The long awaited meeting 'Against the draft, against the split" organised by the political opposition remainCommunist ing wiemen Ine Party of Great Britain opened WIth& Dunco-oD and ended with one. Despite this. Ihe 430 coopic wao atenaca the Hammersmith Town Hall meeting last Friday heard hard-hitting contributions and, however bankrupt their ponces ine speakers BISplayed a political agisty not evident io caic from the ranks of the New Communist Party.
There were two competitors for the chair, when the meeting arty tiff. Fergus Nicolson had he upper hand as the microthones were hastily arranged in the hall itselt, to drown out John Gould's efforts to covene the LIC DESLOCH!
Gould is the chairperson of the Hammersmith borough district sIn the midat attibe chaos In the midst of Gould was roughly dragged be hind the curta ns by the steward The rocro phine to k ta as tine microphone to warn against LH THCCH" midst of the crisis of the CPGB, appealing for Freat cadera like Harry Polle tradition of the Party's and R. Palme Dutt.
MINERS / MUSICIANS The policies expounded by the New Communist Party. ON Communist Paryges sent to the meeting fron Scottish area the union), Juck Collins (executive Alan Bush, the composer. called for urmosr unity Taco or lhe prevent -NITT STEET inuing further down che 'British Road to Disaster ANIE BETHEL Surrey Commitree peined it in his con tribution from the ficor. Harsh New Communist Party who had "eft a dronning ship" Nowed as freely as those against the draft. The carefully prepared platform speeches presented a TOUr ded view policies of the •IIC Davis LAnTIE. dret's concepcion of the broad democratic alliance. Althaugh an ImerOnCn OVere aR-mA opoly alliance of past animes, Davis argued SCHLaICO HIC volved in the allianoe — inclad ing, the black, women's, TUTE HATOHS TOIYCIAE Mess- working class inseif. She rejocred charges of walasIT miDers party bur held op with contempt La members" semark that equated the importance of the gay-str sight issue with the class seruggle in the Crisis T0 fuelled this view.
speaker from the London District as Bill Laith- Committeecentred hisremarks on provide a manes the prenat of the decisive unity was esscotial, but Pinder askod hew SEnieler of the bureaucratic positio theoretically weak dratt. f the London Distr organisations.
LUNATIC FRINGE SAPCICCS IE the meeting came fashionable in the WENSERSIE factory floer'. The draf!
black CHILTE ULUIE *The SWP. the • black lunatic fringe' this was lob jan, He felt tha natan SnEE eL NI ractice of party members ob this other LLUIL TaS SOUTe LUCSOm.
Pinder was best received whon he made : derisory appeal to the many NCP members present to stop sending intellectuals. him letters and to end arsempts to sow discuty in the ranks or bad Macy of the strongest wands in trom Terr by the NiSS SnO DOE OnuC SOrg TOILEUEKI ers Lilon. The splir was nothin less than an act of treachery. And thoroughly demosd the failure of the CPGB to draw the lessons of Chile wiere oolde or compronust and appeasement" have had dire consequences for the South Amshe bad heule Timeto hose woD nwe DeE E most insistent on the need to learn these lessons: the far lett.
were dismissed John Foster, the social historapologised for being w-hich aled King Stroet — in the final nuor na naldon euere ess he called for "creative Marxism', semething which coudn" oo lo tae pansy s s0-auleu Teis of te sty to, Foster called fo In a highly sophisticated an urgent distinction to be made hourgenis democratic rights and bourgeois institutions, Drawing on historical examples be denunced the illusions sewn draft n the Britsh Al the end of the meeting. a brief glimpse was caught of wha oppositionists in the thirties must have experienced. Stewards rouahlu at oed B of the roen: removed atonal marxst croup, to pre stateibent outside the bal. In marsed contrast lo other répent meetings of the CPGB -Ike the Communist University SOCIWISE CHALCO KIRSHCS told by stewards that "we Stalinists are going to get rid of Trots The case came the police objection was up roc poucc nau chaleu Cha Bna had inadequate arrangements, In reality METCHE FaCISM In MC OCH was coming out again Concil and the GMC of Delegates to the Jocal Labour Party have exp ed astonishment at the po and have promised to issue in their respective tions. A RAR spokeipe will continue and the September will po Front Rally READING: Aher a Corma Ihe alIOna oOn wete boeted metee week by Reading and open te delegates | Party ln the
ALIST CHALLENGE, B September, 1977, page & broader reformist strategy.