IN a fanfare of publicity the Social Democratic Party have captured another former Labour MP and stand poised to win control of their first Borough Council, in Islington.
to the hands of the extremists nationally and locally', and that there is 'no chance of them winning back control' This is a lie. What has really happened is that Labour Party members, sickened by years of right-wing policies and domination of the Labour Party, are seeking change. to democratise the Party so that these policies will be carried out.
This process of democratic change had advanced a long way in Islington. Michael O'Halloran was certain not to be re-selected as They claim that the Labour Party has 'fallen inThey are fighting for new socialist policies and THE battle to unseat O'Halloran and his cronies from their PUsi tions of power in the Islington Labour Party has been a long one failed having every dirty trick and manoeuvre to retain support in the local Labour Party it was inevitable that they would look elsewhere to further their careers and pursue their right wing policies. At last Tuesdar: press conference the latesi ploy of these SDP coun cillors was to absurdly claim that the local party had been taken over bv In ternational Marxist Group infiltrators.
But the battle is still not over. The SDP now have 22 councillors in Islington the Tories two and Labour 28 But the SDP claim that 3 or 1 more Labour councillor: dre cossacre switca to the SDP, which would give them a majority on the Council.
And there is a lesson for the left in all this. The main issue which the new SDP councillors promised to campaign • arouna was rate rises. The Islington suo cuculary rise this which includes a component for the GLC and ILEA, works out at f70 over six months. or almost t3 a week tor al average working class household The Labour left in Is lington and elsewhere has to drop its suicidal polic! of supporting rate rises of a number of Labour coun cils in London may fall to the SDP next May.
See editorial on page 2 on Labour Under Attack B