Birmingham Labour Briefing no. 21

MANIFESTO SCANDAL!

and Councillor Phil

As correctly predicted in 'Briefing' last month, the Labour Party has been left without an agreed manifesto for the May local elections.

In fact, events have taken a major turn for the worse since our last report. At that time, readers will remember, the District Party officers were meeting with representatives of the Councillors to hammer out a press statement, the status of which was itself under question. The party's view was that this document was merely a press release — the manifesto itself being the documents passed at the District Party Policy Conference. The Councillors were arguing that the

published statement was itself the manifesto.

Since then, further meetings have been held and it has become apparent

that even on the actual content of this statement - forgetting its status - the party and the group were unable to agree. As on many occasions previously, the biggest sticking point has been

on Race Relations Policy. Alton Burnett

Murphy, who in

their capacity as representatives of the local party's Ethnic Minorities Liaison Committee have championed the

rights of Black people within the party's Council policy, had written a tightly worded statement fully representing the party's policy. In view of past betrayals by the Labour Council, the party felt the need to stick by what had been written. Dick Knowles and the other councillors were having none of it. The quite openly expressed view was that they had no intention of implementing the policy and so would = not agree to telling the press anything else.

With no meeti ng of minds, the Party's officers went ahead to complete a statement that fell in line with = policy.

Continued on page e...

Labour wins -but with whose policies?

...continued from page 1.

The intention was that this should be published in accordance with the party's constitutional role in determining the electoral policy and programme.

(Throughout this episode it is important to remember that the Rulebook gives

the Party the ultimate say what goes into the local electoral policy and prograrme. This is a stronger position than the party holds nationally.)

However, the party's intentions were exploded by a ‘pre-emptive’ strike

launched without warring from the Council House. The party officers had left a document overnight at the Council House, where it was to be typed and printed. What appeared in the end, however, was a document, in a very pink cover, comprising the Councillor's version of our campaign, not the Party's.

Next morning, it was this document whi@ch was presented to the press by Dick Knowles, aided by Labour frontbencher Jack Cunningham MP. The press had this document even before it had been sent to the party's officers. Alton Burnett and Phil Murphy's carefully crafted text had been expurgated and a version acceptable to the group leadership and out of step with party policy, was in its place. Dick Knowles subsequent— iy mailed copies to Branch and CLP secretaries.

‘Briefing! secretary, events, She in an impossible and duties as officers have The Council or authority to do are unable to publish a proper version of our policy because of the confusion and electorally damaging publicity this would cause. My own view is that our positions as party officers are at stake. We have to fight now in the most determined way possible to condemn the people who have trampled over our party, and to ensure that we never again end up in this powerless position. It is simply not acceptable that we should just wring cur hands. We must have the confidence to take the power we already possess and build on it.’

So, after all that, what have we been fighting the elections on? What have we just elected Councilicrs to carry out? How can we accuse the rightwingers of selling out when we don't even have a manifesto for them to fail to implement? Over the coming months, ‘Briefing’ will continue to attempt to come up with some answers.

spoke to District Party Marje Bridle, about these commented: ' We are now position. Our powers democratically elected been stolen from us. leadership has no right this. And yet we

the deadline for June's

Please note: articles

for meeting is 23 May for pub— lication 30 May.

LEFT COUNCILLORS GET ORGANISED

Our city is renowned for being one of the most powerful and consolidated right-wing Labour strongholds. Nowhere is this strength more evident than on the Labour Group of Councillors. Although the left have organised, for better or for worse, within the Party at City level - where the last ten years have taken us through Tribune, Birmingham Labour Against the Cuts, Birmingham Labour Left, and now ‘Briefing' and the Labour Co-ordinating Committee = and also in some CLPs and branches, never has there been a properly organised left in the Council House.

Now all this seems about to change. For the first time, candidates and Councillors on the broad left have been getting together to plan how to vote at the Group AGM. This is hel¢ on the Tuesday after polling day. The; nave also given thought to ways of

influence or A package of

increasing the left’s the Council as a whole. democratic reforms has been drawn up, bringing together the District Party's reform plans and an equivalent programme for the Labour Group. This package nas been put on paper and is being

KNOWLES

opinion in

ndercurrent cf

An corridors of ‘she Council House sug, that Dick Knowies will secon be sta down as leader. Everything is ¢e but a number of sources nave led

to believe that a change cf power te imminent. And the likely successor ig - no surprises! - Albert Hore.

