We did not comment upon the election of Harold Wilson last week because at that stage there was nothing to indicate what path he was going to take. The position is not much clearer this week but certain moves have been made which although contradictory are straws in the wind. Wilson's reaffirmation of clause four in Parliament,which has brought forth a Tory campaign to discredit him, and other measures which heve been announced svem to be part of a campaign to prosent a radical face. On the other hand the composition of the new shadow cabinet chows no change from the overwhelmingly right wing orientation. The idea of George Brown as spokesman for foreign affairs (and therefore foreign minister) is sickening but will Denis Hoaley be any better? On the other side Brown's spoilt child act plus his stressing of differences with Wilson when he spoke on television indicate he took his defeat vary badly indeed. We have yet to see how this works out but if Wilson goes 'too fart he may face an axtreme right revolt, The latter would most likely break out on the question of clause four especially in view of the Tory campaign, The extreme right wing is always sensitive to what it calls ‘public opinion’, tt what is really the bourgeoisie using the press, etc. for its immediate political aims, A right wing revolt at this stage, and if the left take advantage, could be very useful in helping to push the whole Labour Party to the left.
Wilson however has failed so far to present the Labour Party as a radical alternative on several questions which have come up in the last week or 50. There has been in this period a whole series of issues which have demonstrated the process of the Tories shifting the turden of the crisis onto the backs of the working class. The interference in the Teachers! pay award, the sitting of 'old nic! to investigate the 40 hour week award to the Scottish plumbers, the report of 'Neddy! which called for increases in wages to lag behind production, eto., presented an opportunity for the new Labour front bench to present the radical face and also link itself with the trade union struggle. This it signally failed to do,
The unemployment figures which show an increase in the mumber of fully unemployed of 42,000 instead of the usual rise of 2,000 camot be blamed on the weather this time, 4 fter this bigger than usual increase, on top of the already high figures, the reason mist be sought elsewhere. The fact that this unemployment can only be explained by the combination of stagnant or declining production and widespread rationalisation is a wonderful weapon against capitalism, Neither the Labour front bench nor the Communist Party have used this argument, the former still on about Tory inefficiency and the latter are concentrating on a campaign around the question of Russian oil,
Thus we have the paradox that whilst capitalist is showing daily that it cannot ‘deliver the goods', i,e., satisfy the ordinary needs and aspirations of the mass of the people and condemms large sections to mere oxistence, nobody is effectively putting forward the socialist alternative. Only a strong Labour left which appears in the syes of the mass of Labour supporters as an alternat -ive to the existing set up can do this, In fact the appearance of such a left would help materially to push “ilson nearer this position. It is clear that Wilson's victory is no substitute for such a left no matter what advantages may accrue from his leadership.