Oppose of Labour
Socialist Press1975 1975-10-01Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 7 →
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The witch-hunt against the 'Militant' group in the capitalist press, particularly the 'Observer' and "Daily Telegraph' is not just aimed at this group but against all op position to the Wilson leadership. The WSL is for the unconditional defence of their right to fight for their views inside the Labour Party.
The political record of the group itself, however, is one of opportunism. They at no point fight for the removal of Wilson and the right wing - arguing that it is a question of "policies' and not "personalities'. Though they have the support of the majority of the National Committee of the Labour Party Young Socialists, this hasn't worried the leadership of the Labour Party one bit.
de. "MARXIST' Rather, it has been useful to provide people like Benn (who is speaking at the LPYS conference meeting at Blackpool this week) with a 'Marxist' coloration. They have also done this at local level wherever they have branches.
The leadership of the Labour Party has taken little or no action against Militant in the past, which record of the Keep Left supporters inside the LPYS in the early 1960's which was one of continuous restriction and expulsions by the bureaucracy to prevent their fight.
We will be featuring an article on the history of the 'Militant' group in a future issue of Socialist Press.
In the latest issue of Militant (26.9.75) the lead article, by editor Peter Taafe, is headlined 'Labour Party Conference IMPLEMENT MANIFESTO' with a small subheading 'Nationalise the 250 monopolies.
Here is opportunism at its height. Instead of fighting Wilson's reformist programme, these so-called Trotskyists simply call for a return to it. They know full well that there is no mention of nationalising the 250 monopolies in the manifesto. Indeed it was precisely Wilson's reformist policies - set out in the Manifesto - to attack the working class at a time when capitalism in crisis, far from allowing reforms, needs cuts in living standards. The manifesto has as its centre the 'fight against inflation' which Wilson has interpreted as the need to cut workers' living standards, slash the social services and create unemployment.
Here would be the opportunity