Some think that Comrade Bore is accelerating the pace of his campaign for the not seat. anc that his ‘timing in, for instance, supporting Dick Xnowles

Ward selection, under— too

line over the Handsworth and in assisting Dick Knowles in mining the party's manifesto is fast to be aimed at a 1987 take-over.

He has already become a sufficiently ‘safe! figure for the right to feel unwilling ‘o contest him when Knowles goes. Others, on ‘che centre-right of she group, feel that his succession is inevitable. They feel it may as well happen now, in order to give Bore the maximum time to make use of his new status as leader in his subsequent attempt to win the Parliamentary seat of Selly Oak.

Another indication that Tricky Dicky

will soon be looking to amuse himsel? with other vastimes is that he has accepted nomination for 4 relatively

tiresome position within the Co-operative Party, one that would not be an effective way for the Council leader to spend

his spare time. ‘Briefing's'

All this has to be ‘outside bet’. If you want to play the status quo

safe put your money on

used as a building block for determining voting slates for the Group AGM and as the basis for a longer term political campaign bringing together the left in both the Group and the Party as a whole.

The identity of this broad left is, we understand, being kept deliberately loose and depersonalised. ‘We don't want to be labelled the property of any one person or group, ' said one participant. 'The right-wing are running scared about this project and will fight tooth and nail te pick off some of our looser eonnections before we get firmly established.'

So far, to our tmowledge, this broac left has not given itself a name. The right-wing, however, have dubbed it the Summerfield Caucus. as the first

meetings have been held at the Summerfielc Community Centre. Its members are cautious about their own strength and about how solid the group is. But indications are that at least 25 of Labour's Councillors after 8 May (probably 40% of Labour's sotal strength) will be lining up behinc its democratic reform campaign statement.

0 QUIT?

Dick Knowles - is our vast

library of pictures of Dick going to go to waste? Will we soon have to find a cartoon of Albert Bore?

NE

But if you lik take 3 ~ 1 tha

for the coming year. a bit of a flutter, it's Albert's year.

Six months after being expelled from Birmingham Sparkbrook CLP, the Labour Party National Executive Committee have still not announced the outcome of either my appeal, or that of Councillor Amir Khan who was expelied at the same time.

At the time, many people »delieved that other right-wing parties would ust ‘the expulsion fervour to witchhunt more left wingers. However, the mass purge has not happened, but only because the intended victims have been so successful in appealing to the courts. Cardiff, Penarth, Mansfield, Ipswicn and Exeter parties have ali deen taken to court by members resisting expuision. Not all of them have any connection with the ‘Militant! newspaper. Some of these parties have had costs, amounting to over £5,000, awarded against them. These debts will take years ‘to nay off. These successes in court have been achieved because the parties involved have been found guilty mot only of preaching natural justice but also of >reaking their own rules.

Plainly, it is scandalous that party menners have been forced to use the courts in order to get some lement of natural justice. It is now clear that had Amir and I gone to court, we too would have been successful.

At our appeal, held before Ken ‘ure a right-wing NEC member and offical of the AUEW, ‘che defence concentrated on my allegations of fiddling which had been made cn the television programme which prompted my expulsion, There are obvious parallels between Birmingnan Sparkbrook and Liverpool.

Qne of the major allegations against the Liverpool party was that undue powers were vested in ‘he District Party, and that workplace trade union branches had been allowed ‘to illegally send delegates to it. By comparison, the Sparkbrook General Committee, which expelled me, consists of six delegates from the EEPTU, several of whom have no obvious connection with the electrical or engineering industry. One of then, who drives a Mercedes-Benz person alised number plate, is a estate agent. Another is his fatner; and yer another is an off-licence owner. All

these delegates are from nead offi: ef the EEPTU - in Romferd, SEX Protestations Fa ‘wickedness’

of ‘Militant’ suppo: would carry mere weignt other Labour parties with similar tices were under investigation as

The party leadership is turning a blind eye toa variety of extremely autocratic and sometimes even corrupt but impeccably right-wing parties.

It is unfortunate that so much time and energy goes into these expulsions. A tenth of the energy going into them would be better devoted to providing detailed arguments for a radical socialist alternative to a palpably failing Tory government and economic system.

Liverpool

Kevin Scally.

Kevin Scally on left holding the Sparkhill banner, Amir Khan in the middle.

STOP THE EXPULSIONS!

