The Labour leadership elections provided another important test of the politics of groups on the revolutionary left. In most cases the positions taken were entirely consistent - and wrong.
The International Socialists, for instance, simply denounced the whole thing in ultra-left terms as irrelevant, without even raising the elementary demand for a Labour Party Conference to decide the issue.
The Militant, on the other hand, came out with its usual combination of ultra-left retoric and rightwing practice. Formally it called merely for an emergency Labour Party Conference, refusing to support a vote for any of the candidates. The actual thrust of the paper, however, went in completely the opposite direction, since two of its major items were an uncritical interview with Benn and an article - printed without comment - by Syd Bidwell MP.
Only Workers Action-a newspaper whose line is in general supported by the International Communist. League (ICL)-took a position on the election with which we would agree. This paper had ancauy laken a numer ol important steps forward of the ICL in position. than clarifies political debate.
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