Here we present three views on the rise of the Social Democratic Party, from Gerry Hoffa and from Socialist Challenge supporters Steve Potter and Britain Heron Socialist Challenge is questions about the British political scene.
are still backing Thatcher or are they switching Will the bosses back the SDP?
The debate so far in the past two issues of raising fundamental Especially disputed is whether the bosses their allegiance to the SDP/Liberal Alliance.
workers movement?
400 words or fewer And what affect is the SDP having on the If you wish to join in this debate or commant on any subject please write to us: SC Letters, PO Box 50, London N1 2XP. Please keep to all letters will be edited.
YEAR after the foundation of the Social Democratic Party it is vital that we take stock of its significance.
Brian Grogan is correct to point out that Thatcher's still receives wide sup port the bosses and the rest of the ruling class: but political anc economic necessity does not always match would the ling bot would find SDP/Liberal Alliance moderate economic expansion plus and attacks the unions not completely inadequate for the next period, however limited that might be.
are the impications tor the isbour movement? If the SDP itself CSLOOSHCE 2S broker for coalition pressure for coalitionism will leave the working class movement unaffected.
damentally divide and further move ment At the same time they fac electoral their own party at the next to stop ine dercat or t Tories turning into something far worse -ruling class governs sections of the ning cla There is also a real crisis of leadership in the workers' At the moment the right wing leaders of the labour movement have the Spung the policies of the But the mantle of Wilson and Callaghan and the good old sixties has firmly by the SDP enders succeed only building the SDP.
Already, both James Callaghan and Denis Healey have raised the question of whether an SDP Labou coalition would not be preferable to another five years of Tory rule.
The attack right against the left inside ine Labour rary at the present time is inwatery bound wo with the question of govern.
LUTE
stance the and the right wing 01fensive are attempts to render the Labour Party fit to rule lin the interests of caoital).
But it is also the case that the defeat of the left necessary precondition for coalition perspective from the Labour right.
In its campaign for a Labour victory the left must start to ENOUG LY fight against the SDP policies of the Labour and centre, particulariy on policy, and against The upshot is likely to be a major division in the tradi tional Labour vote at the next therefore laid for a coalition government between the SDP and sections of the Labour righ The current witch-hunt in the Labour Party and th base is designed to create just such red of manoeuvre bureaucracy The consequences of such way level, including in the unions B1C013 Every major struggle against the threatens to put the process in reverse The emphasis of Brian's letter therefore is In cereale significance of the SDP from coalition.
the long term dangers for the noVe ment are obvious. If the DEUSUDDE coalitions other parties doesn't this legitimise the type of break with the Labour Party openl canvassed Fran Chapple and others?
The possible repercussions of another isle OT Grain within the rUc unde these conditions WUSE very question organisational unity of the working class.
These are the questions which arise SDP/Liberal threat to the working class movement None of them are inevitable, but neither should the left wilfully blind itself to their scope or their implications for our tactics today.
STEVE POTTER the point of view of the threa that it holds for the workers WYCHICH rrow mis pomt or view te SDP becomes a simple re-run of Thatcherism clothing - while the working COSTY CEY up tion, we say that the class conthrough the labour movement wHit is thoroughty bourneo!
apparatus, threatens the unity of the labour movement in the next period.
Barring unforseeable and major industrial battles over the the verge of a period of grow ing polarisation and political within the labour movement.
BRIAN HERON East London