Why did lefts' stone firm? - но

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Tensions: inside: the Labour Party were sharply increased last week by the decision of the National Executive Committee not to allow a witch-hunt against Trotskyists.

The meeting took place under a barrage of calls from Tories inside and outside the party for an investigation into the Militant Tendency, who though they have done little to earn the title, have been identified as Trotskyists.

Indeed in previous anti-Trotskyist witch-hunts particularly the expulsions from the YS in 1964, leading supporters of Militant tore proved themsalves ready to line up with the right wing in speaking and voting for expulsion.

Coincidence

in fact, by a coincidence of timing, the NEC was faced not only with a decision on whether to publish the Underhill report, but a clear indication of where such a decision would point.

On the agenda was the expulsion of Ted Heslin, a former executive member of the Oxford City Labour Party and a supporter of the policies of this The meeting was seen there. fore by the right wing in the Labour Party as a litmus test of the pliability of the lefts.

But they had miscalculated. The political crisis which grips, the Labour Party at this moment grips the lefts most acutely.

Faced with a major upheaval of struggle against the Tories, in which there are few reformist solutions which carry any credibility, they have to appear to wage a fight on behalf of the militants who support them.

Hence the recent parada of 'left' MPs-mainly from steelproducing areas-making strident anti-Tory speeches at steelworkers' demonstrations and mass meetings.

Parliament

But as reformists, committed above to dada Parliamentary . portics, Ine ITs aways link cal idion their demagogic calls for 'united action' against the Tories not to the perspective of General Strike action to bring down the government, but to a "mass protest campaign, aimed essentially at persuading the Tories to change their minds, Oppose action This is why none of the 'lefts' have fought for a repudia. tion of Callaghan's early statement that the Labour Party would oppose industrial action designed to defeat or bring down: the Tory government, preferring to wait five years until the next General Election.

There has been no call by Benn or the other lefts' for the removal of the discredited Callaghan-Healey right : wing But though the lefts' shrink from a serious polițical battle against the right wing, they cannot afford, in a period where militants are looking to them for a lead, to be seen to line up with the right wing in a witchhunt of socialists.

Indeed it is precisely in such conditions that the 'lefts' most need to project a 'radical' image -and the Militant group is the ideal means of sustaining such an image.

Like all good left covers they combine fiery socialist rhetoric with a complete absence of teeth and obedient cheering in the right places.

They seek, not to test out and expose fake lefts, but to Kinnock build them up and apologise for tham.

To have opened up the way for a witch-hunt against the Militant would have been to threaten the 'lefts' own cheerleaders in the constituency parties.

To have allowed the exputsion of Ted Heslin would have been to weaken defence of the Militant. That is the reason for the decision by 158 to reject the proposal of the Organisation Committee that Heslin be expelled.

The closer vote (14-12) against publication of ithe Underhilt report was a reflection of the fact that the right had concentrated its major efforts on this issue, and also the fact that so much of the report has now leaked to the press-already. with the remainder certain to be published soon.

Even in rejecting the call for Heslin's expulsion the lefts stressed that they do not base themselves defence of Trotskyism 8s a legitimate political force, but on a liberal policy of rejecting attacks on all sections of the party-left: and right.

interview after the meeting that Trotskyists had to be defeated by political argument' The right wing, racognising that in a serious political argument the Trotskyists can win the best elements in the Labour Party, cherish no such illusions, and simply demand repression.

The vote is of major signiticance. Supporters of Socialist Press now have an opportunity and a duty to demonstrate the dead end of reformist politics to those in the Labour Party who genuinely think that it can lead to socialism.

Our supporters are not infiltrating" the Labour Party; they are carrying out an honest struggle, against those who politically deceive the working class and for a revolutionary socialist perspective.

In the coming months it will not be just the right wing that regrets. "last week's NEC decision, but also those poseurs of, the left' that have no real intention of leadina a struciale against the right wing and for socialism.

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Argument Neil Kinnock said in a tv