Manchester Socialist Conference Established

from a delegate At the Manchester Socialist Conference, held last Sunday at the ABU Offices, Rusholme Street, a large gathering, representative of all sides of the labour movement, met to consider the situation which has arisen since Blackpool and the manner in which the momentum’ of socialism could best be maintained. Professor Peter Worsley, the chairman, outlines the sims of the Centre for Socialist Education which was launched in London a fortnight before, and a very lively discussion followed on the appropriateness of such an organisation to the present needs. Geoff. Coggan, one of the delegates from Nottingham, reported on the enthusiastic response which C.S.E. had aroused in his area. He was, he said, very concerned at the likelihood of further fragmantation of the left as natural allies drift apart, still vigorously pursuing their om lines of action, but with less and less chance of achieving anything as they became mere pressure groups divorced from the mainstream of the labour movement. It was only too easy for a group to retain its integrity in this way, becoming so close-knit and in-bred that it could actually feel, in the purity of its arguments, that it was advancing. However wonderful it felt when a small group of comrades acted with one voice in this way, it remained a small voice in the context of the entire socialist movement. The need was to carry the logic of our arguments not merely to each other, but to the very base of the socialist pyramid. To talk of a subject like workers! control without ensuring that we had this basic understanding was a contradiction in terms. The Nottingham delegate, who was last week elected as secretary of the Nottingham C.S.E. branch, concluded by urging the conference to take similar action before it dispersed, and to electe a committee so that the project could be got off the ground without delay, In all the discussion that followed, the desirability of an immediate decision was generally recognised, and the major criticisms were concerned with the limitation of the role of C.S.E. as an educational rather than an action one, However, it seemed to be agreed that action that did not spring from grass roots was unlikely to be effective and that an organisation such as C.S.E. was essential to the nourishment of the socialist argument at all levels. It did not preclude but, rather, buttress any action that might be taken in-other directions. The conference, of about 80 members, included delegates from Sheffield, Birmingham and Glasgow, in addition to a widely based local contingent Amongst those present were Dick Nettleton, secretary of the conference, Alan Rooney, Frank Allcwm, M.P., Raymond Challinor, Joe Hesketh, Martin Flannery, Len Youle, Rosalind Delmar, and many other well known left wingers. A decision was unanimously taken to set up a committee with Colin Barker as secretary, which would keep in touch with branches of C.S.E. An early meeting of the committee would be called to decide on affiliation to the London Centre. Another decision taken unanimously was to protest against the expulsion of Ken Coates from the Labour Partye TEXT _OF RESOLUTION PASSED AT MANCHESTER SOCIALIST CONFERENCE from C Barker This conference agrees to establish the Manchester Socialist Conference. The MSC should discuss the question of affiliation to the national CSE, but should never allow itself to become a mere discussion group, but in every sphere should attempt to inform and provide all possible assistance to working class and socialist strucecles,.