to govern as 'New Labour", and to recreate the Labour Party in his own image. He sees the massive parliamentary majority as a mandate for carrying all of this However, the swing to Labour and the opinion polls show that people voted Labour precisely because they want change not a continuation of Tory policies.
Will MPs who have kept quiet for the last year start to challenge Blair's policies and support workers who come into struggle against the Labour government?
Ofthe trade union leaders only John Edmonds, at Scottish TUC, spoke out during the election campaign, with a critical speech, but will he and the other union leaders follow it through?
Union conferences over the next months will give an indicaists to Labour's victory.
Celebrations
Will the conferences insist that Blair has to deliver now he's won, or will they merely be victory celebrations? Will they be demanding that Blair repeals the anti-union laws and rebuilds the The test comes on two fronts: a challenge to words and in action is needed, as structuring the Labour Party. He knows that if he is to pursue capitalist nolicies he has to re move the ability of the unions and Party members to influence policy and call him to account.
ne about tato rower pro posals drawn up by the NEC are a far-reaching attack on Party democracy in general and the union-Party link in particular, in that they would remove the right of unions to put resolutions to Party conference.
hey teach you oron sultation, but most of the 'consuwith campaigning for a Labour They will be rewritten, genet with an Acuon Pian, but resolutions to Party conference. The deadline for resolutions to Blair may decide to go further and completely sever the link with the unions and introduce state funding - either at this year's conference or in the future. This task will be so much easier for him if the existing proposals meet little opposition.
Resolutions have been tabled for affiliated union conferences rejecting these proposals, and fringe meetingsave been organised at many by the Keep the Link' campaign and other forces in the unions.
Mandate
A fight must be organised not only to win taese motons out to commit the union delegations to voting against them at Labour Party conference.
Constituency Labour Parties will be discussing conference resolutions over the next month.
The Left should be pushing the model tesolutions being circulated by the Network of Socialist Campaign Groups on aspects of the "Labour into Power' proposWe must also attempt to mandate delegates to vote against the final NEC document.
Affiliate to the 'Keep the Link' campaign, sign its petition, get a speaker to your union branch or CLP. Keep the Link can be contacted c/o 138 Crampton St., London SE17 3AE.