Labour Cannot Afford Wilson!

sot. bakes It is little more than a year ago that Labour was returned to power in Parliament with a huge majority. At that time the Conservatives were so demoralised that there was speculation about decades of Labour rule, Wilson won his reputation as one of the most clever politicians of the century. Today the situation could hardly be more different; Labour did worse at the polls last week that it has done at any municipal election since the war, Only a handful of cities are now controlled by Labour. Towns which were considered to be Labour bastions now have Tories at the City Hall, Now, on top of this, Wilson has suffered a further blow to his prestige over de Gaulle's attitude twoards Britain's application to join the Common Market, Of course Wilson explains all this by saying that he has taken unpopular measures "for the good of the country". Furthermore, he shows no sign of having learnt anything: his action in sacking the seven PPS's was done in @ roughshod manner, devoid of sensitivity, The latest escalation in the Vietnam war has not brought forth a whisper of condemation from Her Majesty's Government, Where are the wiseacres,now, who said we mit /oriticise Wilson because he won the election for Labour? Where are those sophisticated "left—wingers" who said it was tactically wrong to criticise or attack Wilson? Where are those who said that at heart Wilson is really a left-winger just playing it cool for electoral reasons? No one can deny that the situation can change; that the famous pendulum swing will mollify the worst aspects of Wilson's electoral unpopularity, but, nevertheless, it is absolutely clear that Labour faces electoral disaster on the present course, Thus we have the last, wed. oF justification of the theory of gradualism to achieve social change’? even if gradual electoral methods could bring socialism, we will never have the chance to try them out! The left has been theoughly vindicated in pointing out that it is Wilson and his policies which threaten Labour, not the criticisms of the left. From Labour's point of view, the Red Guards in Peking were right when they strangled and burnt straw effigies of Wilson, ; The only hope for Labour now is the emergence of an alternative within the Labour Party which can be seen to be fighting Wilson and his policies. In the great post mortem (or should it be autopsy?) on Labour's defeat this argument needs to be driven home ruthlessly. It is no use talking about winning back the seats next year, or speculating about the swing of the pendul m - the left must galvinise itself for a fight, and a public fight at that, This may be last time we have a chance to learn this lesson. The alternative may well be a period of political reaction in this country, with a decline of the workers organisations, combined with a reectionary Tory Government using Labour initiated legislation against the working class,