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miners nrotest at role of O 'Halloran during their strike in 1977 THE SDP are rejoicing over councillors in Islington, North over their recent council b they're not so happy at the de Michael O 'Halloran.

The Observer, for lined, "O'Hailoran casts shadow over SDP"

What's this about? And are the 22 councillors really any better?

O'Halloran was selected as the Labour candidate in November 1968, on the sudden death of a previous Wilsonite MP. By the time of the selection, Labour's policies in power had driven many activists out of the Party. Moreover, in those days, in many areas of Islington, it was practically impossible to join the Labour Party if you wanted to.

Questionable

A Sunday Times investigation established that at least ten of the delegates to the. GC that chose O'Halloran (who by that time had been a councillor for a few months and constituency secretary for about a year) were questionable, and that nine of the 21 delegates who had been admitted just in time to be eligible to vote didn't live at the addresses they had given.

Among the signatures in the attendance book on the night of the selection was that of Eddie Dwyer. Eddie Dwyer at the time was in Ireland, and he wasn't an O'Halloran supporter.

Impersonated

But the man who impersonated him was. He turned out to be living in the home of lony Murphy, a loca councillor and O'Halloran supporter. (Murphy it was who in an interview some time later said that he felt the role of Islington North Labour Party should be to impart Catholic social teaching).

For most of the"'70s the Labour Party in the North and some other parts of Islington was dominated by a tight knot of extreme right-wingers around Bill Bayliss together with the O'Halloran mafia - or 'Murphia' as it was locally known because of O'Halloran's connections with Murphy's, the building firm recently busted in the courts.

service O'Halloran (whose successor at Murphy's is presently doing time) was doubtless, as some strike pickets' placards once put it, 'the MP for Murphy's"

While Isington North quietly decayed, O'Halloran's previous employers got good service.

The MP even wrote to the Chief Executive, recommending that Murphy's be given building contracts, after the firm had been struck off the council's list because it was one of the worst employers of 'lump' labour in London.

And the 22? What is the record of these paragons of 'Social Democracy'?

For years many of them have played a leading role on the Council.

Between 1968 and 1971, the Tories briefly ruled Islington, and in some periods since then there has been a strong reforming influence in the Council. But recently - until a few months ago - the right wing regained control.

And what has the defec London, I y-election. efection of instance, Tion of & further 16 laking 22 in all, and victory there. But Islington North MP gloomily headAndrew Hornung reviews the sordid history of Islington's new 'Social Democrats' O 'Halloran record been, over the years?

In 1976, the Recreation Committee gave several thousand pounds to a play scheme on a local estate. The play-leader, it turned out, was the son-in-law of the committee chairman.

An investigation into the scheme established that several items including a van — later found abandoned in Southern Ireland -were missing. So was the play scheme: according to the kids, it didn't exist, and when the play-leader' was tracked down he calmly said he had abandoned the play scheme and was working elsewhere.

Because of the Poulson scandal, which broke shortly before this, the Labour Party had established a code of practice in cases of suspected corruption. According to this, the police should be called in immediately there was a whiff of fraud.

Suspicion

The right wing was opposed to this, as the finger of suspicion pointed to their ranks. They were supported by Gerry Southgate (recently council Williams.- news? go leader), who until then had not been counted as part of the Right.

The Labour Group breached the Party's code of conduct by insisting on a whip on all councillors to reject a police investigation. (Whipping was unusual, as there were no non-Labour councillors).

Expulsion

When twelve councillors refused to be whipped into line, they were slated for expulsion from the Labour Group, and only saved by the intervention of Transport House. Having lost the expulsion motion, Gerry Southgate stormed out of the meeting.

(And now it is the likes of Southgate that are ranting on about the intolerance of the Left!)

But the story doesn't finish there. After the vote had been taken, one of those slated for expulsion collapsed. With this councillor on the way to hospital and another looking for her husband, Southgate returned and reconvened the meeting, removing his opponents (including the now hospitalised one) from all positions.

In the opinion of Keith Veness, a leading left-winger in the Party then Southgate passed into the ranks of the Right"

That same year, Keith Veness was expelled from Islington North party for an interview he gave to a local 'alternative' paper, attacking O'Halloran.

Dinner

The right wing were delighted, as they had been trying to expel Keith and other leftists for a long time.

(They failed once before when they tried to expel all those Party members who refused to stand for the National Anthem at a Party dinner organised by O'Halloran in his personal stronghold, the Gresham, the local Irish ballroom.

Although there was a majority for expulsion, the chair, under pressure, ruled that a two-thirds majority was necessary and that the vote had therefore been lost).

