Facing both ways on the

Scan page 5

cuts by Neil Kinnock could not disguise the bankruptcy of Labour's policies.

Though Kinnock-whose personal popularity in the constituencies now closely rivals Benn's-pitched into an eloquent denunciation of the Tories' "barbarian assault" on education, and "educational genocide" • the Party had already voted in advance to throw in the towel to local authority spending cuts.

Councillors

A unanimous vote on programme for education "to be set in motion immediately the next Labour government takes office" included votes from dozens of Labour councillors busily engaged even now in carrying out Tory spending cuts in their own areas!

Indeed the very first day of the conference had seen a card vote throw out demands for all Labour councils to flatly refuse to carry out the cuts, and for full support to trade union industrial action against the cuts.

Instead it, passed a vague call for a "massive and vigorous" Kinnock campaign against the cuts to be carried out by some party members, while others in town hall meetings actually axe schools, nurseries and social services, and others, in union offices, collaborate with them and hold back from the necessary strike action.

Covered over.

In this context Kinnock's impassioned oratory served the necessary function of covering over the Party's total prostration before the Tory offensive, and offering the eternal "jam tomorrow" in place of action today.

As the Tory press pointed out, such a skilled performance indicates that "comrade" Kinnock is cut out for a highflying career in the Labour A fiery discussion on the planned closure of steelworks at Corby and Shotton gave room for set-piece displays of oratory by MPs. But amid all the arm-waving was a virulent streak of nationalism: every speaker endorsed the reactionary call for import controls, in a bid to foist the unemployment onto 'foreign' steelworkers overseas.

Foot