from Tony Southall May Day Speaker Controversy An interesting situation has arisen over the choice of a speaker for the May Day demonstration in Glasgow next year. By custom this has rotated amongst the three organisations sponsoring the demonstration - the Co-op, Labour Party and Trades Council. Last year however there was some conflict. The Executive of the City Labour Party tried vainly to get the Trades Council nominee - Alex Kitson, General Secretary of the Scottish Commercial Motormen's Union - rejected. At the time we were informed this was because ‘Kitson was not a national figure', The real reasons became apparent after May Day when it was recorded in the E.C.'s minute that Kitson's speech was ‘shocking to members of the Labour Party'. (He had of course strongly attacked government policy over the development areas, incomes policy, Vietnam etc....and consequently was the first speaker to receive an ovation at a Glasgow May Day for many a year), This minute of the E.C. has twice now been brought forward to the Management Committee of the City Labour Party - and twice rejected. It is clear that the rank and file of the Labour Party do not agree with the Executive's assessment of Kitson's politics. A new development occurred at the beginning of September. The City Labour Party Executive (whose privilege it is to nominate this coming year's speaker) decided to invite Denis Healey, Minister of Defence. At the last meeting of the Trades Council Harry McShane successfully moved opposition to this choice, Healy, the man who has presided over the British Polaris programme (in spite of pre-1964 pledges to do away with the British 'deterrent') was clearly unacceptable to the Labour Movement of a city which still remembers Gaitskell's 1961 visit. Latest news is that Woodside Labour Party is forwarding a resolution to the City Labour Party supporting the Trades Council's stand. It is to be hoped that that vote for Kitson will be transformed into one against Healey and that a speaker more in keeping with the opinions of the rank and file of the movement in Glasgow will be found.
Government Censured in C.L.P. Resolutions The following resolutions were passed at the last G.M.C. meeting of the Woodside CeLePe: 1. This C.L.P. considers that the root of recent differences between the
People's Republic of China and Britain lies in the maintenance of
Britain's imperialist role in Hong Kong and other areas of South East
Asia. It notes with dismay that the latest defence plans contain no
pledge to leave this colony and calls on the Labour government to imme-
diately withdraw from Hong Kong and the South East Asian Treaty Organi-
sation, removing all British forces from this area.
2. This C.L.P. deplores the Home Secretary's action in banning Stokely
Carmichael from further visits to Britain and considers this to be
yet another example of the Labour government's subservience to the
government of the U.S.A. as well as an wnwarranted attack on freedom
of speech in this country.