This is how the Economist summed up the _ quandary of the Labour Governnent in its editorial on George Brown's National Plan. Translated into more precise political terms, it boils down to Labour doing the dirty work for the Tories; the kind of policy that the Tories could not, and perhaps would not, carry oute The Netional Plan,with its accompanying talk of "outlawing" unofficial strikers, is a proposal to reform British capitalism and modernise it. It is a proposal to solve the problems and crisis of British capitalism in order to preserve it. The National Plan makes quite clear that Mr. Wilson and co. see no. perspective of introducing socialist measures in the foreseeable future. It makes another thing clear, too, that it is prepared to carry out these changes against bitter working class opposition, against what Mr, Brown would call the "old-fashioned" ideas of trade unionists,
We have pointed out numerous times before that this policy is not only disastrous for the prospects of British socialism it is electoral suicide, The result of the West German general election rams home the truth that not even in electoral terms do the policies of right pay dividends,
We shall, in next week's issue in the form of a special pamphlet, be analysing in detail the plan and,what is more important, putting forward an alternative, realistic policy for Labour. However, we must point to the Labour Party Conference as being the most important for decades. Unless this drift can be reversed at that Conference the outlook seems gloomy indeed. The wnity of the party will be threatened as thousands | nd of the Party's best political workers become disillusioned. If, on the other’ a turn could be forced a bold advance could be made. If Labour were defeated inParliament on the basis of the Liberals and Tories voting against a bold anti-capitalist programme, a clarion call could go out to the workers, The chances, on all hitherto available information, are that Labour would then be returned with a big majority. °* A study of the history of social-democratic parties shows that they invariably do much better electorally when they put forward a radical programme, This is the choice before the Conference at Blackpool,