candidacy in Walton is a mistake - a tactical mistake. not an error of principle. But we have placed all the blame for the situation of two labour movement candidates where it belongs - on Kinnock, the Liverpool council leadership and the rest of the witch hunting gang.
Socialist Organiser has responded rather differently. Its two-page coverage in Socialist Organiser 490, under screaming banner headlines of 'Vote Labour in • Walton', verges on witch hunting of Militant.
Two examples. They say 'Newcastle and Glasgow accents were prominent among Broad Left canvassers'. So what? Is Sccialist Organiser going to join forces with the Kinnockites against 'outside agitators'? Every candidate in a by-election gets help from canvassers from outside the constituency.
In an interview with a thinly-disJuly 6, 1991 No.5 porter they demand that Lesley Mahmood be 'humiliatingly defeated'! That of course is lust the right note to strike with Broad Left comrades who have made a mistake!
The crucial error of the Broad Left in Walton is that they have chosen a tactic which will minimise, rather than maximise, the demonstration of political opposition to Kinnockism. Many workers opposed to cuts in jobs and services in Liverpool will vote for Kilfoyle to keep out the Liberals. A by-election under the national spotlight cannot be a re-run of the local elections, where the Broad Left won five council seats.
But instead of taking up this tactical debate, Socialist Organiser addresses the Liverpool Broad Left as if they were the key enemy. That is the typical response of the hopeless and mindless sectarian. We prefer to reserve our hostility forthe Kinnockite witch hunters. other unions it's much weaker. For example, Morning Star supporters lead NALGO, but by default because the Broad Left/Militant have had such a sectarian attitude, for a long time regarding NALGO as some kind of middle class outfit.
The attempt to make an identity between the council Council workers 'struggle; will it produce votes for Mahmood? cally limited and parochial. All they put forward is opposition to redundancies and the poll tax, with occasional references to the NHS. And all of it is limited to Liverpool. In particular they don't raise at all the issue of racism. The black community in Liverpool is ghettoised in Toxteth, and Walton is a nearly all-white constituency.
Militant has a really bad alternativesocialist party can be set up. Ana because it lacks national credibility, it lacks credibility in Liverpool as well.
After the election, there will be mass expulsions from the Labour Party in Liverpool. We shall have a really tough battle on our hands to fight. this witch hunt.
TON