IN HIS letter attacking Tariq Ali's article on the Morning Star John Ross broooses an ulteriy sectarian response to the possibility that this paper may cease daily publication.
dons comrade acknowledge that, in the absence of an alternative, the disa be Morning Star would be a setbac! for the workers movement in this transition of the Dally Herald from being a trade union paper to being an ordinary: capitalist etback. Those responsible for such losses bear a heavy responsibility for them - before the movement as a whole:
So far as John Ross is concerned the Morning Star B a because it reflects the politics of the CPGB which are 'very well worked our". Consequently: "To try to urge Interess of the des strugzie is no that the retlects Labour Party to lead the struggle for socialism. Whnt is neceded is to build futile Fight the Communist Party are working Since both the Labour Party and class parties revolutionaries have a the real interests of the working class. The only alternalive tb. this is to arque that they should represent ruling ClAss. interests. which I am sure comrade Ross will SCC 15 WrOnR. Ui COurse reVOILa aries would be wrong to suggest or imply that cither the Labour, Communist Party, will lead struggle for socialism; but Tariq All certainly encouraged no such idea in his articie on the Star.
The CPGB is, of course, much staller than the Labour Party and perhaps comrade Ross thinks that il can be he believes he makes a grave mistake. The CPGB, although very hegemonises a vital layer of militants these militants soe themselves as DE TOMESSE INS BULLER class strugale, Britain internationaliv as well.
Comrade Ross writes of the CPGB as il st were simoly an oreenication for promoting scabbing, and the Star Such notions may. go ILS DESILICE down well in student circles, where lhe Cr has mursued a snectaculariv and consistently rightist policy, they would be rejected as ahsurd by the majority of class workers. The supported the bi toppled Heath and has supported the struggles big national confrontations againsi the social contract (recently Piremen's strike and the Miners* claim), The Star was wrong not to support the Leyland toolmen, but many opponents of the social contract were suspicious of the toolmen's struggle with its demand for negatiating rights, concern differentiais and protestations loyalty to Government policy. Most of the errors made by the Star on the industrial front are similar in that encourage already quite widespread advanced workers, which would have to be reflected in any workers newspaper, Socislist Challengi bitices for Secails, 081-336 2352.
GREATER MANCHESTER Socialist Steve writa so Manchester SC rnE94010066 stera core contacied by tinging longe on a mena tre e B00ND 0000IS160 Live pool. Epm, SOUTH MANCHESTER Socialise Thune a Challenge gro. Alben n al Moss Side ahopping canine Longsigni Furies information tom Q8r-235 SOCIALIST CHALLENGE 18 May 1977 page 14 was write off expecting the Chile Solidarity Campeign. restricted facilities -Performances: 18-19 May, the supports them, that the Star was the the reason that Torehan The only considers Sanopoint of wheiner 11 reflects anti-capitalist but conscious Star undoubledly thal criteria that belo declining circulation. the Libya or Irag.
separate for of and so is in suggested above, misconceptions among authentic So far HS change all this YORKSHIRE erland Straus leep stat on orthern Rock on High Row WALES SWANBEA Bocialist Challenge grous other Woenescay 1.30pm THE CHILEAN poet Pablo Nerude's only play, Splendour and Death TOCAD → Theatre of Contemporary Arabic Drama - In assoclation with the play male as well as famale roles Latin American Centre (17 Hoxton Sa, London Nf). Technis 9 York Wi routine industrial strikes go the Star in contrast to the capitalist press. I1 chould also be said only daily worked Dewspsper to une ils readers to take part in the ANL Carnival — in front that, John Ross is so carried away by his outrage al the many bad positions adopted editorially by the Star, that the is revolutionary newspaper, Evidently struggle. ir is not. What Tariq All proposed in his article is that the Star should also be judged, as should any workers on che extent to which it the existing and anti-imperialist struggies, and the extent to which it is open to the real debates within the sante workers movement. Il was on these essential minimum grounds that be lound tne sar wantng, and u Is its failures by these explain is SUTE John Ross sems lo have missed the significance of the reference to Newsline. If it is true that this paper survives thanks to the patronage of Eben mere obstacle to changing it politics that has nothing to do with the workers movement. The problems of the Star in part reflect the fact that it does not have extrancous support of this sort difficulties despite against much larger circulation, It must also he said that by the clementary criteria Ine newMine 15 exceptionally mendacious and monolithic, often excelling the Stur in these respects, Even so we should hope a the fight develops inside the WRP to the Streal All supporters welcome Next H0 May anc tortrighty Street 858-Ten Yens Alter SOUTH WEST PORTSMOUTH Socialist Socialist Supporinis Coluroy SENTIME минімана по ватниПин currently receiving ita first English produation, The group makes imaginative use of extremely Including a cast of only six in which women members London N7], 24-28 May At 8pm Perhaps the most astonishing claim in comrade Ross's Jetter is that the CPCB is possessed of very well and prospect within it European CPs, the CPGB is passing through a very profound crisis at the present time? That it is being forced to re-examine its relationship Stalinism, programme socialism, und its tactics in the class One of the worst failings of the Star has been its allempt to muffle, evade or suppress this discussion; Comment is a more lively publication because it allows ar least a modicum ol debate. It is ironic that John Ross's letter was published in the TEME centre-spread devoled to Louis Althusser's critique lesdership. W3UE comrade Ross urge Althusser to leave futile attempts to change it? If so I'm NATIAIS agrec. Althusser's rejection of monolithism, ISTRETEIS politics of the PCF is, so Fur.
