Reply to Colin Barker,
by John Holland and Bernard Rei ney Colin Barker is right to say (The Week, 30th June) that no left tendency should be laying dow a take-it-or-leave-it programme for the working class to follow. However, he makes the mistake of going on to say that we need a united front apparently without a programme - against the Government's present policies. It is not sufficient to say "we are all against the Government's policy" without exploring ways of meking that political opposition more coherent and effective. It is easy for Wilson to decimate any united front on the antiunion Bill, for instance, by exposing the Left's lack of aggreement to oppose the Incomes Policy of which the Bill is an integral part. On East of Suez policy, we can all get in the same boat with Mayhew and Wyatt if we want the Left to commit further harakiri. Again, on Vietnam, the different tendencies which militantly oppose Wilson's policy are not likely to stand in wmity against his next phoney peace init iative. We have to work, towards a Left programme of opposition to the Government. This will require, at some stage, organisational expression. We shall need a caucus which will fight in a disciplined way inside the Labour Movement. That discipline can only spring from an agreed programme. Otherwise, the defensive task of uniting the Left - increasingly vital in the present situation when critical attacks are being made on the trade union movement and on the whole spectrum of the Labour Left - will be shirked. An aggressive Left, leading a working class on the offensive in a later period, can only be made possible by a sustained effort for defensive unity now. No programme will be finally accepted that has not been backed by careful study and discussion. The shop stewards! movement is likely to find itself without an effective political defence unless these tasks are now undertaken: and CSE is excellently placed to provide the necessary forum. We suggest that the programme should be one of principled opposition to the Government. Primarily, though it should not eschew objectives to be pressed on the Government, it would need to include these 10 points:- 1. Rejection of the Government's economic policy, Prices and Incomes Policy
and National Plan. For nationalisation with workers' control of growth
industries, e.g. computers, chemicals, building, stecl, ports, etc. 2. Open the employers! books to trade unionists at all industrial levels and
throughout the economy. 3. No immigration controls. Repeal the 1962 Tory Immigration Act - scrap the
1965 White Paper. 4. No bases East of Suez. Withdraw from NATO, SEATO and CENTO. 5. Support the NLF and DRV in Vietnan. 6, Freedom for all colonies. Support resistance movements in Rhodesia and
South Africa. 7. Public ownership of all privately rented accomodation to strengthen the Rent
Act. Nationalisation of all building land towards the realisation of a
national building programme, 8. Nationalisation of banks, insurance companies and finance houses to facilitate
a socialist National Plan, 9. Party Organisation Demands: No Government Minister to hold Party office, 10. Establish democratically elected disciplinary Appeals Tribunal, to deliberate
in public.