Benn V. Marx
Socialist Press1976 1976-12-15Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 4 →
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According to press reports, Labour Party "moderates" are incensed at a speech on Thursday by Energy Secretary Wedgewood Benn, in which he allegedly defended Marxists in the Party.
The whole incident has of course been blown up out of all proportion to regenerate the fading 'left' image of Benn.
"All that we require by way of political allegiance from party members or paid officials is that they should accept the policy and prozramme of the Labour Party and thus commit themselves to adrancing socialism through parliamentary democracy" , he said.
Even by this wishy-washy standard not only the open rightwing around Callaghan (who clearly oppose Clause 4 of the Labour Party constitution setting the objecinst of notionaline unre ring private industry through the NEB and tax concessions) but also lefts" lke Benn himself who do nothing to halt the Labour government's rush towards Tory solutions to the criss, would be excluded from the Benn As the capitalist crisis rushes on, knocking the ground from beneath the teet of the reformists, Benn's platform for 'left' rhetoric becomes more and more rickety.
In this sense whether or not he opposes Callaghan next week on the Labour NEC by voting to confirm the appointment of Militant group leader Andy Bevan as Party youth officer is irrelevant.
Benn's speech shows such gesture will only be play-acting for a dwindling and bored audience in the gallery.
Far from fighting to drive out the right wing, they have advocated parliamentary support Callaghan-Healey policies in the name of "saving the Labour government" . They have so far posed no threat whatever to the Labour Are the manoeuvrers
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PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report PHOTO•