'This reflects the strength of feeling within the union on the principle of public ownership. It is therefore clearly right that the special conference be given the opportunity to vote on keeping the existing Clause 4. "We regret that the NEC is seeking to confine voting at the Special conference solely to the wording proposed by the NEC. "Conference should have the opportunity to vote on the new statement of aims and values and on the existing Clause IV. *The last two Party conferences voted to retain Clause IV. We call upon the Conference Arrangements Committee and the NEC to allow special conference to vote on TONY BLAIR's plans to get rid of Clause Four received a setback at the Greater London Labour Party AGM, the first of the regional party conferences. To a tremendous cheer, Chair Jimmy Fitzpatrick, announced the result of the vote: a victory for the status quo.
Under current party rules the constituencies have 30% of the vote and the affiliated organisations 70% The vote was lost 12% to 18% in the constituency section but decisively carried in the affiliated organisation section by 47% to 23% - giving an overall result of 59% to 41%.
"Emergency"
The left had to fight over the weekend to ensure that the issue was voted on. Ealing Southall CLP submitted an "emergency" resolution calling for a discussion, but no vote to be taken. This was admitted as an emergency by a marrow margin and only finally defeated by less than 1% ..The constituency result.is ab-. Edmonds' GMB: abstaining viously disappointing, reflecting the extent of the London Labour Left's decline. This is probably greater than nationally following the right's sustained witch-hunting attacks on the "loony left" for so many years.
The union's opposition to the leadership was led by the RMTs Pat Sikorski who pointed out the significance of the debate in the leadership's refusal to commit themselves to reversing the privatisation of the utilities such as British Rail.
Barry Camfield of the TGWU drew laughter and applause when he derided Blair for maintaining that the 1918 Clause 4 is not "modern" enough, when he professes support for 2000-year old ideas in the Bible.
The delegation of the newly formed Communications Workers Union was in turmoil.
Despite the fact that the 1994 conferences of both constituent unions, the UCW and the NCU, carried motions supporting Clause Four, the new NEC voted 27-18 to support the Blair leadership, to organise a consultative postal ballot, and to instruct all union delegations to vote for change in the meantime.
To make doubly sure that no rebellions took place, Joint General Secretary Tony Young refused to hand ballot papers to delegates in violation of current Detalls 0Z1.224party rules, and also refused requests for delegation meetings.
A delegation meeting was finally forced when delegates protested to standing orders. The delegation majority voted 11-9 to oppose Young's ruling but the chair declared it carried 11-10 on CLAUSE FOUR his casting vote!
UNISON delegates also resisted Party General Secretary Tom Sawyer's arm-twisting and voted 12-3 for Clause 4. The GMB abstained in the final vote.
The situation is clearly up for grabs in several unions before special conference, in UNISON, MSF, the CWU postal ballot and even in the GMB. Blair is unlikely to concede a commitment to full employment in the constitution instead of Clause 4.
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 79. March 11 1995, Page 6.
DEFEND CLAUSE FOUR LOBBY Labour'S NEC 9.00-10.00am Bring banners to John Smith House, Walworth Rd, London SE17