Editorial: Sack Callaghan

VUMBE

JULY, 1978.

EDITORIAI

Sack Callaghan to defeat the Tories Prime Minister Callaghan intends to stomp the country from now until the General Election campaigning for a fourth phase of rigid wage control-with increases no more than 5%—followed by permanent pay limits. This was made abundantly clear in his arrogant, provocative speech to bureaucrats of the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions conference at the end of June.

Callaghan declared not only that there would be a Phase 4, but also that he had no intention of seeking prior agree.

ment with the TUC on his proposed figure. In other words, as with the Phase 310% limit, the government has decided simply to throw down the gauntlet to the TUC bureaucracy knowing full well that these union leaders are so eager to assist the employers to pull through their crisis and so scared of the strength of their own members that they will do nothing to challenge a pay ceiling.

True to form, the Confed. leaders did nothing to challenge this high-handed display by Callaghan. The press next day described official union reaction as "guardedly favourable". There can be no carry out this policy workers' movement. Callaghan's latest plan for further wage control.

combined with the whole treacherous record of Labour in government which in four years has thrown 1% million out of work and inflicted historic cuts in working class living Page 1 doubt that it can only Callagha ing fresh n is allowed to setbacks to the standarcs, may well be sufficient to al working class Labour voters and bring the Tories under Thatcher's right wing leadership But even if Labour were to scrape a majority in a General Election, the Callaghan cabinet would regard this victory as a mandate to crack down with renewed vicious- ness on any section of workers that defied the pay policy and fought to defend their living standards. The Lib-Lab coalition may be about to expire but its central policy- wage control-is far from dead.

The decision in May by Liberal leader David Steel to break the anti-socialist Lib-Lab pact stems from his belief that an October General Election is all but certain, and his anxiety to salvage what remains of the Liberal Party's electoral support prior to that date. For the second string capitalists in the Liberal Party and the reactionary leaders of the Labour Party the 14-month coalition arrangement has already fulfilled its purpose: *It propped up the mino through a period when strike a throw Phase 2 of wage control.

*It provided Healey with outside the labour movement ultimatum to the TUC traitors.

*It gave the Callaghan gov through a military scabbir the 1926 General Strike to carry since tenate fuI of th rity ction Labour government threatened to over. solid n lavi su ppor down drawn from his Phase 3 the confidence to unprecedented remen's strike.

into stan It has pressured ven the most abandoning even the pretence ds for a socialist programme.

There is every indication that, with the beginnings o pturn in inflation, working class pressure on wages afte expiry of Phase 3 will unleash further mass struggles further acts of treachery from Callaghan and the ition cabinet. The question now posed starkly before Ikative hat th Labou e gover 2183 every Labour rarty member and trade u must act to prevent Callaghan's planned could be more dangerous than to stand allow the Labour right wing and their bureaucracy to ride roughshod over the working class. Those "left" Labour position, and tamels government policy st m by Callaghan. nionist is how they sabotage. Nothing back passively and allies in the TUC interests of the MPs this position, and tamely gone along with every reaction- Tave wl alo atr ve co with the nsistently taken every reaction- •pening for this leaded by Cabinet left' Wedgewood enn, ribune Group of MPs have trooped time and again eep into the government lobby to register support ass unemployment, social service cuts, pay laws tacks on democratic rights-each time arguing that nly alternative was the return of a Tory government.

Those Labourites who follow Callaghan and Healey are quite wrong to interpret the recent renewed electoral support for Labour as a vote for their policies of wage cuts, mass unemployment and destruction of the social services.

Workers have been turning out to vote Labour because they have come to feel that a Tory government would be even worse. It would mean a further intensification of racialiet propaganda and legislation, the unions, still more spend and hundreds of thousands speed-up and rationalisation But now Callaghan has sour government would Workers have voted Lab Tory attacks would destray won in decades of strug Callaghan-Healey intend to their record wage-cutters a new battery of laws ing cuts to benefit big b of jobs last in a new ro in industry. informed them that a ronowed nean permanent wage controls!

our because they recognise that jobs, rights and living standards gle. But the very fact that campaign in the action on and ob-slasher m es it clear el ak against usiness und of it is by Labour. The Labou ing standards itish capitalism the Tories. The way to fight and defeat the Tories is to advance the independent struggles of the working class. And this can only take place if a clear stand is taken at each point against the reactionary policies of the Labour leaders. The 'lefts' have demonstrated their refusal to take such a stand at any point-and in doing so they have contributed to demoralis- ation and cynicism among Labour supporters who want to fight the capitalist offensive, Callaghan and the right wing feed off such weakness. They are counting on te traditionally low level of Labour Party activity during the summer period and the likely cancellation of this year's Party conference, in order to force through a thoroughly reactionary manifesto with rank and file members being denied even the pretence of a democratic voice. This strategy for betrayal must be fought throughout the workers' movement.

Every trade union branch, Labour Party ward and GMC must discuss these latest developments and pass resolutions demanding a full Labour Party conference be called prior to the General Election, at which delegates will have the opportunity to throw out Callaghan's proposed manifacto and the antire Tihil ah cahinot l anal MD. mace that vote Br nough to leaders themselves and basic rights. they have opened pose a m Acting is the door ajor threat , defence to the retu be forced to sta supporters removed issue and the fight based on abolition o cuts, a programme c nationalisation of ti compensation under "lefts' can be put to entary road to socia e their positions, and Callaghan's from lists of candidates. It is on this in practice for a socialist programme wage controls, restoration of spending if public works to create new jobs and le banks and major industries without workers' management that the Labour the test, and the illusions of a Parliam lism which they peddle can be stamper (within the workers As the wing, the b for a break a ravolutio powe proved f worke I demor a revolutionary leadership to take the working class to "lefts' are est layers o from socia nar eade unable rs will iracy a • take to challe ecognise ad the co the orl cing the r neces ictior class ight sity 10f to July 3, 1978. Our columns are open! The last issue lengthy analysis tory of the Fourt drew attention to foundation of the and stressed the i discussion on its to use the pages such discussion. of Trotskyism Today car entitled "Aspects of the › International" Our Edite the 40th Anniversary of Fourth International in 1 leed to stimulate the wi reconstruction. We off this journal as a forum offered This offer remains open. To further press the need for more thorough discussion of the historical problems of the Fl, this issue carries the document written by the WL in response to an invitation from the International Marxist Group and the United Secretariat of the Fourth International for us - as non members of the USFI - to submit material for discussion Page within the gress next ye This document, The Poisoned Well, att empts show the necessity for a historical grasp he problems of the post war Inter.

nation the current malignments and changes within the USFI and the confusion of other self-styled "Trotskyist' groupings internationally are to be correctly understood, It has been circulated to many of the left groups in Britain and internationally that claim the title Trotskyist'. In ouch case we have invit ed the group concerned to submit replies to us for publication. We reaffirm this invitation, and particularly urge the USFI's British section, the International Marxist Group, to declare publicly its position on this document and the probiems of programme, principle and method that it raises. of t

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