Coventry _abour raises ren

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movement.

Will they break from the. ment. have reneaterlv said that thev views. could not accept such a situation.

Or will they bide their time -until March, maybe?

They may. even hold fire until after some of their councillor co-thinkers have been reelected to local government positions _on a fraudulent "Labour" platform in May.

They are being pressed by Roy Jenkins-now casting round for a enft chair in Rritich nolitice v1 d SUI Lau Ve1 II PUrLao after years of living off the fat of the EEC-to come out of the closet „OrOCLALI CxIst- enset ad pedla ocla Democratic (i,e. capitalist) party.

Secret discussions

At the same time they are being wooed by the Liberal Party, whose leader David Steel is engaged in secret discussions with group of Labour reactionaries.

The Liberals are keen to win over. the disaffected Labourites before Easter-presumably in the hopes of exploiting their questionable electoral support in the local government electhem the financial and political support of the workers' movefor the election of the Party leader on the basis of 30% to the PLP, 30% to the CLPs and 40% to the trade unions.

Amid a baffling series of marginally different alternative proposals, this resolution, carrying the backing of USDAW's 429,000 votes, fits the criterion of awarding the least possible influence to the Parliamentary Labour Party while standing a real chance of success in the delicately balanced voting. allow their delegation a more flexible mandate.

At present there is the possibility that by rigidly casting their votes against any resolution which falls short of allotting 90% of the votes to the PLP, the AUEW could• unwittingly wind up creating conditions for the 'Labour NEC's proposal-a one-third, one-third, one-third split-to secure a majority.

More enlightened reactioning a majority in the conference.

But one thing is plain: while Saturday's Conference itself promises to be little more than a complex day of constitutional tinkering, the democratisation of the Party in the next period will have profound political implications-not least of which will be ensuring the belated departure of Williams, Owen, Rodgers and several of the crypto-Tory right wing.

In the face of growing working class hostility to Heseltine's housing policies the pernicious role of Coventry Labour Council was highlighted particularly sharply at last week's council meeting.

After offering long drawn-out apologies on the issue of raising council rents by 26% and expressing keenness to "balance the books" in line with Heseltine's directives, the majority on the council voted to implement a new round of cuts.

In doing so, the Labour Council has not only flouted the Coventry Labour Party's policy of opposition to rent increases, but also plan to implement them in February, well before the Tories' own set date of 1 April.

Agents

These Labour counciliors thus not only serve to perpetuate the rule of the Tories but also act as their agents in directly and prematurely implementing anti-working class measures.

The increases were opposed by a group of twelve "rebel" councillors, ten of whom had previously voted against, the increase in school meals prices, thus maintaining their principled stand against the cuts.

While actively supporting the twelve and taking up a fight inside the Labour Party and the trade unions to force all councillors to be made accountable to Labour Party policy, it is vital to develop a working class movement in total opposition to the rate and rent increases.

Already the Coventry Federation of Tenants are proposing a rent strike to resist the increases.

A housing week of action' has also been planned in early rebruary. Last week NALGO adopted a no rent/rate increase position.

Tenants must organise local rent strikes and draw in the organised strength of the trade union movement.

Responsibility

The left councillors must further their stand and take on the responsibility to act by organising local meetings on estates, petitions and lobbies of GMCs, Labour Group meetings, etc., demanding they retuse to compensate for Heseltine's proposals.

It is vital to call on the rebel Labour councillors to adopt a policy of:

*Direct action in the form of rent and rate strikes to oppose any attempt to make the working class pay for Tory policies.

*No sale of council houses.

*Open the books of the local authorities to elected trade union committees to show who profits from local government spending, and expose the banks who cream off interest charges.

*To work with local anti-cuts committees and tenants associations to build local *Support the Lambeth week of action against government attacks on local authority spending.