Bermondsey Labour Party wrote to Michael Foot on 10 February asking him to get the expulsion of Militant leaders deferred until after the by-election, Anne on 28 February.
She was speaking on a joint platform arranged by the constituency Labour Parties who have been asked to expel Militalll Cullul. their ranks. Two of the three parties Islington Central and Hammersmith North will not do so.
Line expusons seemed to us like a calculated act or sabolage sne wenl Anne explained that Ull. the NEC campaign against Peter Tatchell played signinicant part In nis neat hysterical overthrow' beginning with Foot's condemnation of Tatchell in the Commons; the refusal, based on no evidence, to cuuuise Tatchell, leaving without candidate for a year; their failure allyllllg about Mellish's attacks; Tner about O'Grady and finally the pulping of f400 worth of leaflets which, she added LECV ulauc SuIC Street knew about' Reg Race, MP, outlined the campaign which Labour Against Witch-Hunt has launched tor pubnc declarations, In Tribune, that parties will advertisement Bermondsey party secretary Coltart told a packed press conference not expel, nor recognise the expulsion, of Rally Labour Party member or group of members arising political disagreement with the NEC'.
The advertisement is so CLPs and 200 individuals backed by over including NEC members Dennis Skinner and Audrey Wise, and AUEW Bob Wright.
The first half of the advert appears in Tribune this week and the sponsors will campaign for more signatories for a second instalement on the eve of the LPYS conterence.
Militant's Tony Saunois rejected charges that these actions were in defiance the Labour Party's democratic procedure. the NEC which has acted in defiance of the will of the majority he said May of Vasu members, sure that if a conference were neo mowine made unions would overwhelmingly reject what the NEC has done.
As Reg Race explained, 'conference voted for a register. It never voted for these expulsions. Moreover the NEC is attempting unilaterally to change the proceaure ior expulsion: previously it has been the right of CLPs to determine wno snail and snail not be a member of the The stand taken by Isl ington Central and Ham. Anne Coltart and Peter Tatchell at Bermondsey rally mersmith Central puts the battle against the witchhunt onto a new plane.
If the NEC walll to press ahead divisive and destructive aton party members and party policies, it will have to take on the constituency parties itself, expelling whole parties and groups of parties in an election year. The defence Scottish YS meets of Militant and the parties who are standing by them is an urgent priority for the whole labour movement.
Has your CLP backed the Tribune advertisement yet? Every CLP in the country has been mailed with the text of the advert, which will appear this week. Get a copy and ensure it is discussed at this month's GMC.
policies ordinatunately, Commitee Labour Coordinating members called and got sup for expulsions right wing from the party The strength of Militants the witch hunt was marred by open sec. taranism toward. Laboul Against the (LAW).
They opposed resolutions calling for maximum unity of the left and in particular af Halon to tie two all-wilk. hunt campaigns, LAW and the Labour • Steering Committee Against the Witch-hunt.
Decisions taken at conference on women's oppresSOl. went against the left and in effect make the fight against the right LO G much more difficult. THE HANG OF TE GET DOESN We think Ted Knight is wrong. First let us consider the constitutional argument, put forward by the party right wing and by the present leadership of the CLPD Labour Party members, they say, must accept all decisions party they WIll flouting democracy.
Sas s an vosce cow logic. Party democracy in a tederal organisation does mean that the membership obeys every instruction of the leadership; it means the leadership obeys the membership. Suppose the party's new manifesto, in defiance of conference, pledges us an incomes policy. Should the unions, as affiliated organisations campaign in favour of comCompliance with constitutiona decisions doe. not extend to those deci sions which interfere with the most basic rights of individuals and groups.
Conference never voted for expulsions. The decision expel supporters of Militant, as Reg Race explained at Mon day's press conterence. is the NEC's and the NEC's alone. • Those who defy the NEC's expulsions are at tempting to save the party, save members, policies and its prospects of vice CL PD if it values its name, should be foursquare them anything is to be left of the constitution they prize sc highly.
What about the prac tical put forward by Ted Knight? Four months ago Militant argued the same policy. In the pages their they denounced the CLP: who voted, at the 30 October Cullet cul which founded Labour Against the Witch-Hunt, for non-recognition of expulsions.
Now Militant have changed their tune - nong too soon. A balance shee can be drawn. If the CLPs had accepted their advice, first, Tariq Ali would longer be a party member and second, they would not today be able to turn or help to the very CL they lenounced i Oc. tober.
Wing me exclude from caucsday u editorial board.
various passed which with the polic do not recog CLP.
members of the General Committee.
Witch-finder genera John Golding But thirdly, and mos importantly, the list of CLPs signing the Tribune advertisement would not number forty a good start but well over a hundred. And in the face of defiance on this scale, the NEC in an election year- - would be unable to proceed just as Ted Her was made or ceed his Relations Act - becaus in their defiance the CLPs would be proving what everyone already knows, that the majority of party members are defending the democracy of the Labour Party by implementing its decisions not to have a Militant leaders are now in a posinon — line choose to make up for lost ground. They should put all their energies into building the defiance they now endorse into an unstoppable movement They should campaign openly, on their platforms and through their paper, for a massive response to the Tribune advert and for the vigorous defence of Islington Central and Hammersmith North and if it changes its tune Lambeth Norwood This is not a policy for disbandment, but a policy to make disbandement an imprac tical option for the NEC in an election year.
And this why Tec Knight The witch-hunt cannot be stop ped by giving into it. Sup pose Militant supporter: go, but Norwood - and Labour Herald - remain For how long? Does one think the NEC • all wil stop at five editors? The less resistance there is the further they will go Text of Letter from Central Islington Labour Party to Jim Mortimer, General Secretary of 'Thank you for your letter of 24th February, inform.
• decision taken by • the NEC membership of the Labour Party tne tive members or tne militant 'In reply to your letter, the Officers of this CLP nave instructea me to draw to your attention tne periodically), and to inform you that, in accordanc and in Taafe and continue to regard them as full members of this •WIl Consequently we are unable to accede to your request that the names of these two com rades be deleted from our membership records 'We shall be conveying this correspondence to Socialist Challenge : 4 March 1983 page 3
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