Socialist Organiser

The weekly of the fused Workers Socialist League, July 1981 to April 1984

[ANDREW WIARD, REPORT THIS weekend (September 5) is…]

Socialist Organiser no. 51, 3 September 1981 · scan p. 6 · about 310 words

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ANDREW WIARD, REPORT THIS weekend (September 5) is the first Socialist Organiser Delegate Meeting since the paper went weekly.

The Socialist Organiser secretariat will be proposing to the delegates from local groups that a big priority for the coming months should be a conference on labour movement democracy.

The aim would be to link militants from the Labour Party democracy struggle with militants in the unions, bring out the general tasks and perspectives of the fight for labour democracy, work out a comprehensive policy, and discuss how to fight for it.

In reality, Labour Party democracy and union democracy are only two aspects of the same struggle. Yet many activists still separate them, soft-pedalling issues like regular election of full-time officials.

The Delegate Meeting will also discuss the perspectives for the Labour Left after the Brighton Conference.

Groups like the Labour Coordinating Committee are arguing that the united Rank and File Mobilising Committee for Labour Democracy has finished its useful life. There is a danger of the Lett once again scattering - some continuing to focus on the fight for Party Democracy, some turning their attention to tighter definition of the Alternative Economic Strategy, and others going their various ways.

At least, that is what's happening at national level. Locally, 'Labour Left' groupings are developing in several areas. Some of them are local Mobilising Cttees From the point of view of constituency activists, it is not at all so clear that the advantages of unity are dead and gone!

The Delegate Meeting will discuss these problems. Ideas put forward by. the Secretariat will include the extension of local Labour Lefts and Mobilising Committees, a policy of continuing to argue for a united front of the Labour Left nationally on those issues where it is possible - and a broad debate on these perspectives in the pages of Socialist Org-

← Contents of Socialist Organiser no. 51

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