ippeared with the TUC leaders.
ranks.
statute book.
and Jorry drivers" strikes are still fresh mmediate war on the trade union mion leaders to the rank and file.
"Agree or else', they say to the union leaders rgislation. horror from the phrase.
arrive becuuse the cosis to the pallows quietly.
the lorm below and send it to us about aetivities in my ares enciose Süp to cover costs Daiete if not applicablel NAME AODRESS BILORCHR ialist Challenge 17 May 1979 page 2 328/9 Upper Street, London Editorial: 01-359 8180/9, Distribution/Advertising: 01-359 8371.
The Tory Queen's Speech THE QUEEN'S SPEECH proved less of a spectacle than the Cup Final, Subtlety, rather than high drama, was Thatcher's emphasis.
The promised moves lowards strengthening Inequality duly the cuts in direct taxation, council house sales, the attacks on comprehensive education — but any measores to curb union rights will be preceded by full and leagthy "consultation' Thatcher's approach is hardly surprising, Despite the size of the Labour defeat, it is not just socialists who are wary of Thatcher. In their pre-election coverage, leader-writers in The Economist made i clear that they had litle enthusiasm for the right-wing strategy threalened during the hastings by the wilder elements in the Tory Such concern is not with the principle of union-bashing, but its tacties. This is why the Tory government is promising full consultation" with the union leaders before any legislation attacking the traditional rights of trade unionists is pul on the If the Torles did not know it before, their civil servunts will have told them hy now that their problem is not how to deal with the Moss Evanses of this world hut bow to give Evans something with which he con deal with his rank and file. The memory of the Ford strikes which did not ume from a conscious decision of the TGWU leadership to turn ilitant, but were a consequence of the membership's militancy.
In that contest it would be madness for the Tories to declare bureaucracy. From raperience of the Heath years the Tories know that no amount of rgistation can succeed if the strength to oppose It stretches from Accordingly the tacties behind the Tories" union policy are not Il that different fron those practised by the Labour government. breatening a Tory government, as Labour did, the Tories threaten But already there was enough in the Queen's Speech to spell out what is really involved in such schemes. The attacks on the National Enterprise Board and the various schemes designed to stave off unemployment mean ionger dole queues. The policies on comprehensave education and council bouses involve a furtber cut! in the 'sociai wage": the nature of the tax cuts marks a further stage im making this most unequul society yet more unegual.
The truth is that the Tories are dedicated to engaging in class warfare, even if the Labour and trade union leaders shrink in Ultimately a direct attack on union rights will arrive. It will of British and secessilates sigaificant cuts in the living standards of working people. The danger is that the Tories will muke these attacks when and where they choose, in the most favourable climate, at their mosi favourable time. To be seen to be 'conselting' with the union Instead of talking to Thaicher and Prior, Len Murray and the TUC's time would be better spent in talking with the teachers and arranging how the TEC can assist their current wage struegle. If the TUC leaders prefer to talk to the Tories, they should beer one thing in mind: the only reason a hungman offers "consulistion" with a condemned prisoner is to ensure that the prisoner will walk au agiee with these principles and want involved in actimties by Socialist tENARTE MESUSausans aRTinUM * 1 am inserestec in more information Al would liae additional Ilterature and Send 10 Soblalist Challenge, 328:B Uppe/ IT WAS a sombre occasion.
Last week in a crowded room a proposition was s propagiiost i. Nobod voted against it lt was done. leader of the cleven million strong British ment bad just been elected ERE MOL As the meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party began, Jim Callaghan was able to deciare, without opposition: There is no vacancy. I think it is healthy for the Parliamentary Labour Party that it is known that there is no vacancy The 267 Labour MPs who had been convened to agree Callaghan elected by the swear and votes of millions of workers. Yet the current rules Party permit this tiny group to elect a leader of a movement the which these millions created.
To add insult to injury the man they re-clected had led the Dovement to cecioral disaiter by pursuing the most rightwing social-democratic policies but instead of since MacDonald in the '30s.
lt was unsurprising then that there would гутраспу for advanced by Tony Benn the day after the 'election' took place.
After putting need to build an opposition to the Tories in Parliament (see tacing page), Benn went on to declare movement should examine:
*How to study and analyse the experiences of the last five Parliamentary The labour moveactivists whose the accountability had been conference current clection by MPs. of the Labour Shadow Cabinet to automatic resclection Any such widespread party These the view the of their party. forward the Benn the labour the righr's reaction.
OUR POLICIES 2* RUTSED, CHE OEINE CLAU Government, Party.
