EEPTU speakers came to the rostrum and were heckled when delegates mainly from the CLP's realised what was going on. But it was yet another illustration of the strength of new realism in the labour and trade union movement that no effective protest was mounted.
Conference saw a further stage in the dismantling of the youth organisation with the setting up of a National Youth Campaigns Committee, which will be dominated by the soft left and in which the LPYS will have only a minority voice. This committee will elect the youth representative on the national execetutive commitee, and only the full national executive can now convene the national youth conference. The debate on the women's organisation demonstrated that while the leadership would like to go down the same road here, they are more cautious because the balance of forces is less favourable. They are determined not to acceed to women's demands for more control and are hoping to use the trade union block votes to get their way. As they have not yet managed to come up with a complete solution, the cosultation will go on another year. Strong campaigns need to be developed to defend the women's organisation and extend its voice within the party.
The debate on Black Sections saw an important new development in the discussion with a resolution from Pollock which called for consultation on the setting up of a black socialist society, in line with earlier calis made by TGWU deputy leader Bill Morris. The resolution itself was ambivalent, supporting the right to black self organisation but using neocolonialist language in its reference to 'blacks and asians'. It characterised the debate around black sections as a "problem'. And while the mover made clear that in his view they were talking about a black organisation not a antiracist club for white liberals, this is not spelt out in writing - giving the NEC a chance to decide
Donald Dewer: dampening poll tax resistance WAYNE EDGINTON otherwise. Labour Briefing called for a vote against on this basis. Black Sections themselves called for abstention on the resolution -probably an indication of differences amongst their ranks about the best tactics in the situation. They intend to particpate in the consulation which will be an important process but which is likely to receive treatment from the NEC as contemptuous as that suffered by youth and women.
The standard Black Sections resolution itself was defeated but did receive support this year from NUPE. It is vital that over the next year the consulation is used to build incresed support for Black Sections themselves rather than getting lost in cosy chats with Walworth Road.The left needs to take on board the ideas raised in 'Black Agenda' and intergrate them into our policies and practice.
The debate on the poll tax was a frustrating non-event. Whereas at the special conference in Scotland the forces supporting non-payment were strong enough to answer the leaderships challenges; that we would lead people into massive debt through a non-payemnt campaign,that labour could not advocate breaking the law, in Blackpool the retort was much less developed. This is clealy an indication that building a mass camapign against the tax that can alter this balance of forces is a major priority for the left in England and Wales.
The discussion on Palestine was contradictory. On the one hand conference passed policy supporting the intifada, recognising the PLO as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, supporting Palestinian self-determination and calling for Israeli withdrawal from the 'Occupied Territories'. At the same time it supported the NEC statement, which pretends that an Israeli Labour goverment would offer a way forward, offers no support to the uprising and calls for a Palestinian SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 10 November 1988
THE POTENTIAL to develop a serious
fightback against the overpowering tide of new realism was demonstrated most clearly
not on conference floor, but through the
fringe The Labour Briefing meeting after the leadership results were announced provided a
welcome lift for ragged spirits. Three hundred
and fifty people packed into the room to hear
Benn, Heffer and many others. It was unfortunate that many left before listening to the
final speeches from Harringay councillor,
Martha Osamore and Mandy Mudd from homeland in the same way that South Africa creates bantustans. Despite these problems, the fact that the composite was passed is a major step foward on this crucial issue.
On Ireland the resolution opposing employment discrimination was passed — a small but significant step forwad. But on the key question of withdrawal there was little support. Only the ACTT and the NCU among the trade unions are likely to have voted for it (there was no card vote). It is vital that the 'Year of Action' is used to build a much stronger current in the unions and constituencies which will support
The key decisions of conference on which the leadership was defeated were:
• one woman on every shortlist,
• for a national minimum wage and 35 hour week; opposition to employment training (ET)
• reaffirmation of unilateralism.