Veness, of course, appealed against his expulsion and finally won, but the appeal was held up for over a year by another issue that sheds light on O'Halloran and his fiefdom.

In June 1977, as part of the campaign James White's proposed abortion bill, a group of local people, mo st of them women, decided I to picket O'Halloran's sur gery LAURENCE SPARHAM (IFL) 9022 ings for six months.

Finally, in April 1979, seeing a NEC inquiry into the Party looming, enough of the right wing backed down and voted for reinstatement.

The right wing and the Murphia managed to build up an alliance against them, in the North especially, stretching from the revolutionary Left to middle of the road people (but all alike denounced by the Right as "Trotskyists', 'Communists', and 'antiIrish').

And the Left recruited strongly, bringing hundreds of new activists into the Labour Party, as well as new trade union delegates.

The crunch came this year. The Left proved strong enough to block the right wing's nominees for the Islington North seat on the GLC. Finally the London Labour Party intervened and chose left-winger Steve: Bundred as the candidate.

For six councillors, this was the last straw. They left the Labour Party and put up their own candidate for the GLC, the manager of the Gresham Ballroom. Steve Bundred won with a massive swing to Labour.

The Local Government Committee was already under the control of the centre and the Left, and indeed had formally broken off relations with the council Labour group in protest at the Right's behaviour. It was now clear to the Right that they would not be re-selected.

If they couldn't be councillors, they wouldn't stay! they weren t interested in local politics, just in local governing.

Timing

The sixteen made sure their defection would have maximum impact by timing the announcement two days before the Hillmarton by-election That way Labour har no way of responding the charges thrown around by the new SDPers.

But many people in Islington know what they are: a bunch of greedy, vindictive, narrow-minded, tyrannical right-wingers -and also people with an appalling record of neglect where they have run local affairs.

One recent case. was an attempt by a pro-Bayliss councillor to ban relatives from putting flowers on graves in council cemeteries. When the Bayliss clique were in charge of housing, the situation was so bad there was a threat that the commissioners would be called in. And in the years of cuts voluntary organisations have been the favourite target of this fistful of reactionaries.

To them, voluntary organisations were hotbeds of middle-class revolt, footholds in Islington of dangerous interlopers from distant lands carrying with them the disease of radicalism.

Left to As councillors, they stood for decent people... from Alf Garnett on the left over to themselves on the Right.

Notwithstanding the announced dedication of some of them to 'Catholic social teaching', the local Catholic Bishop found himself writing to the council complaining about the way their cuts were ravaging the living standards of the poor.

Rarely could a bunch be found who were more antisocial and anti-democratic. The Sucial Democrats are welcome to them.

Thanks especially to Keith Veness and Jane Andrews for help in the preparation of this article.

Part 3 of our feature on Tony Benn's analysis of 'Britain as a colony' has been postponed to next week for lack of space.

S M 2 19 7 8 25 26 6 1 5 24 13 21 22 30 20 29 RANK AND FILE MOBILISING COMMIT TEE LEEDS LABOUR LEFT 'Mobilise for Labour .

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Tuesday September 22 7.30 Leeds Town Hall Speakers: Tony Benn Dennis Barry, Convenor Laurence Scotts Lorna Cohn, Leeds City Councillor Peter O'Grady, Regional Chair, UCATT Chair: John Trickett, Secretary Leeds Labour Left Labour Party Conferen Fringe Meeting 'Forum on Labour's - Strategy' Speakers include Hilary Wainwright ennis Barry, Conven‹ Laurence Scotts Thursday October 1 7.30 pm at "The Hungry Years' 8 Marine Parade (Opposite Palace Pier Followed by a social with Irish singer until midnight Namibian Support Committee BENEFIT Islington Town Hall aturday 19 Septembe 7.30 pm Bands include Split Rivitt and the Enchanters Tickets £3.50 on the door Coventry North-East LPYS Public meeting The Bradford 12 frame-u Thursday September 24 7.30 at Edgewick Community Centre MARCH FOR JOBS ¡aturday 19 Septembe Birmingham SO supporters please assemble 10.30 am a Load and Edward Ra BIRMINGHAM SO Classes September 20, 7.30 America's leadership of _the advanced capitalist world Oct. 4 at 7.30 American working class.

Contact 021-429 4166 for venue Public meetings to launch weekly Socialist SHEFFIELD Sunday September 20 7.30 pm Sheffield LAMBETH Friday September 25 Lambeth Town Hall 7.30 pm OXFORD londay 28 September 8.00 pm next to East Oxford Community Centre Princes St., Oxford COVENTRY Monday September 28, 7.30pm at the Whostcheef puk-City fonte,

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