can smash t policies ON Friday 13 November Islington MP John Grant voted in Labour's shadow cabinet elections. Three days later he joined the Social Democratic Party. Grant had a clear conscience in this crazy affair. After all a good portion of the shadow cabinet agree with the policies of the SDP anyway.
Last week's row over Tony Benn's Commons speech defending Labour Party policy on renationalisation of hived-off state assets, illustrates the problem very clearly.
Michael Foot, Peter Shore, Roy Hattersley and the rest of the Labour right wing want a shadow cabinet veto over conference decisions - to allow the parliamentary party to prevent the implementation of socialist policies.
Tony Benn, far from being 'provocative' was the victim of a provocation from the *. right wing. He was absolutely right to refuse to respect shadow cabinet 'collective responsibility'. Such an undertaking would have made him a prisoner of the right. wing's behind all the disputes is a simpe cue: ion: How can the Tories and the Socia Democrats be defeated? Foot and the right wing say that party feuds are damaging Labour's chances.
But nothing will ensure defeat for Labour more surely than the tired old anti-working class policies inherited from Wilson and Callaghan.
The only way to defeat the Social Democrats and their media bandwagon is to challenge them with socialist policies.
Labour needs to put to the working people of Britain policies which can solve the capitalist crisis in their interests - socialist policies such as opposition to unemployment, nuclear war and the EEC, and for the nationalisation of the monopolies and the banks.
In reply to the attack from the right, the fight for Labour Party democracy and socialist policies should be stepped up. A Labour Party which goes into a general election with SDP policies, will always be defeated by the real SDP.
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