Foot infuriated by Benn statement

Press, 13 November 1981, Page 6

Foot infuriated by Benn statement

NZPA-Reuter London The British Opposition leader, Michael Foot, yesterday blamed the radical Leftwinger, Tony Benn,, for turmoil in the Labour party and challengd him to fall into line with other members of his parliamentary team, senior party sources have said. At a stormy party caucus in a private room at the House of Commons, Mr Foot demanded: “Is Tony Benn going to help us win the next election, or not?” the sources said. There was no immediate reply from Mr Benn, widely ragarded as a future challenger for the Labour leadership, and the sources said Mr Foot suggested that Mr Benn get in touch with him before another party meeting today. Mr Foot, his leadership already under growing fire from his critics, said Mr Benn had succeeded in turning what should have been a

Labour assault on the Conservative Government's policies into a fresh internal quarrel against themselves. “He must bear the whole responsibility.” the sources quoted Mr Foot as saying. This latest uproar in the divided Labour Party erupted over its policy on State control of Britain’s North Sea oil resources. Mr Benn said in Parliament yesterday that if the Government carried out plans to sell State-owned oil interests, any future Labour government would take them back without compensation. His statement contradicted and infuriated Labour’s energy spokesman, Merlyn Rees, who had said a Labour Government would pay compensation when the oil assets were returned to State control.

The sources said Mr Foot invited Mr Benn to accept the principle of collective responsibility for the party’s policies and on that basis stand in elections due to begin today for the so-called shadow Cabinet. If Mr Benn continued to dissent, said Mr Foot, then he would not vote for him. Mr Foot said recent distractions within the party centred on Mr Benn had damaged Labour’s prospects for the next General Election which must be called by 1984, the sources said. They said Mr Foot referred to the new Social Democratic Party formed by disaffected Labour members. “In one miserable sense, I believe the S.D.P. is our own creation. It has been shaped and fostered by our own introverted follies,” Mr Foot said.