distressing situntion_in the Bristol Labour
' movenent has come out into the open. A section of the working class, the busmen who work for the Bristol Omnibus Company (or at least some of them) have threntcned strike action to enforee a colour bar. The busthen at one depot are reported to have decided to withhold their contribution to their union's political fund because of the Labour Party's opposition to the colour bar move. The main wings of the Lebour novenent in Bristol: the Trades Council, the Borough Geabour Party and 7.G.W.U. (the men's union) have cone out against the colour bar. It my be that the bus compnny and the press ore exaggerating the feelings of the busmen and this os on exeuse to cover the firn's policies. However, Marxists mst face the fact, that a serious situation exists and that scctions of the working glass are infected with chnuvinisn.
Of course, basically this question has nothing to do with colour and it is the fear of unemploynent (or even the fear of loss of overtine carnings) which creates the atmosphere which expresses itself in colour bar ideology. The Tory Governrient g ove authority to the argunents that coloured workers help to cause unen-~ ployment and the housing shortage by pushing the Connmonwealth Immigration Bill through. Fnscist gr -ups will attempt to exploit the situation as they have in the past. However, there ore fundnnentaji differences between the prescnt position and the Tast tine incidents of this nature occured. Firstly, the level of unemploynent is much higher particularly anomst the youth. Secondly, the situntion of British enpitalisn is more criticnl and the unin party of the British bourgeoisie face clectoral disaster as mnitters stand noWe Whilst the Tories heave international ‘cold war' rensons for not wanting ‘colour trouble', no suoh restriction epplies to loeal Torics or to the various Tory-mninded journalé. Whilst not roising the bogy of an immediate onss fascist movement, as some have done, it is necessary to take this situation very scriously.
Ve mst pursuc the fight ogninst this nasecnt oe ee to the unity of tho working class movement through the Labor ¥ stiffening the positions already token by Wilson snd others. No compromise of any kind is possible on this question. We must be prepared to @explain this whole phenomena fron o class point of view.