Public inquiries myth exposed

Scan page 5

defence of the 5% pay policy which has been overwhelmingly rejected by both TUC and Labour Party conferences, are unlikely to produce any change in the stance of the Labour left' Heffer The leaked internal memorandum from the Department of Environment on lorry weights has provided a candid and cynical admission from the state of the true nature of 'public' inquiries.

Headed Lorry Weights: Suggested Inquiry" the memo: circulated at senior civil servant level-proposed a public inquiry to achieve an increase in lorry weights against the opposition of environmental groups.

Some quotes from the document reveal how this strata of the state regards public inquiries -beloved of bourgeois liberals and fake lefts as "impartial' exercises in 'democracy' 'In general, we welcome the idea of an inquiry, both as a means of getting round the political obstacles to change the lorry weights problem itself and for the wider reasons mentioned in Sir Peter Balwin's minute ...

"In this context the main advantage of some kind of inquiry, held wholly or partly in public, would be presentational.

"The case for permitting hoavier lorries, and the case against, put by environmental protection groups, would be aired in public and subjected to rigorous scrutiny and questioning, if not cross examination.

"At the end of the day, recommendations would be made by impartial people who have carefully weighed and sifted the evidence and have come to, one hopes, a sensible conclusion in line with the Department's views..

"The worst risk, if not the most likely, is that the inquiry would produce the • wrong answer ...

"On balance, however, given that the direct way ahead on lorry weights is not politically propitious, an inquiry holds promise of opening up an avenue to tangible protest ...

Although the establishment in the public mind of a clear and overwhelming case on balance for heavier lorry weights is seen as the main end of the inquiry it could well have wider effects.

"It should provide a focus for the various road haulage interests to get together. marshall their forces and act PHOTO: Laurence Sparham, IFL Benn-was the Windscale inquiry also rigged? cohesively to produce a really good case which should not merely establish the main point at issue but should do good to their now sadly tamished public image.

"This would make it easies for the government to prote legislation on lorry mights and other matters " her fou"

Scan page 6

Heavily armed Irish troops keep an eye on Willie Moloney (centre) as he arrives for the Appeal hearing lage 6 Dear Sir, We his for are would like to thank Willie Moloney for help in preparing the accompanying article publication, Its politics, needless to say, those of the WSL.