tional Gazette.
coming argues that BSC of steel by 5-10 'FOR years the Broad Left has been in the doldrums', admitted Ken Brett at the naconference 'We've been very concerned at national level. It's now started to move. By God it's got to move' Brett, the Broad Left candidate for assistant general secretary in the forthUnion, was addressing 187 delegates at the Birmingham conference organised by the journal of the Broad Left.
In his speech, Brett Was militants have been thinking for some time. Broad Left has been in crisis at a time when the tasks of the left in the union are greater than ever.
As one delegate put it, 'This crowd — Boyd, Duffy and Co — are worse than Carron. They're trying to destroy tne democracy of our union...
The platform was optimistic. *I am impressed by the youthfulness of this meeting An organisation La rosy zulure Bob leadership it requires.
saying what many The answers, As Brett explained:
without youth is an organisation without a future. By this criterion, the Broad Left has Wright, the left's presídential candidate, spoke or we neca ror a ngung leadership for the union. Many speakers endorsed what Bob Wright had to say about the events in Leyland acuUr Wa. develople!
Leyland in response to the sacking of Derek Robin. son. This action was called off in favour of a futile committee of inquiry. The momentum of opposition to his victimisation was thereby broken 'In future all union activists must be protected. We need a union president and a full union leadership capable of giving our great union the resolute With speeches like these, delegates were forced to ask why the Broad Left has been 'in the doldrums' for so many years and why the union is facing one of the worst crises in its entire history. But they and so there is no guarantee that soccenes were more man not au The fact is that if the Broad Left leadership had shown complete intransigence to the attacks of the abour government; if it had charted a genuinely in. dependent course to Hugh Scanlon BsC is no campaign Action • throughout Fine words after the event at the time As one delegate, austral kelations AC possible the successful The left will have to completely got no ycals. contracts, import controls and thrown Broad Left Duffy and Co serious answer Yes, not less and less, steel. leader of yesteryear — then things would be different It bordered on complete hypreerisy when Bob Wright spoke of Leyland. Wright was part of the COT the right-wing union tops against the Leyland toolmakers when they went out the gate against the social contract. Wright chose to tamain silent when Derek Robinson was victimised.
welcome But what's necessary above all is fine action Dudley Edwards, put it: "This union led the fight for the 10-hour day. It led the figh 40-hour week. It helped make Heath's Int unworkable. It helped make resolutions on democracy passed at last year's Labour Party conference. The toic and recora or our union are at stake break from the strategy and orientation of its leaders over the past and compromise over social the like must Class struggles policie native. We have got to commit Bob Wright to these policies, and turn his fighting speeches into action This is the only way to win the election and get rid of