Pete Firmin looks at the tasks facing the Labour Left for the Network of Socialist Campaign Groups Conference, to be held in Leeds on December 6. SIX MONTHS into the Labour government, the Leeds conference takes place at an important time for the Labour Left. It is now possible to assess what that government is doing and the response of the Left so far.
The government has shown clearly that the pre-election move to adopt Tory policies was no mere smokescreen. From day one, the priority has been to gain the confidence of the employers and to carry out policies in their interests.
This has meant independence for the Bank of England and bringing millionaires like Lord Simon into the Cabinet. It has ensured a firm commitment to the single European currency, with all the cuts in the welfare state that entails, even if there has been some uncertainty about when Britain should join.
Cuts in lone parent benefit, the 'New Deal' forcing people into low paid jobs are one side of this equation. The other side is the delay in introducing a minimum wage (likely to be low and with at least the exemption of young workers) and no move on the Tory anti-union laws, little progress on union rights.
The refusal to address disputes like the Liverpool dockers, which the government could move on since it is a shareholder in the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company is part of the same picture.
In government, the Blairites have found that reality cannot be manipulated as easily as the Labour Party. Even their famed presentation skills have failed them with the farce of Ecclestone's El million.
On the terrain of Party democracy it has been a mixed bag for Blair. "Partnership in Power", a fundamental attack on Party democracy, went through conference without too many problems.
Blair is seeing through the expulsion of key activists in Leeds North East. He has so far managed to mute any rebellion by MPs by changing the PLP's standing orders so that MPs are disciplined for voting against the Whip on anything, rather than only on motions of confidence as previously. Even the Left MPs have only been willing to abstain rather than vote against policies they oppose.
The other side to the coin has also been evident however. Blair's favourite son, Mandelson lost to Ken Livingstone for the NEC. The four MEPs suspended for having the audacity to question the system by which MEPs will be elected next time won a lifting of the suspension and the gag, and now Jack Straw has even retreated on the system of election itself.
On the Parliamentary front, things may come to a head soon with the vote on the scrapping of lone parent benefit, where there is a large group of MPs may well defy the Whip, facing Blair with a choice of suspending them or backing down.
If they are suspended, then the Left needs to respond quickly with a massive campaign of support to show the MPs are not isolated.
The real issue facing the Left however, is not the question of the balance of forces within the Party, at whatever level, but what it can do to fight back against the policies of the government, and if possible force them to be reversed. The internal fight over democracy and policy is a part of that fight, but only part of it.
Promote fightback To defeat tuition fees for students, the 'New Deal' for the unemployed, or any other aspect of the government's policies, the Labour Left has to be part of, and promote, the fightback by those affected by the policy.
While MPs voting against pernicious policies is to be welcomed, given the government's majority, the number of MPs on the 'payroll vote' and the number of sycophants, this is not going to defeat the policy What might do so is if those MPs lend their weight to supporting and promoting the campaigns which exist on these issues, and Party members help to build and spread them.
Blair had an easy ride at conferDEFER FRE EDUCATION Left MPs must join up with fight against student fees ence mainly due to the support he received from the leaders of the big unions on Partnership in Power and other issues. Yet union members are among the hardest hit by the policies labour is pursuing.
Several union leaders defied their own conference policy to give Blair this support. They are not upset at the adoption of Partnership in Power because, just as it allows Blair to avoid being accountable to the movement, so they do not need to openly flout their unions' policy. Cosy chats in Downing Street are, of course, not minuted.
Labour Party members are not alone in being outraged at union leaders conduct. Within every union there are members arguing for the union to pursue its own pollcy more vigorously, for the accountability of the leaderships and for policies which would provide opposition to the direction of the government.
Instead of denouncing 'the unions', Party members need to be involved in left formations in their own unions and link up campaign groups with those in their areas fighting within the unions.
Labour Party branches and CLPs must be turned outwards to campaign around issues like tuition fees