SOCIALIST Outlook arqued that this year's Labour Party Conference we would see Blair move further onto the offensive, building on his victories against the left over Clause 4.
However the scale of Blair's triumph took us by surprise. A 10 -0 victory over the left (as the Observer put it -adding that 'Old Labour' was locky to get nil!), was unprecedented in recent history. With the help of the trade union burcaucracy he was able to set the left up, knock it down, and push it firmly into touch.
We argued that CL.P delegates led Dy tne oranisco ci wowo B difficult to commit Labour to even minimal socialist policies that could address the problems of the low paid. sick, elderly, jobless youth and the oppressed in our society.
Attempting to recoup ground lost over C4 and organised in the Socialist Campaign Group Nerwork and in other co-ordinations. the left challenged Blair with a good daily delegate's bulletin and rightly focused on policy issues such as support for a wage, resolutions designed to stop the erosion of the trade union link.
Class basis
They correctly recognised that this issue lies at the centre of Blair's aim to shift the class basis of the Party, The ielt opposco the icadership's concessions on grant-maintained schools, its willingness to countenance the development of a mu co cole assem ah0 new rule book. It also organised to defend Liz Davies, who was set up just before Conference, to no avail.
At the end of the day the socialists were engaged in little more than a rear-guard action. With the help of Scargil!: "Start spreading the news, I'm leaving toda-a-a-a-ay"
Blair unashamedly pilfered the ideas and even the language of Wilson. Kennedy and Clinton, but also of Newt Gingrich, the high-tech ide blogue of the US right. Blair's biblical references and the ideals of Christian socialism, interspersed with a constant, rhythmic repetiton of key words like "you". "me". "new", "young". "faimess" "the future", jarred on some of his audience, but not in all cases for the right TECORS This was particulariy so amongst the ageing ranks of trade union barons, who today preside over plummeting union memberships and a situation in which only 4 per cent of employed youth under 20 are organised in trade unions.
Evangelism
Despite the evangelism, morality plays and one-off windfall taxes. none of this cuts much ice in the inner cities or on the bousing estates: nor will it inspire the county's disillusioncd and anery youth, scss char half of whom voted at the last GenBisir's unrivalled triumph was bought at a price. But the trade union bureaucracy, frightened to rock the boat, wanted only a small price for their loyalty: a fragile agreement from Blair not to force their share of che Conference vote below 50 per cent in the foresecable future, an end to compulsory competiti ve tendering in local government, a clearér commitment on union rights of recognition and representation. an end to restrictions on the use of 'check off" schemes by employers for the payment of union subscriptions.
Pool lie to Another carrot was thrown by the leader in his Conference speech. The Ks vn ama Vousuate antee' for the existence of a publicly owned rail network under Labour. According to the Sunday Telegraph, onc union baron described the outcome of Conference as "trebles all round'*! Unfortunately the promises on rail has already been put into question, with new Labour transport spokesperson Clare Short explaining that "regulation", not renationalistion, will be Labour's immediate goal for rail after privatisation.