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No.76 MARCH 11. 1982 (Claimants and strikers, 10p) 25p PAT WALL, selected as parliamentary candidate by Bradford North Labour Party, is under assault from the Tory press and the Labour leadership for a speech saying that a Labour government should sweep away the House of Lords, the monarchy, and the top figures of the army, police and civil unelected, undemocratic centres of capitalist power becomes service. By some strange twist of logic, a challenge to these • hallenno to democracv. But what•does the. Labour leaderPaper of the the Socialist Organiser Organis ship's reaction mean for the government?

THE predictable media outburst against Pat Wall and the continued witch-hunting of Militant and lett activists throughout the party demonstrates not just the paranoia of the press but the naivety of the leadership.

The vicious reaction of the Tory government and their extra-parliamentary allies in the judiciary to the GLC proposals to merely reduce public transport fares demonstrates what is in store for Labour councils to be elected this May on radical programmes.

It also demonstrates that the next Labour government is going to face tremendous pressure from the judiciary, from the City and the military to drop, weaken and abandon the policies that the party has adopted.

The tragedy in all this is the blindness of the Labour leadership to the realities of power in this country. Does Michael Foot really think that a Labour government can withdraw from the EEC and nationalise major companies without the City trying to destabilise that government?

Do the parliamentary leadership really believe that we can unilaterally disarm without tremendous opposition from the military high command?

Or do they in fact have no intention of pushing ahead with Labour Conference policy commitments?

Disarm

The failure of the leadership to be prepared to campaign on the issue of the power of a Labour government means that they are disarming the labour movement and preparing. us for the defeat and retreat that characterised the Wilson and •Pat Wall Callaghan governments when confronted with extra-parlia mentary opposition from the City, the military and the Pentagon.

The hysterical reaction of Michael Foot to Pete Tatchell's 'Briefing' article and his preparedness to use the media to attack Labour activists is a disgrace.

Party members have a right to know why Michael Foot and his cohorts are so *The whole business is an attempt to undo the idea of re-selection. So far objections have only been raised where standing MPs have been de-selected. If you can't de-select MPs, there's no point in having reselection.

Pat Wall keen on defending Ben Ford, whose record of collaboration with right wing dictatorships is well documented; or of Bob Mellish who is ending his right wing career by accepting a post in the Docklands Development Corporation to play his part in the destruction of working class communities.

The Labour leadership of Southwark has been completely discredited - why are they being supported?

Pat Wall quite rightly pointed out that a Labour government committed to a socialist programme will come under attack, and quite possibly under violent attack, from the forces of the establishment.

Unprepared

The poverty of inner city areas, the rising unemployment and increased military spending can only be reversed by a socialist government. If that government gains power by a series of retreats and compromises to appease their self-perceived media image it will be totally unprepared for the great tasks that will face it.

"With or without the article in the Sunday Times, we expected a re-run of the selection and I'm glad to have the opportunity to bury the myth that Ford was in some way cheated in the previous selection meeting. I'm absolutely confident that Pat Wall will win the re-run."

Ronnie Fieldhouse, chair, Bradford North CLP