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The party was at its
best at the Saturday Conference session when delegates were given the
task of ranking the candidates for the Euro-elections. The merits and
qualities of the candidates was for us all an occasion for pride. The
response of the hundreds in the hall was even more gratifying. Their
reaction was friendly to the candidates as though offering goodwill
and respect to each one. There was not a sign of any attempt to
denigrate any candidate. Not many elections take place without some
public exposure of the assorted nastinesses which electoral contests
usually provoke, and this contest made a nice change from some others
that spring to mind or linger in the memory.
Given this excellent
testimony to our decent unity, it is a great pity that we had to leave
Inverness and its fringe meetings carrying with us advance warnings of
the latest divisive scheme which restless minds have proposed. There
must be regret that for some of our colleagues it is not enough to
concentrate on perfecting our own political movement in all its
aspects — policy refinement, campaigning techniques, organisational
efficiency —surely a full enough
agenda for us all. Most of all we must wonder why they detect some
inadequacy in the organisation to which we all belong.
All through our Party’s
history there have been times when some have seen merit in the broad
front, the consensus, the come-all-ye, the men of goodwill of all
parties or of none. The result has always been the same, a dilution of
our own particular principles and prolonged angry argument between
those who favour the change and those who resist. It would be nice to
understand their message of meek acceptance and sweet-natured
readiness to embrace all and sundry. We will be increasingly saddened
by the actions of those who ask us to go down this road again into a
quagmire of meetings, and leaflets, and placards and windy speeches,
accompanied all the while by the contempt of those whose co-operation
we have been simple enough to seek.
The unwise diversion of
our minds and energies is bad enough, but even more to be regretted is
the fact that those who wish to involve the Party in these
developments do so in the full awareness that they will give
considerable offence to all who prefer to offer our undivided,
undiluted, unamended priority and loyalty. It is all the more
unfortunate that this happens just as the Party at last modernises and
prepares itself to sharpen its campaigning abilities. Those with a
surplus of political affection to spare will force a tactical
distinction between themselves and those of us who will resist
following them into their entangling political friendships. There will
be hurt on both sides, and the blame wifi lie with those who forced
the issue in the first place.
Presumably they will
none the less press obstinately on with their plans, valuing the
professed goodwill and affection of the SSP above that of their fellow
members. To anyone who accepts the label "Left of Centre" or "Social
Democrat" the ex-Militant scheming demagogues of the SSP should never
be acceptable associates. |
