*1 believe that on Ireland our Labour Government is pursuing a bipartisan policy in the same line as Tory policy', Labour MP Joan Maymard told a rally at the end of the most broad based demonstration yet mounted on the question of withdrawing British troops.
Demanding a change in the Government's policies, she pointed out that it was Labour which had sent the troops in 1969. "A date should be set for the withdrawal of British troops", she said, I would hope that the date would be an early one.?
Although rejecting the idea of an immediare withdrawal of troops, she did make an extremely important proposal calling for a trade union conference to discuss what workers in this country should do on the question.
LABOUR'S DILEMMA
Last Sunday's demonstration saw 3,000 pcople marching from Clerkenwell Green to the Temple demanding the withdrawal of British troops. This in itself would be a significant fact, but the present political situation makes it doubly British imperialism is in a mess, and the Labour government would ake to hand over the Six Counties to the Loyalists, But the consequences of this in Britain, and in relation to the nationalist population in both Northern and Southern Ireland, makes such a blatant surrender unpalatable at the moment.
The contradiction confronting the Labour Government is as follows: it cannot delay for too long in convening the proposed Constitutional Convention in the Six Counties, but if it hands the apparatus of the Six Counties to the Loy WITNESSES PLEASE!
Would anyone who saw any of the arrests at the end of the Troops Out demonstration please phone 01-278 9526 as soon as possible.
alists on a plate, all hell will break loose.
An important factor preventing many trade unionists from support ing the demand for immediate withdrawal is the feeling that the troops are protecting the Catholics, If the Labour Government completed its surrender to the Orange Order, the possibility of a miss movement developing on the question of troop withdrawal would be very great. The existence of even a small organised force would present itself as a pole of attraction to a section of the It is this that worries British imperialism. That is why they would like to nip any emerging moverent in the bud. We can thus begin to understand the harassment and witch-bunt atmosphere which surrounded the demonstration.
COALITION
The present coalition of forces which helped to make this demo a success has all the ingredients to make it a credible force inside the Jabour movement. That is why the state has reacted hysterically and organised a series of incidents to destroy this fragile coalition. That is why Trafalpar Square was placed out of hounds, as were Smith Square and Fleet Street!
A black propaganda campaign was launched and the services of friendly journalists' solicited. A crude attempt to link the forces supporting the Troops Oul campaign with the bombings was made-Clive Borrell write in The Times: they have provided safe houses and strategical advice, including the detailed geographical planning needed for making attacks on London.
That is also why the police were despetate to provoke a punchup and arrest some demonstrators on the demo itself.
NEXT STEP to fight to defend the movement and keep it together. This means taking up the defence of the comTades arrested, and showing how the police and press harassment has been carefully orchestrated a defence of the 14 members of the British Withdrawal from Northern Ireland Campaign arrested on conspiracy charges.
The key is not to give in to the Intimidators, Further actions should be organised, and divisions in the Labour Party should be encouraged to break the bipartisanship on Ireland, The most important step forward is to build the trade union conference suggested by Joan Maynard.
The Troops Out Movement (TOM) has a major role to play in these initiatives. They have already shown themselves capable of assembling broad forces on a national level (including six Labour MPs). As we have pointed out before it is on a national level that the TOM can do its most effective work, and it is on this front that its strengths should be utilised in the corning weeks and months. eteran paritist campaigner l'al Arrow invalved.
Our next steps are clear. We have Such a campaign must also include
LONDON
Little, untortunately, was resolv ed at the first delegate conference of the London Working Women's Charter Conference held on 26 October, attracting over 300 people.
One probiem, so far as determining future perspectives, and even el ecting a committee were concerned was the lack of structure for the main policy session. This has necessitated a recall conferenue.
In spite of these problems, which Of many of' those who canie, docisions were taken to call for a national conterence of the campaign and to publishi The ING stressed the need to go beyond just acting as a 'pressure group' on Trades Councas. The campaign must contious the type of activity org anised in support of the SEl women.
off the mark in future and also plan ahead for the struggles in which large numbers of women werkers will be Bur, as well as erganising warnen workers, the tight has to be stepped up to win over male trade unionists Many men workers, and even some women workers, believe that Labour's asti-discrimination proposals can soive the problems faced by women, If this view becomes accepted, it could lead to a big downtam in the struggle in much the same way as the take Equal Pay' Act of 1969. The Charter must, Last weekend's conference in London: Liz Knight from Hackney explains the need for вле сапрондп то довоор а натоя) The 18 October edition of the irish Republican Informarion Service (IR/S) contained the following statement: A statement from the Provisional IRA says that Judith Ward, who is at preeent on trial in Britain in connection with the army coach blast that caused several deaths, was at no time a member of the who supported the demands of the Charter. Hopefally these proposals will be BRISTOL Bristol Working Women's Charter will he holding a one-day conference on Women and Work tlis coming Satur day. 2 Noverher Support for the Conference is expected from those women wotkers at M'D&HO Wills toboou lectery who were lockel-ou in the rocent dispate. Theee hundred of the locked-out women attended a meating called hy the Bristol Working Women's Cherter Group on 21 October. This mootwomen all members of the Tobacco Wor AL LTON The women did not simply discuss their dispute bat raised matters such as the holding of union meetings in worktime, creche lacuities and full unemploy ment pay to married women locked-out because of che dispute.
It will be issues such as these that Satunday's Conference will be discussing Spokers at the Conference will include a Tobacca Warkers shop steward, an AUEW shop stoward, a sister from the Nurser' College and a NALGO member.
The conference wall be beid ar Bapt ter Wilis Community Centre, Horely Road, Briziel 2. 10.0 am SHEFFIELD The Sheffield Trades Council held a successful conference on the Char ter on Saturday, 26 October.
Proposals put to the meeting were finstly: to initiate a campaien on the Charter culminating in a nation-wide demonstration during International Women's Year (1975). And secondly to invite trades councils to a national conference on 8 March-International Women's Day-to plan the demonstra tion and extend the campaign.
of the reliability of her evidence at the trial last week, when she claimed to be the widow of an IRA officer, Capt Michael MeVerry.
The marriage took place, she said, in Dublin on 15 August 1973. But the Irish Fress newspapor reported that ro