Constituencies vote for Troops Out composite

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It is not for us as socialists of troops from the six counties.

In 1920 we had a position bloody war going on, one with of recognising the right of the a history of over 800 years.

If we do, we must from that men, women and children on its year against the presence of the distance themselves Irom ine Since the strike the presence reservist positions-and assuring of almy security has been them that such a step would A clear indication of the leftward movement of rank and file Labour Party activists was the extremely high vote by CLP delegates in favour of a composite resolution on Ireland calling for a policy of withdrawing troops, self-detèrmination and political status for republican prisoners.

The motion was seconded by St. Pancras South delegate Sandra Plummer, a Socialist Press supporter. Her speech is reproduced here in full.

It was bitterly attacked by Labour's spokesman on Ireland Brynmor John, and opposed by TGWU "left' Alex Kitson, calling on behalf of the 'left'-led NEC for it to be remitted or rejected.

In the event an estimated 80% of CLP delegates and some union delegates supported the motion, which was defeated on a show of hands.

Two members of the Provisional IRA entered the Royal Victoria Hospital last week and shot dead Robin Shields, ambulance station officer at the hospital.

This act-which threw the largely Catholic ancillary workforce into panic and fear for their own lives-and produced and instant 'emergencies only' strike from the largely Protestant ambulance drivers must be condemned.

By any class struggle criteria rur many yedis peupie have been fighting to end the bi-partisan policy of the Labour Party in regard to At last this fight is gaining ground. Ireland was forced on to the agenda last year and is once again before you today.

Why is it, though, as soon as we raise the question of Ireland in the Labour Party attempts are made Io sture aiscussion! mandate stilla dirma Why is it that we can rightly condemn the suppression of democratic rights in countries such as Chile and South Africa and yet deny these same rights in the six counties?

We can call for majority rule in Zimbabwe-but not in To answer this we must look at Labour's record on It was under Wilson that troops were sent in-on the pretext of being a peace-keeping force (a myth that was exploded with the events of Bloody Sunday in Derry, where 13 unarmed civilians, on a peaceful civil rights demonstration were shot dead in cold blood by that "peace-keeping" Sundantennand aditi in nanin it has set back the struggle against British imperialism and has raised strong suspicions amongst the hospital workers of a deliberate attempt to provoke a backlash from the UVF.

Strike

The hospital was the site of a strike by both Catholic and Protestant workers earlier this British army. force).

It was under a Labour minister, Roy Mason by name, that political status was withdrawn from the prisoners of H Block and Armagh and the incidents of torture increasedas proved by the European Court of Human Rights. It was under a Labour government that the notorious SAS was sent into the six counties.

Not mentioned Then there is the. Prevention of Terrorism Act--introduced by another Labour minister, Roy Jenkins (remember him?).

The PTA has sinister implications for workers here as well as in Ireland.

This is why Jim Callaghan omitted to mention the war in Ireland in his parliamentary report yesterday and why Ireland is not mentioned in the proposed manifesto.

Oh, it's fine to talk about peace and freedom, of which we have heard so much: but what about peace and freedom for the Irish?

The manifesto called Peace, reduced. • The reason for the shooting -according to a statement from the IRA-was that Shields had been a police reservist until last year with the RUC.

No allegations have been made that he had used his position to spy on Catholic nationalists.

In previous statements, however, the Provisionals have encouraged Protestants to security forces by resigning Jobs ana rreeaom, calls for self-determination in Afghanistan but not in Ireland!

How hypocritical!

Imagine, comrades, if what was happening in Derry and Belfast was happening here in Newcastle and Glasgow.

Would that not be the main item on the agenda this week? Would we be expected to remit on such an issue?

Let : us make no mistake: mhnt in hannonine in the North. East of Ireland can happen here.

It is being used as a training ground and can be turned on us.

Do you know that all police officers over the rank of inspector have to do a tour of duty in the six counties? Draw your own conclusions from that, comrades.

Let us be perfectly clear. There is no British solution to the Irish so-called problem; it is a "problem' because there is only an Irish solution.

to attempt to impose such a solution. That is chauvinism.

Irish people to self-determination. Let us return to it. ensure their removal from the IRA death list.

Despite his management position Shields was popular amongst the ambulance workers and hospital staff. His killing was certain to provoke a backlash.

On the day before the funeral a Union Jack appeared flying from the hospital roof.

That night two Provisionals returned to the hospital and took the flag down.

They stoked up the tension still further during the funeral by placing a series of booby

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oyal Victoria killing sets back anti-imperialist fight