ACTION tively in mass campaigns such as tarianism in action.
But this concept of the united front has nothing to do with that of Trotsky himself. Trotsky explained his approach to united acexactly the way Marx had:
*To fight the proletariat must unity in its ranks.
This holds true for partial economic conflicts, within the walls well as for sun nas well as for such tional political batties as the one to repel fascism. Consequentthe tactic of the front is not accidental and artificial manoeuvre at all; it originates, entirely and wholly, in the obconditions the levelopment of the proletariat, that they have no HALETESUS seperate and COLIL of working class organisations, the united front, is often portrayed by those who claim to be Trotskyists as CND, the or the Vietnam Solidarity from those of the proletaris as a wnoie carry, with them the meaning struggle of the party to win over Ine jority of the class must in no instance come into opposition the need of the workers to keep unity within their fighting ranks. (1)
It was only by starting off WITTE objective needs of the working class nat a revolutionary party could be built. As Trotsky put it, 'the COCCUS understood interests of the class are identical with the correctly formulated problems of the party. (2)
From this it flows that the united front is not in its basis a question of the relation ticular organisations of the between working class — even mass ones. As Trotsky put it talking of the French Socialist and Communist Parties and their respective newspapers Le Populaire and L Humanite:
"The question united front is not all, cither in point of origin or in substance, question OI the reciprocal relations betCommunist Party parliamentary fraction and that of the Socialists, or between the Central Committees of the two parties, between L 'Humanite and Le Populaire. The problem of the united front - despite the fact that a split is inevitable in this epoch between the political organisations basing themselves on the working class - grows to secure for the working class the possibility of a united front in the struggle capitalism. (3)
From this it can be seen how anti-Marxist are the positions of the Militant soup ou mass campaigns such as CND or the ANL Trotsky primarily for united action of the mass organisations Ine working class because that was the way to set the greatest numbers of the working class and oppressed in action against capitalism.
Naturally it is far better when there are massive action of September in support of the health workers. Today only the mass tons of the working class in Britain, the Labour Parand tae trade unions can Talis to son hatccalet Challenge campaigns for united Labour Party/Trade Union against the Tories.
But if their leaderships refuse to take action? The class struggle cannot be abandoned until Len Murray and Michael Take ian be persended totake up. Then campaigns such as the CND the actions of the women's movement play a vital role precisely in prac lically waging that struggle of the working class and oppressed against capitalism.
They both take the most effective action now - which in some cases can be very large, and create the maximum pressure to force the leaderships of the mass organisations of the working class to put even forces in motion Socialist Challenge well as demanding action by the and participates in every possi ble mass campaign, op positional movement fighting for action in the WHORES, other movements of the working class and oppressed The two complement each other in the real movement of the working lass and oppressed. The only contradict cach othe schemes.
Trotsky oPut Leninist "The the united-front policy consists giving . proletariat the opportunity -while maintaining fighting, intransigent organisation and programme - - of achieving in closed ranks, even a small practical step forward." Because its basis is the ac tual struggle of the working class and Oppressed the united front stitute(s) the substance the problems of tactics. '(4)
In the next weeks we will look at examples how the question of th united front was handle in STACCE by revolu tionaries.
(loz) Trotsky — What Next (3) Trotsky - T/ Tro on th United Front (4)
Preface to the Polish Editio
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some sort of manoeuvre. It is to 'expose' the Labour Party and trade union leadership. This is the approach for example of groups such as the Militant who refused to participate effec-
Campaign, but continuously demand that 'the Labour leadership' does this or that. The result is that 'Trotskyism' becomes identified as sec-