RIGHT WING THREATENS LABOUR SPLIT Plan to Smash the Party and Keep the Bomb

MINERS ON THE MOVE p. 188 Weekly: Journal of the Socialist Labour League Vol. 4, No 156 Threepence 7j= By G. HEALY THE Labour Party may well be threatened with a split. The press statement by Sir Thomas Williamson and the decision of his union executive calling for action against Tribune follows on the heels of Woodrow Wyatt’s vicious attack on Frank Cousins. Morgan Phillips suggests that the Parliamentary Labour Party should cut loose from conference decisions. And Hugh Gaitskell directs the offensive against the Left from behind the scenes.

This is not a series of ill-tempered rows on the part of leading personalities. Since the special conference last November, the Labour Party has been unable to resolve its internal crisis. The Right-wing want to get rid of the possibility of extending nationalization of the basic industries and continue their support for the Tories’ foreign policy. But there is every indication that they will be decisively defeated on the H-bomb issue at the October conference this year.

In his press statement Sir Thomas Williamson clearly . indicated that the issue upon which the Right-wing The struggle inside the Labour Party is a reflection of the are prepared to split the Labour Party would be based class struggle. It can only be resolved by the Left-wing on the unilateral renunciation of the H-bomb. ‘The basing itself on the class struggle. Marxism is ‘the theory of the class struggle. The Socialist Labour League as a defence and safety of the country is paramount,’ he Marxist organization is, therefore, very much part of the said, ‘and all should realize that it is above party development which is now taking place inside the Labour politics.’

Party. We shall fight for unity between ourselves and the Here we have a brilliant example of how the Right-wing Left-wing. organized around Tribune and Victory for Socialview democracy. In the years when Arthur Deakin and ism. Such united action is the only way to answer the Will Lawther controlled the block vote on their behalf, the threat of split from the Right-wing. Right-wing howled incessantly about the sanctity of democratic decisions, but now that this block vote is swinging against _Hoover Workers Strike them they are creating a situation that could split the party and the trade unions from top to bottom.

Against Redundancy Gaitskell and the Right-wing are the real wreckers of the Labour Party. They are the real disruptors. What they want. is not a Labour Party but an electoral machine whose policies are conducted by a professional caucus at the top, headed The strike of 2,000 workers at Hoovers is a powerby Morgan Phillips. In their eyes the Parliamentary Labour ful blow in the struggle against sackings. With only Party must not be bound to any decision by the party. They 43 votes against they decided at a mass meeting today want a type of Liberal Party that is responsible only to a to stay out until the management agrees to keep all select corps of Right-wing politicians.

men on the books with full pay until alternative work The rank and file of the Labour Party and the trade unions is found. Bro. Moody, the Shop Stewards’ Convenor, must vigorously protest against any attempt to ban Tribune.

Michael Foot is absolutely right when he says that the ultima- speaking on the resolution to stay out said: ‘We have tum of Sir Thomas Williamson should be thrown into the a solid strike here, brothers, sooner or later the manwastepaper basket. The decision to proscribe the Socialist agement has got to weaken.’ The men are determined Labour League was a preparation for the Gaitskells and that no worker shall be sacked, despite the attempts of Williamsons to begin an attack on Tribune and the exthe management to bribe the workers by a promise Bevanites. — of a £74 payment this week-end when they are paid off.

The weakness on the Left is lack of a socialist policy.

Valuable time has been lost since the special conference last Last year Hoovers made £11 million profits and only three weeks ago the management issued a statement to the shop November and still Tribune has not produced a policy that stewards’ committee saying there would be no redundancy can unite and rally the Left against Gaitskell and company.

in the near future. Their decision to sack 140 men at PeriOn foreign affairs it supported the disastrous summit talks.

vale is, they say, the result of Tory policy. The workers are Having fallen for the illusion that these talks could resolve the determined to fight redundancy and claim a part of that problem of peace, it retreated in confusion. , £11 million profit.

Labour’s Left cannot resolve its problems within the confines of the Labour Party. The urgent task is to build unity Contact is now being made by the stewards’ committee with with the trade union rank and file, but this can only be Hoover factories at Merthyr Tydfil and Cambuslang and the done by the adoption of a policy which ensures the exten- factory at High Wycombe is meeting this morning to decide sion of nationalization to all basic industries and supports whether to take strike action in support of the London men.

‘Workers at the Abbey Wood and Wandsworth Road works all struggles for the improvement of wages and working conditions. are also out in support.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 1960 186 Clapham High Street, London, S.W.4 Telephone Macaulay 7029