Lists & the Labour Party Lawyers are planning to sue Hackney police following an 'anti-mugging" operation in the borough on Friday12th 18 young Blacks were held DebiemoCl. for nearly 24 hours and then released without being charged.
The incident it seems, occurred after a mugging in the area was reported to the police who then swooped on a large crowa or back youln nearoy stopped and searched many of them and took 18 into custody.
SPG The criticism Commander David Mitchell has received for this action will not have come as a shock to him. Ever since becoming head of Hacknev police last year Mitchell has been at the centre of controversy over his policing meloas He first brought the SPG into the borough early this year - despite council opDosiuon - ane nas ouoncany ex oressea & hard line' attitude on street crime and race relations.
Deputy leader of the Council, John Kotz, said again this weekend what has been said many times before - that this man is not good lor race relanons In Hackney.
CRIME?
*21nº a vrocramm Comm. Mitchell expressed his astonishment that some peopie, on leaving puds at ciosing ume, lauea lo go A few years ago, fringe groups like the SWP were writing off the Labour Party as a 'premature corpse'. The left forces that - and which nave emergea in tne party are attracting wide union support -ПОИ presents them with a problem.
This problem is aggravated by the fact that, as part of its swing left, the Labour Party has taken the lead in initiating action on a wide range of issues from the anti-cuts demo last November to the anti-nuclear rally this monU These moves are no accident. They reveal the pressure on the party by wide layers of workers who see the need to fight for solid anti-Tory policies not in fringe groups but in the party they built, finance and vote for: the Labour Party.
CHARACTER cde rreemans arice is an autemol lo justify the SWP's sectarian stance in the face of this development. The points he raises to defend SWP practice are a series of hoary old chesnuts which were rejectea, in tne marxıst movement, vears Iney can be bolled down essentially to three points: that the Labour Party Is a "bourgeois party" (albeit with working class support), Inal as a resuli, l cannor be 'changed": and finally, that it is necessary to be outside it building ... the SWP. Let us examine these in turn Cde Freeman starts off by denying there is any essenual amerence Labour and the Tories. As he insists, it is politics which defines the class nature of a party ana on the record of previous Labour - one is as bad as the governments olner.
DIFFERENCE?
But hold on a minute. Isn't there a contradiction here between what (de Freeman writes andwhat the SWP does? Didn't the S'WP, at the last election, call for a vote for Labour (albeit grudgingly)? If Labour is a 'bourgeois' party — as bad as the lories - whi vote for it? Isn't it a principle that socia lists never vote tor bourgeol. parties? Isn't that called crossing class lines?
In fact, of course, the SWP vote for Labour and not the Liberals or Tories seems, arouse the good Commander's wrara ov coarung on sueet coricrs. di activity he clearly considers detrimental to public order.
From what happened on Friday night, it would appear Mitchell would like the people of H lackney to restrict their nocturnal behaviour still turther evidently no longer necessary to hang around street corners to become the automanc ooject or ponce attention - merely to be walking home is sufficient to attract the attention of the polBLACK Particularly if you are Black. Isn't it odd that a large number of Black youth snoula be stoppea, searcnea ana quest ioned simply because they were in the vicinity of an alleged 'mugging' last Hnca.
Is the so-called incidence of street crime we 00e 0e:weer Labout aru ine olneı parlics this difference?
It is not just because workers support it (after all. as Cde Freeman says. many workers vote lorv and socialists don call for a vote for Mrs Thatcher). The SWP called for a vote for Labour because they recognised implicitly what it is a different kind of party from the others.
TORIES?
The Labour Party was created, at the turn of the centurv, by the unions whien nad broken with the capitalist parties. In this sense, it remains the political wing of the union movement, dominaled Dy lne umons both through its block vote at conference and though its voting power.
Whatever Cde Freeman may say, the break with the capitalist parties and the launening ot a new party based on the unions was a major step forward. In no way can that party facilely be equated with the Tories any more than the TUC whicn aiso seils snort its members can be compared with the CBI.
If Cde Freeman was consistent in his argument, it the Labour Party is to be written olt as bourgeols then so should the unions that dominate it. Is Cde rieeman suggesting inal sociansts don t work in unions either because they are dominated by the same leaders who commale ine Labour rarly.
LESSONS At one stage in his article. Cde Freeman suggesis mnal soclansis snoud De cuidea by the historical experience of workers struggies. we would agree. wouidnt it. in this respect, be uselul to be guided by - and draw the lessons from sectarian mistakes of the voung British Communist Partv?
he ment discover inat unev came oul with exactly the same lop-sided formulas on the Labour Party as him. He might also find that Lenin fought hard against this "infantile' view and called on the yaung CP 10 aftliate to the Labour Cde Freeman has a bit of a problem here. Was perhaps Lenin. like the Cdes of Socialist Action, breeding illusions in reformism as well.
CHANGE But why did Lenin call on the CP ity? Does being in the vicinity of a crime automatically bring you under suspicion if you are Black not one has been charged would seem It is gung lssue was merew an ex cusc lc MT ranev ae vve a cne ful imprisionment of his clients. Sucl it might make Hackney police more hesitant in making mass arrests in future.
Even more welcome would be campers which are used by the police at they can victimise and harass Black What essentall! is Ac financial support and to join the Labour Party? He clearly knew like coe rreeman is dominated by 'reformist socialists". 20s is no better than Callaghan in the 80s.
