pronouncements about further steps to outlaw public sector strikes. He continues Labour's tradition of promoting itself as an alternative capitalist At the same time, Blair depends on working people voting Labour despite his policies because they desperately want to oust the Tories.
However, recent opinion polls show that despite 76 percent of the population recognising that a class struggle exists in Britain, only 17 percent of trade unionists identified strongly with the Labour Party.
No doubt most trade unionists will vote Labour at the election, but Blair is storing up trouble for himself.
Trade unionists prepared to vote Labour but not particularly committed to its policies are more likelv to take action when it fails to deliver. Blair hopes to undercut this by leaving the Tory anti-union laws in place and possibly adding some more of his own.
Thus far, there would be little to distinguish Labour from the Tories. But the involvement of trade union delegates at every level of the party allows them to influence policy and potentially fight the leadership.
Blair knows this and it is why he and his predecessors have attempted to reduce the weight of the unions within the Party. It is also why he might move to break the link arter the election.
But that would be a double-edged sword. While it might ultimately relieve Blair of the necessity to fight the unions internally, it could also provoke a civil war in the Party which would damage him.
Severing the link might also make it harder for union leaders to hold back tneir members. ror years they have argued that we cannot 'rock the boat' Kim Howells. Wot no socialism?
'HERE ARE a swathe of resolutions to Labour Party Conference calling for full employment and for defence of the welfare state. But unless those who want to campaign on these questions take on board the real significance of Maastricht Treaty and European Monetary Union (EMU) these goals cannot be achieved.
There are only seven resolutions on the question. The profound impact these issues will have on British politics and on £4.26 per hour: delegates at the TUC have a cunning plan. because it might lose Labour the election.
Thus they have allowed successive Labour leaders to continually reduce union (and Let intluence on Party policy, so that now they are completely out in the cold.
The biggest risk to Blair's plans is of course that this election is not yet won. If Labour does lose, it could unleash a maior backlash from those who have swallowed the bitter pill of Blair's policies in exchange for a promised victory.
Party conference is planned as a pre-election rally for displaying the awemuch ack?
to which Blair has alienated trade union.
leaders may be less willing to do his dirty motions.
Blair dismisses dissent as of no consequence because ne cams i course there has been plenty devolution, Trade Union law, pensions on we sun made tions unacceptable to the leadership.
are made. For the left the fight for policies in the interest of the working class is inseparable from the fight for Party and union democracy over democracv.
Photo Andrew Wiard their part in creating the machinery they criticise. Short's witch-hunting of Liz at last year's conference is a prime exgains made at the TUC must be must be stepped up. Many trade unionwould disown them. Blair must be made