After a lot of soul-searching the Militantbacked Liverpool Broad Left is standing ton. The responsibility for there being two 'Labour' candidates in Walton lies entirely with the Kinnock camp nationally and loLiverpool has been the city which has put up the biggest fight against the destruction of local government jobs and services. Kilfoyle is the local witch-finder general, hand-in-hand with the Harry Rimmer council leadership in devastating local services and driving socialists out of the Labour Party. Large sections of the local community and workforce see it as an insult that a person like Kilfoyle is the 'official' Labour candidate in Eric Heffer's seat.
Socialist Outlook did not condemn the Broad Left for standing local council candidate against imposed Labour candidates. But we warned that standing in the by-election would be full of risks and dangers for the left.
In the local elections the Broad Left was trying to change the balance of forces on the council against Rimmer and his mafia. But this by-election is a national political event. The Tories are in deep crisis; millions of people want the earliest opportunity to drive them out. Many workers, even those who hate Kinnockism and all its works, will vote for the 'official' Labour candidate to ensure that the Liberals don't win the seat. Standing Lesley Mahmood risks splitting the Labour vote and allowing the Liberals There are other risks. The Mahmood candidacy has made it certain that a gigantic witchhunt will be unleashed in Liverpool and else where. Should the Liberals win, it will be incredibly difficult to resist this witch hunt.
The Broad Left has a significant base in Liverpool, but not nationally - they are not a credible national political alternative. Standing in the by-election, a national political event, gives a signal that they regard themselves as a national Despite our reservations about the Mahmood candidacy, we place the blame for there being two candidates on Kinnock and the right wing. We will defend Lesley Mahmood and her supporters against the right-wing witch hunters. But we think this candidacy is a mistake; if it blows up in the Broad Left's face, then the whole of the Labour left will pay the price.
Unlike some others on the left, we do not Despite the passive line of Labour and the TUC, Kinnock is ahead in the polls - on anti Tory sentiment tion of a national minimum wage. They do not intend to reverse the "Thatcher revolution' of privatisation and cuts in benefits and services to workers. A Kinnock government will be the most right wing Labour government ever.
For all that Kinnock offers i nothing to the working class, a Labour victory in the next e election is vital. รถ of Tory rule have done grave I damage to the labour move ment and its ability to defend working class interests.
While a Kinnock victory won't automatically mean an immediate working class fightback, it will create a com-