Terrible plight of London's

FLN - the split widens Ben Bella is gaining ground upon winning the next General Election on right-wing policies which are reactionary and inadequate.

It shoul prepare now to extend the campaign already initiated by a number of Left MPs to raise the whole question of nationalisation before the unity rld. County electorate. Such demands, howconservative Labourism, has ever, must not be campaigned registering signs of shock from the recommendations of a for along the lines of the past nationalisation policies of the the London housing situation. The Labour government. Nationaport of the best organised appointed by the LCC itself and no doubt more lisation needs to be backed by units of the liberation army. bureaucrats are having second thoughts. the introduction of workers' fact there are more than The recommendations are far from socialist, but they are control into these industries and two tendencies this move- in sufficiently radical to cause palpitations at County Hall. (The this all-important point must be For the moment, how- mere fact that the LCC is being urged to take action included in Labou r's policy. evel, the conservative will have done that.) petty bourgeois elements - The report, the result of an homes due tc those prepared to carry eight-month survey, proves the next 20 years. through to the hilt the Evian lie of the 'affluent society' and tax on property developers the Prime Minister whatever sell-out - will stand behind shows the conditions of working class after 11 the of shortage and who profit planning restrictions. from the housing votes at would This ertainly win them the next election, campaign might their private differences. Tory rule. The LCC immediately stated period when the crisis gets year there were 3,817 homeless says on April this that the first point, acquisition, a suitable guide to the outlook of would be too expensive. This is worse. prepare not just for the imme- Labour must, therefore, are differences. Responding to the camp, too, there French lie people in the county of London. This is a substantial rise since Christmas when the problem the council which is firmly rooted in the society where landlords and speculators are given a free rein. that the Tories are now gripped diate future but on the basis by an insoluble economic crisis the and army, Ben Bella and his from the peasantry Ben Khedda for Ferhat Abbas was first spotlighted. Thousands of London working- which will provide many oppomeant that 'the nationalist revolu- The underlying cause for this class families are living the most tunities for socialism to be friends call the into agreement tion' is now indeed to be followed terrible situation, the report says, shocking and tragic existences, introduced in the coming question. They want to occupy by a 'socialist revolution'. He is the rising prosperity of white- without homes, split up, forced to held by a larger part of the field formerly the colonialists, but 'socialist revolutionary' and catalogues Ben Khedda as his lower-paid manual workers losing collar workers, which results in the stay in undignified 'lodges' though they were criminals. as the Those MPs initiative must who now press although they may play with colleagues 'well-known as men for ground in the struggle for homes. LCC has for serious nat onalisation revolutiol ary phrases, they also their socia marxist ded list and Few wage-earning families policy discussion inside the want to keep in check the tion in London can afford to buy pathetic inability to take action. Labour Party the trades elemental forces which give the a house out of current income? Now the Labour unions. Algerian revolution its the team states. They no longer its own campaign in If this done, could mark get the high priority for a In the meantime the two What does realise not council house; in fact they have unions and Labour parties for a a turning point for a real camps denounce each other with 'moderate and responsible' bour- little chance of getting one. show-down :h the Labour offensive to get rid of a vehemence which makes it geois politicians now take on a Clores and for a socialist the Tories and introduce a seem unlikely that real com- promise is possible. It is sig- colouration as a matter of course. socialist, and even a Marxist, report are: main rec housing government ist policies. pled ed socialHe says nothing, of course, about Acquisition LCC nificant that Ben Khedda and his ministers are denounced leadership, but takes it largely at the social basis of the Algerian SELWYN LLOY sacking 'traitors' and ac complices its own evaluation. follows two days after a Treafascism, as well for sury statement that no Another book in the same series, sonality cult. African Profiles, by Ronald Segal flationary action is needed has something to say about the stimulate the economy.

