NOW! robberies answer

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The series of brilliantly planned armed robberies in the Irish Republic carried out by the Provisional IRA have reportedly drawn in around £1 million so far this year to supplement other forms of finance for the organisation.

But such actions cannot substitute for the IRA's lack of any clear political perspective in their continuing struggle against British imperialism.

Virtually the sole emphasis of the IRA's political agitation now centres on the heroic struggle of the 300 Republican and socialist prisoners in 'H' Block of the Long Kesh concentration camp.

They are continuing their refusal to wear prison clothing or do prison work in pursuance of their demand for the restoration of political prisoner status withdrawn from them by the British Labour government.

Savage tortures

This campaign has been combined with further efforts to expose the savage tortures and maltreatment of prisoners and "suspects" meted out by the British imperialist forces and the Royal Ulster Constabulary -now partly acknowledged in an Amnesty International Such struggles can play a valuable role in exposing the nature of imperialist repression, establishing ilt right of the Irish people to struggle for their self-determination against British military rule, and opening the way for further struggles for the release of all political prisoners and the withdrawal of British troops.

But in itself this campaign does not offer a road to the overthrow of British imperialist rule in the North of Ireland.

For this to be carried through, the mobilisation of the Irish working class is necessary, 'and not merely skilled and courageous military actions by IRA fighters.

The IRA however any such perspective.

No demands It puts forward no demands to lead the struggle beyond a united Ireland to pose the issue of a workers' republic.

The building of a Trotskyist party in Ireland to draw out these points is essential.

Such a party would put forward a programme bringing together democratic and transitional demands centred on the independent interests • of the Irish working class, and designed to secure:

*The right to a job and decent living standards.

*The right to a house and social services.

*Equal rights for all. An end to repressive legislation, discrimination on religious grounds and church restrictions on divorce, contraception and abortion.

*Down with colonial exploitation. Withdraw from the EEC. Imperialist troops out of Ireland. Expropriate all foreign capital, the major industries and the banks.

*Down with the bosses' governments green and orange.

*For a workers and farmers government in united Ireland.

Responsibility

Such a programme if fought for within the I rish workers movement wouk i at each point show the necessity to drive out British imperialism.

And in Britain the workers movement has the responsibility of assisting that anti-imperialist struggle with all the means at its disposal.

This means following up the recent national demonstration demanding POW status for Republican prisoners with a fight in every Labour Party and union branch for this demand, for the ousting of the bloodstained Callaghan-Healey leadership, and for the complete withdrawal of British troops from Northern Ireland to enable the Irish people to determine their own future.