After the Election

‘After the Elections - What Next?’ was the theme of a public discussion organis| ed by the James Connolly Society in the Andersonstown Social Club on Wednesday, August 17. The large attendance showed the very great interest that exists about the future direction of the anti-imperialist movement. We reprint below the texts of the speeches made by Councillor John McAnulty of Peoples Democracy and Assembli ive Dann Morrison o SOCIALIST REPUBLIC would welcome articles, letters from — wanting to comment on this The James Connolly Society was founded in 1976 to promote open discussion between republicans and _ socialists. Over the past 7 years the Societ organised public meetings on all the major issues that have faced the anti-imperialist movement. Anyone wishing to join the Connolly Society or get further details call or write: Horizon Books, Avoca Park, Belfast 11.

Fein in the Assembly elections and more recently in the Westminster elections have an importance beyond the undoubted immediate gain for Sinn Fein as an organisation.

### JOHN Mc

It shows that after 15 years of punishing oppression and brutality the nationalist population in the ‘North are _ still undefeated, still willing to struggle on, still willing to register resistance to British rule. The importance of this should not be underestimated. Sinn Fein won similar victories in the ‘50s but in a time of calm and when traditional nationalism had stood aside in despair.

These victories now, after a long and bitter struggle, and in _ the teeth of opposition from the SDLP,the Southern politicians and the Cath _olic church. The support gained is a real barrier to British plans.

Already, the gains from the election have _ reversed a British strategy of many years standing to present the IRA as isolated criminals and their own repression as simply a ‘police action’.

The votes for Sinn Fein have made nonsense of this explanation This vote. plus the bloody trauma of the H Block struggle, has convinced sections of the Labour Party left and progressive forces in America and elsewhere that Britain has no solution : are and a representatSinn Fein.

theme.

has whole new layer of solidthat any solidarity internationally ultimately depends on mass struggle here. But despite the election successes the mass struggle on the streets and in the factories is at a low ebb. The fact-is that while we ANULTY:

face new opportunities, we also face many new problems.

After the high point of struggle here the nationalist masses were filled with enthusiasm ‘and confidence and successive British and Unionist opponents struggled from expedient to expedient without any clear strategy.Now we face an extreme right wing British government which understands that no real conciliation or cosmetic reform is possible. One aspect of this is their decision to continue the Assembly in the face oi a total nationalist. boycott. The hysteria in republican circles at the time of the Assembly’s formation has been followed by a dangerous apathy. We should not forget that as long as the Assembly exists it acts to stake a British claim that any future solution will be. a partition solution. Neither should we forget that it was through the Assembly that the Unionists lobbied for the ‘Shoot to kill’ policy that nationalists are suffering from today.

In response to this the Southern parties and the SDLP have offered their ‘Council for a new Ireland’. This is a real threat to the anti-imp=a erialist movement. Irish capitalism sees the vote for Sinn Fein as a threat to itself. Before it could from time to time indulge in nationalist rhetoric in order to obtain some leverage over British strategy.In this crisis they need to crush the anti-imperialist sentiment of Irish workers to survive. The only direction that the forum can _move in is towards further repression internally and more collaboration with Britain. The role of the Southern parties in the attack on women’s rights enshrined in the proposed amendment to the constitution shows this clearly Finally, one of the most basic new elements we face is the economic crisis of imperialism. The early period of this struggle was fuelled by an economic boom which brought a new con fidence to Irish workers, especially in the North. Now we face recession, cuts, and mass. unemployment. Not unreasonably the anti-imperialist movement is expected to answer these questions.

Posing these questions helps us to begin the process of finding answers. In the North today there are many localised fightbacks:‘against informers, against plastic bullets, against the. Shoot to kill’ policy, and also fightbacks on unemployment, cuts and housing.Its our job to ‘unify these and bring them together in one mass struggle which should have as its focus opposition to the Assembly.

Such a movement could extend itself through all 32 counties by opposing the fake solutions posed by the ‘Council for a new Ireland’ and challenging not only British imperialism but the collaboration of Irish capitalism.

Above all we need the strength of the working class, especially in the 26 counties. For years, the Workers Party has burrowed away’ in the Labour bureaucracy and it has paid off in increased support for

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JOHN McANULTY arity has been created. ‘The victories of Sinn The key point here is