Sheffield Conference

The British Labour Committee on Ireland (LCI) conference However, the main discussion in Manchester at the end of point at the conference was February marked a high point a political one, with a small in the revival of interest in rump of ultraleftists led by Ireland among the Labour the Revolutionary Communleft. Its theme was the cam- ist Party defining solidarity in paign against plastic bullets, terms of support for the but it also gave focus to a armed struggle of the IRA new discussion about reviving and the majority calling for the Irish solidarity movement a broad movement linking up in Britain. with the day to day struggle in Ireland around issues like the use of plastic bullets or ed Richard Balfe (MEP), the PTA or the exclusion of than Rosenhead (NCCL), Sinn Fein representatives ‘in Collins the LCI from Britain, and the operation of the Assembly in the North.

| The ground was cut from inder the RCP by Sinn Fein’s osition to their strategy. n Carron called for the formation of a broad moveThe conference was an impressive success. Over 120 ment on the lines of the delegates attended from Vietnam Solidarity movement constituency Labour Parties, to fight for a British with80 were from trade union drawal. branches and more than 100 observers were also present.

The conference ended with a It showed conclusively that plan for reportback meetings the Irish struggle is now having to all the constituency parties a direct influence in the Britand trade union bodies involyish class struggle. Many speakLed, a series of regional conferers gave reports of struggles Fences and a major national in local government over the demonstration against the deployment of plastic bullets.

use of plastic bullets. Although the Sheffield Con- a wider area of discussion but ference in March (also organ- focusing down on immediate ised by the LCI) was planned tasks for Labour Party and separately, it served as aval- trade union activists. uable follow-up to the Manchester conference. It allowed | was on the platform with Ken Livingstone who restated his conviction that the British Government must withdraw : Nicom Ireland and negotiate with Sinn Fein. These demonstrations bear The main opposition to a witness to the tremendous anxiety that exists over the Troops Out position came imperialist escalation of the from the Militant tendency.

nuclear war threat. Today’s Despite the fact that they are the targets of a witch- nuclear arsenal is capable of destroying the present populhunt in the British Labour Nation of the world - at least Party, their views on Ireland differ little from those of the 20 times over. According to the report Comprehensive Labour right. They began by calling for ‘bread and butter’ Study on Nuclear Weapons, unity of workers in the 6 submitted to the U.N.

General Assembly in 1980, counties but discredited them the explosion of 1,000 selves when they went on to abuse the republicans and nuclear warheads of one effectively blame them for megaton against the USSR the violence and working and USA would cause the class divisions which we all instantaneous death of 150know long predate the IRA’s 200 million people in these campaign. two countries. There are now already more than 40, 000 4 The conference went on to nuclear warheads stored in ©: hold workshops on the the world. women’s movement in Irelanc and work within Irish and Since Ronald Reagan became British trade unions, There United StatesPresident in was a great deal of concern January 1981 the US has expressed at the veto on dis- taken an increasingly belligcussion imposed by the erent direction in its foreign trade union bureaucracy in policy, particularly in its the North and in Britain. The drive to make Europe a y conference ended with a de- nuclear timebomb. Reagan — termination among delegates has publically speculated on — to seek further support in the fighting “limited nuclear wars” in Europe. From trade unions and Labour flows Reagan’s decision t Party and to link up with a begin producing the ne national solidarity movement bomb, dubbed the “ultim capitalist weapon” beca SEE LIVINGSTONE it kills people but leave: ARTICLE, PAGE 6. property undamaged. Empire strikes back’; but Reagan is desperately serious.

Far from being funny these plans are a scheme for the mostt incredible escalation of Want retaliation, the arms race.

All tthis is justified by refer ence to ‘the Soviet threat’.

According to Reagan, communism is ‘...the focus of evil in the modern world.”’

He falsely claims that the Soviet Union has outstripped the West in its nuclear build-