Wont Fitt

The attitudes af the SILP tewards the: RES Sue would support them, ifseces”! has always pravwked controversy. For the loyslists their ambivalence pravides praot — if anf ig meededl -of their fundamental "dislavalty". Despite these attacks the party bas cansistently refused ta commit itself ane way or another on thig question, In receot month: this controversy hes arain surfgeed. This time it ls noe only the loyalists who ore taking up the cudgels: but all sect= ore of “mederate™ epinion, Journalists fren Dublin and British newspapers wha, deapite the fact that after srriving in Belfast rarely if ever set foot outside the tar of che BRarap, Harel, aestire ue that the "orddeacy iatholics! went the RE hack in theif sreas. These sate jaurm= liste stra @aoply upset that ap til nee tie SULP hove Tncled the cournce i suppert this supp= o-ed erauncawell of Vardinary Cathokic™ apinion, wich of course begs the question — if the: minarity really do want. the RIK: back then aure ly Che SOLP would mat need any coprage te wa along with this densnd?

Deapite this charade of bypoerisy and ignorance the question of ou SULP qttitad: towards the WUC is a vitally ipectant ooe. It entape= ulates the crisis facing the SDLP, and equally inpartantly demang testes the extent to which Oritish polley has shifted in the last there yearss CAPYOLIC OPPOSITION To THE RoC The STLPis dileoms is af course under= standssle, However much the media night Like ta portray the RUC officer aso nice "bakhyt helping children te chass the pdad, the oathonallsc eammmity hes a wery different picture, For them, the RUC afficer ig « unifarmeds thie with « batan @ron steo guo attempting ta. terrarise the minar— ley inte subtission. Ther cefiember that it was the [RIC wo savagely attacked snd broke up the firgt cival ber alea that it wad the RW vale Ted an sritied pogrom agaimat the Folls in Pes, burnice the Oathelics aut ef theie homes aod firing indiscriminately with subenachine ung inte blace of gotteo all this, they cannot fail te notice thar in rural araag where the ROC roam freely Calliolics are ceding suajected attack, and occasivnally, morder. fe tenit that the anticinionist commnitr have a ore judiuad eles fares’ upholding the 4 Counter state, THAT is why the adore ity remains hostile to the RUE arnl wie the SELP finds it =o difficult te clive in te Oritiss end Unianieh poossure: Land we chauld be inna caubt that it is the fritich goverment thet is we talk mow [to the Dedtish) we would represent nobody", The come de trae today regarding BGC. The SOLP wom" t calling fer full suppe base in the Catholic commnity was Papidly eroding, Thry SDLP sre aware of this and 30 is the Dritish governient.

THE SHIFT IM BRITISH STRATHOY with Fanlkmer the SULP te intained ares the BUG, aravine thet with power aharine the police would eradually becone a tamepartiean force, Sut that until then ther cede nat ieee full suppert. BEile Britain was unessy¥ abour SDLP ts heads a loc at water has and wirnine the consent af the fingcity ba Lhe state Maculne hac ceased toe be a prierity for the Bricieh, Agr vethalic representetive who capitulated on whe question at the RO would quickly Lose acy creditLiity, se that British effort: te pressurige the S0LP on thig desue fst be seat as Gi= firm tion ef thre fact that powers=sharing ig net on the amen.

