Will Labour's left meet the
NHS faces new winter crisis challenge?
As an early General Election seems increasingly likely, the need for an organised socialist voice in the Labour Party providing a fighting alternative to Kinnock has never been greater. TERRY CONWAY assesses the Labour Party Socialists' Annual General Meeting and the tasks facing the new National Committee. 150 people braved it to Sheffield for a daunting-looking agenda, running from 9.30am to 5.30pm - a clear sign that despite the horrors of Labour Party conference and the hold of new realism in the labour movement, there is a small but important layer of activists in the party determined to construct an alterative.
The day was contradictory. On some crucial issues there was agreement - the need to prioritise campaigning against War in the Gulf, the poll tax, the anti-trade unions laws and the witch-hunt of socialists within the party. On all In the past year, almost 2,300 hospital beds have been closed or failed to reopen for cash reasons in London alone, according to the latest available figures. This suggests that recent surveys by the Independent (which showed around 4,000 beds closed nationally) have understated the scale of the crisis affecting the NHS.
The closures are mainly hitting acule services, but have also taken a heavy toll of beds for the elderly and mentally ill.
These cutbacks have boen
UPDATE of these fighting speeches were made, and most importantly. practical proposals for action en-
Whatever the effect of Thatcher's replacement by Major, it is only after a general election itself that there will be a massive shakeup inside the party. 1 Labour wins, then expectations will he raised, not on the basis of collaborationist policies but because working class people expect more from
If the Tories win a fourth tem, then there will be a fight in side the Labour Party - which will probably result in the replacement of Kinnock as leader and again the space for the left will be opened up. On these questions there was consensus at the
Nor did anyone think that it was possible to launch the sort of campaign around the General Election run by 'Socialist Campaign for a Labour Victory' in 1979 - the relationship of forces just doesn't cxist today.
But there were about exactly what we could and should attempt - with the resolution drafted by Socialist Organiser supporters arguing that
By Terry Smith worsened by the instruction lo most districts to eradicate longstanding deficits and create a "level playing field" in the ninup to the introduction of the new NHS Act and its Internal market" next April.
Ministers have responded to this picture of devastation by arguing that - even after some 10,000, mostly acute, beds have closed in London since 1984 -the capital has "too many bede". Yet the latest closures are hitting hospitals in the home counties as well as threatening the training of student doctors at leading London teaching hospitals, while waiting lists fll up with patients
LPS should merely aut as a clear: ing house for left policies coming from CLPs, whereas the resolu tion drafted by Socialist Outlook supporters argued that LPS needed to link up with campaigns inside and outside the party onissues such as Lesbian and Gay Rights and the Poll Tax.
Both resolutions werc passed - so now it will be up to the steering committee to ensure that LPS makes the maximum capital out of the current Tory crisis and the forthcoming General Election and uses this to build LPS on the
The discussion on the General Elcction also saw a debate about the relationship hetween LPS and the Socialist Movement and its paper. Again two were clearly passed, but the disSocialisr Outlook supporters and many independents were positive about the prospects for socialist, Briefing and Socialist Organiser supporters were pessimistic and in some instances hostile.
These latter groups seemed lo have no perspective of fighting within the Socialist Movement as a whole for the ideas of LPS, and also soured the debate by spread ing misinformation about what too ill for day surgery but with little hope of a hospital bed.
NHS managers are keeping fingers crossed, praying there is no repeat of last ycar's fu epidemic: they know that they and the government have only escaped major embarrassment so far by sheer luck - and two mild winters. Several leading London hospitals, and Watford's main hospital, are already admitting emergencies only.
Things will get even worse after next April when the new NHS Act takes effect, with un known consequences. The Act will certainly leave most London districts worse off: Department the Socialist Movement bad actually decided
The difficultics of the day were further compounded by the elections in the National Committoc which saw the defeat of three independents who have played a vital role in building LPS. This happened because supporters of Socialist Organiser, the largest political block present, put their own interests before those oF LPS as a whole. They then tried to retrieve the situation by one of their supporters resigning un favour of another individual even though she was not next in line: Amid much confusion and dismay, the AGM agreed to this.
Since the AGM itself there has been much discussion as to what went wrong. It seems that
-the first meeting of the Steering Committee will agree to co-opl those who were defeated for the National places — an unusual but in our view necessary step.
But in order for LPS to play the role that is needed in the months to come, it is necessary that all political forcer involved behave in a responsible, not a sectarian manner and that LPS strengthens, not weakens, its relationship with the Socialist of Health officials have sccretly warsed that the implications for London and the South East could be another 2,400 beds to close and a teaching hospital to go bankrupt!
No wonder there has been such a stony silence from new Health Scoretary William Waldegrave since he took over from Kenneth Clarke. He has already twice postponed # nouncement of which hospitals will get the go-ahead to opt out" as Self Governing Trusts next April, amid speculation that perhaps only a fow of the 66 applicants will obtain approval.
Gulf: a