from Dick Nettleton
The following “open letter" was given out to people attending the Labour Party rally in Manchester on Sunday, June 13th, by the North West Region of C.N.D.: "Dear George,
You certainly do get around. Even your worst enemy would not accuse you of lethargy. But, sometimes we wonder if you are not wasting your time. ‘hile you belt around trying to squeeze the odd quid or two out of the economy, your mates in the Cabinet seem to be bent on chucking the cash down the drain,
"Take Dennis Healey for instance: £2,200,000,000 on defence, which isn't defence, and no one is going to attack us anyway. He did say that someday he hopes to cut the arms bill, but, as you know, the saving is needed now, If we are ever going to cut the arms bill then we must disentangle ourselves from the American attempts © to keep reactionary regimes in power in Vietnam. Remember Korea. We got involved there, it ruined the economic programme of the last Labour Government and led to its downfall, °
"In C.N.D. we cannot accept the Government's position on Vietnam, Every time a Government spokesman opens his mouth, he comes down hard on the American side, and removes us one stage further from the neutrality that would enable us to act as negotiator. When Patrick Gordon Walker went went to the Far East, he ruined his own chance of getting a hearing, by blurting out that the war was 'going well for us!. For us!
"The Prime Minister has gone a step further. He has started to slang demonstrators for demonstrating. The day may come when Mr. Wilson might be glad of a demonstration. In the Labour movement we do not write off protest and political action so easily. The real problem is that some nutcase evolved the Hast of Suez policy. This is supposed to be the answer to the Chinese bomb, but we should know that China cannot be bullied into a more moderate position.
"Instead of the V-bombers and unqualified support for U.S. intervention, Britain should be leading a campaign to secure the admission of China to the United Nations. Try to persuade Harold and the boys to drop all that Kipling East of Suez nonsense. Britain is in need of a Governmnnt that can sort out our economy. This one could do it, but not if it has one eye on the road to Mandalay..."