majority. Even in the GMWU the call to withdraw received 25% of the vote. In the present situation it is vital that the talks be ended. In practic Communist party members, members of the left wing of the Labour party in the trade unions, and members of the International Marxist Group, International Socialists and Socialist Labour League are almady co-operating to get these talks ended. An uncovocal statement trom une organisco Labour left opposing the talks, and their involvement in this campaign, would be a great step forward for left unity.
But it is necessary to go further. As has been proved over and over again, any form of incomes policy under capitalism is always used against the interests of the working class. There is a growing realisation of this already. Both the AUEW and the ASTMS voted at their annual conferences not to accept any incomes policy from any government. A clear pledge from the Labour left that it would vote against any future Labour government's attempts to introduce an incomes policy would be another step forward for left unity. As for the Industrial Relations Act, the Labour party is already our left does nothing on this question May Day strikes and demonstrations showed possibility of left unity against the Tory Government and its policies nd total and include all other anti-union law: On the wages struggles, the strongest possible unity must be forged to give unconditional support for the strikes and claims. There is a tremendous amount which Labour can do which it is not at present doing. Clay Cross is a fine example here. Every Labour council could strike an important blow against the freeze by paying higher wages to its employees. In every strike the facilities controlled by Labour councils could be placed at the disposal of strikers, and affiliated bodies such as the Co-op could provide credit for strikers. The whole working class movement must be placed on a war footing.
One of the areas on which united action is most needed, but where it is going to be hardest to get, is on the question of Ireland. Here the record of the Labour left is appalling. Ireland is a single nation. Labour party policy is based on hypocrisy when it says the question of Northern Ireland will be decided by a vote of the people of the North. It is perfectly well known that the original boundary between the 26 counties and the six counties was drawn by Britain in such a way as to ensure a permanent majority against national unity. To maintain this fraud the British army has for four years now been shooting, arresting without trial, torturing and Immigration Act and the House of Lords ruling on 'illegal' immigration have been followed by the Pakistan Act. This, by classifying Pakistanis as aliens, will deprive them of the vote, the right to stand for election as an MP, the right to work in the civil service, make them liable to jail for taking part in industrial struggles, etc. A fight back has already started Mansfield Hosiery Mills, British Celanese and Standard Telephones have all seen important industrial struggles against racism. The massive demonstration in London against the House of Lords ruling on illegal immigrants was another step forward. The conference of trade unionists against racism, although the politics of many of the participants raised as many problems as it solved, was also a step in the right direction.
As well as helping to build grass roots unity against racism in any form, the Labour left could also set thé pace, if it wanted, for a united struggle. While simply getting rid of laws won't solve the problem by itself, there are a whole series of laws - the Immigration Act, the Aliens Acts and the Pakistan Act - which must go. Labour's record on this question is terrible. A total and public commitment to the repeal of these and all similar acts would open the way for left unity on this front. Without that it looks as if those fighting against racism are going to be fighting the next Labour government, and the Labour left, just as much as heard from the Labour left on this. A struggle 'on the defence of the Shrewsbury 24, and a ‹commitment to ending totally the antipicketing and conspiracy laws, would be another issue on which left unity could be forged. We would propose that the way to start this is for the Labour left to move an emergency motion on Shrewsbury at this year's Labour party Conference.
United action of the left is achieved on a