British Labour Set To Self-destruct (Press, 24 March 1987)

On 24 March 1987, Robert Taylor from the London "Observer" reported on the turmoil within Britain’s Labour Party following a disappointing parliamentary by-election in Greenwich, a former stronghold for the party which was lost to the Social Democrats. This defeat has led to intense infighting and public self-destruction reminiscent of Labour's disastrous 1983 general election loss. The blame game within the party began with accusations of Leftwing extremism negatively impacting Labour’s candidate in Greenwich. A leaked letter from Neil Kinnock's press aide, Patricia Hewitt, highlighted concerns that an excessive focus on issues like gay and lesbian rights was alienating older voters, especially pensioners. The fallout from the Greenwich result was compounded when former Labour Prime Minister Jim Callaghan openly critiqued the party’s anti-nuclear defence policy during a parliamentary speech. Callaghan has a history of dissent regarding the party's plan to unilaterally remove American nuclear missiles from Britain—an issue that may have cost Labour votes in the past. In his speech, which garnered significant applause from Conservative members, Callaghan argued that the presence of cruise and Pershing missiles in Western Europe, necessitated by the Soviet threat, had contributed to the recent offer from Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev regarding the removal of intermediate nuclear missiles from the continent. He expressed scepticism about negotiating with the Soviet Union, suggesting that they would merely accept concessions without reciprocating. Callaghan’s remarks starkly conflicted with Labour's policy, which calls for remaining in NATO, reallocating funds saved from scrapping the nuclear arsenal toward conventional forces, and withdrawing American nuclear bases without expecting any reciprocal actions from the Soviets. In response to his dissent, members of the Labour Party publicly rebuked Callaghan. Denis Healey, Labour’s Foreign Affairs spokesman, labelled him an “old man” responsible for significant harm to the party. John Prescott, part of the party’s leadership, confronted Callaghan in a Commons tearoom, accusing him of sabotaging Labour's chances in consecutive elections. As Labour grappled with internal conflict, the Conservatives are relishing the party's disarray, with opinion polls beginning to favour Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and indicating a resurgence of the Social Democratic Alliance. The situation appears increasingly precarious for Labour, with growing fears among some party members that they could face a catastrophic electoral defeat similar to that experienced in 1983.

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