No LP backing for anti- Tory fight

time been the last council in London to defy the government's plans to AŞTMŞ smash municipal housing, destroying a basic democratic right of the working class.

And on Sunday the rebel councillors received the backing of well over 2,000 trade unionists, tenants, Labour Party members and youth in a demonstration through the streets of the borough.

One man definitely voting against implementation at tonight's meeting will be Cllr Dick Collins, one of the leaders of the bitter rent fights of more than a decade ago.

Chairman of the Regents Park tenants' association at DICK COLINS... Led struggles decade ago Mornington Crescent, Cllr Collins was then involved in a struggle against rent increases on the council estate.

Police were called in from neighbouring districts and at least two families were evicted by the Tory council after court orders for possession out.

He said he felt somewhat bitter at the recent reversal of conference policy on the 'fair rents' Act by the Nati ›nal Executive Committe Labour Party.

*Although it 14-day deadline to Midlothian rebels MIDLOTHIAN county council, one of 12 Scottish authorities still holding out against the 'fair rents' Act, have been given 14 days to fall in line or face the consequences.

Following a public inquiry into their affairs, the Tory government has declared the council to be in default under the provisions of the Housing (Financial Provisions) Scotland Midlothian, which refused to increase the rents council dwellings, has been Sunderland yards need f20m jab: shipbuilding manager THE FUTURE of British injection of government aid, Venus, managing director of in Sunderland his company make the three Court, which also owns the Dorset firm of Appledore Shipbuilders bought the three obsolete and ailing yards for £8.5m last summer.

Now it says that if the yards are to pay they must be modernized on a scale which amounts to virtual rebuilding.

Court has already announced it intends to reopen the Pallion site where it will build a capitalintensive covered yard costing £8m-£10m.

The yard will employ up to 1,000 men-about half the total three yards' workforce-and produce technically-advanced ships of between 5,000 and 20,000 tons.

But Venus warned that without government cash the jobs of men at the two other yards, North Sands and Deptford, could be in jeopardy.

Court says it obviously must say it wasn't an unexpected decision,' he told me. 'They have this idea that while in opposition they cannot ask people to break the law because when they become the government the other side will do the same to them.' Did Cllr Collins agree with such an 'argument'? "Of course not. I say if a law is bad we must break it, he replied. 'All along we look for the NEC and the leadership of the Party to back us up. But we haven't got that, have we? 'Twelve years ago I was on a similar march against a council. Now we're fighting a government, added Cllr Collins. ordered to pay the costs the inquiry.

If the Labour council refuses to comply with the two-week deadline, it is possible that the Secretary of State for Scotland will seek a court order against it.

Failure to comply at that stage could lead to the imprisonment of the Labour councillors for contempt of court.

Other councils holding out in Scotland are: Clydebank, Dunfermline, Kilmarnock, Alloa, Barrhead, Cowdenbeath, Cumbernauld, Dalkeith, Denny and Dunnipace, Saltcoats and Whitburn. shipbuilding hangs on a says a leading shipbuilder. Mr Jim Court Shipbuilders, told a meeting needed a £20m handout from the Doxford and Sunderland shipyards ize both for the building of 150,000-ton liquid gas tankers.

The Tories are unlikely to make any decision until after they receive the nearly-completed report on the future prospects of UK shipbuilding by consultants Booz Allen and Hamilton. Farm warning ENTRY into the Common Market meant Britain was moving towards 'a more capitalist philosophy, Mr Henry Fell, one of the country's biggest and most influential farmers, said yesterday.

Fell said this more capitalist philosophy meant rewards for some and curtains for others'. He was warning farmers at an Oxford farming conference not to underestimate the ability and competitiveness of their European counterparts.