With the Transport Union votes in his pocket Benn looks set for victory In the week running up to the meeting ecutive Fleet Street conducted a 'disinformation' operation. Its aim was TGWU no option but to cast their vote for Healey.
Particularly to the fore in this campaign was the Guardian which on 18 September an a front page story headlir d 'Deluge of TGWU votes fo Healey'. No other newspaper that day even mentioned what, on ine surface, dramatic story, based on returns irom Il regions' the hardly do back Mr Healey'.
other papers didn't Guardian story that day: it was based more on the prejudices of the Guardian proprietors than any concrete evidence.
The truth of the matter was A CONCERTED campaign by the ruling class press to win the vote of the Transport and General Workers Union to the side of Denis Healey failed on Monday, when the union executive decided to recommend a vote for Tony Benn as Labour's deputy-leader.
of the union ex- tion' persuade the London, leaders that they had London'.
media, appeared namely, that i0 of its tion but to vote for Healey.
TGWU 'can anything else but conclusive procedure was carried surprising that different ways right wing ticials. Nevertheless that six regions atter 'consulta their members had called for a vote for Healey, but • that three of the largest regions, Scotland and Northwest had backed Benn.
The Guardian's report was a deliberate act of disinformation. It claimed the Northwest had voted for Healey and that John Silkin 'has done well in membership Guardian SLOV was need taken ud by times time TGWU given to the public was that the TGWU executive had no op.
LTACLCU In tact, the returns were in The 'consultation' out in Kitson, in different Results sullic his regions were heavily influenced full-time of- ty leadership the three regions who backed Benn con- TGWU tain the majority of the TGWU Denis Healey refused to comment on the TGWU vote Unfortunately Alex Kitson, general secretary of the gave the Healey cause some credence when he said at the press conference after Monday's vote that Healey 'had atHEUS support' in the consultation process.
, however, has, Stol some weeks now, been running campaign une TGWU to abstain on the depuThere is no doubt that the consultation was badly run. It would have been more democratic had the decision been taken the TGWU conference in June.
But the right and centre of the union combined to prevent vote being taken there because they knew a majority of the conference would have voted for Benn.
did take solace in tation take place the consultation did favour Benn On the other hand Healev' biggest supporters, the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers took its decision in July by a dictate of the executive