Every section of the left will be enthused by the election of Hugh Scanlon to replace Sir William Carron as chairman of the one and a quarter million strong A.E.U. The election represents a big switch in the second biggest union in Britain, a union which, moreover, is centred on the most strategic and growing industries, The election victory for the left will encourage other militant candidates, stimulate militant action by engineers (both official and unofficial) and help to bring about a drastic re-alignment within the Labour Party and T.U.C. The left can look forward hopefully to having 4 majority in the A.E.U. itself (there will be an election next year to replace Hugh Scanlon on the executive committee}, and at next year's T.U.C. and Labour Party conference. The most important thing is that the voting showed a real shift by the rank and file in the union's most hotly contested election. The fact that more people voted in the election than in any other on record speaks for itself. Moreover, the victory was so decisive that it does not appear that the right wing is going to try to challenge through procedural measures. Of great importance, too, is the fact that the voting figures put paid once and for all to the rumours about the way supporters of Reg Birch had voted. Those of us who work with supporters of Reg Birch are now vindicated in our belief that Reg Birch's vote would to to Scanlon. But the struggle is not over in the A.E.U. because of this result. Many militants trade unionists have been elected before to such posts and the results have not been very encouraging, Hugh Scanlon would be the first to agree that what he needs, if he is to carry out his election policy, is an organised and very militant left in the A.E.U. This is the only way that he can be helped to resist the remendous right-wing pressures which will be put on him, In fact we can say that the most important aspect to this election is that it helps the process of building such a left. Having people in high positions in the trade union movement is, of course, no substitute for a clearly defined and organised left. This has wider implications, too: the decisive thing is not whether the left has a majority or not, but what policies are pursued, It is perfectly possible to envisage an arithmetical left majority at next year's T.U.C. and Labour Party conference - but what policies would it pursue? Those of us who attended the Scarborough Labour Party conference will remember the scene when Frank Cousins stood on his feet applauding Mr. Wilson. This incident, in itself of little importance, was symbolic of behaviour of most of the left at Scarborough. Unless the left fights for clearly alternative policies, we will be served up with a left variety of wilsonism. Left leaders, like Cousins, cannot create such left policy themselves. It is necessary to have an organised left to do that. Hugh Seanlon is a different kettle of fish insofar as he has come to power on the crest of a wave of rank and file militancy. The election of Hugh Scanlon can be symbolic of a new relationship of forces in the British labour movement. The necessary pre-requisites are there: movement by the rank and file, the elements of an organisation and the beginnings of an alternative policy. We should make sure that his potentiality is turned + into reality. In particular, Engineering Voice must be given every assistance to become a mass, national paper for all engineering trade unionists. It should be helped to elaborate a completely alternative policy from that of the right wing in the engineering industry: a policy based upon militant struggle against the wage freeze "opening the books", defence of trade union rights, workers control of hiring and firing, and nationalisation , under workers control, of the industry. If we can do this we will have turned Hugh Scanlon's election into a turning point for the British labour movement.
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