THE FIRST MEETING to launch the International Socialists' election campaign in Walsall North took place last Thursday. About 70 militants from the Black Country and Birmingham turned up to hear Paul Foot and Jimmy McCallum argue the case for a Socialist Worker candidate. The meeting was actively supported by members of the International Marxist Group, who brought about a unira or tne audience along.
Foot and McCallum spoke at length about the corruption of British capitalism - the Stonehouses and Slaters of this world. Paul Foot stated that Stonehouse showed what was wrong with the Labour Party 'in a nutshell'. He emphasised the hopelessness of trying to bring about socialism through Parliament - only the mobilisation of the working class could do that. Pathetic McCallum pointed to the collaboration of the union officials with the Labour Government and to the pathetic record of the Communist Party as it tried to cover up for the defection of its 'left' friends like Scanlon and Jones. The key task, he stated, was to start the fight back now against the cuts and unemployment.
However, it was on precisely how that should be done that IS had no answers. Foot and McCallum constantly harked back to the days of the 1972 miners strike and the Pentonville Five. What they failed to explain is that the situation is different under the Labour Government, and that different policies and demands are nec essary to take the struggle forward.
McCallum's claim that 'only the organisation is missing' simply serves to mislead join the Socialist Worker election campaign. Not once did they raise any socialist demands that militants should take up. Nor did thev mention the importance of supporting the already existing campaigns in Walsall against the cuts and racism. Thousands When a member of the international Marxist Group called for the setting up of a joint election committee of all those who supported McCallum - revolutionaries, Labour Party members, trade unionists - McCallum declared that by the end of the first few weeks of the campaign there would be "too many supporters for a committee. Foot talked of the thousands of people in Walsall support us* IS's intentions became clear towards the end of the meeting when they twice had to be reminded that a resolution had been moved and submitted in writing for a vote. Despite the obvious support for a vote being taken, the IS rerusea to grounds tnat tne meeung was nor a delegate meeting! Anyway, said Jimmy, he'd be in Walsall every day just down the road. and anvone who wanted to help could just drop in.
Accountable Despite their long attacks on Stonehouse for his bureaucratic attitudes, despue polang our tal Labour farty MP's are not accountable to their suppormobilise the working class the working class.
supporters meetings who will democratic practices um and the IS.
John Graham.
chairperson put the resolution on the retused to support the organising October. nas now called IT ow that the never This comes as no surprise.
own members because rooted racism in its own Such attitudes are fatal. Many workers are disillusioned with Labour and can be won to a fight against their policies. But the forces required to wage that struggle are enormous, and neither the IS, the IMG or any other group can adopt the ludicrous pretension that they alone can Furthermore, many militants - precisely because they have been through the experience of the John Stonehouses — are very wary of self-proclaimed leaders of IS's anti-democratic practices simply put a bar in front of winning these workers to the fight for socialism. United campaign committees, democratically run, responsible to regular RECOGNITION - that's what is needed in Walsall North. Instead the IS have chosen the path of sectarian glory.