The special meeting of the NEC anti-Market members of the left were never drawn.
Marketeers wanted.
After Hayward's broadside the revolt fisaled out. For a few minutes the lefts' groped around for the odd word Benn temained silent. Mikardo, who had led the much vaunted onslaught - he had collected the 15 signatures meekly put himself forward to sign the surrender. He humbly moved the acceptance of Hay ward's statement, and just to rub the lefts" noses in the dirt, right-winger Mrs Shiricy Williams obligingly seconded the motion.
The meeting had lasted exactly 27 minutes-the shottest on record in the 75-year history of the NEC. one single solitary "left" voted against the Hayward statement. The rightwing emerged unscathed from the battie; the left crawled out defeated and demoralised.
CAPITULATED
The left have not just given in to the right wing, but have capitulated to the capitalist class on whose bebalt the right wing are fighting the pro-EEC campaign Bocause the SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
DOMESTIC: L6 per year FOREIGN:
NAME... Executive on 30 April the 'left' MPs had been dropping heavy hints that they were going to make sure that the Labour Party's resources would be mobilised for the anti-EEC campaign.
called at the request of 15 set the scene for battle. But the swords Instead Ron Hayward, the Party's general secretary, cracked down. Bluntly he told them that conference had not instructed him to organise the sort of general election campaige for withdrawal which some antiBOB PENNINGTON "left" have no alternative to the pro-capitalist policies of Wibon they can only restrict their opposition to particular issues and constrain that wittin the parliamentary framework.
All the right wing had to do to bring the "left" to heal was to organise a letter from 54 backbenchersanti- and pro-Marketeers alike saying that no attempt should be made to use central party funds, stall or machinery in the campaign. A conNot trived revolt was organised amongst the staff at Transport House, and the horrific vision of a split was held up before the by now thoroughly frightened 'left"
The failure of the 'left' to organise against the central polices of the Wilson clique leaves ail the initiatives with the right wing If, like most of the lefts', you believe in the social contract, which is the cornerstone of the right-wing's policies, you cannot afford to risk splitting the Labour £3.00 for o months E9 per year surface mail (12 per year airmail Write to RED WEEKLY (distribution) 182 Pentonville Road, London N.1. ENGLAND, AMOUNT ENCLOSED.. not suffer from any such difficulties.
serving the needs of a capitalist Britain. Furthermore they have a social base in the capitalist class for their policies.
INCAPABLE
to put into practice the majority Trades Union Congress because they cannot fight capitalism. A struggle against unemployment, factory closures and inflation needs the mass involvement of the working class, which entails radically different forms of organisation than those which restrict the working class to parliamentary democracy. That involves challenging parlisment. not subordinating the strugales of the working class to pressure on parliament.
worst of all worlds. Without an to Wilson they cannot mount any effective challenge to his politics, but can only squabble on aspects of policy, or how they see policy being interpreted ment they dare not take up any fight that might lose Labour's slender Cabinet clique to overrule the majority decisions of every significant section of the labour movement.
DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THE EEC London Saturday 31 May Vote No to the bosses EEC - For a Socialist United States of Europe Assemble Hyde Park, Speakers' Corner 2.00pm move off 3,00pm Speakers:
Joan Lestor (Labour Party NEC) Nick Brudley (LPYS represantative on NECI Peter Taatte (Editor Militant)
Eddie Loyden (MP, Liverpoal, Garston) The demanstration has been ca led by the Labour Party Young Socialists.
The IMG will be giving the demon.
new budget cuts Party on the EBC. The right wing do They have a coherent policy based on The left are incapable of fighting decisions of the Labour Party and the The Labour lefts suffer from the overall socialist policy to counterpose Irrevocably contmitted to parliaThis in turn permits the to be continued... in full by 1 June, A UNITED
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