RE-INSTATE AMIR KHAN & KEVIN SCALLY

Speakers include:

DIANE ABBOTT KEN LIVINGSTONE

WED 21 MAY, 7°30 DIGBETH CIVIC HALL

Meeting sponsored by: Campaign Group of MPs. Birmingham Labour Briefing

Black Sections. Birmingham and West Mid— Labour Committee on lands Labour Co-ordinIreland. ating Committee.

Birmingham Trades Council.

At the moment, the future of the West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive is very limited. It will run the travelcard system, bus-stops and the local rail network. From October of this year, bus de-regulation will come into

effect, and private operators will be able to tender for any route. A new passenger transport company (PTC)

has been set up, under the control of a joint board of West Midland Counc illors, which will be nominaily linked to the WMPTE and which will be the new employer for bus workers in the West Midlands. The PTC will tender for the main profit making routes, which will be the core of the old WMPTE network.

Two things need to be noted. Firstly, WMPTE did represent a genuine attempt to create an expanding integral road/rail system at a modest fare level for passeng— ers. Secondly, this was anathema to the Tories who have moved heaven and earth to smash it, as in other metropolitan areas. The abolition of the County Councils and bus de-regulation severely curtail planning and the ability to subsidise socially necessary routes.

The negative effects of this are already being felt; garage closures, route cuts, fare increases, and savage attacks on the workforce of engineers,

drivers, cleaners and canteen staff. It is likely that bigger effects will be felt in October, although much is

unknown at this stage. How many private operators will make tenders? What routes will they tenders for? What will be their fare levels? How well will their buses be maintained? And ofcourse what will happen to road congestion, the level of accidents and air pollution if more cars end up on the road?

If we take it for granted that all socialists support an expanding integrated and cheap public transport system, where do we go from here? .

A policy of just ecrrying on where we left off when Labour returns to power is insufficient. We have to remember it is not just the Tories we are up against. The SDP and Liberals also

supported a certain level of privatisation

interests of ‘efficiency’ and ‘rationlisation', albeit at a less draconian level. Even within the Labour Party where are the committments to re-regulate the transport system, and carve out the cowboys? Kinneck seems to have other pressing concerns at the moment, more important than worrying about such things. It is ome thing to lose government money for route subsidies; it is quite another to get it all back again. The prospect of a Kinnock government in the midst of a severe economic crisis does not inspire confidence.

only a determined win back what is iost; 4 the left of the party to socialist transport policy with industrial struggle.

A policy would entail: nationalisation under local control for all services, minimum compensation, democratic planning and integration with rail services, large government subsidies for sociaily necessary services, a cheap/free fares policy and investment in bus and rail construction.

It would be easy to mount a huge public campaign on such a basis and link it to the election of a Labour Government. But in so doing, we would have to avoid some of the mistakes of the WMPTE years. Whenever there was a problem of finance, instead of mobilising the transport workforce in a joint campaign against central government the opposite was dome. This was to screw the workforce for every penny +o compensate for government penny-pinching. For example, the de-regulation bill was going through Pariiament in the middle of the miners’ strike. Writing letters, petitioning, lobbying and hand wringing was the line from the Labour Group, the WMPTE and from the leaderships of the transport unions, Seeing the WMPTE as an ally meant that we could not rock the boat and strike. We have now seen the failure of that

in the

struggle will struggle by develop a

combined

policy. For example, 4 driver doing two jobs - driving and conducting - earns £157.50 for 38 hours, top-line,

overtime payable at less than the daily

driver, just driving earns over £200 for 37.5 hours. For a further example, if you ever get upset at being thrown around by wild bus driving, remember the speed-ups «hich were forced through last summer in the zeeth of two decisive paliots against them hy ‘che

rate, while a at Hardy Spicers

strike drivers.

If we realise the interests we are up against, we must be realistic about our strategy for a socialist transport Nothing less than a combined political and industrial struggle will deliver the goods. We have to begin developing our policies and organising support. for thém across the labour movement, locally and nationally.

system.

Bob Whitehead.

> IRISH NOTES

STOP STRIP SEARCHES

[MAY l0th 2-4pm. fesse

Irish women prisoners are being routinely put through the ordeal of strip-searching. This involves removing al! your clothes and handing them to warders for inspection. Sanitary pratechon must also be removed and “searched”. The prisoner must ‘umn around slowly. Wanders then “search” your hair. hands and feet. Male warders are near ang cam hear. We asx for your support to bring strip-searching to an end.

