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of change in Pollok Progress is uneven. 83% of the CLPs voted for Benn, but only one third of the trade unions.

In many unions, discussion on the election was confined to top officials and committees. But in some -ASTMS, NUM, NUPE -it got out to the conference and the branches, stirring political life.

That was positive even where the end-result was pro-Healey, as in NUPE.

NUPE's vote was shock. But better that shock than continued passive reliance on a union leadership that talks left and does nothing.

There were some NUPE branches - like South Glamorgan County - that had their votes cast for Healey by the secretary without a branch meeting. But that does not explain the result. Thousands of NUPE members did vote for . Healey, because they accepted the press story about Benn being a dangerous extremist.

Reservoir

Among workers fairly new to labour movement polities or even to trade unionism - as many NUPE members are - there will usually be a reservoir of support for the right wing. But what made that decisive was the disillusionment of NUPE members by their 'left-wing' leadership's complete failure to lead any action against wave after wave of cuts in the last two years.

Also, the NUPE leaders gave no lead on the deputy contest: Alan Fisher commented afterwards that Benn should not have stood. Yet this NUPE leadership has long been a prop of the campaign for last beginning, "A Scots MP (White) returned from three-week Austrian holiday last night to learn that a bid had been made by a Left-winger to oust him."

Nothing could be more ludicrous than an attempt to portray White as a surprised innocent. He has been well aware for a long time of the intense dislike in the CLP towards his opinions and has been actively trying to shore up his position.

The occasion of White's latest outburst has been the remove Davie Dick from his duties connected with the re-selection procedure. This was occasioned by a letter from Michael Keating, Secrefrom p.1 •democracy Labour The lesson is this: put not your faith in un-elected trade union officials.

With strong alternative left-wing leadership in NUPE, the members can be won over.

We must step up the fight in NUPE and other unions, fighting the right wing on the issues the way they can best be fought -with thoroughgoing socialist arguments and policies. In the course of doing that we can clarify and strengthen the right wing.

One of the most important policies to fight for -and also an essential condition for the fight for other policies - is union democracy. We must overturn the right wing's humbug about the silent majority, by going out to organise that majority, and making it the vocal and controlling majority.

For its part, Socialist Organiser is calling a labour movement conference, within the next few months, to draw together the experiences of the Labour Party democracy fight and to rally forces for a new advance -for union democracy.

Help us, join with us in organising the conference. What's happened so far is small compared to the possibilities ahead. tary of the local Fabian Society, claiming that Dick was abusing his position to secure his own nomination.

The same Keating recently supported a motion in his own ward for a ban on factions in the Labour Party. Presumably the Fabian Society does not constitute a faction.

CLPs in Glasgow and throughout the country must rally to the defence of Chatham, Dick and any other contestants who face such underhand machinations by right wing forces, for it is those forces which fear democracy and an open debate on policies.

McCalman

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decision of David Hughes, the Party's national agent, to