Stalin's Suppliants It seems unlikely that the Communist Party's new
bid for admission to the Labour Party as an affiliated organisation will succeed. The official resolution to be put to the party conference a fortnight hence makes it clear that the leaders of the Communist Party are prepared to enter into a general alliance of "progressives." Whilst such an alliance has obvious tactical advantages for the lesser partner it is difficult to see what could induce the Labour Party to abandon its antagonism to such a proposal. As recently as January of this year its National Executive Committee issued a manifesto on party loyalty in which the damning charge of accepting " red gold " is thus substantiated : " The Communist Part• claims to be a voluntary organisation based on iron discipline ' demanding unbounded loyalty to the party' as the chief characteristics of its membership. It takes not only its money but its orders from Moscow, and must obey them slavishly. Mr. Harry Pollitt at the ' unity campaign ' meeting in London stated : ' It is said I take my orders from Stalin. I plead guilty '." Nothing has happened since to narrow the gulf between the two parties, and though the Communist Party declares its willingness to accept fully the constitution of the Labour Party its clear call for ceaseless activity against the Trotskyists (whoever they may be supposed to be in terms of British Labour politics) does not indicate any essential change in the Communist outlook.
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