Callaghan puts the boot in MANIFESTO: 'LEFTS MUST PUT UP OR

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In yet another display of how supple is his spine, Tony Benn has obediently abandoned any attempt to incorporate a series of left-wing sounding policies into the Labour Party manifesto.

At the December 20 meeting of the Party's National Executive he immediately capitulated to Callaghan's ultimatum that Ministers either toe the line of his right wing cabinet, or be removed from their posts.

Callaghan's outburst came in response to a timid move by Eric Heffer to exempt Ministers from the discipline of cabinet collective responsibility in NEC meetings-particularly in discussions on the Revelling in a new chance to humiliate the pathetic array of left' talkers who hold a majority on the National Executive, Callaghan once more threw down an open challenge to his supposed opponents to fight for his removal or belt up.

Desperate to whip up some interest in this year's elections to the EEC European Assembly, the Labour Party NEC has made it a crime for local Parties not While most politely complied up, Tribunite P: man Joan Lestor with a grovelling stressing how Callaghan is ministers.

Determination

Of course this tolerance does not extend to anything resembling socialist policies.

Callaghan's latest insistence on cabinet responsibility is connected to his determination to squash the proposals for nationalisation, programmes of public works, a wealth tax and improvements in the Health Service contained in a draft manifesto vainly submitted by the Home Policy Committee headed by Benn.

Inadequate

In taking a stand against even this inadequate package of reformist policies, Callaghan is counting on support not only from the whole Cabinet and NEC right wingers, but also from TUC leaders.

Both steel union of them by belting rty chairchimed in statement tolerant towards chief PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report benn Bill Sirs anú NUR leader Syd Weighell have apparently written to Callaghan opposing the Home Policy Committee proposals.

As Callaghan lines up his forces to impose what could possibly be the most reactionary and anti-socialist Labour manifesto of all time, the harsh truth must be faced by socialists within the Labour Party: while the Callaghan-Healey leadership retains unchallenged control, there is no prospect of Labour's •manifesto containing even empty promises of socialism.

Benn's latest collapse on this question should come as no surprise.

Key member

While eagerly searching around for any opportunity to establish himself as a left' , he remains a key member of the Labour government which has Now that the government's 5% pay limit has been blasted asunder in the private sector the trade union leaders have been forced to find a new guise for their efforts to hold back wage claims.

During Phases 1 and 2 they openly argued for wage controls in what they called the "national interest"

During Phase 3, support for the 10% fimit was the real content of their defence of the 12-month rule-designed to isolate any section un strike.

Now under Phase 4 Moss Evans and other TUC leaders argue that "profitability" of the firm must be the guide for workers' claims.

Common The common case is the refusal of union leaders to fight for the independent interests of the working class. In this respect their position is no different to the Labour leaders-the only distinction is that the union leaders are more acutely aware of the pressure of their membership.

True to form the Stalinists of the British Communist Party have assisted the union leaders to cling on to such policies.

We have shown how leading Stalinist Derek Robinson-convenor at Leyland's Longbridge ailm.illas inflicted the biggest ever cut in working class living standards, slashed the social services and collaborated shamelessly with the CBI in forcing through speed-up and mass sackings.

Constituency parties must insist that those NEC members who claim to oppose Callaghan's policies take a stand now and fight for the removal of the Callaghan-Healey leadership, and for a fully socjalist, internationalist * manifesto rejecting all forms of class collaboration, imperialist oppression and import controls, and spelling out instead a programme of mobilising the working class to force through the nationalisation of basic industry and the banks without compensation under workers' management.

. Those lefts' that take even the most timid first steps along such a path must be given critical support and pressed to go further.

Those that refuse to take up such a fight effectively join up with Callaghan as enemies of the working class and saboteurs of Labour's election campaign.

Heffer Lestor