5,000 stron Labour CND demo which greeted us, our work was not quite over. Our aim was and leadership.
A immediately set off to the Imperial Hotel Labour's NEC adjourned to greet us. We handed them a petition calling for • a two thirds majority at conference to make part of the Labour Party manifesto at the next general election.
• for the Labour Party leadership and TUC to mobilise their members in 1983 with demonstrations and industrial action to stop cruise missiles being sited.
• for the NEC to reject any attempt -CHIEVE from the Labour Party the people who support CND's policies.
19 NEC members signed this statement and we lobbied delegates with it on MonSomehow the NEC members like Neil Kinnock, who signed the to take our message to Labour's conference statement but supported the didn't seem to see the contradiction in their actions. So we issued a press statement pointing it out: we are one hundred percent against the witch-hunt, which will rapidly lead to expulsions of unilateralists unless it is stopped.
Joan Lestor paid tribute to the marchers, from the platform, during ner introduction to the debate on nuclear disarmament on Wednesday. It was a huge boost for us first demand wach our became bilateral nuclear disarma- reality:
ment received a five to two majority.
Yet the problems in turning this vote into action soon became clear: Roy Hattersley was on television the same night explaining that even though conference had reached a two thirds majority. the NEC was not obliged put unilateralism in the manifesto - just to think about it!
Throughout then next day delegates were coming forward to the rostrum to demand that the NEC repudiate this and that the leadersnip give a clear commitment to put unilateralism in the manifesto.
We think the best way to ensure there manitesto commitment -and to make sure Labour carries it out is by mass action, and that's why we marched from Manchester to Blackpool.
But the Labour Party won't NO CRUISE weight behind mass action if the right wing succeed in their demand for a witchhunt: by Thursday they were calling for the expul. sion the Young OCHIS S who with YCND sponsored our march.
We pointed this out at the fringe meetings. youth marcher told a New Socialist meeting on Tuesday night that supporting CND was incompatible expuisions, and no way to inspire youth and I got a warm response Thursday evenings Tringe mecting of Labour Parties against the witchhunt when I told them:
This witch-hunt is an attack on the policy of unilateralism which conference voted •decisively. And the further we el it go, tne lurine: everything we've fought for will be lost. That's why the marchers are with you But please remember that action to defend youth, and action to defend a unilateralist policy, are the best fight be at the Hackney conference on 30 October. THIS WEEK'S City Limits publishes a
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reveal... BOMB