Cancel all military expenditure and bring the troops home

SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE SPECIAL CONFERENCE MANIFESTO The full old age pension increase at once! No conscription! MAKE THE TORIES PAY! vol. 8, No 373 December 5, 1964 Price 6d.

The Newstetter WEEKIY JOURNAL OF THE SOCIALIST LABOR LEAGUE SLL holds special delegate conference THE National Conference of the Socialist Labour League, which was held towards the end of March 1964 decided that in view of the important political situation in Britain and the possibility of the election of a Labour 'government that a special national delegate conference should be held towards the end of the year.

This took place in London on November 28 and 29 and was attended by delegates from every branch of the SLL, the outgoing National Committee and full-time professional workers.

For some weeks prior to the conference, discussion had been taking place in the branches and in aggregate meetings around two resolutions dealing with the role of the Labour government and the task before the youth in the building of the revolutionary party.

Those who attended the conference had participated in all the main struggles of the working class since the March conference and were fully conversant with the nolitical issues TVLENE TreLA deN prereleas dUGeNO embodied in the resolution. This faot alone provided the conference with an air of political seriousness unknown in other organisations.

AVOID

Not only do these organisations avoid preparation of a conference, they never under any circumstances consider organising two conferences in one year.

Only the Socialist Labour League as a Marxist organisation, which understands the absolute necessity Next week writes on Ceylon MICHAEL BANDA, Editor of The Newsletter, has just returned from Ceylon after spending two weeks investigating political developments on the island. He will outline his conclusions in a series of two articles in The Newsletter. old age pension freezing!

By a Newsletter for training its rank and file to be leaders in the movement, can undertake such an important programme.

As soon as the main reports were given, delegate after delegate took the floor to develop the political issues which were raised. There has never been in the history of the British movement such a lively and thoughtful discussion. A special feature of the debates was the number of young people who spoke about their experiences in the fight against racialism in the industrial towns of the north.

Young delegates took the floor to show how, in the course of organising demonstrations, they were able to establish unity between many young people previously affected by racialism, and their immigrant brothers.

FULLY AWARE

The conference was fully aware of the responsibilities which the SLL has for providing leadership for the developing left movement inside the Labour Party and the trade unions. Far from being separated from the struggle inside the Labour Party the SLL is, in fact, preparing to intervene in the fight against the right-wing Wilson leadership with considerably increased forces in the next period.

The Manifesto, published opposite, was unanimously approved. This will be circulated widely throughout the movement as the answer of the SLL to the sell-out of the Labour leaders in the face of pressure from international bankers. YOUNG SOCIALISTS NATIONAL COMMITTEE (MAJORITY) ISSUES A PRESS STATEMENT National Committee the law, insisting that Wilso of 'Labour Cares' and then pro- show that. they • will not tolerate business.

ZOSL FILE Permeating the discussion was the constant emphasis of delegate after delegate on the necessity to develop an all-round offensive against Pabloite revisionism and the role of the so-called Paris Unified Secretariat. This revisionism was seen as one of the major stumbling blocks to the development of revolutionary parties internationally.

RESOLUTION ON VICTIMS OF INTERNATIONAL CLASS WAR CONFERENCE unanimously demanded the release of De Leonard Victor Allen, Sidi Kayam, Jonas Kiomasekenagh and Oleshengun Adebayo.

It pledged itself to organise nationally the widest possible campaign to expose the fraudulent nature of the charges against these four class victims of imperialist justice and not to let up until they were released.

Conference also sent revolutionary greetings to Dr.

Neville Alexander and his colleagues, who are at present languishing in Robbens Island and awaiting appeal against their brutal frame-up.

Conference delegates pledged themselves to do everything in their power to raise as much money as possible to help with the defence.

The new National Committee which was elected at the conference is now entrusted with the circulation of a draft resolution on international perspectives, which, it is hoped, will greatly assist in political clarification of impontant issues before the labour movement. This will be submitted for dis(cussion for the 1965 national conference of the Socialist Labour League and it will then be published and circulated throughout the international movement. No arms or Buccaneer aircraft for South Africa! A socialist policy of nationalization and full employment! Gerry Healy national secretary of the Socialist Labour League, speaking at last week-end's conference. Seated is chairman of the conference, Jack Gale.

Conference revealed that the SLL is now enjoying an unprecendented growth in membership from young people. Never in the history of the Trotskyist movement in Great Britain have so many young people applied for membership.

The delegates discussed a number of problems which arise from this influx of members. Plans regarding the training and political assimilation of fresh cadres were approved.

Our organisation faces 1965 with a political confidence never known at any time in the past. Delegates returned home determined to continue the discussion around the decisions of the conference inside the branches and to combine an active political internal life with the maximum praotical struggle to build the party.

Due to pressure of space in this week's Newsletter with the report of the Socialist Labour League's special national delegate conference, the articles on racialism in Smethwick and Germany will be published next week.

THE FOLLOWING MANIFESTO WAS UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY THE NATIONAL DELEGATE CONFERENCE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE, HELD ON NOVEMBER 28 AND 29 "HE working people elected the Labour government but the bankers dictate its policies. That is clear only six weeks after the election.

