Witch-hunters at it again

A disturbing trend is now plain in the Labour Party, As the Government moves closer and closer to the right, so the old policy of "tolerance" which came in with Mr. Wilson appears to have fallen aside. Latest addition to the ranks of the expelled is popular Councillor Brack, of Islington, who has been clobbered by the notorious Islington Labour Group, whose approach to politics has more in common with Clore and Cotton than Keir Hardie, like Ken Coates, he has been expelled for "writing an article." This flimsy (and totalitarian} pretext is, of course, used to conceal the real reason for his exclusion, which is that like Ken Coates, he was insist~ ing that the councillors should carry out agreed socialist policies, We are glad to report that there is a justified outcry in the London Labour Party about this savage attack on democratic principles, It is to be hoped that the Islington councillors will soon find that they have burned their fingers, just as the Nottingham aldermen are beginning to do, Witches are foregathering at a higher level in the Party, also, Under the famous principle "set a witch to catch a witch" Sara Barker has been whistled up with her coven to perform various satanic rituals in Croydon and Epsom where John Palmer and Constance Lever have just been ruled ineligible to stand as parliamentary candidates. Protests should flood in about this latest piece of bureaucratic gerrymandering. Under Mre Wilson's regime, the practice of imposing categories of second-class membership was supposed to have been brought to an end. Now it has reappearede Reports in the Nottingham newspapers have it that Sara's conical hat and broomstick have been seen parked in other places, too. It is alleged that her organisation sub-committee is to ask the NEC for permission to investigate the Nottingham City Labour Party, Bulk supplies of holy water are being laid in at the Labour Party offices at 265, Ilkeston Road, Nottinghams But those people who have obsaved Sara at work will also ensure that large numbers of protests arrive at Transport House and the Nottingham City Labour Party, against any such authoritarian move. The right wing councillors in Nottingham have been making increasingly insistent calls for the winding-up of the City Party there. This would give them a free hand, Sara Barker's scarcely graceful intervention into an already tense situation cannot help matters in the slightest, and can only succeed in increasing the danger of losing two highly marginal parliamentary seats, The proper course for the NEC is to insist that the councillors carry out their mandates, and thus encourage the processes of local democracye But perhaps this would be seen as inconsistent with certain national events which have been taking place recentlyecee- U.K. BOTTOM OF EUROPE'S HOUSING TABLE from Dave Windosr A recent survey by the 0.E.C.De shows Britian at the bottom of the table of European hoUVfing efforts, The figures being for (1) new houses per 1,000 population in 1964; (2) ditto for 1961-63; and (3) spending as % of National output 1961-63, In each respect Britdéin is bottom of the list of advanced : countries: Sweden, 11.4, 10.2 & 5633 We Germany, 968, 966 & 5063 Holland, 843, 361, With the U.K. only spending half as much as Italy on housing and only building half as many houses as Sweden pro rata let nobody blame the immigr~ anta far tho honeine chortare.