Racists Class War

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The calculated decision by Margaret Thatcher and the Tory to whip up a racialist renzy against coloured immigration is far more than just a squalid vote-catching exercise.

It is a determined bid for a reactionary power base from which a re-elected government intends to li unch an all out confrontation with the trade unions.

Cashing in Racialism is only being used as a convenient lever to win an audience for the policies of the extreme right wing Thatcher leadership.

To do this, the Tories are cynically cashing in on the conditions of falling living standards, chronic mass unemployment, slashed social services and housing shortages caused by the reactionary policies of the Lib-Lab coalition government.

Like the National Front they are using the frustration provoked by these conditions among layers of backward workers and within the middle class to step up their racialist, anti-socialist, anti-union propaganda.

Polarisation

The Tories know it is not enough to win the next election. They need to prepare conditions of violent polarisation within society in order to press home their attacks on a powerful working class movement.

Determined strikes, indicating unmistakeably that working class militan y on wages and conditions is far from enent denite the lefeat PHOTO: Chris Davies, Report Healey of the firemen's strike, have forced a breach in the government's policy of sanctions to uphold the 10% pay limit.

These conditions have clearly decided the Tories that they must bring to an end the prolonged period in which they have ruled through the Labour and TUC leaders, and go for power in their own name.

Vicious attack

This is why Thatcher, in calling last weekend for an October election, was setting the scene for an election campaign unlike any in the postwar period.

Her speech showed the real meaning of the offensive on immigration. It launched a vicious witch-hunting attack on socialist policies-even alleging that Labour's wretched coalition programme is merely a 'front' for left wing policies.

This hysteria, linked with the propaganda on immigration, will connect up completely with the fascist agitation and violent attacks carried ant hv the National Thatcher's pretense that she is challenging to win the support of those who currently vote National Front is a patent fraud.

Added respectability Thatcher's line will only enhance the standing of the NF and give them an added respectability among the middle class.

Her fanatically racialist talk of "swamping" the "British character" with "vast numbers" of immigrants "coming in indefinitely" is aimed at the same audience and flows from the same motives as NF propaganda.

Both movements reflect the desperation of the crisis-ridden capitalist class that sees a militant united labour movement as an obstacle to their exploitation of the working class.

The Tories know that in fanning the flames of nationalism and racialism they face no real opposition from the Labour leaders.

Chancellor Healey, staunchly defending the Lib-Lab coalition's reactionary policies-including a vicous battery of existing immigration laws-lamely accused Thatcher of "going for the Alf Garnett vote"

Rights restricted

Alex Lyon, 'left' chairman of the Labour Party Race Relations Action Group revealed that Labour's policies as they stand will drastically restrict the right of immigration in future without the need for tougher measures.

In other words the Party's "human" raci alism is sunnosedlv hetter th lan the Tories' naked racialism.

Tribunite MP Sydney Bidwell announced in Parliament that:

"I do not regard Mrs Thatcher as a racialist but as an extremely muddled woman on this question"

Nationalist call

As a supporter of Tribune's policies Bidwell of course subscribes to the nationalist call for the imposition of import controlsdiscriminatory measures by British capitalism to "protect" British industry by forcing closures and redundancies in other countries.

Such a policy, attempting to line up British workers with their "own" bosses against "foreign" competition goes a long way towards the racist notion that it is 'nation' and not class that is the real dividing line.

Meanwhile violent fascist and racist attacks on black workers and youth continue to escalate and the NF continue to stage meetings under massive police protection.

United struggle

Workers can only defend jobs, wages and living standards in the most determined united struale acainet tha common enemy-the employers, whose lust for profit in a decaying and brutal social order drives them now into renewed attacks on the working class.

We stand clearly for the right of every worker to live and work in the country he or she chooses. We oppose all immigration laws, "quotas" and discriminatory legislation.

The labour movement must close ranks against the Tory and NF racists and organise workers defence squads to repel fascist attacks.

The Lib-Lab coalitioncompletely wedded to capitalist policies and racist legislation-must be broken, with its 10% pay limit.

In the active struggle for this development workers can be shown the need to fight for a socialist answer to the problems on which racialism festers:

*No sackings! Work sharing on full pay.

*Create new jobs! For a programme of useful public works under trade union control.

*Restore the social services! For a cash injection, with automatic compensation for inflation, under workers management.

*Nationalise the major industries! For a socialist economy