black sections
By KEVIN FLACK East Lewisham Labour Party has become the first in recent history to select a black candidate in a winnable seat. You might expect the Labour leadership to rejoice and given the local Party immediate support. On the contrary, the NEC has thrown its full weight into attacking the local Party because the "unofficial" local black section was allowed to vote in the selection meeting.
Many questions arise, particularly that of the role of black sections in combatting the appallingly low level of black representation in the Party — on General Committees (GCs), on the NEC, and as MPs, as well as the rights of local Parties to judge their own needs.
Following demands from local black activists, the black section in East Lewisham was set up in Autumn 1984. When the selection process started, the Party's GC had to decide whether its attitude to the black section was to be merely token - let them participate in most of the activities, but not the ones seen as really important — or whether it was going to take the involvement of black people seriously, and give it full
The GC voted by an overwhelming majority to give the Black Section full nominating and voting rights in the selection process.
Since then, the NEC and Regional Office have continually attempted to persuade the GC to reverse this decision or call off the selection, but in fact only succeeded in persuading more delegates to vote in support of
"Anarchists"
The references by Charlie Turnock of the NEC to "our coloured col leagues" and claims that GC delegates were "anarchists" only hardened the resistance. The point is that East Lewisham is not a particularly "hard left" constituency - it simply has a commitment to increased involvement and representation of black people in the Party.
The debates raised by the clashes with the NEC, and the undoubted increased involvement and activity oi black members locally since the Black Section was set up, led to a climate of a growing demand for a black Parliamentary candidate.
We took the position that if
Lewisham didn't produce a black candidate, who would?
Most of the serious left in Lewisham backed Russell Profitt as candidate. There are a number of reasons for this - his excellent record in standing firm over ratecapping on the Council; his hard work as a local Party activist; and because he will regard himself as accountable to the local Party. It is also true that if we had chosen a black candidate from outside the area, we would be telling the black community of Lewisham that we didn't think any of them were good enough. In the end, he was selected, and will be a very credible Parliamentary candidate. It also puts the NEC in an even more difficult position, he has been endorsed twice before — in City & Westminster and after the first selection in Battersea.
The fact that Profitt won was even more significant for the left locally, as it marked one of the first victories over the soft-left group who have run the Party for some years, and were backing Sharon Atkin. In parallel to losing the selection, their caucus is floundering and in imminent danger of collapse.
This leaves the way open for serious, class-based campaigning politics in East Lewisham with the Party now hopefully having a more credible position amongst the black community. Socialist Viewpoint, No. 6, June 1985. Page 12
The role of black sections within the Party has been seriously misrepresented by many, including some on the left. The views of most black section activists are clear -they are there to create mass involvement of black people in the Party and ensure that the Party reflects the views of its black supporters. This is more important than gaining the selection of one or two black MPs and councillors.
This is the principled stand taken by East Lewisham Black Section, as once it was obvious that both the front-runners in the selection were black, it could have taken the easy option and withdrawn from the process. The fact that it stayed proved wrong those who insist that black sections are there just to promote black careerists.
The fact that Profitt fully backed the black section's stand the whole way, and took part in the selection meeting despite demands from the NEC that he withdraw, also helps prove his standing as the "left" candidate.
Challenge
The Party in Lewisham Labour vote comes from estate of Downham. The Tories have a 1,900 majority and have just won a
by-election from The Labour Group on the Council is
disarray, and now it has rendered the fight on ratecapping it is sure to make cuts this year, and probably raise Council rents too.
organisations which have been relatively dormant in the area will now surface to challenge an openly anti-racist Labour Party. Now
time for the Party to turn
Talking with black socialists and reading the black press, it is obvious that large sections of the black com-
Ware looking to the Labour leadership to see what it will do over East Lewisham. Any action hostile to Profitt's selection, even though it is taken on technical grounds, will be regarded as yet another Labour Party betrayal of black people. It is up to all sections of the movement to back East Lewisham's stand, to ensure the trade positive attitude to black sections, and to work for serious anti-racist policies at all levels of the Party.
Another rehash of Militant's sterile politics Militant under fire on gay rights,
Blackpool was the scene for April's abour Party Young Socialists (LPYS Annual Conference. Apart from the change in venue (it is usually always in Bridlington) this was not very different from LPYS