The Argentinian CGT should be invited to Britain to discuss with British trade unionists, said Tony Benn at a New Statesman debate on the Malvinas/Falklands war on Tuesday 11 May in London.
He was replying to a question Socialist Challenge sup porter speaking war, along with Frank Allaun, MP Speaking for the posite vieW were George Robertson a ne Sam McCluskey seafarer's union NUS.
George Robertson Labour previous Party policy statements of the 'islanders' rights'. Tony Benn replied that no body of the Labour Party had ever agreed to go to war with over the principle - and that moreover, evaluation of the princiselfletermination, 'the fact that these islands were taken by force a hundred and fifty years ago also be taken into ac- the snouid count.
harsh reality of life that you can't 10,000 soldiers on an island 8,000 miles away defend 1800 people who can l avor come here' Tony Benn also argued TOOL SENT determination had to be viewed in enta light of Britain's immigration policy in the islands.
There must be room for many people than the 1800 islanders if they can station 10,000 troops there,' he said, 'but no Argentinian is ever allowed to settle there.' This view the oilfields in the region had had an important impact on 'I remember as Energy Minister that no American companies from us in the region,' said, 'because none of them believed it was going to remain British.' Cont Falklands belong to us', he said, 'and both they and the whole Antarctica should be a UN possession.
His view was echoed by questioners the floor, cluding one who drew loud applause ATer remarking I've been in the Labour,Party for fifty years and I've never much about self-determination as in the The fact that an imperialist power, a hundred and fifty years ago, settled the island our own people, doesn't make it theirs any more than the penguins. It's a fraud: they'll give the islands away after all over.
Georoe Robertson drew an angry response Guyanan member dience when he defended the British presence in Belize on the basis of a Venezuelan threat to Guyana. 'The working people of Guyana have nothing to fear from the photo: G Cookson working people of Venezuela', said the and the government of Guyana is as much our enemy as Venezuela. We will set tle our own problems ourselves and as tar as are concerned the Malvinas belong to The black people of this country have nothing to gain PEACE! bench. he said. and because they have not spoken out they suffered in last week's local Taiat: Sahola. the toral secretary of the Indian IGB iha: ano Atencar imperialism wanted their main