Hiding froma racism

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Alex Kitson, leading 'Broad Left' TGWU official, has been deposed aS chairman of the Labour Party's Organisation Committee and replaced by right winger Brian Stanley of the Post Office Engineers Union.

Behind this move is the furore kicked up by Labour right wingers and even by some lefts' about remarks made by Kitson about the Soviet Union.

Achievement

In a speech on the 60th Anniversary of the October Revolution, Kitson made the unchallengeable point that the Soviet economy, with in particular its elimination of unemployment, had already achieved "much that we are still far from achieving"

Speaking as a representative of the Scottish TUC, and as an observer from the Labour NEC, Kitson also praised the "unswerving growth in the living standards of ordinary workers" in Russia.

Both points of course conLabour's crypto-Tories and their tame 'lefts' like Heffer.

CLP's should demand that in putting his case to the Labour NEC, Kitson must draw the logical conclusion of his Moscow speech: he must take up a fight to improve living standards and end unemployment in Britain.

This could best begin by Kitson moving a motion on the NEC for an immediate break in the Lib-Lab coalition and the expulsion of the Callaghan-Healey leadership.

As Home Secretary Merlyn Rees pitched into the firemen last week in Parliament, he predictably won the support of Tory spokesman William Whitelaw and Labour's coalition partners in the Liberal Eric Heffer, however, embroiled in his moves against Alex Kitson, made sure he did not overstep the mark by supporting the firemen's claim.

Instead he simply called on Rees to "intervene and intervene" until a 'settlement' was reached.

The fruits of Rees' 'intervention' will be seen as 12,000 troops wheel out their antiquated strike-busting equipment this week. democracy in the NUM.

It was the right wing who insisted on holding the ballot after the annual conference had voted against productivity deals. boost PHOTO: Mike Tomlinson, (IFL) Kitson Faced with the twin threats of racialism and fascism the Labour Party has turned towards the security of the Liberals and Conservatives to protect them from principled opposition.

Although some Labour Party wards have been won to support for effective- antifascist campaigns based on the working class, the Labour Party leadership has refused to take any stand against racialism or fascism.

Its campaigning has been left to speech days and holidays where immigration and import controls are not mentioned.

Now the Labour Party is to give official backing to the newly formed Joint Committee Against Racialism.

Labour Weekly reports «Liberals and Conservatives have been approached and are thought likely to get involved."

These will make fitting bedfellows for the racialists in the Labour leadership.

Labour Weekly also gives support to the newly formed 'Anti-Nazi League' a group set up to oppose left groups initiatives against the National Front.

Apparently this groupbacked among others _by Lawrence Daly, Alan Fisher and the Coventry Evening Telegraph-reflects bureaucratic feeling that:

"Too much of the antiFront campaigning has been left to small splinter left groups whose activities have 80metimes been both divisive and counter-productive."

From the Crossman diaries Wednesday May 29, 1968:

"I stayed behind to discuss with the PM Mr Callaghan's notorious speech to the firemen's union. This had been causing a tremendous sensation. He had apparently told them without any qualification that there will be no more legislation on incomes and prices.

"Harold said: That fellow's getting above himself. We must teach him a lesson."

Its true colours were shown however in the total absence of any proposals fo: a fight back.

It was left to a WSL floor speaker to call for a plan of action by building unions and the Trades Council to forc the council to buld of te Lice :::2 TEL: SIST the see ::: 5: 20: 3 lustrated by the actios =: mothers on Blythe Mansions one of the inter-war estates. who have baricaded conci workmen off the estate.

They are opposed patching up reparts instead demand inaedar demolition.

Nearby is a tran 2 GLC estate. parts c: #2= ате дож completed ahe the GLC is leavie ema while it declares its mteites oi selling off ibe late sad a