, over the previous years, to fill Britain's labour shortage. Limiting entry to workers holding 'vouchers', it was the first immigration law based on a "colour Wilson's White Paper of 1965 tightened up still further on the 'voucher' system and brought in stricter controls on the entry of children. It also gave the Home Secretary powers to deport people considered to have Coming at a time of major debate on Black immigrants, the Labour government conceded every point to the racist arguments since it effectively said that Black immigration was a 'problem' and limiting numbers would be conducive to race relations'. This shifted the debate to the right and racist laws had gained respectability-even in the labour moveIntroduced by Labour government in 1968, this Act deprived British passport holders of the right to reside in the country of their citizenship unless they had a grandfather or parent born in the UK. 4 Immigration Act Blacks into the second.
immigrants Introduced by the Tories in 1971-and enforced by the last Callaghan government-this Act consists of even more rigorous curbs on Black people. It divides the world population into 'patrials' and 'non-patrials'. Patrials are those with a British-born grandparent who can enter contry freely to work or settle. Non-patrials have no right to enter the UK. White Commonwealth immigrants fall into the first category and 5 Nationality Act and further curbs?
Although the Tories haven't yet disclosed precisely what new measures they will implement, Willie Whitelaw last year gave a list of the points they have on their agenda. The include: -A new nationality act —Stopping husbands and male finances residing in Britain - Introduction of an across-the-board quota - A register of dependents — An intensification of 'counter measures' against illegal — More provisions for repatriation
August 79 JUST BEFORE THE ELECTION last April, the Labour Party NEC and cabinet met to discuss the election manifesto. Despite NEC objections, the campaign Callaghan ran virtually ignored every major conference decision for the past five years.
There was, of course, nothing unexpected in this. Callaghan's to bend the knee before instead of representing those who put them into power?
In a society dominated by the banks and the giant monopolies, the 'national' interest is obviously what serves to bolster their interests and increase their profits. The 'national interest' is, in this sense, a fraud, a cover-up for promoting ference, it would only alienate large sections of the middle ground' frightened by the 'leftwing extremists' in the Party branches.
ridiculous After five years of Callaghan's government-during government was mandated by conference.
Such an argument is slightly Resolutions pour in In the run up to the coming Labour Party Conference, the NEC has received over 24 resolutions exploring the need for greater democracy in the Party. These centre around the need for man. datory re-selection of MPs, the need for conference to elect the leader of the Party-and not just MPs-and the need to remove the 'three-year rule' which can forbid an issue being debated out for three years if it has been raised and rejected at a given con.
Such motions obviously show that labour activists are not prepare: to continue to debate and decide policy merely to see Labour governments ride rough-shod over democratic decisions. page'