[A delighted Tory press last week reported the…]
Socialist Press1975 1975-11-26Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 8 →
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A delighted Tory press last week reported the results of the AUEW ballots for National Organiser and Executive. They revelled in the 2-1 defeat of Bob Wright by the right wing, and the similar defeat of Stalinist Jimmy Reid, contestir for the Scottish EC position.
WITCH HUNT
During these elections an unprecedented campaign had been carried out by the Tory press. Eac of the "left' candidates were listed and declared to be communistbacked and their opponents to be "moderates" who supported the official TUC line of endorsing the government's £6 state control of wages.
The failure of the "broad left' was not just a result of their policy within the AUEW, but also of that of the Communist Parfy nationally, which has refused to lead a fight against the £6, which fights for "participation" in industry and which decapitates any fight against unemployment with the nationalist slogans of import The victory for the right was not created simply by the press listing names, but rested on the lack of any mass leadership in the working class willing to lead it into conflict with the Labour The left' leadership of the AUEW had also strengthened the right-wing by their meek acceptance of a series of court decisions on the running of the union.
The press campaign, combines with the postal ballot strategy, drawing in votes from members who know little of union business and who do not attend meetings, initiates a new stage in union elections. Under these conditions, for a third of the membership, in a 40% poll, to vote for the 'left' candidates shows a developing consciousness and that a considerable sec