Or how not to build a fight
The Great
ALONE of all the London Labour Authorities the GLC collapsed immediately without a fight and passed a ratecapped budget at less than even the maximum allowed by the government. This abject surrender was the worst possible start to the campaign against the Tory Rates Act and doubly destructive because of the "left credentials" of the GLC.
The Line-up
Why did this debacle occur? A leaflet circulating around County Hall from a few NUPE members in industry and employment in the altermath of the budget making gives a simplistic but illuminating insight into the GLC Labour Group. It divides it three ways: A rather overoptimistic view from London Labour Briefing last year!
GLC Debacle against Tory attacks
By MICK WOODS
• The McDonnell Faction - those serious about implementing Labour
Party policy and raising rates to pay for services. This was attacked in the leaflet.
• The Livingstone Faction - those serious about being MPs and getting out of local government.
• The Rabble — the detritus of the labour movement who in happier and more stable times had been put into
County Hall if they were clearly incapable of holding responsible ofice in Local Government or becoming
MPs
Although simplistic and ultra left in parts this is a good point of departure of for investigating the mechanics what happened.
You can't crush the spirit of the GLC
Socialist Viewpoint, No. 5, April 1985. Page 19
Ken Livingstone Who leads the GLC?
The present GLC Labour Group is not a left group but has been a group where the right have been leaderless and the centre acquiescent to the leadership of Ken Livingstone. Coming to power as he did by managing to convince the centre that their candidate couldn't beat Andrew Mclntosh, the incumbent right-winger, he has carved out a position as not onl leader of the GLC but until recentl the standard bearer of the Labour left in London. The earlier period of the GLC saw him pilloried in the press for his correct and principled positions on Ireland, Gay Rights, Women's Liberation and Racism. This constant and frantic press attack has turned into its opposite and ended up creating Ken as LBC's Man of the Year. Many see him as a replacement for the craven Kinnock.
GLC policy has reflected progressive "liberal" policies alliedto theater to do A storicis
Greater Board (GLEB) given characteristically radical glow to the GLC. This, however, has not carried over into defiance of the law to defend Londoners.
Fares Fair - a preview of
In 1982 the GLC's cheap policy was declared illegal by Lord London Borough of Bromley. Instead of refusing to comply with this obviously political judgement the GLC leadership played a double-game.
In an acrimonious battle Labour Group the decision to defy the government was taken 24 to 22. No whip was put on the 22 votes who later, with Tory assistence, defeated Fares Fair. While a small number of councillors allied themselves with those attempting further resistance by not paying the increase, ingstone made a point of going on television and paying the new fare.
The GLC succeeded in through a partial fares reform later that year. At no time, however, did it give leadership to those LT workers who were prepared to go further than leaderships to improve and protect jobs and services. The present debacle - a run-
While on the surface the GLC was opposed to ratecapping Group was unprepared to go all the December "Labour Briefing", urging the movement to enforce discipline on their councillors. represented by a Labour GLC Councillor it is vital that CLPs mandate their GLC member to support non-compliance and not fixing a rate. If the GLC coucillor is not willing to stand firm he or she should be asked to stand down to allow the CLP to replace him/her with a comrade who will adhere to party policy.
The article went on to name those unprepared to follow party policy. For this McDonnell was attacked for uncomradely behaviour and... (wait for it) "witch-hunting", not only by the right but also by the leadership of
At the same time, Ken Livingstone was making the following speeches for public consumption, the rest of the Labour Boroughs we shall not make a rate or levy system." Fine, but how
Strategy and Fakery
It seemed evident that the strategy of the leadership was to tub-thump, win the vote on the Group and then blame a handful of these and
Enterprise an un-
Transport workforce.
renegades who break ranks.
preceding
London legally
Budget if their fight to undermine any socialist principle
London Labour Party was interesting for two things.
1. John McDonnell
"growth budget"
legal rate on March 4 was a forgone
"dishonesty" and "deception" were boroughs by Ken Livingstone who then hypocritically voted for the illegal budget he had worked so hard
The final debacle members of the Labour Group (Tony right-wing
ERECTOR
The GLC capitulated on Fares Fair without attempting to mobilise London
Banks, would inevitably
Jenni
That nearly way everybody's hands stayed clean and
John nobody got hurt. What ruined this was the legal opinion obtained by
John McDonnell during the week
Labour Party and
Conference that the Tories need not vote for a legal
Labour own budget was
Alliance deteated, i.e., that they could abstain and put the Labour Group on the hook. From there on in it became necessary for those who would not shred of the
Labour in
Group by whatever means necessary.
manoeuvres
March 3 and 4
The local government debate at the fight.
exposed the package which was eventually passer oy Labour Group — a complicated raiding the capital fund to create a whelmingly rejected by Conference.
2. A leftist attack on the boroughs by for adopting an equivocal stance on illegality. Many of us wondered why this was raised there and then — we didn't have long
The Labour Group decision to set a at John McDonnell and the of the
The rest is history to an extent - 10
Socialist Viewpoint, No. 5, April 1985. Page 20
It tree Paul Boateng, Bryn • Davies, Fletcher, Lesley Hammond, McDonnell, Paul Moore, Charlie Rossi, Dave Wetzel and Deirdre Wood) refused to vote for the ratecapped budget in full council necessitated an eleventh hour piece of diplomacy by the leadership to smooth the way for 15 members of the Group to vote with the Tories and for a rate 3p below the ratecapped levels.
Costs and principles
Jenkin deliberately set the ratecap at a high level this year to allow councils to engage in these kind of to set legal no-cuts budgets or at least to muddle through for another year. While the fight is balance now, the GLC debacle has seriously undermined
I'he GLC, while coming first into he iront line for illegality, fighting not only on this front but also on the front of abolition. To comply this year and juggle figures, use balances and, with or tacit government compliance, raid the capital fund demonstrates pretty conclusively an aceptance of abolition from the Labour Group Majority. The boroughs cannot be confronted with a removal of responsiblity next year, and this explains the surprising resistance from many right-wing Groups around London.
If the Rates Act was to be confronted, it had to be this year. Solidarity was the issue: but for most
GLC Labour Group, the threats of bankruptcy and - even worse — being debarred from public office loomed larger.
Margaret Hodge, the leader of Islington Council, speaking at a Labour Party Workplace Branch meeting at