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The Labour Party is in danger of its biggest electoral defeat since 1931. The Labour cabinet breaks party decisions at will. The manifesto with its pledges for nationalisation arid better social services is ignored. The working class voters who put Labour into power are suffering savage attacks on their living standards.
Inside the party the response to left wing criticism is the witch hunt. The Park - Botanic Ward of Kelvingrove constituency party has been experiencing this
unsavoury procedure recently. Danny Crawford Labour Party were also accused of having
gave the ward a membership report. recommending the turning down of applications to join from two people. In the discussion it was made ciear that the exclusions were based on the applicants political views. Disquiet was felt because they favoured the revolutionary road to socialism. Mr. Crawford alluded to what he claimed was an IMG document proposing to infiltrate and split the party. But neither of the applicants were charged with membership of the IMG.
Splits are occurring. They are not caused by the hypothetical plots of far left groups. They come from disillusion in the
runk and file. When Leyland car boss Terry Davies stood for Labour in Stechford he managed to lose to the Tories on a 17% swing. Traditional labour voters appalled at the Governments record were driven to voting for the Tories and the National Front. And the growth of the Front vote was not surprising given that Mr. Davies committed himself to a single sentence on racism in the course of his campaign - and that written in Urdu.
The would be members of Kelvingrove attacked Labour's left wing the supporters of Tribune. Of course if everyone who attacked tribunites was excluded the size of the party would dwindle a lot. But these two people had pointed out that the Labour Left had done nothing to check the drift to the right. They were not involved with the rank and file and were not linking up with worker militants fighting phase IT.
The Ward voted for the exclusions. In doing so it expressed itsell in favour of limiting toe rignt of discussion amongst socialists. The issue now goes to the GMC of the constituency party for settlement. It does so as a clearly political issue.