National Executive and the tion of the annual conference, so that we can apply the leasoas learnt tc the future work of the party: that o propay Lacoud many Labour Party strategy for socialism rests that of winning the labour movement to left policies. The guarantee of such policies being put into action is Neither, light for of the party structures to the members.
Chief among the demands Benn for reform of the party are:
• The clection of the leader of the party by the Labour Party instead of the • Election of the Cabinet or • That the PLP, whether in government or opposition, be bound by the decisions of the his posts.
• That MPs should be subject proposals are every body always greeted with shrieks ol horror by the right wing of the "democrats"
vould go to any length to stoj thorough democratisation himself has fought #gainst his local Bristol party adapting the policy of clection of the leader by the whole "There are good reasons for Such a structure, radical package would be a Shir which existed between the bersing toas rar more direhy fC, Wil gool unes hey are working class far more directly Of course the democratisaparty would not solve the fundamental problem of bow any lefl-wing government would be able to carry out its programme in the face of -hostility ruling class and its state. The balance sheet of Clile is not part and parcel of the proposals to reform the Labour Party BOTOrtOnaLET is there any common conception light SOESILUE measures immediately.
in speech in Birmingham before the leadership clections declared that there should be no personal recriminations as to the record of the last five years.
Decoded this micans: "I will conduct campaign throughour the labour move ment to remove Callaghan and supporiers their Yet this is exacily what is needed, The main fight for in the labour movement today is to build an opposition to the Tories, But the simultancous fight to remove the right wing of th labour movement on the basi: of their record of the last five vears is indispensable if such an opposition is to be built.
At every turn Callaghan and his allies in the trade unions will attempt to block that opposirion. However democratic the sabotage by these leaders, like Scanion's overturn Tersereil Tey waeild tarner Ternoveu! would rather see the Tories in power than find their own positions in the labour movement threatened by a mass fighting movement.
To build such a movement requires that the left organise BTEOUUDTBOEEOEUSGC BM the Labour Party and, even more importantly, in the trade unions. These lefts who say that they want to sce the Tories out and a new leadership for the labour movement should be put on the spot as to whether they will play a full part in leading such an opposition.
Otherwise we may find that once again the mirage of a left government replacing the Tories obscures the need for the lighting opposition that can transform the labour movement into a weapon for the working class.
Socialists and the Labour Party, Joint IMG/TSA school. Sunday 20 May, YWCA, Great Russell Street, London WCI Under the auspioes of the London World Affairs Group Registration 1pm. advance for papers. Furthes details phone Mistley (Essex) 1141 (evenings).
(The school is part of a series organised for those who have signed, or are interested in Sgnung- the appeal for revolutionary unity by the IMG/ISA]Leaving aside
Lery 1973.
government, Norma LETTE Trom Geotfrey was thought Tional Riddle One IF THERE Is a consolation about the return of the Tories to government It is that at least we may be in fora few scandals.
the current goings-on at the Old Balley, th Tories have always produced the best scandals.
The one that immediately springs to mind is the Norma scandal of May/June Prostitute Norma revealed that among her clients were two members of the Tory Lord Lambton and Lord Jellicoe.
These two worthy lords were Immediately sucked from the government, but a still bigger scandal then threatened when said that she had another cient who was a much more senior Cabinet member.
Much persuasion must thee have taken place, because the name of the third man' was officially revealed, although anyone with an ear to the ground knew the name of bounder who had lists besmirched the Tory environRiddle Two AMONG the manies missing Thatcher's Cabinet is MP for The leaflet exclusively reveals: lu 1977, the internatdictatorship of the proletariat WAS estublished under the leadership of our purly, the Communist Party of China, covertly, applying new forens of warfare, in particalar clectronic and satellite This is excellent news for a all, but more is to follow, for the leaflet reminds us that in 1977 beloved Chairman Hus pointed out: The International situation today is good, it is very good, not just good or fairly good"!
Of course, in 1977 there was a place called Cambodia and Vietnam was about fo be "taught a lesson'. Just like the years previousty.
Thatcher v Saatchi AT the end of the 18tb century how he had arranged to how he Carranged to increase the bostilities" between Orangemen and Irish nationa A contemporary example of such a scheme could well surface soop, masterminded by none otber than Saatchi and Saarchi. Fot the Tories' advertising agency last ACCE acquired a new client in the shape of Fianna Fail, the governing party in the South of For 30 years Fianna Fail have used the O'Kennedy-Brindly Irish-based agency. But that company has now been laken over by Saatchi and Saatchi, whose chairperson Kenneth Gill was quick to take up the Fianna Fail cause, describing