'Counter Gause.
UDA boss Andy and pay for the Ulster many of whose sPAn convicted of the LOTTONSIT against they should be such countergangs pose to the Catholic threats trom whichever those in Britain who are what to do about Paisley, the time offer valuable — her seat on the national executive.
elected by a block vote'.
it nas been pointed out with some frequency lately that the Labour right's objection to the trade union block vole al the party's conference is or recent collage When that vote went their wav no such VI Utests were heard Shirley Williams and her friends.
That Williams should HOW Wildl sees as the undemocratic use of the block vote has an even deeper irony: it that manipulated in a most scandalous manner, which helped her retain her seat on the executive al lne Labour Party conference in Blackpool last veal Blackmail On the eve of the conference leading member of the delegation from the Transport and General Workers Union approached by leading the Amalgamated Union Workers.
The AUEW leader told the GWu leader that unless the Transport Union's block vote Was cast in favour of Shirley SHIRLEY Williams has resigned the last postion of influence she held in the Labour Party One of the reasons she gave for quitting on Monday was because 'it is unacceptable that the potential Prime Minister should be Williams in the election executive the support Alex Kitson of the TGWU in the elec tion for the chairperson of the party.
That particular priece of blackmail worked with the TGWIT delegation feeling it had no alternative but to vote for Williams Of such backstage deals is Shirley Williams made. She never been part of the Labour Partv in the sense that most members are. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and the advantage of having two living-in servants to look after her every need.
She attended a girls' public school and then Oxford, and evacuated to the United States during the Second World War Her political career was advanced by the secretaryship she held of the Fabian Society where she attached herself to Tony Crosland who was then making a name for himself for 'revising' social democracy.
Williams others in her group claim to place themselves in the Crosland tradition. Such pleading was rejected by rosanes wife, Susan, who declared in a recent letter to The Times: Nor equality conspicuous among the priorities Labour rightwingers, who wring their Hallus unable to decide whether they will or will not abandon the Labour Par What is impertinent, however, as well as unattractive, is appropriating support were anathema to him.
'From his standpoint a few of these people years ago moved so tar to une right that they've disappeared from sight.
If Shirley Williams is not as much a disciple of Crosland as she likes to pretend, and if she is not averse to seeing the block vote used for her own Dersold advancement.
exactly does she stand for?
She has claimed her gulding principles are a commitment to the mixed economy' fill other words capitalism, the EEC (in other WOTO West European capitalism) and NATO (which translates as international capitalism). These, she says are threatened by the decisions taken at the 1980 Blackpool conference Yet that conference she gave no hint ot leaving LDeN •Labout Party. On the contrary she declared at a fringe meeting at Blackpool:
'We are going to fight to save this and bi JOU think can Will But Shirley Williams never has been a fighter.
She has always had opportunities presented to her Like the rest of the her real objection to the present direction of the Labour Party is that for once the rank and file of the party Tony Crosland's name to. is starting to insist that the necessary qualifications for being in lne leadership of the party should be more than having friends in the right enjoying a good media image.
Indeed, in many ways Shirley Williams is canon or lne meala It is worth remembering that the promotion of her personality her supposedly vote. catching ability - has a fragile relation reality. The one simple pertinent fact is that she lost her palllament in the last election on a higher than average swing to the Tories.
But then Shirley Williams is not exactly an expert tests of popular opinion. na number of pronouncements she has noted tha Labour's vote has declined steadily since 1951 and that accordingly 'strongly socialist' policies have no attraction to voters The truth is that the decline in Labour's vote has coincided with the dropping since the war of more and more strongly socialist' policies.
What evidence there is points to the conclusion that Shirley Williams, rather than the left of the party, who is more out of touch with public opinion. Acceptable As a devout Catholic she opposes abortion but opinion polls have shown majority opinion in the country is strongly in support of a woman's ngal to choose Her support for the EEC is, according to the latest poll, objected to by majority.
Popular opinion is also Swise penna are cam paigns against nuclear Shirley Williams is not so minded.
It now seems evitable that she will leave the Labour Party. Throughout her career she as can changing hier mind, but dithering and even she can hardly pu back from the brink thi time.
In leaving Labour, the party will be losing what has been described as 'the acceptable face of socialism'. Acceptable to whom? Well the description has appeared in the right-wing Daily Telegraph. In the comWally of SUCE friends, Shirley Williams is best judged