coming to before had dressed a Tribune rally.
He chided, "Tony more cabinets than I have.' Success gene di dividual was Wednesdav morning A standing awarded away. leaders at with silence by LaDour rallics.
tht he was curable peace-monger.
gap leader, a minor ling Michael Foot, leader of the Labour Party told the Tribune rally at the Labour Party conference, want to thank you for inviting me here. I have been Tribune rallies longer At that there was laughter and cheers all round. Michael Foot the prodigal son of the lent, naa, lt seemed, nol onn returned but had brought with Not the Such a Labour Party. After all, never leader ada party At the meeting Foot played dience of the times he had had reminded his EEC and in parliament. whip withdrawn He capacity has served in things.
It was a good performance, abstention a reflection of Foot's success eadersh the conference.
Healey for any one indivudual, that inMichael Foot.
This was evident when ne was given a standing ovation at the cabinet end of his parliamentary report conference the ovation is not Labour full conference. year, James Callaghan was met most of tic delegates from the constituency But this year explanation they rose, as a single mass whet popularity.
Foot ended with his declaration 'an inveterate, inMichael Foot, it seems, has arrived. For a long time he has appeared little more than stopthe advance of the left, a weak- ODSLaCe LU are the very little authority and commanded less respect.
Brighton changed that, and ULE it is now time to take Michael replacement Foot seriously. This is especial"I do than I care to ly important because the conference delegates suggested that Foot, if no longer the 'darling of the left, still retains much affection and trust with them view is not only wrong, it is dangerous. Certainly, Foot has allied himself with manv of the lett wing pollcies adopted at conference, in parwithdrawal from the But sympathy for such notions and For willingness IO carry them out are different For instance, Foot, through the snivelling little opportunist deputy contest; knowing ull well that this would mean victory. And yet Healey, with at least more tegrity than some of the 'left' defiantly proclaimed he would serve in a unnatelals Make no mistake. it root has to choose between keeping Healey happy, or implementing unilateralist policy, he will pick te tormer It was this notion of 'unity' which finds a real echo on the Labour left, and which is one for But the best remarks on this came from defeated left wing treasurer, Norman Atkinson at the conference on the Wednesday. "The very people who said for unity's sake we should not contest the deputv leadershin just shifted people who hav left-wingers from the national executive.
'The unity that is necessary principles the of capitalist society by a socialist society'.
The executive elections were another success for Foot. It was no secret that he supported the 'hit list' drawn up by the right wing trade union leaders, a list which specifically at those executive aimed members whO were openly associated with the moves to democratise the Labour Party.
It is also rather significant that HOO chose lo speak on behalf of the : executive on the debate on NEC control of the party manifesto. He decided to lend his name to attacking this further move towards democratisation, raising the stakes to such a level that he claimed: 'The way we settle this question may well settle the next election.
This assertion is indicative for the battle which is now likely to ensue between the policies decided at conference, and the NEC, the majority of which do not support those policies It is particularly relevant in regard to what some delegate were saying, that Foot is now 'a right' Michael Foot is a prisoner then ne shows little indication of wanting to escape Unlike Benn he resolutely defends the action of the last Labour government, in whic ge braved a caulle Dal It was Foot who, as leader - opposition selected as Labour's defence spokesperson Dal Halichl who didn't agree policy on defence; as Labour's foreign affairs spokesperson, someone who didn't agree with party policy on foreign attairs, and as Labour's spokesperson ou une economv. someone wild didn't agree economic policies Michael Foot may still be the grandfather of the Labour left, but he could easily become the goalaliel • of the right. He deserves watching.
'WE ARE
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remember. But I must admit I never expected to find myself occupying the position I do at present.'