out about Ireland, that they are not content to rely solely on repression. Both the Labour and Tory parties are even afraid to have a discussion in their own ranks about Ireland. The first sign of this was in the October General Election when Ireland figured nowhere in either of their election manifestos. The Labour Party then banned their own youth organisation from having a conference on Ireland.
Finally, at their annual conferences at Blackpool, both the Tory and Labour leaders deliberately squashed any motions coming to the conference floor which even mentioned IreThese facts establish that there does exist a real and significant conspiracy — a conspiracy of silence to prevent the slightest protest against British rule in Ireland. The conspirators are not the BWNIC 22, the Troops Out Movement or Pat Arrowsmith, all of whom publicly state their aims and policies. They are the Labour bureaucrats and their imperialist backers, who try to place a wall of silence around Ireland and who use vicious legislation against anyone who tries to break through that wall FIGHT RENEWAL!
The PTA is due to be renewed at the end of November, and it is already being rumoured that it will become permanent legislation. If this is carried through it would make it that much harder to repeal the Act, since there would be no provision for it to be reviewed. This would represent a major setback for the "Troops Out' movement and a serious inroad into democratic rights as a whole It is necessary for all organisations concerned with civil and democratic liberties in Britain to put aside their differences on other questions in building a united campaign for the immediate and unconditional repeal of this Act. The lobby of Parliament on 4 November called by the Connolly Association and the NCCL can be a first step in this pro-