Local government workers action in solidarity with the community should affiliate The anti-poll tax movement exists despite the leadership of the labour movement, not because of it. The hold of 'new realism' means that the bureaucracy has not only failed to lead the fight against the poll tax, but has actively attacked non-payment and the call for non-collection.
Kinnock and Willis speechify against the evils of the poll but they tax, save their harshest words for the non-payment and movement Labour those councillors and unionists trade who have tried to fight back. At a national level the TUC and the Labour Party have refused to call mass demonstrations against the tax, and have argued against even token strike action of the kind taken in support of the ambulance workers.
In this context, the achievement (C* of the anti-poll su Die?
tax movement in mobilising 250,000 people demonstraon tions in London and Glasgow on 31st March 1990 is well established is enormous. The TUC went so unionists not to support the All Britain Federation's march and the Labour Party has demanded that Labour Party branches disaffiliate from the federation. In Scotland, it is Labour, not the Tories who are paying the political price for poll tax implementation. The Scottish Nationalist Party have made gains from Labour because they have publicly supported non-payment, with leading SNPers themselves refusing to pay. The response of the Scottish Labour Party to point out (correctly) that SNP councillors have actively supported poll tax implementation, is fairly pathetic when they themselves are implementing it. Nowhere is the Liverpool noigo -INERFOOL Sars Mors naigo mIgo VOCUTS > RATES LE RENT INCRETE, far as to call on trade fight against the poll tax.
nalgo İLE OFFICIAL PICKET noigg nalga DEFEND their activities.
payers.
criminality of new realism more apparent than in Scotland. The Labour Party is prepared to lose votes to a non-socialist, non-working class party rather than lead the At a local level, throughout Britain, Labour councils have vigorously implemented the poll tax and have shown that they are prepared to use all their enforcement powers, including and bailiffs sending nonpayers to jail Labour councillors who have only gone SO far to as that propose bailiffs should not be used have faced disciplinary action Labour and Party members have been set for expulup sion merely for being involved in the non-payment movement.
This witchhunt against the nonpayment movement has to be resisted at step.
every Labour Party branches now to the All Britain Federation. Local Labour Party wards should not only affiliate 1o local anti-poll tax campaigns, but take an active part in supporting Labour Party Socialists, an organisation of socialists within the Labour Party and affiliated to the Socialist Movement, has made a priority of campaigning against the poll tax and the witchhunt unleashed by the Labour Party leadership. Labour should be committed to axing the tax, not the nonWithin the Labour Party, the left should continue to argue against Labour councils implementing the poll tax, but should also support resolutions calling on Labour coun