Bidwell Crawls Го Whitelaw

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'Left Labour MP Syd Bidwell has taken up the case of the 342 workers and youth arrested amid savage police violence in the Southall anti-fascist demonstration.

Foremost among the victims of the rampaging thugs in blue was anti-fascist Blair Peach, killed by a blow to the head from a Special Patrol Group truncheon.

Another, Clarence Baker lies still perilously close death from brain injuries in local hospital.

A whole series of trade union bodies have already called for a labour movement inquiry into the actions of the police.

What, then, has Bidwell done about this brutal racist assault?

Has he, for example, demanded the removal of former Labour Home Secretary Rees and his fellow cabinet scabherders in the Caltaghan Andersended to presidion er who presided over No, nothing like that. Bidwell has written a bleating letter of protest to Tory Home Secretary Whitelaw asking for According to the Ealing Gazette, Bidwell's letter says:

"It would be marvellous if police charges could be dropped, Perhaps the Commissioner might agree also if you had the same view."

At pains to point to his own concern for 'law and order' Bidwell argues that many of the youth arrested could face jail• sentences if convicted on the charges brought against them by the police.

"If they are put in prison it could launch them ónto a career of crime', , he whines.

Whitelaw has already shown unmistakeably where he stands by his immediate cash bonus to the paid thugs of the police and armed forces.

Bootlicking

The task in defending the 342 is not to lick Whitelaw's boots and grovel to police chief McNee, but to mobilise the broadest possible support within the labour movement for solidarity action.

Such a campaign, and the labour movement inquiry now being launched must set out to expose as thoroughly as possible to the entire working class that the brutality of&the Southall events is not a one-off "excess" but the real face of police preparations to confront the mass struggles of the workers' movement against the attacks of capitalism. funereal issue of Labour Weekly heads his "eight point plan" to rebuild mass Labour membership with the plea that:

"There must be no personal recriminations about the last five years"

This appeal should be seen as not merely shielding Callaghan and the right wing from the legitimate anger of Labour militants, but also, of course, sheltering Benn himself from

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SOCIALIST PRESS, H'eanesdas 16 Mar 19.9 PIRE By John Lister