The decision on one woman on very shortlist was opposed by the NEC explicitly on the basis that it would undermine shortlists of one, making clear that this was a victory not only for women but on the question of party democracy. The decisions on minumum wage, week and ET schemes were a shot fired by the unions and the TGWU in particular to warn Kinnock there were limits as to how much they were prepared to concede to Thatcherism. This understood in the context of Todd's stitch up of the TGWU exectutive to unanimously back Kinnock-Hattersley. The message is 'we will support your leadership and most of your policies but there are limits'. While we have no illusions in these forces, we have to look at the possiblity of devloping concrete campaigns for the implementation of these policies in which we attempt to involve them to make sure the line is held at next years conference.
Obviously defending the decision on unilateralism is particularly important. We should understand that Kinnock was always clear that this would be the most difficult battle to win, which is precisely why it is not dealt with in the policy review. And he has made it clear that he will ignore conference decisions on this and everything else.
All these victories were won because SOCIALIST OUTLOOK no 10 November 1988
FEATURES On the Fringe Briefing make the most powerful contributions of the evening. The Socailist Conference fringe meeting was another useful step in establsibing the viatl role this current plays in building the left inside and outside the party
The second Briefing meeting, on Thursday gave delegates a welcome opportunity to assess the week and the tasks flowing out of it without a parade of long speeches from the platform. Other useful meeting were held uround single issue camapigns by the Labour of the support of the trade unions especially the TGWU. It is clear that one of the things that will be up for decision at next years conference and will dominate discussion over the next year is the question of the realtionship between the trade unions and the CLPs and the question of the block vote. Obviously we have a position that the way the block vote is used is undemocratic. This must be raised consistently whether or not votes are going our way. We should point out that the leadership is inconsistent on this question - they only started to howl about the block vote when it went against them. We are in favour of democratisation of the block vote; for a campaign for consultation of members of unions on policy before votes are cast and for the expression through voting of minority and majority positions. There is justifiable resentment in the CLPs about marginalisation, exemplified at this conference not only in the few constituency speakers that were called, but even in the seating arrangements which meant that many CLP delegates were out of sight of both the chair and the TV cameras. We believe that the CLPs should have more say in decision making than currently, but we should take time to discuss out whether we support Benn's 50/50 formula or a different breakdown. But the key thing is that it is necessary to go on the offensive over the question of BRE Jeremy Corbyn addressing Briefing fringe meeting
Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights, Black Sections, the Labour Movement Campaign for Palestine and many others, It was very unfortunate that so few people made the long trek to the Women for Socialism meeting, and thus missed for my mind the most rivetting moment of the week, the contribution from Elean Thomas, from the Workers Party of Jamacia, who not only spoke of the struggles of women in her country but gave a very powerful poetry reading. trade union democracy at the same time as to take to fight to defend and extend socialist polcies into the unions. Detailed discussions need to take place over the next months to elaborate precisely what demands the left should raise and what organisational structure is best equiped to take up this battle.
The results of the leadership contest were clearly worse than the left had hoped. Benn won 0.340% in the affiliated organisations, 5.872% in the Constituency Labour Party section and 5.185% in the Parliamentary Labour Party section: totalling 11.370%. In the Deputy leadership contest Hattersley took 31.339% in the affiliated organisations section, with Heffer getting 0.007% and Prescott 8.654%. In the CLPS, Hattersley took 18.109%, Heffer 4.06% and Prescott 7.845%; in the PLPS they got 17.376%, 5.430% and 7.195% respectively. This gave them a total of Hattersley 66:823%, Heffer 9.483% and Prescott 23.64%. In particular Hattersley's vote in the constituencies is a sign of the strength of those Kinnock supporters who will back Hattersley as part of the
The campaign had a number of weaknesses. In particular, the ambivalence about whether to go ahead meant that when the decision was finally taken there was insufficient opportunity to take the debate into the trade unions. There
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THE NEC produced a report in which they ig nored the decisions of Womens Conference On: • Resolutions from Women's Conference being debated at Annual Conference. • Women's Conference electing the Womens Section of the NEC • Women's Conference proposals on elect- ing the national labour womens committee. They used the fact that trade union delegations had abstained at Labour