paraphrase Trotsky, have to take the reformist workers seriously, because they take their own ideas seriously.
At every stage of the political Crisis relorinist appears in new and often more left-wing TONIES. Bennism latest of inese ana we can be contident it will not be the last. Bennism nevertheless nas a certain distinctiveness hat it does have a more or comprehensive political solution the economic and olitical crisis. This herefore assures it of a ertain durability. 'oin When such a move went with such widespread sport appears, it is inunbent on Marxists to ‹ alvse its oronosals. ¿ ' not do this just so that и: can expose it but, we i ' it in order to find those ¡ ints in its programme i nere we can join with it in a united front against the i pitalist class and i rect agents in the labour r. uvement.
unravelling Benn's Aan freeman is able to Alan Freeman is able i e the development of post-war British crisis a the failure of righti"s labourism locracy — to deal with Jenn's personal evoluis the reverse of the old Bevanite leaders like I rot, Castle, and Wilson, ¡e experience in office .. as experience in office red them to the right. decided , "ister of groups. t.- vi: scored an own goal.
Commenting on the asons for their decision, ! ir Ruchan MP for Reniren East and chair of the said, 'We are op pired to expulsions ana witch-hunts, but we know the right wing has pr 'er required a register wten it wanted a witchhunt at. •ad.' But surely the real fu ition of the register is hard even Mr Euchan to grasp. Perhaps it is after LEC marting he suggested that ite Socialist Challenge 28 August 1982 The Bevanites always saw the battle with the right as being simply about policy. For them parliament was the focal point of change and the supreme representative democracy. For Benn, parliament appears as the end-point of the aemocraue process -process that begins with use mass movcucul.
The theme that parliaMeDI must democratic, more accountable and really sovereign, opposed the of the civil bureaucracy service, the multinational and the COrDUl aliulis capitalist class in general, ervades Benn's speeches. The theme of democracy and Class below is a crucial part of the distinctiveness of BenAlan Freeman considers that the raising of the issue of democracy and making ll a COlcern in British politics is Benn's THOS crucial achievement. Alan nowever aves nol accepi Benn's argument that can be made truly sovereign As revolutionary Marxist he obviously does not reject an elected assembly on a point of principle, , but he recognises that wat matters is on what type of state does such an assembly rest. wner capitalist state then it is impossible movement to impose will through parliament.
our opinion the trials of Tribune T IE DEATH agony of the Tribune group of MP's is going to be a drawn out affair. By 39 votes to 27 they Labour Party NEC's new The official parliamentary left concern within the group about the need to defend Labour's consitution.
offensive against Labour's constitution can be put at Militant's door who have threatened the Party more than Harold wisons referendum the EEC, Barbara Castle's In Place of Strife, Callag han's secret missile programme or Healey's pay norms. thể The beauty of Guardian register, as the of August 19 reports, that members of Militant can put themselves outside • page 4 tion, workers' participation and planning agreements with the major capitalist companies on investment and output reconstruct the ailing economy. The left-wing critique of this assume well known to our readers. But Freeman here