WE GO TO PRESS before the result of the Hillhead But, whatever outcome Hillhead is not about to be overwhelmed by the rising tide of support for the SDP/Liberal Alliance.
Although this is a constituency with a previous Liberal presence, a large percentage of home owners, white collar workers and management, all the polis indicate the Alliance will not have a Crosby replay.
The Tory majority has crumbled from 15,000 to 2,000 over the twenty years that Tam Galbraith held the seat. Those Tory voters who are left are particularly loyal to the cause and are unlikely to be put off by Thatcher's brand of Tory managed a few vote catching policies which undercut the support for the Alliance throughout the campaign. ine budger received a very reception from Tory supporters in the and the budget speech, with six references to Scotland in it, would do the Hillhead Tories no harm.
struction of a major new exhibition centre £90m order for John Engineering (just outside the constituency) and a hint that the governwas considering measures to save the Aluminium Smelter at Invergordon.
Neither the novelty.
Alliance something which will attract many votes in Scotland. The Scottish National Party broke the mould of Scottish politics ten years ago.
At the last election Labour was Sacialist Challenge:: 25, March 1982, page 6 bythe would split the middle class vote.
those forces presently CHORES. for a Labour victory middle general election.
paign. Half ty's Scottish secretary, saying: are seeking to hold Tory work and so policies worked.
The candidate Wiseman, Coordinating beginning of the Wal ill shifted rightwards rate.
Chancellor's ty's Scottish the left of the party.
rent.
Brown tendencv and Pat Wall's speech.
unequivocably stated that:
taking tion with separate policies, ship and constitution, of the with that fact.' Hillhead has unemployment. Albion Motors, one of the threatened parts of the Leyland Over 2000 people recently inquired about jobs in a hotel in only 2,000 votes behind the Tories. The main issues of the campaign facing the electorate are unemployment and nuclear weapons issues which Such a victory would inspire all fighting the Tories whether on nuclear weapons or on unemployment, to redouble their It would start ine campaign in the next Instead, Labour has a very defensive and routinist atutude to une callway through the campaign Helen Liddell, the Labour Par'Our voting is holding solid quoted movement our vote without indulging in any conversion far our tactics have himself, David ICICHICC a member of the Labour Committee at the At a campaign, has al an alarming Under the guidance of the parleadersnip and a local right wing MP, Donald Dewar, he has increasingly distanced himself from His main concern has been to pol ray himself as a representative of th mainstream, moderate, soft left curWhen asked about the Militant The 'When the resus or unc mouly conc our alla wo find that they are a separate organisa, member- National the Labour Party will then clearly have to deal could Scottish per cent Group is in this constituency, and yet nothing to offer these workers while the Scottish Nationalist Party has homed in on the key issues. the Labour candidate has purposely avoided any references to the growing of factory occupations in defence of jobs.
Wiseman has also been busy distancing himself from the call made at the Scottish Labour Party Con10I Involving civil disobedience to stop the construction of the Trident base.
special meeting to discuss Labour's policy on women, the audience were astounded to hear one of the main speakers denounce the setting up of women's sections in the Labour Party, none of the speakers mentioned the women's right to work event and Wiseman declared himself perfectly happy with the working of the 1967 Abortion Act Labour Party's campaign could have aroused the anger of Scottish working class people; instead it has been a low key routine affair In Scotland where the Scottish Party retains significant this approach by Labour be especially dangerous. The Nationalist Party message for Scottish workers (and they're concentrating their efforts in the working class areas) is simple.
Scotland is an oil rich country, yet Labour candidate David Wiseman: running fast to the right its people are poor. The government is extracting massive North Sea oil, yet the social services of Scottish people are being cut. The final insult to the Scottish people they say, is that the major target in a nuclear war base — is being constructed less than 25 miles from the main population centre of Scotland.
What benefits, says the SNP, do Scottish people get abour MiPs when they nothing to stop the Tories our living standards? Wouldn't it be much better to vote for the SNP and get the London based parties worried about Scotland again?
inis by-elechon for the Scottish National Party. begining of a resurgence result Hillhead by-election, UlIc already been answered. The agreement of Bishop's Stortford has meant a pulling back from the advances of the left inside the Labour continued attacks on the democracy of the party. Such an approach wil spell disaster for Labour in the next Win or lose in Hillhead, that's one result which Labour activists will have to fight to reverse.
By Alan Freeman SOCIALIST revenues trom ine rident misslic electing attacks on mark the : of support the issue has Party and TA NEW COIT OSI COMPROMISE AND TOLERANCE PERVADES THE BRITISH J AND THIS SPIRIT WILL I CONTINUE AS LONG • A 'WE MODERATES ARE OF THE PARTY!
ELEMENT PANT ENT •PERSIST THEIR ATTEMPTCANDIDATES Of • TO QUESTION RIGHT TO DECIDE QUICK! QUIcK PRICATON THAT FORM FOR THE SD1
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Even more brazen as vote catchers were the announcements of the con-