British Labour chief wins support against left wing

Michael Foot, leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, was assured of a morale-boosting victory against the extreme left of his party Monday after the country's major trade unions closed ranks behind him.

Labour's power brokers, the big unions and their 6 million members affiliated with the party, lined up behind the embattled opposition leader in behind-the-scenes meetings in Blackpool on the eve of this year's Labour Party Conference. Mr. Foot is now certain of their support for assembling a register of extreme left-wing groups to be banned from the party, an issue that will be decided in the first major vote at the conference.