DEEP tactical divisions surfaced in the Labour Party left this weekend over the witch-hunt the Campaign for Labour Party ecutive committee decided to place three native options' before the Labour Party conference in the form of amendments to tabled resolutions.
The meeting supported the first and third of these - which rejected the Labour Party NEC's register and its report on the Militant tendency - in line with the democracy campaign's policy, oppose expulsions and boycott the register.
But 'option two', as it became known, provoked a heated debate and was eventually passed by only twelve votes eleven. After an angry discussion on Sunday consultative meeting called by CLAD to discuss action the arallisi substantial changes were Victor Schonfield reported democracy campaign's decisions to a consultative meeting on Sunday severa: constituency Labour Parties and pressure groups within the Partv.
Labour Abortion Rights Labour Parliamentary AssociaLabour Action . iVii.
Peace. Independant Labour Publications and National Association of Labour Students. He argued that if conference failed to reject CLPD had to adopt flexi- register outright, ble tactics.
Option LWO was ISOLUTIOL which called on Labour's NEC amend Clause Two of the constitution dealing with conditions for membership. Such a move would delay any action for a year and place ultimate control over explusions in conference's hands.
Most delegates at the meeting, slated this proposal. dubbing *pseudo democratic register' Mandy Moore of the Labour Abortion Rights Campaign dissociated herself Saturday's which she had voted against.
•We cannot accept the stipulation that our group should be any, Labour Party member, she said, going through the proposal point by point. At a tense six hour meeting on Saturday 17 July Democracy's ex'alter'We are not open to antiabortionists.' Nor could the abortion campaign accept point (e) which would entitle anti-abortionists to attend as observers.
"The Labour abortion campaign is not prepared to end its association with organisations, whether or not approved by the Labour Party,' she added. •The abortional and we have indispensible contacts women's organisations abroad.
Finally, the Labour abortion campaign would HOL divulge membership lists which could fall into LAC Hallus abortionists.
Reg Race, MP agreed. The witch-hunt was hapThe said, because the right wing nad LOSI control of the party but the left wing had not gained it. The wing was inererore pel the left piece by piece if necessary by removing all who oppose it.
Estimating that around 40-50 MPs opposed the register, he said that the onlv sensible tactic was to boycott the register and refuse to co-operate with its implementation.
'Once you concede the register,' he said, 'you immediately isolate The right Milliant. could them pick off opponents one by one.
Leading figures
the Labour Parliamentary Association backed the boycott proposal, that they would support any Consumerci which refused to expel people. If CPD's 'ootion two' were carried, they said, the Labour right would leap at it with open arms, and use expel people and claim authority from the democracy campaign.
This was amplified by a delegate the broad union COHSE. controlled by Her eculave the right wing would It is not really an alternative at all,' she said, 'but witch-hunt in another guise.
No vote could be taken because the meeting was consultanve Socialist Challenge supporters met with very broad agreement when they said that, had CLPD executive put forward option two, there would have been a real possibility for a united campaign the left around the principle OTI non-cooperation with the register, and a refusal to expulsions. The way to construct such a united campaign, they argued, Was initiatives which sougnt lo co-vluilale au tion: Militant's open conference on 11 September;
conference convened by Hackney North Labour Paregistered Alliance, ar Party broad co-ordination which had been formed to link up all organisations refusing to register.
Keith Lichman of Hackney North explained why his party had called a conference. 'It is the Consuluency rarties wno will first face the threat of exbustons and bossible said ions if they refuse to comply, he said. 'Our party simply will not operate in this way. We cannot do it So we want to co-ordinate action between those Con stituency Parties who take the same stand. We hope to write to all Constituency Parties to ask them to attend a meeting on 4 September. "This will establish form of operation, call a full conference in October after the Labour Party ference, and will seek to _Id: 'will be free to conduct a) their aims are consistent with Party's objects as defined in b) are not engaged in the promotion of Parliamentary and Local Government Candidates other than those endorsed by the Labour e) any Labour Party member is entitled to attend their meetings as 1) do not operate their own internal discipline or are associated with any international organisation not supported by the Labour g) details of their aims, officers, employees, membership and ac to the NEC Any group found by the NEC to be in breach of these rules given a period of not more than three months to put an end to such infringements and may be ordered by the NEC io sus pend its activities. but the final decision must be left to the Parts Conference that immediately follows any such decision by the argue for a boycott policy at Militant's conference.
Bob Labi of Militant dissented, arguing that individuals were expelled from the Labour Party it was better for their constituencies to accept, rather than risk suspension and disaffiliation.
The delegate from Tottenham Labour Party probably best summed up rank and file feelings when he explained his reaction voung lor expulsionis *My brain might accept the said, 'but my arm would simply SOCIALISM TORIES; / SDPE 12th July 1982 Dear Comrade Party's radical wing. could never do by democratic means.
There are few Militant supporters in our Party.
or expel anybody.
We urge your Party to: 1) Support our position against the witch-hun if you have not already allyUUuy County Hall, send delegates County Hal 5) Complete and return the reply slip below Yours fraternally, Ken cillal Vice Chair Constituency Party Secretary..
A dotes.
•1. anybody register or expe • 3 We will senc or our Witch-hunt on 30 October setting up the Campaign • Delete as necessary Beatty koad, London Nio IS NOT FOR BURNING •BOUR RIGHT Ernie Roberts Labour Parties Against the Witch-hunt The NEC's report on the Militant Tendency and its recommendation to form a register of groups working within the Party is a transparent attempt by the right to witch-hunt and destroy the It aims to achieve by bureaucracy wnal l We have, nevertheless, written to the NEC informing it that we will not cooperate with the report's recommendations, and will not register 2) Write to the NEC expressing your refusai to register or expe 3) Send delegates to a co-ordinating meeting of Labour Parties Against the Witch-hunt on Saturday, 4 September at 2.00pmi a Westminster, to plan how to promote this polic throughout the Labour movement, including the conference call ed for 11 September, to which we warmiy encourage Partes 1o 4) Agree to co-sponsor a conference of Constituency Labour Poi lies Ăgainst the Witch-hunt to be held on Saturday, 30 October a We oppose the witch-hunt and will not register or expel • 2. We have written to the NEC informing it of our refusal to - delegates to the co-ordinating meeting • Parties Against the Witch-hunt on 4 September at 6 4. L agree to co-sponsor the conference of CLPs Against the • 5. We enclose a donation of £___. towards the expenses of Please return to: Hackney North & Stoke Newington CLP, 28 MTOM HUNT.
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Letter from Hackney North to all Labour Parties Hackney North and Stoke Newington Constituency Labour Party Member of Parliament: Ernie Roberts M.P.