The referendum, whose questions would be written and devised by Mr Wilson, and not by the Scottish people, would be a trick deliberately devised to renege on devolution, not to promote it.
The SLP emerges at a time when the Labour Party as a whole is increasingly torn between the supporters of the Wilson leaderNational Party. From its 400-strong founding meeting on 18 January, the Scottish Labour Party launched a campaign to build branches throughout Scotland. Since the above interview, the SLP's campaign has opened out in two large meetings, called by Labour Clubs at Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities, addressed by Alex Neil. Neil. now General Secretary of the Scottish Labour Party, was described at the foundation meeting as 'the man who wrote Labour's 1974 Manifesto for Scotland'. His speeches indicate that the interview represents a comprehensive outline of Scottish Labour Party policy as proposed by its The outcome of these meetings is a fair indication of the credibility or these policies. In edinburgh, unchallenged trom the platform, Neil won substantial support among the 130 present. In Glasgow, however, debating Tribune MP Robin Cook, he convinced only three of the audience of sixty The ease with which Cook outdistanced Neil on the left on many issues was demonstrated ov tnew resoective attrudes or bans and proscriptions. Neil avoided any reply to a clear question as to whether he would join Cook in denouncing witch-hunts in the Labour Party against the SLP by rejecting the attempt of the SP leadership to proscribe left-wing organisations and their members. Cook, however, told the meeting: 41 am absolutely opposed to lists of proscriptions. I have a Trotskvist on mv General Manacement Committee and I have no intention of asking him to leave.' The outcome of this meeting was significant. the present policies of the SLP leadership do not stand up to criticism ever from the viewpoint of left social democracy - let alone that of revolutionary socialism. The positions expressed by Alex Neil show clearly that the SLP leadership, caught between left social democracy and radical nationalism, Is unwilling to base itselt on the key issues of class struggle, and inclines increasingly towards providing a left-wing veneer for the 'solutions' of the Scottish Of course, convincing the hundreds of activists attracted to the SLP that the policies of its leadership do not coincide with their own motivations for joining is not a task to be undertaken frivolously. Many hold the same opinion as one comrade at the Glasgow debate: "Let's see them in action for a year, then you'll have some basis for criticism. The IMG agrees Win a vacuum extent of such 'independence. them and their organisations. ship are a question of life or death aspirations. They will decide whether the not a balance-sheet but a post-mortem utions of over 400 words) wholeheartedly that the policies of any working class organısa tion can only be criticised effectively as they are advanced and applied. But, equally, no political development takes place Without a clear socialist strategy the SLP leadership has only the options of being a 'ginger group' on the fringes of the Labour Party, counter-posing pressure politics to a real fight against the right, or a radical stalking horse for SNP policies inside the working class. Within either option the SLP can remain a large, formally independent, sect, but it is its ideological allegiance ana me class vorces it alons with waica will determine the rea The positions advanced by Alex Neil point starkly to the second option. When, for example, Neil poses the question of the first Scottish Assembly as being settled at Westminster by SNP/SLP negotiators he states that the question of how they are governed will be settled for Scottish workers in consultation with their class enemies, but without consultation with Nevertheless, the opposition expressed by Alex Neil to Wilson's policies of mass unemployment, to the cuts in social spending, and to the E6 limit implies the pressure of another course or action — ine socialist course wnicn tne rank-and file of the SLP have joined to fight for. For militants inside and outside the SLP, that course of action is a real option For them. the confusions and manoeuvres of the SLP leader the life or death of their potential gain for struggle posed by the creation of the SLP is won or wasted. Those who wait for a year for their 'basis of criticism' will draw up It is to aid such militants to fight the vacillations of their present leaders and build the vital struggles of their class thai the IMG will develop in the coming weeks its critique of the positions of the leadership of the Scottish Labour Party We invite all militants to contribute to the important de bate on the Scottish Labour Party by sending contributions to: Scottish Labour Party Debate, Hea weekly, Toz renton ville Road, London N.1. (we reserve the right to edit contrib