27.04.1995

Blair’s candidate for TGWU

THE LEADERSHIP contest for the Transport and General Workers Union is soon to gather pace. But events this week do not hold out much hope for abandoned leader of the ‘left’, Bill Morris.

Apart from a few die-hard militants who still cling to the ‘lesser of two evils’ theory, the majority of the left is falling behind Blair’s agenda. Jack Dromey is blatantly, if not officially, Blair’s man. Morris this week accused Dromey of dragging the Labour Party into the leadership contest. Whether he does or not, it seems quite possible now that Dromey will win, as up and down the country and throughout the unions workers are backing Blair, because he is seen to be best placed to get rid of the Tory government - and that is what the SWP et al have been calling for these last 15 years.

The nine to one vote for Blair’s replacement clause four in the Communication Workers Union was closely followed by the backing of Usdaw, MSF and the Labour Party constituencies.

Overwhelmingly the constituencies - once the heartland of Bennism - have backed Blair. Not even ‘left’ heartlands such as Diane Abbott’s Hackney and Bernie Grant’s Tottenham have voted for the old clause. In results so far only 14.33% have voted for the old clause four with 85.67% in favour of Blair.

And it is a vote for Blair. It has nothing to do with the beautiful wording of Blair’s version - his is just as inane as the original. It is all about kicking the Tories out. Blair’s party can do it and nobody wants to stand in his way.

The ‘lesser of two evils’ left is on the other hand clinging desperately to the old clause, which gives them their ever more tenuous excuse to ‘Vote Labour, but ...’

We must oppose the ‘lesser of two evils’ doctrine in local elections, general elections, the Labour Party constitution, TGWU leadership battles, wherever it rears its rotten head. We must fight for what we need, not dead-end compromises.

Morris or Dromey, without independent revolutionary organisation the working class will be led up the garden path.

Linda Addison