Prentice Blows the Gafi

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Printed and Published by the Workers Socialist League It might appear that there is a split on policy developing between former left' Employment Minister Michael Foot and extreme right wing Education Minister Reg Prentice.

This is the way the Tory press has built up the row over a speech made by Prentice last weekend, on the question of the social contract. Launching a vicious attack against "Marxists" who reject the contract, Prentice said:

"It is no good blaming the declared enemies of the social contract. . The foult lies with those who allow them to get away with it. Every member of the TUC General Council should stump the country in support of the social contract. Every leading figure at district and branch level should give the same message. Every individual trade unionist must accept his personal share of res ponsibility. The contract was agreed by his delegates in his name.

"The Government have kept their side of the bargain. The trade unions must not welsh on theirs." (reported, Times 1/3/75)

The abject class-collaboration this speech is clear - Prentice agrees with employers that the value •ges must be cut to solve thic "national" crisis of bankrupt British capitalism and demanding the trade union leaders help the government carry this out. He shows this in his own ministry by eagerly pursuing the Tory cuts in education spending with reminders that not even children are exempt from the crisis. Prentice speaks straight Tory policy from the bureaucratic ranks of the Labour leadership.

Yet Foot is unable to challenge any of these aspects of Prentice's speech, because as Employment Minister Foot himself is at present "stumping the country" in suppor of the social contract. The Tory Press regard him as the Cabinet's most passionate supporter" of the contract (Financial Times, 26/2/75). In order to intimidate TUC Leaders into selling out legitimate pay claims, Foot is using the employers' threats of redundancy, with statements such as this:

"Wages should not be pressed to such a degree that they would increase the risk of unemployment".

What then is the basis of Foot's anger? There is no essential dif31, Dartmouth Park Hill, London NW5 1HR Printed by Trade Union labour. terence in policy - both are fighting for wage cuts to preserve the employers' profits. Foot is peturbed because Prentice's open attempt to call the TUC to heel, just at the moment Foot is selling the social contract with a "left" colouration, in the aftermath of the miners strike, could upset the agreement he has with the TUC leaders. This is why he replies that Prentice!s speech failed to take into acoount all the pressure and problems on trade unionists and their leaders have to face in grappling with the nation's immense and complicated economic difficulties."

The same reason motivates Prime Minister Wilson, who "angrily took the view that the Education Secretary's choice of words could create much more difficulty for the Government in its attempts to persuade the union leaders to honour the contract with greater wage restraint.' Prentice, then, is under the hammer from Wilson and Foot for bad tactics, not for any difference on the strategy of defending capitalism.

FOOT

Very different however, are the increasing moves amongst rank and file trade unionists and abour Party members to clear ut Tories like Prentice from the Labour movement. This must begin by fighting to remove him from the T&GWU list for sponsoring as an MP, and for his Newham CLP to withdraw support for him as a candidate and expel him from the Labour Party, as took place with Taverne in Lincoln. out war must be declared by workers on all those who, like Prentice, defend the employers within the workers movement.