COMMUNISTS

Grey River Argus, 31 May 1943, Page 5

COMMUNISTS

NOT WANTED

In British Labour Party

[Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON', May 28. “The dissolution of the Communist International might have- released the Communist Party in Great Britain from international obligations, but that did not imply that the British Communist Party was free from the political basis on which it was created and previously conducted.” The national executive of the Labour Party made this statement after reconsidering 'che Communist Party’s application for affiliation with the Labour Party and reiterating its opposition because “it believes that only disruption and disastrous consequences would result to the Labour Party. The executive’s statement continued: “Even if the Communist Party formally professed loyalty to the Labour Party, there is no historical evidence to show that it wants to be loval. On the contrary, the Communists have consistently decried Labour’s leadership and used their maximum endeavours to destroy the Labour Party’s authority and create disloyalty and disaffection among Labour Party members and trades unionists.”

The statement suggested that if the Communist Party really believed in the unity of British Labour, its course was clear—it could follow the Comintern’s lead and dissolve itself, thereby contributing to the development of the Labour Party as one great political party of the Left. The executive’s rejection of the application was made after a three hours’ meeting. The decision has yet to be endorsed by the Labour Party’s annual conference which will be held In the middle of June. The “Daily Worker” states: “The Labour Party executive’s basic argument against affiliation—the Communist International—no longer exists, but the Labour Party diehards stand manfully in their last ditch, thinking up new reasons against the unity of the British working class.”