Over recent weeks, there has been a concerted local campaign against Newham Monitoring Project, calling on the local council to withdraw funding. For the 16 years of NMPs existence it as continued its 24-hour emergency service, casework and its campaigning in the community against police harassment, racist attacks, and fascism.
Some of those involved in the campaign pose no surprsts - the Tory candidate in a recent by-election and the local paper the Ne. whom Recorder. The Recorder has always claimed that NMP was 'stirring up racial tension and took particular offence at any campaigns aranst police racism. ine local so -ies have previously stood as 'ConSeVal Hm Dura Vina Ethnic Policies What save tho campes thw lle petus is the involvement of a small but vocal righe wing split from NMP itsell. Har a oozen peopie eo Dy Unmesh Desai, one of NMP's found. ine members, declared the lunch of 2 new organisations: the NMP Rc. form Group, and the Katherine Road Traders and Residents Association. These two front organisations tusea to torm a thiro group calling is self, ironically, Newham Unity.
This group is now organising to get council funding instead of NMP. They would clearly be very different Ton ar s avoc in paigning. They criticised NMP involvement in a picket of Forest Gate police after the death of ibrahima Sey in custody.
Leading anti-racist A. Sivanandan chagged how, in the earty 1980s, the growing militancy amongst black youth was headed off by the creaLearning from the experience of the States, a layer of middle class professionals were created with the cask of teaching the white power structures to accept black people -the white power structures.
Newham Monitoring Project has been one of the few organisations to successful resist this trend. Despite being primarily funded by Newham council, NMP has always maintained its political independence.
Blairites
At the root of the right wing split are two central issues - i oo ambitions of some within Blair's ests of a local property-letting agent.
A few years ago it might stil have been possible to build a political career inside the Labour Party on the hasis of consistent anti-racist activ. ity, today such a background would At the Annual General Meeting of NMP, the right proposed two council race officers for the management committee. NMP had previously been clear about conflict of interests between a role as a 'race profesMona orn CouneaYO ment with NMP. Having failed to gan any support for this move, Un. mesh and his grouping then left NMP.
The i raders and Residents ASSO ciation includes one of the councils race officers. Sultan Mohammed and some of his business partners. Mohammed has investments in a local property letting agents. NMP has always opposed the rehousing victims accommodation, which amounts to profiteerinz from racism. Mohammed has unsuccessfully pushed for the council to oppose NMPs position.
Since the split from NMP, howleged that Mohammed whilst acting asa coune Cucer PrivaLy CAIET CU to rehouse them in a property with his company, Shore Properties. Mohammed is currently under investigacon by the council.
Despite the corruption allegations surrounding the 'Newham Unity group, and despite the fact that there are no specific charges made against NMP, the council has ordered an investigation into NeThis is clearly an attempt to find a justification for withdrawing support or trying to impose tighter strings. The Labour group would much preer to see resources going to uneir political allies and avoid the embarrassing exposures of police racism that NMP has so consistently produced over the years.. defend its political independence and to resist any turaner tonoing cuts. To contact the Defence Campaign: phone 0181-555-8151.
1997 looks set to be a crucial year in poltics • here in Britain. across Europe and on a worldwide level.
The world economy goes into the new year in a fragile state despite the many measures by governments and bosses to drive down living standards and increase productivity across the globe. A new recession in the United States - which is not beyond the bounds of possibility -would send the whole situation into a tail spin.
1997 will see the continuation of the crisis in the Russia which at the the miners taking strike action and to an unstable political situation despite the fact that Yeltsin remains formally in control. Lebed's disseem to have done him any harm and he is clearly gearing up for the succession battle The disastrous situation in the Central Lake region of Africa continues to demonstrate the barbarous legacy of imperialism and the failure of the neo-colonialists to bring peace or dignity to the peoples of the arca.
The so called 'peace process' in the Middle East will continue to fail the Palestinian people with Netanyahu pledging to increase Jewish settlement in the occupied territories and the PLO doing little to op. pose this.
The clection of a Blair government is unlikely to make much difference to the situation in Ireland as New Labour will continue a bi-partisan approach and accommodate to the unionists. The struggle for self-determination for the Irish people has not been aided by the approach the Sinn Fein leadership, fighting for a seat at talks which will enshrine partition.
Dramatic struggles will break out across the globe like the huge strikes against the regime in South Korea budget cuts in Australia. The task will be to build lasting organisation from these flash points that it able to carry on the battle against interHalona Cara or Consiste Socialist Outlook will be covering toes and oter proccoso that arc of interest to our readers, bringing you information about the ruling class offensive and the resistances to it, idcas on how the struggle can be developed and lessons from other activists.
The European March for Jobs can begin to link together militants across Europe in the run up to the They will just keep on battling: public sector workers will press demands on Labour on pay and the welfare state Inter-governmental Conference to gree the Mastrich Treaty in June The recent victory of the French lorry drivers and the blockade of Greck farmers demonstrate yet again that the governments of Europe are not having an casy time in imposing the massive cuts they need to meet the convergence criteEurope-wide The campaign will also give to opportunity to cement continental. such as unemployed organisations, who have been inspired by the recent French events or those fighting racist laws.
Socialist Owlook through its in• volvement with the Fourth InternaBonal can onak actatico news and analysis of the resistance across the continent and bring the lessons from those campaigns to our readers In Britain the General Election will most likely see the clection of a Labour government after the long winter of Tory rule. But Blair's New Labour is not promising an end to the unrelenting attacks the working class and its allies have suffered under the Tories.
Far from it! Attacks on the Wel. fare state, already cut to the bone. will continue. Anti-trade union laws will remain in place to shackle our ability to fight back against the And not content with his victories over Clause 4 and the manifesto Blair will set out to destroy the historic link between the party and the unions, giving himself a freer rein for more reactionary attacks.
Despite the fact that Blair will BOTORIAL 3 it will do but because it will raise peon le's expectations and bezin to rebuild a confidence which has been lacking since the defeat of the miners strike. We will seck to organise where ever we can to place demands on Labour both in the run up to the election and after Blair is in governBICHE We are committed to preparing the best possible conditions for the fight back. The Broad Lefts conference in carly February can be an important step in better equipping gether.
The campaign to build the Euro. pean March for jobs in Britain can bring together young unemployed activists fighting the vicious JSA with those fighting to defend the welfare state and those fighting for rights at work.
While we will continue to work in the Socialist Campaign Group Network and the Keep the Link campaign to strengthen the left in the Labour Party, we are pledged to work with activists working in the anti-racist movement, in defence of women's' rights, the environmental movement and in other campaigns commitica to forging & better soci ely.
We think that we will be able to meet all these goals more effectively by changing our schedule of publiThrough producing a monthly paper rather toan a sortagauy we are able to reduce a whole number of overheads and so increase our coverage by over 25%. This we believe will allow us to produce a paper which is more useful to our readers.
A monthly gives us the flexibility we believe we need at this crucial time to deal with complex issues in
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