Kick Out Labour's Racists

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Thirty-three anti-fascist demonstrators were arrested in clashes outside Winson Green Prison last Saturday. Over 2,000 demonstrators, including a large contingent of immigrant workers were prevented from reaching some 100 NF supporters by an 800-strong police cordon.

Police used dustbin lids as shields against rocks thrown by the anti-fascists and retaliated with mounted police charges.

The NF had boasted of taking 'thousands' to protest the jailing of racist Robert Relf, sent to Winson Green Prison for contravention of the Race Relations Act.

The fact that so few of their supporters turned up indicates the success of recent anti-fascist mobilisations.

Relf, who has insisted on his 'right' to sell his house to 'English people only' has a long history as a fascist. He has announced his intention of standing as British Movement candidate in the next General Election, when he will oppose Roy Jenkins at Birmingham Stetchford.

In the week before their projected 'protest' the fascists were given a boost by the newly elected chairman of West Midlands County Council, Bill Jarvis, who is also a Labour councillor and President of the Birmingham Trades Council.

Jarvis issued a call for an end to immigration and even hinted at repatriation - all this as a "solution" to the "strains" on the social services and unemployment.

After doing nothing to fight the real causes of cuts and job shortages - the degenerate capifalist system - Jarvis turns to attack that section of the working class hardest hit by the crisis.

Protests have poured in from Labour Party and trade union bodies throughout the Midlands.

The whole of a three-hour meeting of Birmingham Trades Council was devoted to a debate of a motion condemning Jarvis, demanding withdrawal of his remarks, and reaffirming a policy against racial discrimination.

The motion was passed 83-52. This, however, is not enough. Jarvis must be removed from all his positions of leadership in the Labour Party and the trade unions.

The recent electoral successes of the far right, two council seats won by the National Party in Blackburn and 43,000 votes for the National Front in Leicester show the danger facing the whole working class.

It should be noted that immediately before the election, the Sun carried a two-day campaign around immigrants lodged in a 'luxury' hotel - very convenient timing for all those forces wishing to point the finger at immigrants as the central "problem" facing workers in Britain.

The blame for the 43,000 NF votes in Leicester lies fairly and squarely on the trade union leaders in the city.

It is the direct result of the cowardly refusal of the local T&GWU bureaucracy to take a stand against racism at the time of the Imperial Typewriters strike two et osay did they do nothing to support the strike but it originated. in the long-time coexistence with racism by T&GWU convenor Weaver (for years Executive member of East Division, Region Five of the T&GWU and the (all-white) shop stewards committee.

STEWARD

When Asian workers elected an Asian shop steward to represent their interests Weaver and the shop stewards committee brought in a rule stipulating two years union membership as a qualification for stewards credentials.

In this they were consistently backed up by Percy Neal, District Committee chairman of the T&GWU. This disgraceful episode has left the door open to further gains by the NF.