The only role that Tathelic min— isters will play in aeyr future sation would be Pose af providing a ated podlic internationally te sadhiat wuld in riaht© merches in [968. They remem flats. Andeven if thay bad for— ta continual harssanont, physical afthe RUD, The oppasite is true; they see taett for what they are — 4 Major element in tue represslws teliled the currant 'sontrove fy; Fivn veers aga. just =fter ELOGOT SUNOAY, Garry. Fitt said on Ty "Er RUC because they would find their would represent nobody, The | In P14 qaen ther yevo in eoreremanc che gam enbivelent attitode toy this no effart wes mods ta force the pessed uncer the bridge since then “movernment in the & Countles will gf 2 thetic dee: their perticipdeetul tar the posr= inggr. in the South of Ireland ani reslicy be o Loyslist government. This as the choice which is open To the SULP = ta gravel before the Uniaoist-Lorelict bloc in the bape of setting p seat in the moyeroment and rich lesibe thedr tings <upp= act orto cling te their bade in thes Cathelic community while observing the ahinet seats they oye coweted so tikes [loatine qwek [grevere THE SOLP = Hake THEA FIGHT Wk MAKE THEY KER] Britaints tur fram eeelring the consent of the aingritiy towards relyiog mainly en cosrsian has opened up a Tew sitoncuen in tae Korth. We kave seen Republicans and‘their supperters come ta realise elewly chat at ated catipaico div= ecced from mges strugsles. ia Tetile, Bot there are wvartaces as well a5 daggers, There is a peel dancer that thege Republicans will became tetelly demaraliseac and will sive up hope of fetes tdaz Britieh mule an? distiaatline she Drenge ctteate. It is vitally impertanm pet to adagk > “wait atid ree “eppeweck but ta = tteape ta iftitiate mer: Wnpsisne popinst the Beitish arer ant the AUG = teday], It is only by getting the people back on the steeets thar we con turn the tables of tle Brit=-eh, The Irish Froat in Decry and the Relatives Action Comn—ittee in Belfast hawe becun the fight back; and showing the way forward to the entire Trish working class, Hower these forces rigk bocoring isolored unkess they can draw the: ‘rank and file!’ gugparters of the SULF late strucele. This cannot be dour simply oy condenoinur the SDL Lleadere froma beighh ar alternatively just izgnaring Then, It gah only be done by drawing the SDLP leadership inte united astian, Anti= itperialist: tmist say to the SDLP Leaders "Den't just speak on tel= evision about RUG bruteLity — jain with us in arganising 2 March fo protest agaloe=t Le". Qoly by applying thig united front tactic tawards the anLle teh their supporters be dirs inte ctrugeles and anly threuzl: ies strugsle aginst the Gricish dirmy and the RUC cao we wio their sliaparters Tran theis illusions jo refentiine Che ¢ County stiute.

### DAVE (LLNS

Strce Jouuuecy I975 Britein's palicy in the Horth hese been desienead te facilitscte the recomposition of Layalist camtrol, After the (WC strike (May Ia74) it become obvious that any stekle governRettal formals would have to depend oo levaliam as ita keystone. In shart the only ctype of cove rntent which could now lope te succedd was one which aimed to preacrve and strenathen the sectarian mature an the Northern state, British imperialism instantly recognised thig new reality, Rut the imtediate project of re= storing loyalist rule beekfired owing to a crisis within the British roling ¢clasa (reflected at the time in the Tary leadership erisis and the paralysis of the Labour goverment) and the cantinuinge combativity of the Cath= alic psseea, Eritain then deweloped = tre long term policy coan= posrd of three elements, Firstly, an accelerstion of the war of atre ritien aeeinst the Onthelic aimority and e{miltaneouly the "Oleterisation"

af Che comflict, Sereandly, an in creaced emphoads an leew government where the Lavalicts bad overwhe lo ing cortral, Thirdly, the iselatien of the S0LP an that political repTrasgttation af the Catholic siddle cles: eguld be dropped as a @ssent— isl compadent of » poveriiental To rtuake, The UUAC strike last May cave a fresh impetus te Eritain's strategy an gl] three fronts, GROWTH OF REPRESSION Just as Mason was announcing hig new "security package" durine the Poise leyite strike the British dom was launching its mew offensive, Sve balically it brake dewn the barricades of the North's remining "Nose crea! in Trt Ledge and occupied the arcs against stitt civil resistances, Since theo there have: been a fanber Of clashes in e«hetha areas suck aa St, James's, At the. sam time tho harassment of Republican and Socialist militants has been oc alate4 te 2 mew pitch, Tf the CUTTent rate of harssement con— Cities then the number of sarregts will be more theo double last Yeorls record ficure, Meanwhile, ag the repression is stepped up the preceas ef "2Lsleriszation® ds driven relentlessly forward, Io addition te increasing the ROC strangth by nearly 202% and restquipping wnd rearing it, the mre apenly loyalist UWleter Defence Regiment hea had its full-time mene bership dneressed br nearly MS, LOCAL (AME RN MENT The resulta of the Loca] Government elections have canfaunded those middla— class politicians whe tried. te ease the Catholic Minorityts fear af loy— alism with the armment that it won fareyver [ragnented and inmotent, Respite the break-up of the Lk the Loyslists continue te cantrol Ehe weet majority af lacal councils, ’n¢ fiiceaver with sv even more het al sod vindictive hand, This has get deterred Heitain in the sdightest from pushing shead wlth its Pleas for strengthening the pow ere of lacs] eovermment, 4 qeoond Gcettcalised tare of local SOVECTIBERE in the: Sarth, which of Patronace and sectsrignian, Att arrangearnt such as the "Halv= beaux Plan! moy te a step in the direction of either “integration® or “devalotian, Hut that is only ive is that the Getholic middle= class will be deprived of any con trel over the Werthern state and fmre inportantly the Cathelic masses Wil] ointinue ta suffer the CRISTS IN THE SBLF In eddition, ant s« = resolt of, iced" repression, and drawing the clocer together, the «vents of Teet Moy have aleo further wnder= ihined the politdeal stratery af the SNLP, ot brutality and barassment, Eyes Austin Currie« hes Teery farce to call for the withdrawal of the British Arar from Catholic areas. ‘nd after an initial attempl ita madify theic posiclen an the RUT Pitt, Hume & Co, were forced ta repeat their oppoesitien, The leolgtion of the SDLP and thes shift of the so-culled middle ‘rund towards the Lavalist fald Wee Underlined by the hitternoss OF Aliancets rebuttal of the SOLF and the attempt br the The Labour gaveroment hag openly ald Shetelessly antored inte 2 pact with ete, the Offiiclal Unienists ta create a would guarantee Loaalism the fruits a arcandary quéstiony what is decisGrey.

