Basnett's bright idea turns out CALLAGHAN'S INQURY NIGHI

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STEEL AND BL STRIKES-NEW LEADEI Saturday 5 July at Digbeth Civic Hall, Birmingham Write to: G. Webster, 169, Barclay Rd., Warley, Adwest picket It all must have seemed such a good idea at first.

At a point when Labour's left wing, encouraged by the 1978 victory over Callaghan's 5% pay policy, seemed all set to force in a package of democratic reforms to the Party constitution, David Basnett of the GMWU came forward with what appeared the ideal diversion-an inquiry.

After all, an inquiry takes the matter off the floor of the conference-where members are watching-into closed offices; it takes decisions out of the hands of elected delegates and places them in the hands of full-time bureaucrats; and by imposing a year's delay it must surely offer the right wing leeway to regroup and time for the left wing campaign to run out of steam.

But things have worked out very ditterentiy for Basnett's inquiry. Far from taking place against background of leisurely manosuvre and an left high and dry. apathetic membership, it has become a focus for heated debate in both the Labour Party and the trade unions as workers Conference last month. have moved forward with militant demands for action against the Tories and for socialist policies.

other fine mess..

Far from the left losing cratic reforms so insistently steam, it has been the right wing demanded by the mass of the that-for all its bureaucratic Party's active membership. positions of power and its Some concessions would monopoly control of the Parlia- have to be made if control was mentary party-has found itself to be kept in the hands of the right wing.

Matters were brought to a A two-pronged move was head by the standing ovation for therefore launched to bottle Benn at the Party's Special things up:

*on the one hand, union Both Callaghan and his chief leaders from Terry Duffy union backers recognised that through to Communist Party they could not hope to member Ken Gill (TASS) were manoeuvre out all of the demo- wheeled out to declare their confidence in Callaghan as Party leader. *on the other hand, the Commission of Inquiry, meeting in the ASTMS country hideaway, began to formulate a "compromise" deal designed to pacify all concerned.

The outcome fell far short of the initial hopes of Callaghan and the right wing.

They were forced to concede the proposal for reselection of all sitting MPs-a major setback for extreme right wing Labourites. Indeed it had been partly to avert the implementation of this policy-carried at last October's conference-that the Inquiry had been established.

Vote in favour Callaghan was also forced to vote in favour of taking the election of the party leader out of the exclusive grip of the right wing dominated PLP and instead establishing an "electoral college" consisting of 50% PLP, 25% unions, 20% constitvencies and 5% affiliated bodies.

Neville Sandelson has once again set the pace, declaring that the whole country "would breathe a sigh of relief" if the Labour Party were to split.

of 20 diehard reactionaries who have already declared themselves not willing to be bound by Labour's conference decisions this year, and who have raised the tattered Tory flag of from the EEC.

armament. ation of "hived off" industries without compensation.

are back bench "wild men" their views at least on the EEC and military policy are shared by shadow ministers David Owen and William Rodgers as well as lurking former minister Shirley Williams.

The percentages have of secure the backing of the course been arranged to favour numbers of right wing MPs who the retention of a right wing will be dumped by their local leadership: and the very "elec- parties as soon as reselection toral college" notion is designed comes into operation. to divert from the necessary demand of regular election of Sandelson. calls for a split by the leader from the Party con- the right from "those who seek ference.

But the ending of the PLP's to destroy Parliamentary democracy and undermine national stranglehold on the Party leadersecurity" ship has enraged the right wing beyond belief. nacious meeting of the right For the same reason they wing Manifesto group of MPs are even angry at the Inquiry's' proposal to submit the Party manifesto for "endorsement" not to the elected NEC, but to the new electoral college.

Denounced Labour lefts' have-for diffetent reasons-also denounced these last two proposals, which fall far short of the demands voiced by a growing campaign for democratisation of the Party.

But there seems little doubt that in fighting to opose the Inquiry's proposed "compromise" formulae left wingers will find themselves up against the block votes of union bureaucrats who have no intention of permitting more than token democracy in the Labour Party.

The cause of the left will however be made easier by the growing moves towards a split in the party by the most pigheaded sections of the right wing in the Parliamentary.

Hayes and Harlington MP NEEDED!

11.00 a.m. -5.00 p.m. Credentials £1 Midlands Basnett last week drew an attendance of 70, including shadow minister Roy Hattersley.

It is only the near certainty that they would embark on a Sandelson is one of a group course to a lifetime in political limbo that holds back these reactionaries from making their often threatened break away from the Labour Party and away from the workers' movement with which they have so *opposition to withdrawal little in common.

The task facing Labour *opposition to unilateral dis- activists in the next period is to step up the struggle to drive out *opposition to renationalis- these alien elements, along with the Callaghan/Healey leadership which has always rested upon Though many of these 20 their support.

This means fighting not only to carry through the fight for reselection, democratic election of the Party leadership, anc NEC control of the manitesto, but combining this with the struggle for precisely the kina oi And they would expect to socialist policies so vigorousl rejected by the right wing: *Britain out of NATO! For unilateral nuclear disarmament.

Troops out of Ireland now! *Withdraw from the EEC!

It is on this basis that For a Socialist United States of Eprope! *Mobilise working class action to bring down the Tories and force the nationalisation of industry and the banks without An only slightly less pug- compensation under workers' management!

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