Evian agreement. While correctly tempered this view by outlining its terms, he can yet that should the American econoarmy leaders obviously be- claim that Algeria 'is now com- mic situation deteriorate then it selves admit that they are not are concerned, it must be rememlieve t necessary to flatter the them. They are pressing for a re- people and stress their links with socialism' mitted to policy of militant had weapons enough - bank rate, special deposits, purchase likely to maintain level after. September. Increasing costs in Europe have their present bered that these are only possible since they imply pumping a vast by substantial deficit financing, call of the National Revolutionary tax reductions-to remedy any meant that some British manu- amount of money into the Council, in which they hope to ill effects. factures are proportionately economy by government spending. put Ben Khedda into a minority Perple Seg: Baulin The change the Treasury, cheaper and this has led to the industry itself is not in the mood, and thus form a goveinment of must have a queer social- idea however, is a tacit recognition slightly better export figures. But at the moment, to embark on their choosing. own ism; they must, in equate it fact, that conventional methods that with signs of a world recession, it heavy capital spending.

the moment it that with something to right of the have usefully served Tory mone- is doubtful whether this state of lan Macleod has already hinted tions which form part council, notably among ground in some of the Ben Bella's faction organisa- the emi- of this gaining social basis of the movements and Again, there is not much about the preached by nationalist leaders. Mr. Gaitskell as long as it is tary be sufficient problems now policy in the past will to deal with facing them. image if present Tory affairs will continue. enters the scene to So Mr. Reginald policies change Maudling and the that mortgage rates are too high. It is true that he stated that the interfering-but that was before government had no intention of grant workers in France, Tunisia leaders described in this book. Readers of this column are Macmillan's axe fell. Government and Morocco. familiar with the symptoms of loans for house purchase and While waiting to whether • At least Mr. Segal must be hard capitalism in decline. here and giving local authorities access to such a manoeuvre is possible, or put to it to expiain the split in abroad - lalling pront margins, the Public Loans Board for apwhether it may not come to the Algerian nationalist movement unemployment, surplus capacity. proved capital expenditure are the an if. as he believed, Ben Khedda was The disease, far from being con- sort of devices that Maudling look again at the question of open show-down, resolving dispute by armed force, we the revolution. prepared to carry through social trolled, is spreading wider. wider and image of a property-owning demo- could introduce to bring back the meaning of the Evian The banks can't lend enough of prevent further Leiceste cracy.

their money. There are no takers. electoral fortunes. But it is a very narrow path that in Africa, by Jacques Baulin recent book, The Arab Role n the meantime hardly attraction Hire purchase no longer holds the it once did. With an 'guiding light' incomes policy What can he do? Is the Excessive government spending the government has to travel by. (Penguin African Library), in its be doubted that the sympathies absence of job security, people go? Are reflationary policies could cause a weakening of the chapter on Algeria, gives an idea of the French government (like loath to take on commitments be the order of the day? pound-and then, of course, the of how wrong 'experts' can be those of Fenner Brockway) lie that would compete with the basic Tory policies will be aimed government would start its represthe Aigerian question. with Ben Khedda. For French necessities. The finance company, winning back ex-Tory voters—those sive policies all over again.

He states that the substitution capitalism, the solid advantages too, is not anxious to make hire that have given the Liberals a new The Tories would rely, however, of the Evian agreement are too purchase easier-it has had lease of life. It may be that many on their sense of timing—of which pleasant experience with a white collar workers are in that they have some experience so important to be lightly jetti- volume of bad debts which arose category. A variation of the that the nasty medicine would appear soned. But those who hailed out of the last bout of government generosity. 'guiding light' is therefore to be expected. so that it will have the come elected. after they have been reHer break. for two We will have to think again, just as great defeat for imperialism will the businessman have been increasing car sales, and a marginal increase Two bright spots for the industries power of railways and mines, and of a a searchlight for some as, for example, the Labour Party floating voter These are must expose to the their plans. The these policies of be pub- advocates of the FLN will have in exports. Car sales, of course, match for others, as for the nurses, expediency - and incidentally and 11. to make some hasty revisions of always increase at this time of some civil servants and teachers. adopt some re al militant socialist their previous estimates. year, and the manufacturers them- So far reflationa policies policies of its own.

¿ Brutal Tory pit policy must be smashed From BOB SHAW, Our Scottish Correspondent THE Tory government has announced that it intends to close a further 27 pits and to sack 7,590 miners in Scotland during the next three years. Another 33 pits which are 'on trial' will close if output is not improved, and 6,010 miners will lose their jobs. This announcement reveals the real face of the ruthless drive of the monopolies against As a result of the closures some towns will become depression areas and face an almost complete collapse. Some, such as Cowdenbeath in Fifeshire, have already experienced a steady Industrial