Harold Wilson's "Dogs" metaphor has brought glee to headline writers and ensured the maximum publicity for every bark from the members of the parliamentary labour party. The deep and threatening bay from the member for Nelson and Colne, Sydney Silverman, MP., has been widely reported in the press but few will have read the full text. We print this in full on the following pages. Mr. Silverman not only deals scathingly with Harold Wilson's self appointed right to deny any freedom of expression to members of the parliamentary labour party, but he does so in words which are refreshingly clear and unambiguous. He describes the Prime Minister's speech as "the most dangerous attack on social democracy ever made in this country in my time". He refers, too, to the four specific issues - Vietnam, The Common Market, The Wages Policy, and Armaments - mentioned by Mr. Wilson. The Week applauds Mr. Silverman's outspokenness on all these issues. Perhaps if enough M.Ps, hdd barked.tlike this, the biting could have been kept to a minimum. Now the indications are that biting will be necessary if the Government's reactionary policies are not to become the law of the country. Abstentions may be good for the soul but, where issues involving the basic rights of the trade unions are involved, the strength of loyal trade unionists' opinions should surely lead them to try and prevent such measures reaching the statute book. The mere withholding of a vote, when it does nothing to alter the outcome of the voting, becomes eventually a personal luxury which is largely irrelevant to the seriousness of the matters concerned. However, the fact that the dogs are now barking in concert is excellent. Perhaps some of our trade union leaders can now show they have some bite as well as a bark.
Three local dogs who have steadfastly refused to be shut up in their kerrels have just delivered a bite on which we are not at this stage permitted to comment. The three, Peter Price, Bob Gregory and Geoff Coggan, all members of the Labour Party in Nottingham, were disciplined by the NEC following the Tribunal investigations which took place in the city after the expulsion of Ken Coates. They were barred for 3 years from holding any office in the party or of acting as delegates to their constituency or city parties. They have now issued a High Court Writ against Sara Barker, Len Williams, and NEC members John Boyd, Frank Chappell, and Anthony Greenwood MP, in which they seek a public declaration that these NEC decisions are null and void.