BRIXTON

In Brixton, Martina Anderson and Ella O'Dwyer have been stripsearched on average £4 times a month each since they were placed on remand in Ist July 1983. Ella was Zorced to strip twice within 6 mm utes. Martma was strip-searched after an internal gynmevotogical examination.

FAIR TRIAL?

When Martina and Ella come to trial it May they will have been deprived of sweep. exercise and medical attention. 2s well as facing str1psearches. How can they prepare their defence? Their trzai will be accompanied by hysteria in the press and on T.V., as their court appearances wall be seen surrounded by police “marksmen” and bomb cnecks. How can they Aave a fair tral when the publicity makes them zppear guilty?

MAGHABERRY

In Ireland a new prison. Magnaberry. has been built to house women and men prisoners, The women trom Armagh were moved 7 Maghaberry ut March and in the fast monzh, 35 strip-searches were carmed cut.

NOT FOR SECURITY

In Brixton and Maghaberry, stnip-searches are used to humiliate. They afe used even when the women have no contact with anyone other than police and warders. In [reland. women who refuse to strip have been beaten, xicked and forcibly stripped. Aithough availabie, metal detectors have never been used. Strpsearching is sexuat harrassment and its extensive use is torture.

SUPPORT OUR CAMPAIGN

Help bring strip-searching to an end!

"ask for support in your women’s group, tensnt's group, local action group, trade union

* write £0 jocai and natioral press and magazines

* write co the Home Secretary, your M.P. and councillors

Birmingham @&¥amen and Ireland, cfo 90 Court Road, Balsell Heath. Tet: 773 8928 and 449 3013

Supported by Labour Women far ireland ofo 7 Frederick St. BL 3HE

‘Trish Notes' supplied by Mary rson.

TROOPS OUT DELEGATION

al Troops Out Movement delegation tc Belfast takes place year from 6 - 11 August. As usue!, a party will be going from ghar. The cost will be about £50 plus sperding mcney. The delegation will have reetings with political, community and cultural assoc~ jations in nationalist Be?fast. It will also take part in the annual Internment Commenoration March. In early July meetings are planned with speakers from Belfast. For mcre information and to book speakers please contact (021-) 773 8683.

idere O'Shea victory’

Following the success of the Maire O'Shea Defence Campaign a pamphlet is being planned. This will show how the success of the campaign can be used as a basis for campaigning against both the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the conspiracy laws. It is envisaged that this pamphlet will be along similar lines to that produced recently by the Muhanmad Idrish Defence Campaign.

Currently, the Campaign is looking for pecple who were involved the Campaign te write short pieces for the pamphlet. Send contrib-

utions to:

The Maire O'Shea Defence Campaign, c/o Unemployed Workers Centre, 448, Stratford Read.

Photo: Joanne O’Brien/Format

Washington and Libya -

the real problems

In the article below, Simon Hinds considers the American bombing of Libya and looks at the nature of this so-called ‘problem’.

and London Third back

The real problem Washington have with Libya is that it is a World country that dares to hit against Western greed. The obligation to crimes quickly fades at the visible and that the West, was and is. The Liitle

Libya's stares monster America,

condemn when one invisible especially

Third against

nations of the World are virtually powerless the massed forces of Western military technological and economic might. Rallied against them is napalm, the International Monetary Fund, Agent Orange, the World Bank, secret services, the Stock Exchange, NATO bases, bribery, biological warfare, the western media and much more.

All the Black peoples of can muster are heated anti-Western speeches and perhaps the odd armed strike against the powers of imperialism.

The West plundered and destroyed much the Third world during the and colonialism. Profit development was the only

the worid

in

era of slavery for alm.

Western

essTtl

WANNA BUY A |

CURE PoR WORLA

Sueiey~

the

Third World threw off colonial chains, the power brokers’ nightmare wag that their ‘mission to exploit' would be answered by communism.

It was the United Ststes of America which stepped forward to make the world safe for western capital. It created its own potential for terror and, in the 1950s, considered the Third World easy pickings after failing in’ eastern Europe.

Victor Marchetti and John Marks wrote in ‘The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence’:

"The agency, in pursuit of stability and orderly change, increasingly associat— ed itself with protecting vested inter-

So when its

ests. In the view of much of the world, it had become a symbol of repression rather than freedom. While the cIA paramilitary activities were at times successful, many of them seemed to work against legitimate social and political change, for which the US government wouid in later years be held accountable by the people of those countries.”

