miners.
The Conference decided to continue its work by establishing a national co-ordinating committee Support Groups to be comprised of one representative from each Group. Its first meeting would be in Birm-
incham on November 9. An information sheet would be produced and a
winter fund-raising campaign would
be launched for the victimised
miners. The purpose the National co-
ordination will be to work with the
NUM and support the case for coal; to
campaign for the reinstatement of the
victimised and for amnesty for those
in prison; to campaign against pit
closures and to raise cash for the vic-
timised miners and their families.
At the same time the Conference
voted to support the important in
itiative which was taken at a fringe Socialist Viewpoint, No 8, November 1986. Page 12
By ALAN THORNETT meeting at the Labour Party Conference, organised jointly by Trade Union Briefing and the Campaign Group of Labour MPs to organise a Miners Amnesty Campaign aimed at supporting the victimised and imprisoned miners and publicising the Amnesty Bill. There is clearly great political support for the two group ings to work closely together.
The Conference voted to be present on Monday 21 October when the appeals open in London of Dean Hancock and Russell Shankland and to go into the court in solidarity.
It also adopted a motion from the London Support Groups (which are now well organised) calling tor a "day of action" to mark the second anniversary of the start of the miners strike, aimed at drawing attention to the continued support for the miners and the campaign against pit closures.
The conference voted to give sup port to the National Rank and File movement, but rejected a controversial resolution supported by Rank and File. This called upon the Conference to "call a delegate conference, open to all trade union and labour movement bodies, including the broad left organisations, prepared to build a militant minority movement in order to start the work of building that movement and discuss-
ing its programme and strategy.
Finally the Conference discussed the uprisings in the inner cities. A resolution was adopted which drew the comparison between police action in the inner cities and in the miners' strike, condemned the racism of the police, called for a labour
novement inquiry into their activities
and called upon SERTUC to call a na-
tional demonstration through Brixton in opposition to the extension of
police powers.
The Conference provided a much
needed get-together Support
Groups and should provide the basis
for a development in Support Group
work and a boost for the campaign on
behalf of the victimised and imprison-
ed miners.
-PAN soft left MANY of us who went to Bournemouth for the first week in October did not go to hear a blistering attack Labour Party leader on the miners and Liverpool cillors. We went to work for
Tand resolutions. many of which were passed; but the successes of which were overshadowed by "coming out"-
In Tuesday's keynote speech — under the guise of a Parliamentary Report - Kinnock attacked those who fought the Tories. He'd begun by rehearsingnearly every right wing argument socialism. He waved the nationlist flag, preached about an ing state' , talked of increasing production, and assisting small ousinesses. He threw in a tew "radical" references to the Third World, support for Nicaraguan government and opposition to apartheid. Then he rounded on the left, and in a scene rehearsed for the cameras, slammed into Liberpool Council:
Kinnock's speech had the effect of splitting the Conterence in two.
The Press loved it; and covered their front pages the next day with "The Courage of Kinnock" "Oh, Boy-o". . Come the next elec. tion, it will presumably be the business-as-usual "Vote Tory"; or at a pinch "Vote Alliance"
The Right loved it, and so did much of the trade union top brass on the delegations: for both, were secured
The "soft left" had a split second to choose which way to jump; and leapt into the quagmire. They applauded Kinnock Into i power: and by large have supported him there. They stood by the myth of Kinnock, the "leftie" , ignoring or supporting his manoeuvring of the last 2 years; comfortable in being able to distance from the like of Holy, " midte. Hammond, etc.
The