incomplete and it is unclear how fur he will press it. But what is clear is that the sort of questions he is raising are by no means confined to a few isolated intellectuals. The Congress of the PSUC (Catalan Communist Party) which voted by a majority party's commitement sign of this; the very considerable opposition inside the CPGB 10 the British Road to Socialism is anocher.
To aim to build an 'alternative to rather miserable ambition, since che CPGB is, despite many good workine Site SCOTLAND Dacussion details DUNDEE: in ormation apov: Socialis Culers Challenge @ctvilies:/mm 51. Glasgow. Join in SC aate puis de Bocts leamar of Relamm Sireel cach Saturday, +1am-Bon LONDON AMMESHIH Socialist meltlants it, failure, even on its own terms Bunlding a socialist alternative that will be a foroe within national politics and ar every level of the class struggle is a much larger aim. But it is nost unlikely that it can be achieved il the leadership of the CPGB is allowed to tutelage over a crucial layer of the class CONSEILS ROBIN BLACKBURN [South-West London| FROM time to time some pretty shoddy arguments have appeared in the pages of Socialist Challenge, but John Ross's letter by Morning Star scraped the barrel of political dishonesty [Sociallet Chal lenge 4 May).
We are told that you can open the Star "any wock", and find the papcr singing the praises of a number of regimes John Ross doesn't like, thus giving the impression that the Star grants the same regular, sycophantio coverage to Seria any Lanka cic.
for Gladdaffi's Libya.
In fact, 1 have mever seen an article on Syria in the Star fand the Star attacked the Lebanon). Nor does feature much in the paper — the only to article 1 can recali was a report from for the last Congress of the Sri Lanka CP.
As for Ethiopia, the most recent article was a sober assessmene of th International Depertment, which by no streich of the imagination could described as simply adulatory.
readers" eyes by running a number of in common except that they're not in Europe BourgeoIs Gandhi and Gaddaffi bardly belong in the same sentence as the Ethiopian military let alone government in Angola Of course, if Ross really thinks that Agostinho Neto is the same a: Indira Ghandi, then l'd be interested to hear him argue it (and no doubt a debate could be arranged). I douht if he will, however, since in doing so he would reveal little more Chan a crass ignorance of both Angola and India In an amazing feat of political gymnastics, Ross gocs on to arrack i5 000 the CP's sabotage"
following the Labour Assembly on Unemployment and so on, "not to mention their policies"
Italy! But who is 'they"
Ross knows perfectly well rhar the Bricish CP does not determine the policies followed by its French or class gand cantect Socialiet Challenge 64 Queen St, G asgow. Cpen Socialist Challenge 1 Challeng:
manifestly a CHESTE WOUNCIS genwine ctc.).
Although arracking the engage opposite demolisbing Ethiopin. Sci a tendency in the 25 the Newsline reserve that the Syrian intervention in Sni Lanka Somalia by Jack CPGB'S Talian counterparts. He is also well there are differing opinions inside the British Partv concerning the activities of other Europe CPs. But this he's doing is pulling the oldest and Trotskyist hat — substituting a list of alleged 'betrayals' all over the world for any serious political argument. call foi a Bill of Rights does not Irish working people, I'm afraid that a large mumber of Irish trade unionists would disagree. (But 28U33 nostalgic for the good old days whien the Red Mole would appeat slogans such as "Victory to the IRA cablazoned all over Its front page?)
And inunigration controls? — The enly controls the CP or the Star could support would be non-racist ones, (for example, if chere were a overpopulation problem, We are opposed lo every control that has foud its way onto the statute book, and to all the ones currently being considered. On this issue, for once, we happened to be in situntion evidently not to the liking would strong disagree with much of what Tariq Al wrote in his original piece on the Star, at least chat was a serious and reasoned contribution to the debate political dialogue Hut Roses eter is ouite piece of crude knockaboul that evides the TCR discussion by resurrecting and doly THOME VERY tired old organisation's current rap prochement with reality, and intent on dragging it back to the gbetto of Transitional Programme bope that saner opinions will prevail PAUL FAUVET (West London
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