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against government plans b slash the rail network by The numbers involved in the motest were artificially low, cut by de refusal of the rail union leaders b call strike action against the Its. *espite this it was a crowd of dousands that thronged the Cental Halls Westminister, and heard NUR General Secretary, Sid •eighell denounce the governsent's proposals.

CARRIED AWAY Carried away by the occasion ad the response, Weighell for a soment overstepped the narrow foundary between his intended erbal protest and actually embarke on action to fight the cuts. He reatened the government that if cuts went ahead, they would the loss of support from the NUR-sponsored MPs, telling the ty;

*We shall not hesitate to say to he ten MPs that you will no longer port the government."

a6 thin main base of the Labour Party - and directs workers towards the question of political leadership in the defence of their interests.

This is why, what for Weighell, in the heat of the moment, was just a turn of phrase to add to a mountain of demagogic statements, found a ready echo amongst the militants in the hall, and could have easily transformed into a real struggle within the workers movement to make workers' elected and paid representatives accountable to the labour movement.

It was clearly this prospect, as much as the instant outrage the statement caused amongst Tory MPs and Laboar right-wingers in Parliament, which caused Weighell to make his instant, snivelling retraction next day.

But the question still needs answering: if the NUR cannot demand its sponsored MPs defend the interests of NUR members and the working class as a whole against the attacks of the bankers, then what advantage is there in supportine tham? And if tharr nra calantina in every town must prepare to defend jobs and remove the existing state managers.

This fight must begin with the struggle to demand full access to the accounts and secret plans of the British Rail Board for elected trade union committees. These committees must then meet in every area with delegates from other transport unions to begin to assess the services necessary for an integrated state transport system in which all available work would be shared between the whole workforce on full pay under workers' management.

OCCUPY

Where closures are threatened, key facilities must be occupied by railwaymen and the full support of the trade union movement enlisted in the fight to defend all jobs.

Those union leaders who peddle the illusion that cuts and closures can be ended without acting on these policies are disarming and betraying their members in the face of the biggest ever attack by crisis-ridden ranitalism Starting in the next edition of Socialist Press: articles on the Russian Revolution, drawins theoretical lessons from this crucial period in v This is vital reading for all workers engaged Also in our next edition: Number theoretical supplement to Socialist Press. LETTERS welcome readers' comments and criticisms on Socialist Press ticles. Letters should be address to the Editorial Board, c/o 31, Dartmouth Park Hill,' London NW5 1HR A 15-part series of the political and orking class history. n today's struggles.

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AL IS7 ES: iday mb ecE PR A mass meeting had rejected the acknowledge that workers on t