North Islington CLP QUESTION: What have Tony Benn, Gordon McLennan, secretary of the Communist Party, Jill Tweedie of the Guardian, and Bishop Winter of Namibia all got in Answer: They are among the small number of MPs, labour movement leaders, and personalities who signed Charter 80, the pelltion in support of the five demands of the Republican prisoners in Long Kesh and Armagh jails in the north of Ireland They are to be congratulated in going this far against the grain of anti-Irish opinión in British society However they will need to go a lot further if they wish to see, in this country, the type of mass movement seen in Ireland in support of the hunger strikers: a marches, meetings and from a whole host of individuals.
general movement built on puduct batchicks in There is no doubt that if Tony Benn, Eric Heffer, and Gordon McLennan were really fighting, day in and day out, on this issue there would be a much better ing the prisoners lives. were saved that would be a step nearer to ending the division of Ireland and British interference in that country.
There : have been developments within the Labour the past year to suggest that there as a grow ng sentiment for ending the British presenc Ireland. -Both the London and Scottis on Ireland. chance of savAnd if those lives Treland cof ty over regions of the party have called for an end to Labour's bipartisan support for Tory policy Labour's national executive committee has set up a working party to propose policy and last June prison conditions in the north. .Then, at this year's party conference in October, numbers of constituency delegates supported motion calling for British withdrawal and credit for developments can be given to the nine-month 13 December, March:
At make Charter make to the national partv. It also on behalf of the prisoners.
This involves trade unions and the party itself. Among the condemned Labour Party executive CHEN OWI large and Heffer these pass.
is holding its first national meeting since its founding conference last that conference delegates voted to '80 high priority, and : although the main aim of the meeting on 13 December is to discuss what submission to executive's working provides an opportunity discuss what Labour Party members can do • winning support for the prisoners' demands in the leadership of the proposals likely to be floated are for an LCI-sponsored lobby of the next and for the LCI to rally on behalf of the prisoners; inviting the participation of Benr The LCI's influence and credibility give it an important role in building such initiatives It would be a tragedy to let the opportunity