the party's leaders are concerned about the loss of both youth and trade union militants to Marxist groups on the far lett. The oppositional currents, however, made no progress: The militants who wanted got disillusioned and ictt, Joining either the Trotskyists or the small Mauist groups. Others fell into inactivity The right-wing of the CP remained impotent, disheartened by the poor election showing and be wildered that the leaders could not The unacceptable faces of Stalinism. (left to right) Bert Ramelson, Gordon MeLennan, Irene Swan, John Golian and David Cook make a clean break" from Moscow ination of the Stalinist wing. The alliance of Gollan and Ramelson remained intact. Both had been had graduated through the YCL and had been schooled in the Popular Front of alliances with "progressive Tones. He had supported the Mospatriot during the war, sung his hosannahs to Stalin, and defended the hy Russian tanks and troops.
The CP remained under the domtrained in the Moscow school, Gollan cow Trials, pluyed the role of a social crushing of the Hungarian Revalution Mary Ramelson fought in Spain, where he roceived the favourable attention of the Soviet Secret Police for his vitwence against Anarcho-Trotskyists" and his justification of the murder -of POUM leader Andres Nin by Stalin's assassins. Ramelson also defended the executions al Stalin's behest of the prominent CPris Rajk in Hunpury, Slansky in Czechoslovakia, and Kostov in Bulparia. All three have How heen posthumously rehahilitated Ramelson, liko Goulan and the newiy appointed General Secretary: Gordon MeLennan, naturally supp afted the Kissan invasiun of Hung But as last wecks reshuttle showa fissures an appearing in the leader ship. They are not, hower divis sons betwoon the left and the right. nor do they represent astruggle bebetween stalinists and anti-stalinets Want the changes in the CP lendership do revcal is the impossibility of effectively catrying out the CP Line in Britain SUBORDINATES The aim of the CPGB is to bulld an alliance between itself and left" social democracy. But despite its industrial base the CP does not have the strength to impose its demands on the left social democratic lenders It can only secure such alliances when it subordinates hoth its own programme and any movement it Leads to the aims set by the lett MP. or the union hareaucrats.
The Pleaders, for instance, are not in favour of the Shrewsbury 2 staying in jail. However the price of using their indestrial base to organ ise a real independent campaigi inv diving indetite strike accion to per their release would be an all-out con frontation with the left bureaucrats:
Since it is these buresucrats that the Cl has set itself the task of winning to its programme of unity it is therefore reduced to pleading with them to take action and has to oppose the revolutionary left, sections of its own rank and file and independent militants who support strike action.
The problem of the CP's strategs becomes shurper still when Labour i in office. It is one thing pushing the line of maximum unily when the Tories are in Government. When Labour are the Government and the "lefts' like Scanlon and Jones line up belind the social contract, the slogan takes on a rather hollow ring. Dr course there is a growing discontent at the bave of social denocracy, but the CP's strategy is tur ned towards the leadership and dis prevents it from taking advantage of the crisis inside social democracy The Party's erstwhile albes are selves from militant action whilst in the ranks those workers to whon the CP hope to appeal are becoming more and more dissatisfied and seck ing alternative solutions. The act of balancing between these two forces has caused more than one political hernia in the CP leadership, GUARANTEED Golian's policy has heen to con centrate almost soicly on building urity within the political structure -such as joint campaigns on the EEC, ete and restricting industrial initiatives to those guaranteed lo get the support of the union bureau Ramelson, MeLennan and the new - national opiniser Dave Cook are in favour of more independent initiatives in order to widen the Party's base particularly in industig. But their strategy is placed firmly in the cont ext of the British Road to Socialion and its insistence on achieving socialin through a parliamentary majority Like Gullen their crisis is irresolvable. A miss reformist party already exists in Britain. Simply adding a dush of militancy to parliantentary politics is not going to dislodge the Labour Party. Maybe the CP's bottles are new, but the wine is still the Jell King