Workers Socialist League

Socialist Press, Trotskyism Today, Woman Worker, Class Fighter and the Trotskyist International Liaison Committee, 1975–1984

Labourpary -intimidate Birds of a Newham Tories Writs Threat

Socialist Press no. 79, 14 December 1977 · scan p. 5 · about 326 words

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Andy Bevan and co-defendants at the Strand Law Courts after an earlier flurry of writs.

The NEC of the Labour Party has been 'seeking legal advice' over the situation in Newham North East CLP.

Eight members of the NEC including 'left" MPs Eric Heffer and Frank Allaun find themselves threatened with court action, if they in any way tread on the toes of extreme right wing wreckers Newham.

Oxford University McCormick and his child protege Mr. Julian Lewis have talked of an 'avalanche of high court writs' if moves are made to end their infiltration in the "Enquiry"

After holding yet another 'enquiry" into the Newham party's affairs the NEC still shrinks from applying the elementary principle of excluding these Tories, backed as they are by unlimited financial resources, from the ranks of the Labour movement.

The NEC enquiry was organised, not to expose the activities of people who rely exclusively on the backing of the courts and Tory Press, but to deal with the 'embarrassment' of Newham as quickly and quietly as possible.

For this reason party members with a principled record of struggle who announced their intention to make submissions to the enquiry, were not called upon to do so, or to answer any allegations by their right-wing against them during the proceedings.

Hear submissions

One branch of the Party has already raised the demand that the NEC hear the submissions of three members.

This must now be combined with the fight to force the NEC to back the call already raised in several branches, and consistently forwarded by Socialist Press alone-the immediate expulsion of Lewis, McCormick and the rest of their gang.

Every day that the NEC pussyfoots and "seeks legal advice' allows these sinister elements to paralyse the work of the Labour movement.

That issue must be decided =: == 1l-2at contlet with the :: a0 = reliance upon

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WRITS WONT US YS

PRENTICE LEWIS- MCORMICK LEN

← Contents of Socialist Press no. 79, 14 December 1977

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