During what the New Statesman has aptly dubbed ' a summer of unreason', nasty rumours of reactionary electoral exploitation of racialism. are beginning to take on conerete shape. A group of right wing Tory MPs in Birmingham has - according to the Observer (9/a/6a) = come out into the open, with a statement which, after praising the infamous Immigration ict as an enlizhtened measure, goes on to talk of: ‘the frictions toa be avoided when different cultures live side by side' - or, for the unsophisticiated electors: ‘if you want a nigger for a neighbour, vote Labour,'
Transport House is reported to be worried, especially lest Gordon Walker should lose his sent in Smethwick, ‘Some officials' are demaniling ‘a new directive, to candidates and canvassers, making it "crystal clear" that Labour is as opposed as the Conservatives to unrestricted immigration." In the face of this peculiarly vicious opportunisn, we must csmpaign throughout the labour movement, in favour of the point of view embodied in an excellent Guerdisan editorial (11/8/64) which argued that Labour must 'appenl straightforwardly to the moral sense of the British people,' and ‘confront racial prejudice head-on...laying bear (its) fundsmental inhumanity.' It is hardly necessary, here, to stress the importance of bringinz pressure to bear, with a view to making Labour play a more positive anti-racinlist role, both abroad and - what is more difficult - in the more sordid corners of our ow back-yerd. For a start, we mist get the opportunistic equivocation of voluntary restriction by consultation! abandoned.
"The test of a civilised country is how it behaves to all citizens of different race, religon and colour. By that test this Bill fails, and that is fundamentally why we deplore it.' Thus, the late Hugh Gaitskell; it is not often that the left has cccasion to quote him with whole-hearted approval. But unless some people in high places ponder upon his words, certain Transport House officials may wake up and wonder what has happened to all those advocates of equality and human brotherhood who used to be candidates and canvassers for the Labour Party,