Already the government has refused to pay the increase in pensions before March. This was demanded by hard-faced bankers in Europe and America. They insist that the Labour government give up all idea of granting social reforms and benefits.

Big business and the banks are demanding that in return the Labour government presses ahead with wage freezing and cutting the standards of the working class.

Old age pensioners, the homeless, overcrowded workers and trade unionists supported Labour in the election expecting a government that would serve their interests. 'Labour cares' they were told.

Old age pensions were to be increased, house purchase to be made easier, burdens on the poor were to be lifted.

WHO IS THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT CARING FOR?

The salaries of Members of Parliament have been raised by $25 a week. The City of London has been assured that the coming Corporation Tax will not cost them any more than they already pay in taxes. While Mr. Wilson is not going to make the capitalists pay, he is preparing to attack the workers' wage packet.

Labour leaders certainly care for Callaghan to the bankers and Stock November 11:

'If you have criticisms to make of our actions, come and tell us. We shall listen to what you have to say with an open mind and see if we can meet your difficulties. If we cannot do so it will not be because of prejudice against you?

For 13 years under the Tories old age pensioners have been cold and hungry every Christmas. Each year Labour M.P.s called for higher pensions. Now, under a Labour government, pensioners will be colder and hungrier as prices rocket. More of them will die.

The increase in the bank rate, the higher national insurance charges and the increase in the price of petrol means that the cost of living is going to soar. The old people face another winter with a cut in the real value of their pensions. Does the Labour government care for them?

The Ministry of Pensions first gave the miserable excuse that it would not pay increased pensions because of the paper work involved. But on November 25, "The Guardian' revealed that many M.P.s who discussed the pensions increase 'gained the impression that the government was under orders from the financial interests which are lending Britain large sums of money'.

Trade unionists, Young Socialists, Labour supporters: you did not elect a Labour government to carry out the bankers' policies! VAL MUST DEMAND PLACE THE MURDENS ON THE RICH, NOT THE OLD AGE PENSIONERS' Wilson obeys the orders of big business. He guarantees there will be no big attack on profit. He cancels the decision to stop sending Buccaneer aircraft to South Africa for attacks on the African people. He proposes to spend £2,000 million on H-bombs and armaments in order to maintain the enslavement of colonial peoples toiling to produce massive profits for big business and the City of London. Prominent right-wing Labour M.P.s are openly speaking of the necessity to introduce conscription.

The Labour government will press ahead with an attack on workers' wages. Even those who gave a lifetime of labour will be made to suffer to save capitalism. The entire labour movement must support the old people and insist that Wilson grant the full increases immediately.

The increase in the bank rate to 7 per cent will mean a rapid growth in unemployment. There will be sackings early in the New Year in the motor industry and other trades. Adult workers, the old age pensioners and young people are all under attack as the Labour government obeys every crack of the whip from big business.

Because the present policies of Wilson, Brown and Co. are tied to big business they are bound to carry out capitalist policies. This means an attack on the workers from the very beginning.

The bosses and their Tory servants prepared this crisis.

Why should they crack the whip and make the workers pay for an economic crisis for which the previous Tory government is responsible?

Why should the working used for this purpose?

Almost twelve million workers voted Labour on October 15. This is a mighty force for a socialist change. Close the ranks, unite in action and victory can be ours. This is mot 1931. Tell Wilson, Callaghan and Co. that we are finished with MacDonaldism for ever. We voted Labour, now let us force them to carry out policies in the interests of the labour movement.

All workers, young and old, must start this fight now the factories, trade unions and focal Labour parties.

big business. Said Mr.

Exchange speculators on class allow a Labour government to be business.

Split

developing in N. Ireland Labour Party A MAJOR split is threatenLed in the Northern Ireland Labour Party following the expulsions of Alderman William Boyd MP, and councillors John Black and David Walsh.

The three voted in the Belfast City Council against the Sunday opening of children's playcentres. The executive of the Labour Party, which was looking for scapegoats for the disastrous General Election results, threatened expulsions if they did not sign an undertaking to immediately reverse their vote.

Boyd and the others refused to sign this. However, the Northern Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions intervened and put pressure on Sam Napier, the right-wing Labour Panty secretary, to draw up a compromise document.

BACKED DOWN

In the face of this trade urie Iner chion and the mally re~ tests from rank and file members, the executive backed down and withdrew the first ultimatum.

A crisis seemed to have been averted as the three 'rebels' had only to affirm a statement agreeing to accept party policy, save on the grounds of conscience.

But Boyd and his two colleagues were not prepared to do this.

The Woodvale Divisional Party has expressed 'complete confidence' in the three councillors and faces disaffiliation.

The Northern Ireland Labour Panty has shown itself to be incapable of uniting the workers and is a rump of a Party resting mainly on the support of small sections of the Protestant working class.

These expulsions and the threatened split are signs of a cracking up before the worsening economic situation. Unemployment in Northern Ireland will rise sharply because of the increased bank rate.

All rank and file members and divisional parties must demand a special conference of the Nonthern Ireland Labour Party. This conference should not only debate the expulsions, but should inquire into the General Election failure and thrash out a socialist programme.

for the present rightward swing. for the present rightwa