Labour convinced it has Militant beaten

THE Labour Party in Scotland is convinced that it has dismantled the

leadership of Militant Tendency after two years of purges.

So far 22 members of the Trotskyist group have been expelled, and one

excluded from membership for three years. Four more face expulsion.

This action against the party within a party is the biggest Labour

purge ever in Scotland, and in Britain, outwith Liverpool. It has denied

Militant experienced leadership and scared off naive admirers.

Mr James Allison, Labour's Scottish organiser, said yesterday: ''I

think that the main architects of Militant in Scotland are no longer in

the party.''

Evidence of waning influence was a failure to recruit, underlined

dramatically at Pollok where after six expulsions, including Mr Tommy

Sheridan, the All Britain Anti Poll Tax Federation chairman, a much

hyped surge in membership had not occurred.

Mr Allison added: ''All those people supposedly clamouring for

membership of the party have never really materialised since his

departure.''

Labour leader Mr Neil Kinnock will be delighted by the Scottish

party's moves to root out a hard Left grouping which has proved capable

of undermining his moves to give Labour a modern image.

Within weeks four more Pollok members face hearings by the National

Constitutional Committee for Militant membership.

They are Mr David Churchley, who failed narrowly at the last General

Election to win the nomination against sitting MP Mr Jimmy Dunnachie; Mr

David Dick, a computer expert regarded as an elder statesman of Militant

and husband of already expelled former Strathclyde regional councillor

Mrs Margaret Dick; Ms Edwina Donald; and Mr David Craig.

There are at least six other people, including a Glasgow district

councillor, whose conduct is being closely monitored by the party.

The most important Militant to avoid expulsion was Mr Bob Wylie, now

working as a freelance journalist, a member of its central committee and

Scottish spokesman. He is regarded as neutralised since he did not renew

his Labour membership.

Seven of those purged were women. Ms Wendy Milne of Livingston was

excluded from membership while the case against Ms Anna Petrie was not

proven.

The expulsions arose after complaints by sitting MPs, most notably Mr

Dunnachie, Springburn's Mr Michael Martin, and Cathcart's Mr John

Maxton, over Militant's conduct in their constituencies.

At Springburn the first expulsions were Mr Stephen Lees, Ms Emma

Phillips, and Mr Charles Robertson. They were followed at Cumbernauld

and Kilsyth by Mr Martin Welsh, West of Scotland branch secretary for

the Inland Revenue Staff Federation, Mr Graham Muir, Mr Eric Stevenson,

and Mr Kevin McVey, and at Livingston by Mr Sam Gibson.

Main victim at Cathcart was Glasgow district councillor Mr Stuart

Bates accompanied by Mr Ronnie Stevenson (brother of the Cumbernauld

expelled member) industrial correspondent for Militant newspaper, union

official Ms Mairi Miller, Ms Clare Murray, Ms Liz Catterson, Mr David

Primrose, Mr Martin Barr, and Mr Archie Blair.

Most recently the expulsions at Pollok were Mr Sheridan, his sister,

Lynn, Mrs Dick, Kirsten Walker, former Young Socialists Scottish

executive member, and local activists Mr Bill Bill and Mr George

McNeilage.