OF COURSE nobody thinks that this year's Labour Party Conference will yield anything like the debates or outcome of 1945. The political situation is different, the party membership is different, the party structures are dillerent. But that certainly doesn't mean that any socialist should be indifIt's positive that many activists will be coming down on the Sunday to lobby the Indeed it is to be hoped that the unity that has been built around that campaign - between trade union activists and single issue between those in the Labour Party and those who are not, between supporters of different left newspapers and none, should be built on in the future in each locality. At the same time it is also necessary to give some attention to what will happen on conference floor as well. Of course that is one of the ways in which things have changed - it's not possible any more to say at this stage what will be discussed and therefore what, if any, the flash points of debate will be. No longer does every affiliated organisation whether CLP, trade union or socialist society have the right to submit a resolution on an issue of their choice. Instead the majority of the "discussion" will be on the policy documents which are going through the mill of the "policy forums". One set of these documents, on Health, on Welfare and on Crime and justice will be voted on by conference this year at the end of a two year cycle. There will be no amendments moved and no minority reports these would higher percentage of the delegates than the left was able to This procedure will itself be open to challenge because it was not laid down in the Partnership into Power document which supposedly set out all these mechaat will be the same Celer ence will only have the option to accept or reject the text on offer -and no prizes for guessing what the outcome will be. Another set of six policy documents will come for an initial debate and will then go back thoush nolicy forums to return for endorsement next year. The scope of areas covered by all this is vast One text covers Industry, Culture and Agriculture for example (and no, I don't know how Culture got slipped in there!) "Democracy and Citizenship" is shot through with the familiar Blairite tenets that undermine any meaningful understanding of democracy even in Parliamentary terms ; it tells us that " rights without responsibilities can lead to greed and a concentration merely on self-interest". As NEC member Liz Davies based on the false idea that the competitive market economy and free trade will bring greater pros.
and equality to every Moss goes on to explain why the left in the Labour Party needs to be opposed to globalisation, the Multilateral Agreemeing on Investment, and to the single curConference does have a slot for what are known as 'contemporary rcautons , which naye to oc on subjects not covered by the policy documents.
There is nothing laid down as to how many of these resolutions will be debated - last year it was four. Essentially will be chosen by the major unions as these have the deciding weight of votes.
Competing subjects of interest include condemnation of the 200800005H3O by the firefighters, opposition to privatisation of the Post Office and to privatisation of air traffic control as well as a long list of worthy but meaningless motions on every subject under the sun.
If the big unions TGWU and UNISON were to go for one of the sharper ones this would give focus to the undoubted disquiet that exists in many CL.Ps.
However despite the Guardian's speculation that this will happen, more sober political assessment suggests that sadly it is unlikely Not only did union leaders duck the possiblity last year but their at the TUC has showed them as abject devotees of the Blair line.
While in is important that the left continues to raise its voice on conierence Hoot wacacych it cany in the end opposition to privatisation, defence of the welfare state and other crucial issues will be more likley to be determined campaigning nationally and locally with others committed to the same principles than in sterile debates with the Blair mafia.