[defection of the Gang of Three and their…]
Socialist Press1981 1981-02-25Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 10 →
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defection of the Gang of Three and their hangers on, root. Healey and the right wing of the TUC have only just begun to cobbie together the basis of a fight to reverse the democratic reforms of : Blackpool' and Wembley and restore their authority.
Had they been catapulted into office in the next few weeks they would have been caught with their political trousers down.
Thatcher's retreat gives them a breathing space. And there is every sign that the new-aughably misnamed-"Labour Solidarity" grouping of right wing anti-democrats will use every available minute to press home their underhand campaign.
Central to their demands is a reversal of the electoral college formula for the election of the Party leader, and a dilution of the reselection procedures for MPs.
Tribunites
A number of the now hopelessly divided Tribune Group have lent their support to this nefarious campaign, which will exploit every available bureaucratic trick and sneaky manoeuvre in order to thwart the wishes of Labour Party activists.
It is clear that in the period ahead it is those reactionaries who have decided to stay in the Labour Party and fight-using the Militant group as a stalking horse in their witch-hunt agains Workers Socialist League, BM Bor 'ast Office. Signed articles do not The threat of a resumed occupation at Longworth Hospital hangs over the heads of the Oxford Area Health Authority this week.
In the aftermath of the savage AHA raid which snatched four patients from the hospital and closed down the top floor, the staff have temporarily suspended their three-month workin and 24 hour picketing.
But they have issued a warning that these policies be reimposed at the first sign of a further attack on the hospital.
Although the staff had voted to maintain the occupation immediately atter the raid, the continued inaction of COHSE on a national level had left them with little confidence that they would receive the kind of supporting action that. they need to reopen the top floor.
And instead of working to strengthen staff in the wake of the raid, official Ernie Brook proceeded with negotiations with the AHA. Management responded by declaring that 5277, Lond necessarily Is they intended to go over the heads of COHSE to send a Planning Team to meet Longworth staff-effectively withdrawing recognition from the union.
A section meeting was called to discuss this situation-at which Brook proposed, with no advance warning, that the workin be suspended so that he could carry on talks with the AHA "without duress"
A majority of the small meeting felt that there was no alternative-but Occupation Committee members walked out in disgust.
y Morning Lito Printers, London. Norkers Socialist League.
The Occupation Committee has subsequently resolved to pursue the campaign; to meet regularly and to maintain and strengthen the many links now established with unions and supporters in the area-since it is not likely to be very long before the AHA moves again to attack the hospital.
Campaign room
The closed top floor has been made the new campaign committee room as the struggle goes on.
Messages of support, donations, etc., should be forwarded as before to: Myra Bungay, 13 Bowbank, Longworth, Oxon.
Meanwhile angry Oxford ambulance drivers are continuing to withhold cooperation from the AHA as a protest against the way in which two NUPE drivers were manipulated by management into crossing the Longworth picket in the absence of their stewards. They have mounted their own inquiry into the incident.
STAFF from Longworth, occupation supporters and two COHSE members from the St. Benedicts Hospital occupation in London formed a vocal lobby outside the General Committee of Oxford Labour Party on 16 February to back an emergency resolution from St.' Clements ward calling for the expulsion from the Party of Lady McCarthy.:
McCarthy is the vice-chairperson of Oxford CLP. But she is also chairperson of the Oxford AHA-and thus directly responsible for the smashing of the occupation in defiance of the stated policy of Oxford GC, and the use of police against the labour movement.
In the event McCarthy's right wing cronies who run the GC tallied behind GC Chairman Bill Conboy who refused to allow the proposer even to explain why the motion should be heard.
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GWORT ŞPITA IT'S YOUR HEALTH SERVICE THEY'RE DEFENDING