Hart loses in Crown Agents fiasco

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Judith Hart, Minister of Overseas Aid and Development has been overturned in her bid to cover up the actions of the Crown Agents ventures into massive speculation.

Labour MPs helped defeat the government on their handling of the affair in which more than £200 million was lost.

A public inquiry is now expected to replace the private inquiry which Hart insisted was the 'best' way of finding culprits to blame.

Dennis Skinner; Hart's fellow Tribunite, led the attack on the government but all MPs left or right, Labour artmouth Park Hill, London N or Tory are looking for heads to roll-as the Sunday Times put it, "people with faces, names and monthly. paychecks-not just long-gone Ministers"

But the Crown Agents, who sell British experience in the mysteries of speculation to foreign governments, were not victims of individual errors.

The crisis that overtook the agents in the property market and fringe banks was part of one of the sudden crises of capitalism that sweep through international markets.

Shirley Williams staff at the union's London headquarters went on strike over "job wastage"

This dispute-which resulted in Broad Left members of the Executive crossing the picket line and calling for scabs to replace the staff-is certain to continue since a conference motion on "priorities" decided to freeze vacancies.

Desperate state

The current lurch to the right by the CP-controlled Broad Left leadership is to a great extent a cynical response to the desperate state of the union's finances.

It seems likely that Slipman has done some sort of deal with Shirley Williams to delete the union's remaining principled positions and launch an all-round attack on "left wing extremists" in return for certain concessions including an increase in fees ading.