CND secretary (in personal capacity)
THIS weekend's against the missiles will be the largest labour gathering against weapons for 20 years. dreds of activists trade unions and the Labour Party are meeting to discuss the next steos tor the campaign.
Over the last year the anti-missiles movement has grown dramatically. Thousands OI people have CND and hundreds of groups have been formed.
Nuclear weapons was a major issue at last October's Labour Party conference and just three weeks later 30,000 people demonstrated against Cruise and Trident missiles in London.
But the rapid growth of the movement will not continue Taken by surprise by success, the Tories and their friends have begun their counter-attack.
Margaret Thatcher has pledged her allegiance to Ronald Reagan's cold war, backed by an communist ideological Within the labour movement the right wing has begun to organise to win support for multilateralist positions. NATO So where do we go from here? Last aurumn socialst posed the role of the NATO-funded salancHaestanding inside the labour movement. David Owen and Bill Rodgers are among the committee's supporters. They have now abandoned the labour movement altogether for the dizzy world of credit cards and computers.
But Bill Sirs of the steelworkers, Terry Duffy of the engineers, Sidney Weighell of the rail workers also feature among the committee's supporters. Roy Hattersley, leader of Labour Solidarity, is another sponSOT.
These people will spearhead the fight against the Labour Party and the unions adooting unilateralist and anti-NATO positions. will argue for multiateral disarmament, to take place at the never-never time when everv countrv will give un nuclear weapons simultaneously protracted negotiations. Unilateral This approach of petitions and appeals for world disarmament draws attention from the practical task bullaing a mass campaign agalist vul own government's weapons leaves disarmament up to the good will' of the politicians. the fact that it is the US imperialists and their allies who have stepped up Ine arms race al every stage. so we have to come to grips with the cold war warriors within the labour movement.
First and foremost, we need every organisation of the labour movement particularly the Labour Party - to take a stand of all-out opposition to the missiles. That means we have to demand that our leaders clearly support Michael Foot's appointment of Brvnmol John, supportel Cruise and multilateralist, shadow spokesperson on detence is a step in the opposite direction.
the government to send back the missiles and carry out nuclear dısarmament has to be more vigorously pursued than ever before.
This from the joined local unhindered.
CND's initial campaign.
CRUISE unallenge exand Instead they and US imperialism.
Government super-power cerence local coverncal nons.
cils open labour bunkers and how of goes into civil defence. and May local elections It also ignores shores is insufficient.
Reagan alliance belligerent loreign poncy military aid and and the the Rapid intentence unilateral annis sales to me Argentina to be lifted.
The South Africa, Labour ment campaign damaged.
calist Challenge NO CRUISE MISSLE PETAIN OU ST HELENS TRANCEA WORKERS OF THE WORLD CND of paign in 1981 class against Thatcher's madness.
Wing the £5bn based fields. made for producing called for multilateral can be the launch-pad for a camdirected mightiest ever mobilisation of our 1980 Trades resolution
----- pull-quotes -----
et Helens Action LES One? NIS MBROSE SHARDLOR'S