Lobbies pay dividends

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Join the Labour Committee on Ireland. BM Box 5355, London WCIN 3XX THE week, hailed by the Tory press, started not just with the expulsion of five comrades from Militant but also with the indiscriminate smashing of other antiwitch-hunt resolutions. A similar fate was later administered to calls for democracy within the Parliamentary Labour Party.

The prospect of recorded voting obviously filled the establishment with particular horror.

There were, however, various grounds for encouragement. First demands to replace trade union involvement at constituency level with some kind of one member one vote balloting were temporarily repulsed although the remission of one such resolution FRANCIS PRIDEAUX, CLPD Executive member gives his reaction to the Conference.

to the NEC suggests that this particular threat may yet return.

Second, the modest demands for the women's section to be allowed a rule book came within half a million votes of success and must stand an excellent chance of success next year if the necessary work is done in the relevant trade Such a success would strengthen still further the basic demand that the women's conference should at last be allowed to elect for itself the so-called women's section of the NEC.

Third, sustained lobbying throughout the week finally won a much needed debate on positive discrimination and an NEC commitment to set up a working Maximum pressure will now be required to ensure both that this working party contains a proper proportion of women and black comrades and also that it produces policy recommendations for policy reform in plenty of time for debate and decision at next year's conference.

Finally vocal and persistent pressure from Wythenshawe and Hornsey made it impossible for the NEC to sweep under the carpet the disgraceful way in which the two CLPs have been treated.

Although the necessary victories have still not finally been won, the NEC should now be in no doubt that there are limits to what the rank and file will tolerate.

A clear lesson of the week is that despite the party's "new look" sustained lobbying still paid dividends. Before Brighton many trade union delegates had never even heard of Wythenshawe or a rule book for Labour Women, or black sections.

Our task is now to ensure that these and other questions are taken up not just in the week of the Party's Annual Conference, but routinely at regional and union conferences throughout the ycar.

TURKEY A TOWN ON TRIAL New pamphlet, 50p; latest TSU bulletin, 30p, plus postage. From TSC, BM Box 5965,l London WCIN 3XX.

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Socialist Organiser no.150 October 13 1983 Page 15 ENCE_19 ALL HERS DEPUTIES AND TRADESMEN