ration. …ne main inrust ornis speech.l immigration quolas tor ine year 191s.
Powells soeech. which accused ravour of 'conspiring' to hide the true facts was careruly calculalca. Coming on top of the press 'scare stories' of large numbers of immigrant workers in the country without work permits', clearly intended to play upon the worst racial prejudices ot backward workers by suggesting the real cause of escalaling unemptoyment lay in ine intux or black workers. …ne resoonse or ine Labour leaders was not to challenge the racist basis ot rowell's attack Dul, on ine contrary, to meekly admit that a 'clerical error' nac been mace. I nis spinetess altitude on the part of labour leaders is not new out part or a long iradition of capitulating before racist demagogy which has led them. over the years, to try and 'out-Tory' the Tories in introducing restrictions against black immigrants. In early January, Enoch Powell hit the headlines once more on the question of immigwhich received wide press publicity, the Labour government was deliberately covering up for the fact that it had 'exceeded' it was Enoch Powell: hoping to stir anti-immigrant prejudice.
the labour movement, against racist attitudes in general.
The Immigration Act not only discrimInates againsi Diack people entering ine country on the basis of their colour. It also helos to institutionalise racisn in this country by ensuring that the few who do manage to enter (under the work permit system) are treated as 'cheap ¡abour nine mosi meniai loos ano are deprived of the most elementary rights.
by challenging, ised racism in society - 'legalised' in the sense that it justifies the oppression black people suffer in every aspect of their lives - a serious be offered to figures like Powell who, for too long, away with their racist garbage. Responsibility Already. has met with a positive response from Immer an orcahisallons. and trades councils. enrecuve. however - for it to be able to act as a springboard to take the issue into the labour movement - it is vital to draw in the widest possible forces have, The fact that the Labour over ine years. Dacked down racist pressures, responsibility lies on the left. Unless it can meet this responsibility and turn its anti-racist stance into a concrete and effective opposition to the demagogy of Powell and his followers, the coming perioa coura see ine prejudices Dullt up by over centuries of imperialist rule ever-more inflamed.
Building a mass demonstration in April could become a real tocal point tor aeveloping such a campaign and pioneering It witnin ine broader labour movement. The LSA would add its voice to that of CRA's in urging all student unions. trade union and Labour Party branches ana - in arcad such as IS or the IMG to affiliate to the ad-hoc committee building the demonstration and to publicise it widely.
Information about the ad-hoc cttee can be obtained trom Franco caprino, 45, Kensington Park Road, London W.11.
Line vote. ine La new mcdote January 13.
pay'.
In a alreci way, ecal-
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REPEAL THE IMMIGRATION ACT ALL OUT APRIL 11th National Demonstration Assemble Marble Arch 2.30 was that Last October,
be introduced. * Germany