Cde Freeman doesn't. He grasped that while he had seen through the ¡cacuoldry icaucis ul lic pally thousands if not millions of workers affiliated to the party realised that you cannot break those workers from such leaders by standing on the sidelines preaching Inis is ine way lorwaro, lnal ne nas joined the company of other • ШПС sects (from the ILP to the SPGB) who can be seen. everv sundav, gathering a! Hyde Part to preach the superiority of sociaisin BASE The point is that wishes of the SWP workers are not looking to the fringe tace. I hev are looking at the Labour Party lor sucn answer.
development in the party headed by Sucialist Action. under the drugs act youll correcito concuudd the police to harass the Black community EVIDENCE - particularlv the voung Black communThe fact that of the 18 vouths arrested caretul as socialists to indicate quite strongly that the 'mugharass the Black community as happens in areas as diverse as Brixton to Bristol. advocating taking it.
case, is now suing the police for wronga move, ll successiui, is welcome in that suspicion. aigns against laws such as 'sus' and othpresent as legal umbrellas under which Socialist that the party : "liberal-imperialists" and MacDonald is the sidelines He clearly grasped something that mal cuansca • < A n<{ EXPERIENCE If Cde Freeman seriously considers illustrious Is sciluus - regardless of the • mililons oi socialist way left for the answers to the problems they - the party built by the unions This is, after all, the base of the 'left' Benn. The SWP might feel Benn has no intention of introducing socialist policies Below, Phil Dent replies to John Hicks' article in last month's issue of John Hick's article on cannabis, last monun. contains manv correcl Doine which socialists should support. He suggests there is no scientific basis to prove cannabis' harmful effects and that keeping it illegal only gives the police- an excuse for harassing people. particularly Black ›ucn ooinis are correci. ll ls also as tonn ale -that socialists should therefore support the "Legalise cannabis" campaign.
While supporting an end to anticannabis laws. however, we should be • not to confuse this with support for the taking of cannabis itself. Fighting for the right of people to take it is not the same as There are two reasons for this First. John is right to say there is no solid evidence to prove cannabis" harmful effects and that governmentcommissioned reports (suggesting it societv nodis une orain clct arc licasly biased and to be regarded with At the same time. however, we have to admit that there is equaly no evidence • to prove that the cttects of cannabis are harmiess. ( ntil unbiased rescarch ha: ano socialst acuon migni agree Thousands of workers do have confidence in Benn, however, and they are not going to see throuch him b sectarian groups throwing mud from the All that will happen is that Benn will be let off the hook and groups like the SWP will become (as in fact they are)
The task of socialists is not to stand outside this process. It is to be in the Labour Party, fighting side by side with other forces and calling on Benn it he • to pur nis politics inic practice. This will allow thousands 10 go through a concrete experience witn ing Labour leaders (right or left) and draw rea conc usions aboul inem Whether or not one believes the Labour Party can be 'transformed' is not the ker question. socialst Achon doesn ! believe that the party, as it is. will be capable of transforming society in a What it does recognise is that the forces for such a transformation will arise in the debate and fights wihtin the Labour Partv. It is by going through a concrete struggle with the reformist leaders — on isssues as lar apari as lll cuts to unemployment - that growing layers will be educated in class-struggle CHOICE Secondly, it is not exactly true to suggest cannabis is merely another 'relaxative like nicotine or alcohol. We shoulc recognise that for many young people.. facing no future except the dole lines cannabis mai become a way of optins out' of their seemingly hopeless situation.
Instead or lacing up to tne probiem they face and seeking to change them . zi atol" - they can seek a personal escape. Ihey can be alded ir this by the shadier sides of big business who make a fortune out of trading ofi peoples' despair and misfortune.
This is not to suggest that cannabis is just one aspect of a 'drop-out' culture. Il is merely to say that it can become a means or personaly escapne ol a situation instead of seeking social solutions to it VICTIMISATION While, therefore, we should oppose all anti-cannabis laws -- which are part of a 'whole repressive legislation in capitali»:
- we should be very wary abcr: aol ocanees use Certainly, until and when such anticannaois laws are removea. sociansli shouid not gel involved in its use unle: can only play into the hands of the police who as Jonn correctlt sals -can thereby 'harass and intimidate •i a mas res vut! ne .= PARTY This is uhr Socialist Achion would designate Cdo Freeman's position as sectarian. Building a party, for Cde Freeman. is to stand outside the livine process of the class struggle and preai: from the sidelines.
But does he really believe that a mass party in Britain will be built by recruiting one or two cdes everv lew weeks! On the contrary. the forces for such a part! will be built up in the course of major struggles inside the mass organisations of the workers movement. Benn might no he part of it but the thousands who support him undoubtedly will.
Helping this process demands a clear programme. confidence in one's ideas and a non-sectarian approach. It means working and arguing with other cdes in the unions and Labour Party and winning maxımum support on cleat issues. It means participating ina democratic debate. That is the path Socialist Action has chosen.
UNITY Despite differences with the cdes of the SWP. we -. like Cde Freeman would hope that socialists should collaborate on as many concrete issues as possible (inside and outside the part!' We hope that the cdes of the SWP will support the mass anti-nuclear campaign of the Labour Party, the anti-cuts action launched by the Lambeth Labou Group. the CARL mobilisation built mainly by Labour Party wards We would hope however • Inal |] the longer term. cdes of the SWP would "ease unity in action by loining the Labour Party, where there exist a numberol tendencies arguing democratically for their veiws. Such work in the Labour Partv is not as Cde Freeman says - "infiltration'. The Labour Party is the polical wing of the trade unions and, as such, contains witi? in it a wide spectrum of views democratically argued out. This may appear strange to Cde Freeman who exists in an organisarion naraly noted IoI Il: democratic norms but it is true of the Labour Party.
Socialist Action supporters see themselves as part of the Labour Party with clear ideas on where they think it should be going.
Socialist Action