SHES 7-

Third World people are faced with the potential for technological barbarism from the over-powerful west. As a former

CIA officer of its Clandestine Services toid ‘Ramparts’ magazine about its paramilitary school:

The array of outlawed weaponry with which we were familiarised included bullets that explode on impact, silencer equipped machine guns, home-made explosives and self-made napalm for stickier and

hotter Molotov cocktails. There was a diabolical invention that might be called a mini-cannon. There were a

number of uses for the mini-cannon, one of which was demonstrated to us using an old army school bus. It was fastened to the gasoline tank in such a fashion that the incendiary projectile would rupture the tank and fling flaming gasoline the length of the bus interior, incinera— ting anyone inside. What did a busload of burning people have to do with freedom? What right did I have in the name of democracy to decide that random victims should die?"

The CIA tried to overthrow President Sukarno of Indonesia in 1958. It trained and supported Tibetans and had Laotian bases with over 35,000 men to China and North Vietnam. The Vietnamese raids sparked off the It sponsored B-26 bombing of areas in Zaire, then the Congo, after removing Patrice Lumumba as leader. It overthrew Mohammed Mossadegh of Iran and took over Guatemals in 1954.

There is the famous democratically elected

North war. rebel

case of government

the | of

raid f

ANTUAPARTHEID MOVEMENT [3 MANDELA ST.LONDOM NiMH 01387 7966

The West is lucky that all colonised

people are not ‘terrorists’. But yet, another problem for the West is that while they are no longer prepared te

die for the sake of foreign adventurism, people in the Third World are.

Chile, again overthown. Today there is El Salvador and Nicaragua. Again, it invaded Grenada and helped overthrow

Manley's government in Jamaica.

Thanks to the Western sponsored arms race, Third World groups have been able to get hold of weapons. But they are like lone gremlins coming up against Frankenstein.

So, most give in, welcome the West.

But for those who da not give in, a bomb may be the only: way to claw back

while some actually

their shattered pride, while their contempt for everything western may mean chinxing little cf killing ordinary people.

Brixton and Wandsworth are scaled down versions of such outbursts. A Molotov cocktail is the only way to vent years of maltreatment and to cry out for

them to stop.

Anti-Apartheid Demonstra— tion - details of transport from Birmingham in June's 'Briefing'

DNDON SATURDAY JUNE 28

ASSEMBLE HYDE PARK IF(2

*oWE HAVE COME TOO FAR TO TURN BACK NOW’’

The fight for the Labour Party has been going on for four years. For the past three years, Regional Labour Party Conferences and the National Conference have received many resolutions in support of Black Sections. The campaign has accelerated. We have come too far to turn back now.

Now we have ten Black prospective Parliamentary Candidates. Six of these are in safe seats, including Diane Abbott, the first Black woman selected for a safe seat. Black councillors have increased by 10%.

The fear now is that ‘white liberals‘ may be getting bored with Black Sections. Many will be suffering from support fatigue. To these comrades, whose support has been vital in the past, we say: ‘Stick with us! Stick with us until we win. Black people have no choice. We have to continue the fight for equaiity.

Black Sections in

Black Sections are proposing the following resolution for this year's National Labour Party Conference. Make sure your CLE/Trade Union supports it. When you propose it, please make a small change to the wording to ensure

that the resolution is counted separately

in its own right:

Diane Abbott - first Black woman selected for a safe seat.

Resolution for Annual Labour Party Conference i986:

This Conference welcomes the increased representation of Black people within the Labour Party over the last few years. Conference recognises this progress has been greatest in constituencies

with Black Sections.

Russell Profitt

However, Conference also notes that the Black Community are grossly under— represented within the Labour Party and within the Labour movement. Black Sections have begun to turn the tide but are being hindered by the Black and Asian Advisory Committee, which was recommended by the Nationai Executive Committee and established by Conference last year. We note with concern that

the National Executive Committee rejected

the recommendations of its own working party which strongly supported Black Sections. The recommendation was arrived at after one of the biggest consultation exercises ever conducted by the Labour movement, receiving one of the biggest responses ever which came out with a majority of nearly two thirds in

favour of Black Sections.