full rigours of Orange sectarianism, Precipiteting » mew wave of "ULster— Leber goveronent and the Loyalists The escalation of repression snd the lacal sovernmenc deal with the Layvliste is further exposing theSDLPls paverlessncas, SILP politicians hee been cnbarrasded Ibe taking op cuges Ways Ji4ES CONWAY RIED Chief Constable ta amplify the debate and further embarrass ‘the SOLF before all "respectable cdtirens" in Dritsin, Korthern Ireland, pod the South, Sor dge=< the success of the SDLP da the Locel] government elections cece the crisd-. On the contrary it ooly exscerbates their cantradict= fons, OF the magaive 30 seat gain all but three = Hoyle, Larne, and Caleraine = accurred in milit= ant Cathelic arenas. Huge successes were recorded in such arees ag Jrmigh, Kewry, and Mermatach, ga Weld ag in Belfast ghettoes such ag Mew Ladge, Andecsenstown These succesaes de opt result from deitralisation af the Catholic vauguerd, They are to be explgined by the militant deparocy of large aectlons af the SDLP who were sourul= ing aff about bedme ditched by Brite izh Imperialism, These succesaes wlll only encourage the dissension within the SOLP, and shove it fircher OuE of the orhit of Britain's strat— Although British Joperialisn hes bees mekine etesdy headesy aver the past Tew years, the Latest phase of its stratery af ite strstegy cantaing moy weektieeses, These are the weak flanke througn which the anti-imperjeliet farces can launch 2. suctess= ful sfunber-atteck, CUTTENG INTO THE S0LP*S HEART Since the abolition af Stercteent the SDLP has beet able ta places itself betweeo the Catholic masses in the Herth fand the South) and the of1itant warguard in the ghettess, This division has been the single most impertant facter underlying the downturn fn the meas anti= iaperialist struggle ower the past few Fears. But now cooditiong are maturing which will allow this fap to be Srideed.

The mine it becomes clear that Drite ain is backing some farm of Lavalist oontral the less credibility the SDLP has, This can result in dem oralisetion, s¢ exemplified br a section of the Gathelic middle clasg, followed by = sectian of the Sethalic Hasers, gutflanking the SDLP ty supparting the oponky pro-imperisligt Pesce movenent. But the continued resd+tance af a conbative arbiimperialist layer can have an oppe erite effect - 2 return by broad sectors of the Catholic misses to a real strugele for demerstic and national rights. Tt ol] depends an whether the antisimperdalist var= éuard plays ite carda the right Ta plev ite cards right the ALL E-inp— erialist Watiuard mist ent right inte the heart of the SDLE 'eapectally the. paetide—nationalists srouu Paddy Devlin) *te participate in a Practical campaign for the roneval OY Gritigh +.*ng and ao end te the brutslity o1 on security forces Ct mat be show te the Catholic minority that if Deylin & Co, Ta= fuse tao anything algut the troops and harassonnt Lt ds nat he cause SOcdalists and Republicans pot. sect— arian batters in their way but a= calee the SELP "oilitanes dant reelir want to fish.

fn chotlenginy Theatres:

rs For many people the peneral election wes met fought over civil repression. Certainly neither Fiamma Fail or the Coalition concentrated on this issue, Kone theless, two thiimes should ‘be noted, Firstly, when repression was an iague the electors showed their dissatisfaction with the Coalition's record, Two of the three ministers defeated, Minister for Justice Coon— ey and Minister fer Posts and Tele= fraphs O'Grien had been outapokenly ready th restrict civil Libert— ee international campaten in support of the Murrays, The TeWilations shout prison canditions and police brutality Have gained a response wider than tl TUppOrterk of these immediately affected, Something more pro mising than the essentislly negative election result 42 the formation of the Trade Unian Ceserdingting Commi titer Agaiost Repression (TUCCAS),

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paving the way for Loyalists