Welcome Home Bernadette

We welcome Bernadette back. In particular we welcome the political message she chose to give from her celebration meeting in Carrickmore on Saturday. She had on her platform Michael Farrell of P.D., Eamonn McCann of Derry Labour LETTER Comrades, In last week's Free Citizen, an article purported to guarantee P.D. support for the proposed N.I.C.R.A march in Fermanagh. The article was unsigned, which usually indicates that such an article is official P.D. policy.

I have been instructed by the Central Committee to clarify the position. This article did not sufficiently represent the diversity of views expressed within that particular meeting.

The Central Committee ata subsequent meeting has decided to recommend to all branches that they do not attend the Fermanagh march for the following reasons.

I. The issue of discrimination by Fermanagh County Council, while important is not necessarily the most vital one confronting the people at the moment. Even the immediate ending of discriminatory practices by F.C.C. would have little or no effect on the massive rates of unemployment and emigration in Fermanagh.

2. The replacing of Fermanagh County Council by a commission or a reactionary "green" council is no solution either. It would mean a reversal of discrimination on an Bus Fares con.

represented by Miss I.M.E. McAlery, 25 Annadale Ave., BT7 3JJ Tel. 641516, she drives a Wolsley.

Sir Douglas Harkness of 33 Knockdene Park BT57AD Tel 654051, is a Clifton Councillor. Jack Lewis Alderman for Windsor urives a Pentola and lives at "Emanon", Larch Hill, Craigavad, Co. Down, Tel 87-2720. lock-out Just before the council met, another more significant meeting took place in the City Hall. It consisted entirely of Official Unionist Councillors and Aldermen, and there the decision was taken to reject the recommendations of the special transport committee. Paltry though these recommendations were, they were at least a tiny step in the right direction. The Unionist caucus decided to have a 50% increase. They also directed that the City Hall gates be barred to the public. They installed a large force of police to ensure that their order was carried out and decreed that the gallery be closed to the public. As a result a large number of Party and Mairin deBurca of official Sinn Fein. ‘hey were invited as representatives of movements, or, in the case of McCann and de Burca, of groups or factions within other parties who could unite in commitment to revolutionanti-protestant basis, or at best bring about a situation of equality of want. 3. Inthe months which have passed since the introduction of the Criminal Justice Act, the P.D. has held dozens of meetings and scores of pickets in towns throughout the North. N.I.C.R.A. were conspicuous by their absence on all these occasions wnich makes us sceptical of their sudden change of heart.

4. The Criminal Justice Act has scarcely been applied in Fermanagh yet every day of the week the courts are full of people from Belfast and Derry who are being railroaded by the pernicious provisions of this act. Therefore we believe tt the march could only be held with any validity in either Belfast or Derry. Any other venue has no great relevance to the issue.

The P.D. will continue to hold meetings against the Criminal Justice Act throughout the North.

Several meetings will be held on the same day as the Fermanagh march at different venues. We ask all comrades to support our continuing struggle against this act.

Yours fraternally, Trade Unionists and some of the P.D. picketers as well as the public were refused admission.

The delegation was allowed in only because we had made prior application. The man chosen at this caucus to go through the was Sir Douglas Harkness. He is a retired Civil Servant and from 1953-61 was Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Finance and Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. From 1961 until Adviser to the Northern Ireland Government. He is of course the driver of a large car and is Stormont charities committee. The seconder chosen was the self-appointed guardian of public morality Jack Lewis, another car owner. They then trooped into the Council Chamber where they went through the farce of a 3 hour "debate'' on the issues. After the vote, the members of the Special it; it was defunct by that stage anyway. The Chairman of the that the 50% increase should have been introduced last August ! !

republic.

JOE QUIGLEY (P.D. Sec.) formality of proposing the increase retirement in 1963 he was Economic currently unbelievably or not on the Transport Committee resigned from Special Committee, Unionist Alderm ialism. Alderman James Stewart, later said radeship. ary socialism and the creation of the small farmers and workers Now it is easy enough on an emotional occasion such as the release of Berndaette to produce all the semblance of a new departure without much of the reality. Unity of the revolutionary socialist left is such a vital matter for workers both North and South, that it will require more than mere commitment on platforms to bring it about.

The speakers on the ptatform on Saturday had impertant things in common. Fifstly their politics are based on the meds of the majority -the working-class - not those of any sectarian minority or majority. Secondly they are committed to the creation of a socialist workers republic as a prime objective, and hence the expropriation of all foreign and native, capitalists.

These two points alone provide a strong basis for co-operation between the mid-Ulster Socialist Committees, P.D. and other groups, P.D. has already co-operated with the Mid-Ulster Committees over the Criminal Justice Bill, next week we meet them again to co-ordinate activity in the campaign to wrest Lough Neagh from the Toome Eel Fishery Company.

The spontaneous developement of Mid ULster Socialist Committees despite Bernadette's absence is an important new factor. One of Miss Devlin's problems before the last election was that she was not responsible to any local socialist organisation, and tended to fall into the hands of unrepresentative "circus'' managers. Now she has rightly called for a ''movement literally at grass-roots’. The Socialist Committees can provide the basis for this in Mid-Ulster. She as a socialist recognises that no individual:can create socialism. She should make herself fully responsible to these committees and they should expect it of her.

LEADER!

We disagree strongly with Eamonn McCann's view that what the revolutionary socialist movement needs isa leader". Bernadette has a vital part to play in the socialist movement but for McCann;

to suggest that she (or anyone else)

is ''the only person who can give the necessary leadership" is to show an abysmal lack of confidence in the working-class, or the revolutionary movement within the working-class on which the revolution depends.

Many difficulties remain in the path of socialist unity, but Carrickmore represents a step forward. P.D.

welcomes the opportunity of cooperation on meetings, demonstrations and other practical issues as well as the chance to discuss socP.D. intends always to approach such meetings in a spirit of com-