Three hundred thousand workers demonstrate for trade union unity in January-the reactionary role of the PSP in arguing against this Who Supports the Portuguese Socialist Party?
Francois Mitterrand and Helmut Schmidt. THE LABOUR PARTY at the req uest of the so-called "Socialist International", has issued an appeal to British workers for financial assistance to the Portuguese Socialist Party (PSP).
In a circular to their members the NATSOPA Exocutive Council urges such contributions so that tho Portuguese Socialist Party may continue the struggle for socialism'. But workers who donate hard-earned cash on this basis are doing so in error, for the policies and practice of the Port uguese Socialist Party have even less *The Social Democrats of western Europe should be heading for Lisbon to support Mario Soares in his efforts to contain the Communists. Senhor Soares will go into his next tussle with the Communists in better heart if he knows he is escorted in spirit by Harold Wilson and Vic Feather and - The Economist, Britain's leading capitalist mouthpiece, 1 February.
Why have the European Socialists with the exception of Willy Brandt, refrained from openly supporting the struggle of Mario Soares? ..A little political imagination, in this case relatively simple, is needed to save this little neighbour of 10 million people -and with it many things in Europe."
- L'Express, a learing French capitalist magazine, 10 February.
to do with the 'struggle for socialisni than do the activities of the rightwing Labour "leaders' in this country.
NO ROOTS The Portuguese Socialist Party is not a party with long standing or deep roots in the Portuguese working class. Under the fascist dictatorship It was little more than a group of middle class, liberal intellectuals, for the most part living abroad. The fasc ists considered them sufficiently harmless that they they allowed their leader, Mario Soares, to return to the country and engage activity during the old repime's libCome to ing members, Raul Rego, was able to edit a leading capitalist daily paper under the fascists.
lists were given a prominent place in the Government, precisely because the capitalists feit they could rely on them, Their leader, Mario Soares, be independence for the former Portug uese colonies. But this reputation is totally phony -Soares was nothing but a cynical front-man for the Gorin open political ernment. When the Government was dominated by conservative elements who wanted to stall independence to better protect Portugal's imperialist More recently the PSP has grad uated from serving the interests of the Portuguese capitalists to being a spokesman for the views of internat ional imperialism in Portugal. The hysterical scare-mongering Mario Soares has engaged in about the danger of 'extremist dictatorship fits in neally with the international propapanda of the capitalists. No wonder that PSP leaders have been warmily received by the American Govern ment: Among the international celugal to boost their fortunes is that renowned militant in the fight for nedy!
TREACHERY ers movement, sponsoring seminars for the cold-war, CIA-infiltrated trade union body, the International (save 20p). of the capitalist class, opposing a single trade union federation and a united trade umon movementems joined the Socialist Party, partly policy lost it the support of many workers, including a group who splis to form the Popular Socialist Front eral phase in 1969. One of their leadAfter the 25 April coup the Sociacame the Foreien Minister, and pained a reputation for his part in negotiating (headed by former President Spinola)
stake, Soares did their dirty work for Socialist Front. cbrities the PSP have brought to Port socialism' - US Senator Edward KenThe PSP has tried to take its treachery into the very heart of the workConfederation of Free Trade Unions During the recent debute in the workess" movement on the organisation of the trade unions the PSP (in alliance with their capitalist Governient collcagues, the Popular Democrats) were the main spokesmen of the interests For a time after the fall of the fascist regime a large burber of workON ? because its leaders were well known and partly because it was a more opea organisation than the Communist Party, which was following identical. class collaborationist policies. But as the reactionary role of the PSP bas developed - particularly in the trade union unity struggle (which was settled not, as the Communist Party had originally wanted, by a quiet cabinet vote, but by hundreds of thousands of workers coming out into the strcets and democratic votes in all the unions) -many of these militants have broken from the PSE. At the beginning of this year one group, which guined more than one-third of the votes at the last PSP Conference and includes its micel important trade unionists, walked out in disgust and established a new group, the Popular In the forthcoming elections the Socialist Party will be one of the PSP leader Mario Soares-his hysterical searemongering has imperialism in raptures CHILE SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION — LIVERPOOL Sacurday, March 15 Speakers:
MARTIN FLANNERY, MP JIMMY SYMES JOAN JARA Special train leaves Euston 8.50 a.m. from CSC, 129 Seven Sisters Rd., London, N7. 01-272 4298 main hopes of the Portuguese capit alists. They hope that it and the capilalist parties to its right can pain a clear majority of the votes cast. The capitalists will then try to boot the Communist Party out of the Government, and ise the prestige of the PSP to split the mass movement and draw a section of it to support the new Government, which can then get on with the job of making Port ugal a safe place for capitalists to exploit.workers.
The Communist Party's line of coalition with capicalist groups and encouraging the mass movement to place all its faith in the Goverment has completely set themselves up for such a plot. But if it succeeds it is the entite Portuguese working class whuch will pay the price No one should think that the plan to aid the PSP comes from within the workers movement -as the quotes et the head of this article show. It is the spokesmen of internations! capitaliam who have been campaigning for such ald, wich they cannot give directly without further compromis ing the PSP Jeaders The British workers movement should not pire one penny or one omice of moral support for these se actionary schemies, If British workers want to aid their Portuguese brothen and sisters then they can really do so by contributing to the strike funds that are being set up by the democ ratic workers committees that now exist in almost every Porruguese fact ory —such and will help the Portug wese workers fight and win the coning struggles our of which the real struggle for socialism' must come. Assemble Islington Square 12.30 p.m.
Tickets: E4