ONE GROUP in the Labour Party which will not be registering Committee is the Parliamentary Labour Party.
could satisfy Clause two of the constitution, which outlaws any group 'having its own programme, principles and policy for distinctive and separate propaganda' front bench is opposed to unilateral nuclear disarmament, contains a majority tionalisation under the last Labour government, and a majority who voted in favour of EEC membership in the Commons in 1975.
propaganda: it's called the BBC:
the NEC's checklist: it has no recognisable principles.
These facts alone are proof enough that the register is a severe violaof party democracy Lull and an attack on the left and on the party rank and NEC's proposal has pro veverme ess duced deeD divisions on the left about tactics.
The Labour Coordinating Committee at one time a front runner for the Bennite wing of the has opted for JaLLY registration, and called for deal' between the left and the right of the on the basis of Labour's Programme 82 The Scottish LCC, however, has opposed registration, pain for have the CamLabour Party Doorion Rights Abortion Campaign, mne cabou com mittee on Ireland, London Socialist Challenge and Socialist Organiser.
Militant But manv on the lett are discussing registration as a lallica. This includes Militant itself which has announced that it will try to register, and of CLPD's organisers who are unhappy about the CLPD deci sion.
True, Labour's right probably feel that the register is a good way to get round the votes against proscriptions which many unions have now recordCu. such 3,500,000 affiliated Tribune rally at Labour Party conference the National Executive If it did, it would be doubtful whether it The PLP certainly has its own programme; its who opposed naIt has its own policy for distinctive and separate There is one count on which it might scrape past members and include the General and Municipal Workers' Union.
By introducing the register after COlference decisions, Foot cleared the way to bypass their democracy.
Already Alex Kitson of Union given register his backing.
But the register is not a soft option.
An organisation could OnlV the old proscribed conference approval. The new would give the arbitrary power tc ban who it likes without referring conference.
PLP As a result the PLP, the union hierarchies and the party apparatus would be able to organise for their own ends through their own 'party within a party - the leadership -disorganise the rank and file by singling out and smashing up any opposi tional pressure group or political current.
This would tighten their grip into a stranglehold which would destroy the party itself.
In spite of this, some feel it is better to make a tactical retreat and register rather than risk expulsion. But this opens the road to a classic device which the party apparatus uses to relam control and acreal the rank and file. Once one has registered the apparatus can single out apposition currents one at a time by persuading the others make 'tactical Only if there is collective resistance ana a coner• tive decision not to implement une reusict. can the witch-hunt be stopped in LaLAs. mobilising the resistance and intransigence of the Labour Parly ana trade union rank and file. Unions But there is an even more important reason for at stake in this witch-hunt?
sillipiy anolnel left-right tussle, through which a new can be arrived at, so that the left can continue as a A new situation confronts us.
The union leaders and the front bench have been given to understand by the press, the Tories and the ruling classes that they will be acceptable in government _unuess they smash up the left. Faced Will such dramatic retreat from the 'postwar roads along which the party can travel.
RALLY Broad is to recognise that the ruling classes are now fighting with the gloves off - and fight back. Mass extraparliamentary action leading to resistance of general strike proportions can impose Labour Government against ruling class and state opposition as we saw in 1974 This is the road that the witch-hunt will block. The right wing including Michael Foot - want capitulation would prefer to destroy all the gains made in the last lice years within une patty, cit destroy the young socialists, to necessary - half the con the party and lose the next catastrophically, in order to crawi into the establishment's good books again.
There no middle way: roads diverge here and now. Either now: or the Labour Partv will cease to exist as a party capable of class aspirations into any form of reality.
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