Labour threatens to expel Scargill on expul

BARRIE CLEMENT

Labour Editor

Arthur Scargill and other left-wingers have been warned they will be expelled from Labour if they press ahead with their plans for a new socialist party.

The threat came after union activists met in secret in December to plan the constitution of the new organisation, which was first suggested by Mr Scargill, president of the National Union of Mineworkers.

Officials at Walworth Road said that anyone joining would face automatic expulsion."If they plan to fight Labour in any form of elections, or if they form a party within a party, they will be in breach of our rules and will have their membership suspended," the spokesman said.

Invitations to the meeting were issued by Pat Sikorski, a representative of London Underground workers on the national executive of the RMT transport union. A spokesman for the union said yesterday that all those attending did so in a personal capacity and without the authority of the RMT. The union could not dictate to which party its members or officers belonged.

Officials from other unions such as the public service union, Unison; Usdaw, the shopworkers' union; the National Union of Teachers and the Transport & General were also present. Some of them, however, have expressed doubts about the viability of the new grouping.