Fight But that fight should not be postponed because of elections. There is a burning neca, paruculary in crecuons, to electoral platforms to fight for such working class organisation.
The fight for candidates who express that need can be carried out within the between the reformist direction of its leadership and the socialist aspirations or une buik or lis memoers That gulf opened up into a chasm at the party's conference in Stirling last weekend. By Sunday night around half the delegates to the conference had been suspended or expelled.
The conterence opened win a hysterical witch-hunt - the conclumedia, Lists stampede the conference.
Leadership The SLP leadership gripped that their central ments, including the Sworn traditions of neetin Berry Celia Women Fight Led.
Jim Sillars threatening resignation dealt with.
tended for any opposition to delegates.
Doitca civice on floor. Education ment were Silberman (RW Editorial Tucker (unemployed teacher).
wings of the party.
discussion fought against by Starts 9.30pm, 5 Nov, at 18 sion of a week-long orchestrated press campaign against extremist and 'extremist infiltrators' middle of the party. in the SLP. Such diverse newspapers as the Daily Record, the nationalist Question and the ex-Trotskyist Scottish Worker all played their part.
Such unanimity was not accidental.
Using extensive contacts with the the SLP apparatus with the so-called radical national- including Tom Nairn, Neil Ascherson and Bob Tait - to try to erated outside the party membership.
unauthorised press. had been real Tedl policy docu'Jobs and Industry paper, were going to be defeated. Drawing on all the well- ganising British democracy their response was immediate - 12 socialists were expellThe expulsions were carried, with from the party if the extremists were Riotous scenes followed as many of the delegates understood the logic of these expulTHE CRISIS has hit nowhere harder than Scotland. The elimination of the Tories as the main party of the ruling class by the Scottish National Party means that the writing is on the wall for a major electoral defeat for Labour in the next general election. MPs Jim Sillars and John Robertson were the first to leave Labour's sinking ship to torm the 2,000-strong party held their first conference since foundation last weekend majority for the leadership's positions, a line now existed down the Expulsions An underlying theme of many of for the contributions in the debate had been anxiety about the freedom with which Alex Neil, the General Secretary of the SLP, and Sillars have opcontrol of Saturday afternoon saw Cumbernauld SLP put forward a simple motion to prevent any Uproar ensued, with the session breaking up in confusion. Despite Friday's expulsions, the leadership conjured up new visions of waves of reds taking over. Secret National OrCommittee meetings, Scottish Labour Party. scuffles and much verbal hysteria occupied most of Saturday evening Reconvening the next morning, delegates were amazed to find that the first item on the agenda was .... more expulsions! Four branches Stirling, Stirling University, and Cumbernauld - were picked out undisclosed "disruptive prac tices'. Although no discussion was taken on the motion it was passed.
While this business was being taken, Sillars and Neil alternately resigned, rejoined and resigned from the party. Sillars explained to the press that he 'was unconvinced that the ordinary rank and file members had the acumen or guts to deal with it (the expulsion of the left] on their own'. The previous day's elec tions to the National Organising Committee (NOC) were declared void and the remaining conference proceedings rendered a farce.
The expelled branches Hastil called a meeting at Sunday lunchtime. Attended by 80 delegates, the