[page 3]
tremendous victory for Labour in this city. The leading role in this campaign has been played by the Times and the Sunday Times.
Leon Trotsky once commented that the Times, as the semi official organ of British capitalism, tells the truth nine times out of ten the better to lie in a big way when it it vital for the ruling class. This has been confirmed in the "analysis"' of the elections in Liverpool by the Sunday Times.
We have answered the calumnies against Liverpool Labour Party fully in the Militant (11 May). The Sunday Times argues that there was a 1% drop in Labour support. Yet with 94,000 votes, the Liverpool Labour Party chalked up the highest vote for Labour ever in a local council election!
The local Tory mouthpiece the Daily Post did not share the illusions of the Sunday Times: "voters in Liverpool took a huge step to the left in yesterday's local election giving Labour a clear 17 seat majority on the council. It is seen as
a massive vote of confidence in
Labour's confrontation over spen-
ding and local services"
The importance of the Liverpool
result cannot be over estimated in
the Labour movement. The
bourgeois press and their right-
wing echoes within the Labour Par-
ty have been predicting electoral
catastrophe for Labour if it con-
tinues with its "militant" policies.
But what the Liverpool result
shows is that when a clear, bold
socialist leadership is provided
(Militant supporters have formed
the backbone of the Liverpool
Labour Party and Council) the
working class will respond
enthusiastically.
A priceless incident on the day
after the election on the BBC news
summed up the importance of the
Liverpool result and what it means
for the future of the labour move-
ment. A worker passing by inter-
rupted Derreck Hatton, Deputy
Leader of the Council when he was
being interviewed with the com-
ment: "I don't support Mili-
tant...but leadership at last!' Even
the inveterate and frenzied Liberal
leader Trevor Jones was compell-
ed to admit: "The Labour Party in
MIR June 1984; Editorial.
Photo: Mark Pinder.
Liverpool against the Tories: "Leadership at last."
Liverpool has raised the political consciousness of the peo• ole...that's why we had such high turn out.
No other area of the country experienced an increase of 10% turn out. Moreover in 1983 there was already a magnificent turn out. It Is unprecedented-certainly in the post war period - to see more than 50% voting in local elections. The bourgeois are worried that the example of Liverpool may prove contagious in the charged atmosphere which now exists in Britain.
It is possible that Manchester could follow in the wake of Liverpool. In every Labour Group up and down the country there are those who are saying that the only viable course for Labour in local councils is "on the Liverpool road."
The Liverpool results become even more striking when compared to those controlled by the right-
wing. Thus the effects of the witch-hunt against Militant sup-
porters in Blackburn were ciearly
shown in the election results in that
area. The right-wing dominated
Labour Council lost one seat to the
Tories and gained one! A "no
change' situation, given_ the
massive unpopularity of the Tory
Government and their local
acolytes, represents a defeat for
Labour.
The loss of the
Grimsby is entirely
ruinous policies of
right-wing-together
witch-hunter Aust
2
council in
due to the the Grimsby with the arch in Mitchell,
Labour MP for the area. In Birmingham, where Labour came back to power, it was despite the policies of the right wing dominated Labour Group rather than because of them.
It was the revolt of workers at the "privatisation" of council services, including school dinners, which provoked a massive wave of resistance to the Tory Council. This led to the involvement of dinner ladies working for Labour in the campaign.
The stand of Liverpool has now earned widespread support throughout the labour movement. The attempt of the right wing to isolate the Liverpool Labour Group and labour movement has completely failed. Thus in the wake of the spectacular Liverpool result the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party has now gone on record in support of the stand of the Council!
The election results and the miners' strike shows that a mere
anti-Tory position is not enough to
win back the support for Labour in
the next period. On the industrial
and political field the working class
are demanding that their leaders
live up to their roles.
Militant has pointed out many
times that the catastrophic situa-
tion of British capitalism demands
that the labour movement should
put forward a socialist alternative.
The day-to-day battle in defence of
jobs and of services in Liverpool
has been combined with the idea
[page 4]
of Labour carrying through the
socialist reorganisation of society.
This is the only way to consolidate
the limited gains achieved by the
Liverpool City Council.
The hope of Thatcher for the
third term looks increasingly unlike-
ly. Even: the most optimistic
bourgeois strategists have
recognised this. In the wake of the
election results they have
deliberately attempted to play up
the Liberal SDP Alliance. They are
desperately attempting to refurbish
the image of the Alliance as a safe-
ty net for millions of disillusioned
Tory voters.
It is a criticism of the Labour leadership nationally and the right-
wing at local level that the Alliance
did relatively well in this election. In Liverpool the SDP was absolutely shattered because of the firm stand taken by Labour. It is true that the Liberals benefited from a drop in the Tory vote. But even this will be only temporary if the Liverpool labour movement maintains a firm fighting socialist position.
For Marxists, electoral statistics are only a very rough barometer of the mood that is developing within society. But the massive haemorrhage of votes away from the Tories a mere 11 months after the General Election must worry the bourgeois strategists. Together with the miners' strike the election results show that British society has entered an entirely new and disturbed period.
There has never been a period of greater discontent and dissatisfaction amongst the working class than that which exists in Britain at the present time. However, the only way that this will result in victory for the labour movement both on the industrial and the political front is by a clear leadership showing the way forward.
The devastating effects of the Tories' measures are well understood and felt by working people. But the Labour movement needs to explain the nature of the terminal decay of British capitalism. Above all, it needs to outline a clear fighting programme. This has to be combined with a programme of action by a leadership which is prepared to go to the
COLEC HARLSCH
LABOUR C.
MERFOOL AREA BRANC
(IVERPOL RAIS CAR
MEST
CERE
LINE
LIVERPOOL
10*15
'What is happening in the Liverpool Labour Party today is what will happen to the Labour
Party nationally tomorrow." end to defend the working class.
The present stand in Liverpool is in marked contrast to previous right-wing dominated Labour Councils in that city. These sowed the seeds of disillusionment and cynicism amongst the working class. But now there is an air of confidence and buoyancy which is shown by the proletariat in Merseyside.
The battle in Liverpool and the reaffirmation of Labour's position in the local elections is itself a pointer to the future of the British Labour and Trade Union movement. In the debate in the Council chamber on March 29 a Liberal, the deputy leader Kemp, made a telling point. He warned everyone present that despite Neil Kinnock's attempt to seperate the labour leadershir
3
ricisi
from the struggle in Liverpool "what is happening in the Liverpool Labour Party today is what will happen to the Labour Party nationally in the future."
To his astonishment he got a huge ovation from the public galleries which were filled mainly with Labour supporters! This Liberal spoke with some authority as he was subsequently defeated by a Militant supporter in the local elections!
However his prediction will be born out in the period that is opening up, a period which will see the complete transformation of the labour movement, from top to bottom, making it a worthy instrument for the task of carrying through the socialist transformation of socie:.
Photo: Militant
[page 5]
MIR June 1984;