The membership of the Black and Asian Advisory Committee consists of handpicked

opponents of Black Sections, who are regarded as colonial appointees by the Black Community. The committee itself has no teeth and = represents nobody. It is similar to the advisory committee's that racist British Governor Generals set up during colonial rule +o frustrate legitimate demands for self-government. The Black Community

holds the Committee and its membership

in contempt.

Conference decision

deeply regrets last years which it now recognises was a disastrous mistake. It agrees to immediately terminate the Black and Asian Advisory Committee in the hope that the damage it has caused can he minimised by this swift action.

Conference accepts ‘che arguments of the National Executive Committee Working Party, the Labour Party Black Section, the majority of constituency parties and a number of trade unions as well as the mafority of the Black community that Black Sections within the Labour Party must be supported. Conference grants the Labour Party Black Section immediate recognition and instructs the National Executive Committee to provide administrative and financial support.

ke it a tet for tne Make it

ticles

DISTRICT PARTY AGM: VOTE SPEAKE ! VOTE WELLS !

Comrades will realise that over the past year there has been a _ series of conflicts between Birmingham District

Labour Party and the Labour Group ef Councillors. The fiasco of the International Convention Centre and,

recently the scandal over the

just two

more manifesto are

Hoth have been extensively covered in ‘Briefing’. It is in this context that the

Anmuai General Meeting of the District Party takes place on Wednesday 14 May. The clear need is fer the key posts in the party, especially Chairperson and Secretary, to be filled

by comrades who will reflect the views of the Party. In this context, 'Briefing' supports

Speake for Wells for

of Maicolm and Margaret

the candidacy Chairperson. Secretary. Ladywood CLP West Midiands Malcoit Speake has critical of the

Gelegate and former County Counciller, been resolutely party leadership, especially on the question of the Convention Centre. He told ‘Briefing' he ow, an favour oF demvrévisi the party along the lines that ‘Briefing’ has frequently proposed. Margaret 2 be equally as weil renembered couragecus stand she took the witchchunt in Yardley mowheresy the District 3B group member

Wells wi for the

to end.

Support

Support

© Loromy Nachod

examples. -

LABOUR WINS

INCREASED MAJORITY - but questions remain

5 in become an overall majority of 23, On a turnout at the polls of 38%, Labour won seven seats from the Conservatives and another two rom the lliance. The Alliance made up for these iosses with two further gains from the Conservatives.

An overall Labour majority of

Birmingham has

Labour, then, are now firmly in control, with the overall situation on the council new looxing like this:

Labour: 70

Conservative: 43

Alliance: 4

If results Like this were to be repeated in a general election then Labour would win at least Yardley and Northfield.

Elsewhere in the Midlands there

were similar gains. Labour won Dudley, Worcester and Tamworth and, on the basis of the casting vote of the Labour mayor, regained control of Walsall.

But what prospect strengthened Labour for the people of Birmingham?

Will glamorous projects International Convention Centre, the Olympic Games and the Super Prix road race continue to take priority ever trying to tackle the economic decline of the city, particularly in the area of manufacturing industry?

Will the Race Relations and Equal Opportunities Committee and the Women's Committee continue to be regarded as the poor relations in the Council structure?

Certainly, ising comments on anything to go by,

does this council

new, hold

like the

if Dick Knowles’ patron- 'Newsnight' are nothing has changed

the influx replied:

here. When asked about of new Black councillors, he ‘we work very happily with them.' Then and us, again. As we know from our experiences with the Chairperson of the Race Relations Committee, Knowles is oniy happy with Black pecple te can firmly control. One that new councillors Spence in Sono Ward and Labour

At jeast like Phil

so isolated. Indeed, politica:

that the Labour

there are complexion

signs of the group will shift to the left following

article on the page 2 of Certainly,

the elections. The ‘Summerfield Caucus’ on this magazine suggests this.

several of the new Councillors have a much higher regard for democracy and accountability than some who have gone before. Maybe it will grow increasingly difficult for the right wing of the Labour Group to walk so roughshod over the wishes of the District Party. Maybe the new Labour

more prepared to put policies of the leadership

Group will be into practice the party rather than an elite group.

All the questions are, of course, yet to be decided. But the crisis in the Birmingham party highlights them.

Victory at the only the

polls is

first stage. Now the party has to assert its authority. 'Briefing's' campaign to ‘open up the party' now

takes on a new and even more pressing relevance,

Well done, comrades. A decisive victory. Let's use that victory te develop genuine radical socialist

policies for Birmingham.