the democratically-elected candidate in Hemsworth, marks a new stage in Labour's witch-hunt. These bureaucratic assaults are not just directed against Militant, but are aimed against all dissenters. As MARK JONES argues, Kinnock's movement. Ken Capstick was NUM's nomination as PPC for Hemsworth, and he had an unassailable majority in party branches and affiliated In Sunderland North, there is Hemsworth. Porchal There, Etherington, also a prominent NUM left winger is threatened.
This police metod taken to absurd lengths in Walton, where official spies were That graphing for their hitIn Brighton a dossier has been produced which lists dozens of active, long-standing party members.
They are accused of being sent. There is title pretence at There is little pretence at accuracy or truth in this list.
The two Brighton Labour Parties were suspended purely for defending thine Councillors who had fought the l'oll Tax. At first, only 25 Brighton members were to be suspended.
when Joyce Gould reported to the NEC she circulated a piece of paper for any further names to be added without any pretence to an investigation In Bedford, a number of Kinnock's witchfinder general: Larry Whitty councillors face discipline! y try supporting Labour Party policyar opposinga local pact with the Liberal Democrats.
In Lambeth, 13 Councillors were suspended from their Labour Group by the NEC for opposing cuts, poll tax and the Gulf War. The remaining 27 Councillon were twice forced and threatened by Larry Whitty tat if they do not accept the suspensions, they too would be disciplined.
The activities bring to mind Matthew Hopkins, the seventeenin century general". But in reality the KinFields and Nellist: expelled along with dozens more in common with the methods Toined that other bureaucratic current inside the workers movement-Stalinism (indeed many of loday s bureaucrats received their traming in mampulson, un principled manoeuvre and semi-gangsterism in the Communist Party).
Every Labour Party member, whatever their political stance or affiliations, must help call a halt to bureaucratic suppres sion of the right to dissent. We must demand the night or tree expression of ideas in the party If democracy is to have ant meaning, it must include the right to organise around a point
attempt to rule the party with an iron grip, erodes the very foundations of democracy in the labour