By our correspondent TO READ the Guardian might make you believe that all is over on the Clause Four fight bar the shouting: but the truth, as so often with the Guardian, was different.
According to their report, the first set-piece conference since the publication of the lengthy new Aims & Values clause apparently saw the unions vote 82% for Blair.
In fact most large unions did not vote at all, but abstained. The 82% relates only to the unions which did cast a vote. On the sidelines were such major play. ers as the TGWU, UNISON, GMB, GPMU and MSF, none of which have yet decided a policy on the new And although Blair's vote predictably included the hard-right AEEU, it also included the divided Communications Workers Union, whose delegation spent much of the conference in acrimonious debate after being instructed by their general secretary to vote for the new Clause. In fact both unions now merged into the CWU had previous policy of defending Clause Four.
In fact there was strong FAIR PAY * for all *FAIR PA NHS staff or all UNISON thS sta FAIR PAY SUNISO UNISON must vote against market values support for Clause Four with opposition to the optfrom a determined element ing out of schools like the at Women's Conference. one to which Blair so ostenOut of 500-600 delegates, tatiously chose to send his 50-60 attended a Defend son. Clause Four fringe meet- Even at this late stage ing, while others equally Blair's supporters continue committed to the Clause to misrepresent the new made up a good number at statement. Clare Short actuthe rival fringe meeting ally claimed that it means called simultaneously on full employment: perhaps the new Aims and Values she should try to convince statement. Tony Blair of that!
Throughout the confer- In fact what Women's ence delegates also voted Conference shows is that for resolutions which fly in far from being done and the face of Tony Blair's re- dusted, there is still much assertion of market values. to play for in the Clause Resolutions calling for the. Four fight. Key unions have renationalisation of the rall- yet to decide: they could ways and the scrapping of yet tip the balance at the Compulsory Competitive Special Conference on Tendering were combined April 29.