Michael Foot - one in the eye for Benn? MICHAEL FOOT has won the honorary leadership of Labour's right wing. This is the meaning of Foot's windy lecture responsibility' on 3 June.
In reality, cabinet responsibility IS phrase for letting the ranks of the unions and the party celebrate their socialist ideals, while the real decimakers remain SUll countable to the banks, big business and the IMF This how 1S cabinet behaved from 1974 to 1979, and it demoralised allu contused supporters, producing the lowest turn-out for Labour in any since the war.
Policy Foot claimed that the shadow cabinet was applyLabour conference 111% policy, and Benn was to 'challenge' 'good faith'. leader spoke of 'widespread agreement' the alternative economic strategy Briremoval Irom ine EEC, and nuclear disarmanchl.
on 'cabinet Healey backed Foot's speech He said Benn chobie nave. une lulcer to have stood against Michael root personally Integrity is an elastic concept for Healey.
Integrity He stood anallisi Foot for the eadership, now he is stanrules he rejects. ding for deputy And he InUC does not support one word policies for which Foot claimed 'widespread agreement' But Healey knows that cabinet responsibility greatly mellows those who were previously the darlings of the left. Collabora. tion with the real rulers of the capitalist system has had this effect betore, and Healey had great faith in Foot's capacity to follow his left-wing predecessors in the same direction.
While the parliamenhave rallied taly Dally THE MESSAGE READ TO THE SHADOW CA How the right-wing Daily Express backed Foot round Foot, his cabinet lecture did no1 impress others. The day after. executive of the TGWU MODOR Wal discussed which endorsed the criticisms the union's acting general secretary, lex Kitson had made o Benn's challenge tor the leadership. The motion fell by a 4-1 majority. That reflects the pressure on the union leadership from the thousands upon thousands Cabinet, a modern version Te Be vas'sa socialist in read: socialist danger of being sacked tron the parliamentary gainst the Tories? Yoting leadership Obscene Attlee's manoeuvres came to nothing. His demand for recantation was La meeting of deteated at the PLP. Foot's attempt to force Benn into an election has also come to nothing Benn has insisted his campaign is over policies.
the personalițies Michael Hoot. Denis Hea ly and Tony Benn. Is Tony Benn telling the truth?
ell, ser ine Bearbon copy of defence vote and the Benn
VET LAST NIGH
of active trade unionists who back Benn, and it expresses the feelings of the final Peoples March who, at the end, cheered Benn and booed Healey. The TGWU will now take its decision on who to back tor deputy leader eve of terence.
Many would support a Nye Bevan were as modest as these words imply? The final answer remained locked in heart and of course it would be absurd if the possibility of his succession to the leadership never crossea nis mina..
'He had every right to consue himselt didate for office. But what was talse was the suggestion that all his moves, manoeuvres challenge to Foot Benn. And Foot is right to say Benn's campaign the over ine airechon o.
party. But Benn has declined the challenge, in sisting he is not engaged in COlILES per sonalities.
Air Certainly, the labour movement desperately needs to work kick out the Tories, and policies designed strengthen the battle commit the next Labour government to socialist It also needs to Hicasuco.
clarify where its leaders stand on the fight for such policies, replacing those who waver, building a left in the unions and party powerfu enough to credibly challenge Foot.
And one thing is certain. week's events have shown that the democratic fresh air which has blown through the election of the leader and deputy leader the Labour Party should now be directed towards the election of Labour's entire parliamentary leadership. resignatons, allacks welt calculated however ineptly to further his personal advancement to the leadership.
Tony Benn may not be exac renlica ot Nve Bevan, but Michael Foot a replica of Clem Attlee? Whichever IS, Michael Foot the writer is much pleasant chap than Michael Foot the Labour leader.
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The damning dossier that Foot drew up on Benn...