Dorby protest against Young Sucialist purge
At its last meeting the Chaddesden Labour Party passed the following resolutions
"That Chaddesden Labour Party believe that in view of the tolerance and common sense shown by the N.¥.C. in not proceeding against the four sponsors of the Moscow Peace Congress, that the same tolerance and commonsense be shown towards the Young Scoialist liovement.
"T+ therefore calls upon the N.3.C. to lift both tne proscription from Keep Left, and the suspension from the four National Committee membeis." Blackpool resolution suppressed
We reproduce herewith a letter which appeared in last Friday's (14/9/62) Tribune because of its importances —_ "Banbury C.L.P. are not alone (Tribune, September 1)$ We, too, in Blackpool North have joined the ranks of parties whose Conference resolution has been excluded under the Three~Year—Rule.
"The resolution states: "This Conference, affirming that the Labour Party represents a coalition of working-class interests, unions, co-operatives, Socialist societies, and rank-and-file workers in the constituencies, banded together to secure representation for their aspiration in Parliament, and in this fashion to eradicate social injustice and establish a Socialist society 3 believing for this reason thatattempts to establish a leadership cult, to decide policy in private party caucus and impose it on the country, have been so disruptive, holds that leudership which int srprets rank-and-file opinion can be out-— standing and is essential; that leadership which treats rank-and-file opinion with contempt is, as experience has shown, damaging to the party and,to election success, catastrophic; endorses the resolution passed at Annual Conference 1960 setting out the constitutional place of Parliamentary L.P. and A.C., and requires further that the N.§.C. must in all cases accept the instructions of Annual Conf-erences
'vhen Richard Fletcher attempted to obtain the reference back of the C.A.c.'s Report at the Blackpool Conference on behalf of several organisations whose resolutions, severely critical of the leadership, had been similarly excluded he said: "The resolutions are about events which have occurred since last year's Annual Conference. The Three Year Rule is being invcked. How can you discuss last year's events whivh had not then happened?"
‘Tith the refusal of the leadership to act on the party's policy on nuclear tests, Polaris and German bases, Fletcher's arguments are still valid: no valid interpretation of the standing order can exclude these resolutions.
"I+ may well be, of course, that the terms of Section 6 allow too much room for the N.J.C. to manoeuvre, in which case the remedy is simple — have it deleted entirely or elect officers who will interpret the Rule fairly."