byBrian Clynes for the next step-the electoral intervention of the NF of the ruling class and British capitalism.
In this situation socialists have to put forward a programme for the working class to prepare it for the coming decisive confrontations. The question of the social compact has to be taken up and dealt smashing blows. The preparation for the fight against inflation and unemployment has to be organised, The responsibility of the Labour government to workers" organisations has to be taken up.
NF thugs hiding behind their Fi jacks.
Clearly our main resources cannot in this situation be thrown into the physical repression of the National Front. To do that would be to put a menage across that the workers hould be preparing for fascism. This i clearly crazy. The working class should be preparing for a strong state assault on its organisations; it should be preparing itself to fight the effects of inflation and unemployment. Fanciam is not around the corner.
Putting it in this way shows bow misguided are those people like the International Socialists who argue that merely because of the fascist intentions of the NF, Wherever the fascists field a candidate we will be there to confront them". No! Physical confrontation and emphasis on the repressive role of the NF is not our priority.
SMALL
Despite the massive commitment of forces by the IS to the fight against the NF, last week's Socialist Worker informed us that the NF is: 'a small organisation with a bandful of trade union members. They are not yet a major threat to trade union frocdoms and organisations... At this moment anti-picket police, law courts, government incomes policy, and the treacherous role of the trade union leaders are the chief enemies of the working class."
This is absolutely correct. But by seeing all this as counterposed to the type of danger represented by the NF -they render incomprehensible why we should be so vigorously fighting the NF. Indeed such an analysis justified their previous abstention on the anti-lascist front.
It was also for this reason that the 1S at first refused to raise anti-fascist slogans and simply concentrated on the demand to disband the Special Patrol Group, It is for similar reasons that the IS cefose to raise the demand lor the Labour government to ban NF marches.
The Front is a real threat to the workers movement right now Il is Red Veck 1P September "re Page 4' THE ANTI-FASCIST MOVEMENT IS IN A BUOYANT MOOD AFTER THE victory at Speakers Corner on 7 September, Many forces are now gearing up The clections will provoke a most wide-ranging discussion. The bourgeoic as In complete confusion. The hase of the Tory party is scattered into dozens of competing centres. The Labour Party is oftering the most mealy-mouthed apologla for class collaboration. In the middle of the arena Powell descends hy Loyalist parachute to present his vicious anti-working class solution to the ills Important that we understand what this threat B. It is absolutely useless to hase our activity today agausl the NF on some imagined threat that might occur in 27 years' time. We have to grasp the dynamics of how the NF will grow from today's condilions and hase our policy on that.
The National Front is not a simple re-edition of the Nazis or Mussolinis Tascists. These organisations presented themselves from early on as goon squads able to smash up pickets and workers' meetings. If is impossibel for the National Front to start off like that, The working class has shown itself strong cough to throw back the attempts of the Tories to use the State to weaken its trade union organisation. No poxy little group of thugs like the NF would get away with open fascist attacks on TU organisation. If there was any real bint of a fascist threat the workers Last Saturday 14 September over 150 tonde unionists and socinlists marched through Canterbury in a rally in protest at thie activities of Elbe National Front In the area.
The demonstration was spon ored by the newly-tormed East Kent Anti-Fascist Committee and was supported by the NUM, AUEN NUS. Labour Party, Communist Party, IMG und IS.
The rally was addressed by Jack Dune, Area Secretary of the NUM and John MeGeowa President of Kent University Students Union and JMG militant Both speakers stressed the necessaty of combatting the NF now and of breaking down their "respectable cover in an unguing campaign against the fascists:
John MeGeown sid that 'It is only through the pured action of the workers mosesent that the fascists can be combatted. He also stressed the dangers posed by the would turo on the fascist orpanisaLions and deal them an almighty crushing blow.
The sort of violence we have seen so far would be absolutely chicken feed compared to that. But the practice of the IS operates as if the most important question was to Physically smash up the NF The IS really ought to lake their owa words seriously. There in no must fosen Threat independent of the sere.
As we have explained time and again in Red Weekin, the threat of in fandew with the siate aharks.
ment and elsewhere by proctamming intentions. Their aim s to infiltrate cal ideas. The truth of the matter te anti-Irish feeling is concerned.
workers organisations. Whereas the has forced the unity of the working and divide and theretore weaken the workers movement strategy to those clements of the ruling cles who want a strong suite The strategy outlined in practice by Importance due to the intervention of Powell in frish politics is the Ireland and racism in particular see what is the crucial issue The working chass needs icon ronetbe crisis of capitalism and prevent the solution from being found at its expense. Our fight agacast the NF cun begin la take on the positive aspect of shoring up the weak spots of the working class. We can best do this by showing the crucial links between the issues on which the NF campaigas notably Ireland and racism and fascism NF/Loyalist link-up-it being an attempt to regroup the forces of the right in this country through the LA ciule and Orange Order A collection was held at thie for action to stop the NF using council chamber facilities.
The rally was agreed that the Anti-Fascist Committee must be strengthened by purting motions through all trade union branches and Trailes Cuuncibs in the unea The Coumince will be meeting soon to disciss further initiatives spainst the NF andan particular action in defence of f0 anti-fascist militants arrested during a clash with NE member and the police in Canterbufy on & Jane The fascists Can count oit a varm" reception every time they raise their heads in future.
Canteresty INC NF is indeed a fascist orpanisation, we must indicate its violent nature in practice. We must use all methods ol propaganda to expose it for the call for the Labour povernment to han its marches Given the mole of the police clearly seen over the past period, let alone the history of the fight against fascism, no relance must be placed on the scate to deal with the repressive threat of the lascists, the Nf isa pulitical one. In loday's conditions the NF can play a bip told They can do this by advancing their essential political role. The NE are not paining support in the workers move their anti-trade union strike-hreaking workers organisations and begin lo win big backg through their politi That the NF articulates the ingrained ideas and practices of large layers ol the working class as far as racism and It is under these banners that they can win backing for the need to bash actual State allack uver recent years class against such attacks, the activity of the National Front serves to split ALTERNATIVE STRATEGY The role that the NF play at the moment is to provide an alternative solution hat which have no political formalie to implement such a strategy the NF and now becoming of central assauit on the working cler. -entring on is political weaknesses, those on This gives us the key to how the NE should he fought. It enables us to the ban. rally and a petition circulaied calling Fi essentially political.
To do this we must show that the Thus of course is the justification decisive issues NF will never do that PUT BRITAIN NATIONAL FRONT As part of the campaign to politisally expose the nature of the NI: in the eyes of the working ciss cost attracted to it the call for a har becomes a useful weapon. Becatse the 15 don't agree with this approach, They see to gustification in calling for In is only wilina this frantework that we can justity a major interventon in the clection agaiast the NF. Iris only insofar as it allows us to raise the Irish issue and to link that to a strong state assault as represented By Powcl that it can command any part of our energies. What's core, IT we can make the link between the issue on which Powell campaigns and those on which the NF campaigns and indicate to broed layers their anti-working class character, a ingor puin will have been made COMING BATTLES The Front's relation to tha state as teen by a reader in Brighton who sent in this cartoon "Well lads, if the Tories get in next month, we can always join Rip pon's volunteer reserve army.