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As we put this article online, the Blair government has launched a new
offensive against the firefighters. Deputy Prime
Minister Prescott has announced his intention to change the law to take direct
control of the fire service and impose a settlement on the firefighters. This
would mean the imposition of the Bain proposals, the derisory pay offer of 4%
and thousands of job cuts, resulting in the closure of fire stations and the
undermining of the fire service. Such measures are a threat to the entire labour movement, and
must be answered by the movement as a whole.

Two Motherwell (Scotland) train drivers refused to move a freight train
carrying ammunition believed to be destined for British forces being deployed in
the Gulf. This militant and courageous stand was reminiscent of the actions
against General Pinochet back in the 1970s and the Jolly George incident in
1920. Railway managers cancelled the Ministry of Defence (MoD) service after the
crewmen, described as "conscientious objectors" by a supporter, said
they opposed Tony Blair’s threat to attack Iraq.

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This is the first of a series of articles on the history of the British
Labour Party. These articles will help workers and youth to get a greater
understanding of what the Labour Party is and what the attitude of Marxists to
it should be. In this article we look at how the Party emerged from the
struggles of the working class towards the end of the 19th and at the beginning
of the 20th centuries.

Following on from our first introductory article on the founding years of the
British Labour Party, Barbara Humphries continues her series of articles that
look at the issues and characters involved in the British Labour Party’s
history and development. This was originally published in
November 1996 in the British Socialist Appeal.

Barbara Humphries continues her series on the history of the Labour Party
with a look at the experience of the first two Labour governments. This article
was originally published in Socialist Appeal, issue 49 March 1997.

Barbara Humphries continues her series on the history of the Labour
Party.
1945 marked a watershed for Labour and for British society. The Labour
Party won an historic victory, with a 146-seat majority over all other parties.
It was won on the most radical election manifesto, before or since. This article
was originally published in Socialist Appeal, issue 50 April 1997.

In this last article in her series on the History of the Labour Party,
Barbara Humphries looks at how the turn to the left in the 1970s was cut across
and how the present Blairite clique came to dominate the party, and draws the
lessons for today’s activists. The present turn to the right is nothing new in
the party’s history. As in the past it will be followed by a turn to the left.

On November 17 we published an article on the crisis in the British Conservative
Party, Tories in Crisis – The Plots Thicken.
The purpose of the article was to show how the Tories’ crisis, and especially the crisis of their
leadership, is an expression of the crisis of the capitalist system, which
affects all classes in society. We explained how the ‘Old Guard’ of the
Tories would prefer the leader of the party to be elected by the MPs and not the
rank and file, because the present rank and file are so right wing and out of
touch with the real needs of the ruling class. The latest statements of some of
the old guard Tory leaders now confirm our analysis.

Report on last Saturday’s (December 7, 2002) TUC demonstration in London in
support of the firefighters, where 20,000 trade unionists turned up. ACAS
negotiations are not going to give firefighters what they want. These are mere
delaying tactics. The FBU must step up the struggle.

Issue No 3 of the Socialist Appeal ‘Firefighters’ Bulletin’ was produced
for the demonstration on Saturday, December 7, with the following articles:
Firefighters must win! The firefighters cannot be left to fight alone,
the whole trade union movement must be rallied behind them, to provide money and
support.
"After New Labour" At the Manchester conference of the Left of the Labour Party, Andy
Gilchrist, leader of the FBU, recognised that the fight to replace the
Blairite clique who had hi-jacked the party must start now.
Open letter to the firefighters A
letter to the firefighters from Steve
Brown (Pegswood Labour Party, and secretary Wansbeck and Castle Morpeth
TUC) giving full support to their struggle and inviting them to
take their struggle into the Labour Party.
Fire stations for sale? A comment on a proposal that appeared in the
Financial Times to sell off the fire stations and convert them into luxury
flats.

In a matter of days the entire political landscape of Britain has been
transformed by the magnificent struggle of the firefighters. The entire
labour movement must now rally to the side of the firefighters. Go to
the picket lines! Move resolutions and take up collections! The fight
must be taken into the Labour Party as well. The Labour leaders want a
fight with the unions. The unions must give them a fight inside the
Party too.