Straight Class Battle in Britain but What Does It Mean for Irish Workers

Does on bo sey we respecs = Labour policy is worth quoting in detail. 1t supports a poucy of lrish unite. by consent, but an! cupport haewever, the might fo remain within the United Kingdom, although thts does not area thar Unionist lenders enn hare a veto on political derefopment "It goes on to promise several things that directly counter their record in Goreriment : neform of the Digiock Courts, abolition af the PTA and Psyment for Debt Act, the introduction of abortion legislation and comprehensive schools Again this has tobe put in context. Labour policy on ghemployment, welfare rights defence and nationalisation cul right across the interests of the capitalist clas. Many Dei} ia will back-track at the first den of opposition. it will require an active movement of the working class on the streets and in - the factories: to prevent @ sell-out.

Ireland would become an issue immediately after the lection. Anew Labour Goverment would flid jiself responsible for a partitionist assembly which contradicts ita declarations of support for Trish unity and the massive rejection armoury of repressive legiclat- would make [reland a by the labour movenvert ofthe Morther: /reknd people ny the labour left and a united 920", lead to world wide campaign by anti-imperialists fi Ireland could open the way toa new co-operation “Don't vote Sinn Fein"

é and bring the Lrish issue to the heart of the class strupgie.

ORANGE CARD There is of course one other way that the Trish question could emerge as the major issue. Unicnists have already indicated that the price of their support will be the by nationalist voters. Further. T@storation of Stormont. more to preserve the Assembly *!ch 2 deal would be a massLabour would need the whole 'e gamble for Maggie,t ton that it has phedped itself central issue of confllet in to scrap: an activeccampaign British class politica for the firs! time since the protests, and destabilise and leave politically bank: rupt the major nationalist right parties both North and South, But Magzie would gamble alot for a further “a years of power and’ would see an advantage in dtriking such a Plow againat both the British and Trish working classes before (hey had time to prepare.

The anly anti-tmperialist ON BOARD the Airey Neave organkation that his nominated candidates in the elections ls Sinn Fein. It clear that ihe best hope for areal fightback mils test on a Mssive vot for their candidates. But how prepared is Sinn Fein f| . politically to lead such a fightback?

)” The high level of organ kational activity by the Republicans since the Assembly elections masks the fact that they have mal moved forward politically and may in fact hawe pone backwards. Thailr call imenedialely after the last election for a united campaizn against the Stormont EA TOTAL inact | eal only discussions abou electoral unity have centred on the SOLP and 1iP and they have ignored the perf ectly teal possibility of buihding an ant-imperinlist elactoral front.

Even more disturbing has been their backtracking on the question of militarism. In the Assembly elections the candidates made no secret of their support for the TRA’: military strogle but said that jt was a separate issue, In this élection they have linked the two toeether. Indeed, An Phoblicht/Republican News slates flatly in an irticle “The [FLA and the Election’ thatenty the [RA carmpalen can defeat the British. Electoral work is reduced to a role of propagandist suppart. The ongoing ecomomic offensive by imperiallam has led Sinn Fein to highight social and ecomonnic deprivation, but the heated debate in their own argarisation has remained deadlocked and ghey have been unable to. proves A peor frumiiie of workup class action to challenge and defeat these attacks.

We don’t raise these points in any séctarian way, Workers should vats Sint Fein, but they diould do so without Uhusians. An unfounded belie! that they hud a worked ot programme for the working class and for mats polltical action againat Aritish: cule acu onllaboration in the 26 counties would lead te Will the Election blow up in Maggie's face?

massive Gemoaralisadon after the election.

Peoples Democracy believes that the motive power fora workine class Wictory against imporialken hes in the independent ictivity of the mass of workers. A vietury Por the anthiperialists in this election would be a powertul boat to the building of sich @ mevement.

Gt, nae does fees a bit Pexsinestic, AS ant oe ey gnronnced ie election we started digghag dif a mieclear shelver

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