PORCI-S Break the Coalition

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BERNBUY DAMETOURINHC It is in the fight against the cuts that the 'lefts' have best preserved the illusion that they are against the Callaghan-Healey Whenever 'left' MPs or trade union leaders bleat about the evils of the right wing or make 'left' gestures by supporting strikes or demonstrations the Workers Socialist League demands action, not words.

"Break with the Liberals! Break with the right wing! Vote and campaign against the Coalition and its supporters! Declare yourselves mandated by the labour movement and not by the Parliamentary Labour Party! We will critically support every action along those lines. But if you do not act, you are nothing but left fakers".

We can critically support the 'lefts' only insofar as they break with the right wing.

Whilst they do no more than lend 'left' credentials to the Lib-Lab Coalition, our task is to expose their prostration to the workers who retain illusions in them, and to demand their removal as we would with any other Coalitionist.

Critical We must avoid any tendency to tie the fight against the Coalition and for a Labour government to represent the working class to the whims and manoeuvres of the 'lefts' in Parliament or in the unions.

We must concentrate on forcing the 'lefts' to take an open stand on the coalition issue.

To those who show the slightest sign of fight we extend both critical support and the demand they press on further in the fight.

Infantilism

In this way we can demonstrate that they are incapable of seriously challenging the PHOTO: Laurence Sparham, IFL leadership.

Left talker Audrey Wise right wing reformist leaders. Careful use of demands on the "lefts' can reveal to workers their complete lack of any perspective for the working class.

While the mass of workers still adhere to the Labour Party we continue to call for a Labour government.

To advance the idea, in whatever form, that there is no difference between Tory and Labour (even Labour under Callaghan) is sectarian infantilism which serves only to assist the reformists, who would quite likely be strengthened by a period of Thatcher in power.

Break politically

The WSL follows the method of the Transitional Programme in finding concrete ways of expressing the need for a workèrs' government, given the political balance of forces in the working class as it is, not simply as we would like it to be.

"Of all the parties and organisations which base themselves on the workers and peasants and speak in their name we demand that PHOTO: Andrew Wiard, Report 'Left' Mikardo they break politically from the bourgeoisie and enter upon the road of struggle for the workers' and farmers' "On this road we promise them full support against capitalist reaction. And at the same time, we indefatigably develop agitation around those transitional demands which should in our opinion form the programme of the "workers' and farmers' (Transitional Programme)

While the workers support Labour we will help them to put it in office independently of the openly capitalist parties.

At the same time we encourage workers to demand and force measures on Labour in defence of their interests and to break the resistance of the capitalists.

Orientation

While the specific demands we place upon Labour will vary in particular class battles, the slogan 'Force Labour to implement a socialist programme' sums up our general orientation in the present situation.

TH ANS nogo In our generalexplanation of this position the WSL warns the working class not workers from reformism. to trust its leaders; explains that a socialist programme attitude to voting for cannot be implemented by parliamentary edict; and shows that the task posed is for the working class to question in the USA impose its rule over the bourgeoisie, smash the existing state apparatus, and institute a planned economy. ment Will politician La Guardia.

Best means In no sense does the fight get himself mandated to force Labour to implement a socialist programme "sow politicians: illusions" , as the sectarians would have it.

On the contrary, it is the best means through which the working class can test out its leaders and organisation and develop new, revolutionary leadership for the task of seizing power.

It is because we need to expose all the wings of the mass reformist party that we continue to call for a Labour vote in bye elections, while at the same time fighting for the adoption of anti-coalition candidates and the removal of coalitionists.

We must struggle to bring politicians. union branches into this fight for the breaking of the 0a1t101.

Not sufficient It is not sufficient to con- candiates. vince ourselves that the Lib-Lab Coalition must be broken; we must convince the working class. In doing so a correct tactical orientation towards the Labour Party party. remains important.

We must be clear that there is no barrier in principle to us continuing to give critical electoral support to Labour candidates so long as the Labour Party continues to stand in its own name in The question is a tactical one-to be decided in the to it in elections in order to context of the fight to break expose its refusal to break from the policies-and now Trotsky spelled out his even the political parties-of the bourgeoisie. workers party in alliance with a bourgeois grouping when he discussed the Labour Party It then seemed likely that the La Douls non-Partisan League would adopt an agreebourgeois Trotsky declared that if he PHOTO: Andrew Wiard. Report were in the LNPL he would oppose support for bourgeois "If you send me as your representative, I will fight for this programme in the LNPL, in the Labour Party. When the LNPL makes a decision to vote for La Guardia, I either resign with protest or protest and remain: 'I can't vote for La Guardia. I have my man- Callaghan date'. We get large new We do so because the possibilities for propaganda". Labour Party represents a (Transitional Programme Jor certain stage in the developSocialist Revolution, P123) ment of the consciousness of the working class and its Tactical question struggle for political In other words, Trotsky independence. It has historicentres his position on cal roots in the trade unions. refusing to vote for bourgeois To break these roots, the Labour Party, 'left' and right For him it is then a wings alike, must be exposed tactical question whether or in action to workers in not to resign. And he does not say he would refuse to in this way those who vote for the LNPL's own begin to break from reformism can be directed We do not vote Labour not towards syndicalism but through. any agreement with towards the construction of a its programme. Nor do we so revolutionary party capable so simply because workers of leading the working class. traditionally vote for this Concluded We extend critical support Prounaname "I lia progo for action daraa toaidotass comsAN nIMOA..

Aund fecnensathre -pars icud panint ao í inon dana srmatataucono darsihon...

ERICTESH Shhp pae.

L_3EN rantinond PrakaMi

baoınıdkım_ NMDETR

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• SOCIALIST PRESS, Wednesday 8 March, 1978 DISTRIAL NEWES NU.1 THAM