march2004

Report from Ann Black: National Executive Committee, 30 March 2004

Tony Blair laid out the dividing lines for the year ahead. Labour

stood for economic stability and expanding opportunity in a

changing world. Delivery departments were drawing up five-year

plans, guided by the National Policy Forum and the Big

Conversation. Meanwhile the Tories clung to the old Thatcherite

agenda, claiming that public spending is not improving services, and

pandering to crude fears on Europe and asylum. Labour’s message

was clear: asylum claims were falling and abuses were being

sorted, but managed migration was a good thing. Anti-immigrant

campaigns were the lowest form of politics, and we had to choose

the right moment to expose them. Members sympathised with

Beverley Hughes, and were angry and frustrated at the stream of

tabloid lies.

NEC members called for Labour to sell its achievements more

vigorously. They praised new schools, falling unemployment, letting

people keep their pensions while they were in hospital, extending

the minimum wage to younger workers, Kevan Jones’ bill banning

Christmas Day trading, and the Commission on Africa. The bill on

civil partnerships was welcomed, though pension rights should be

equalised. The pension protection scheme was also appreciated,

but retrospective measures were needed for workers at ASW and

elsewhere who had contributed for decades and were left with

nothing. Tony Blair agreed that this was a classic Labour issue,

where safety nets were needed to protect individuals against market

failure, but he would have to weigh up the financial implications.

Northern colleagues criticised negative Tory campaigning against

regional government. Claims of massively increased tax and

bureaucracy were ludicrous when the assemblies’ budgets would be

comparable with that of Rochdale council. I advised against a

referendum on the European constitution. Polls said that 90% didn’t

understand it, so the vote would in fact be about something else,

probably a “free” pop at the government. Tony Blair said the Tories

had trapped themselves by promising to renegotiate the treaty. If

they were serious, Britain would be ejected from the European

Union because no other country would accept it. If not, it was a

meaningless gesture. He also pledged to renew attacks on the

LibDems, but believed that ultimately they were not the real enemy.

I Heard it on the Grapevine

Christine Shawcroft and I were concerned about the way civil

service job cuts were announced in the budget. Frontline workers,

counselling others while relying on benefits to top up their own low

pay, were distressed at finding out from the radio. Tony Blair

argued that rationalisation and record investment in new technology

meant fewer staff were needed, or we would be charged with

wasting money. However it was important to handle matters

properly, in co-operation with the unions.

Others warned that equal pay would be costly for local and national

government, and complained that failed directors were still receiving

fat handouts. As at previous meetings Tony Blair said that the two-

tier workforce was being addressed step by step, and promised to

look at employers who deducted Bank Holidays from workers’ four

weeks annual leave to get round the European directive. And he

accepted that the Middle East was the biggest difficulty in relations

with the Muslim world. Hopefully Israel’s partial withdrawal would

be followed by new security proposals, and revive the Road Map.

Again there were appeals for party unity and an end to sniping in the

media. The annual meeting of Labour Clubs unanimously asked

MPs and government to act in unison. Peter Hain was criticised for

telling the government to talk to the party when he never attended

policy commission meetings or the National Policy Forum himself.

However Tony Blair was optimistic, in that most members were

proud of the government and wanted it to carry on, not always true

in Labour’s past. It was internal divisions over policies such as top-

up fees that alienated voters, not the policies themselves.

Battle Plans

Douglas Alexander updated the NEC on strategies for the

European, local and London elections. Ken Livingstone is riding

high at 50% in the polls, but other candidates have tighter contests.

For regions with all-postal ballots the key date will not be 10 June

but 25 May, when ballot papers drop through doors, and there were

worries about major campaign events falling after people have

voted. For many it is no longer Get Out The Vote, but Stay Home

And Vote.

Gary Titley MEP reminded members that every vote counts,

whether in Surrey or in Salford, and that LibDems as well as Tories

consistently oppose workers’ interests in the European parliament.

The Working Time Directive needed proper renegotiation, as other

countries were getting round it by excluding large groups of

workers, and simply ending the opt-out would paralyse accident and

emergency services. The top priority for Britain was to ensure that

employees are not forced to sign away their rights. His written

report highlighted measures to protect dolphins by banning drift

nets, and research on the risks of choking on small toys concealed

inside chocolates.

Looking further ahead, Diana Organ MP is standing down in the

Forest of Dean, and her successor will be chosen from an all-

women shortlist. Bitterness over the Brent East selection

resurfaced, but the Disputes Panel had considered an investigation

of the shortlisting and a report on the hustings, and concluded that

procedures were correctly followed, staff and officers behaved

impeccably, and members’ rights were not undermined.

Accusations of racism were unwarranted and offensive, particularly

as the successful candidate, Yasmin Qureshi, is not only a Muslim

but also a woman.

Hostages to Fortune

Turning to party matters, the Audit Committee has been beefed up

and finances are improving. Some were unhappy that the NEC was

kept in the dark, but others argued that detailed information always

leaked, and openness and transparency required greater self-

discipline. I am often asked how many members Labour has, but

the general secretary reiterated the decision of his predecessors:

figures will be published in the annual report once a year, but will not

otherwise be provided to journalists or anyone else. The party is

writing to every member who left since 2001, inviting them to rejoin,

and the new magazine Labour Today has been launched, replacing

Inside Labour.

The last annual conference agreed that residents of Northern

Ireland could join Labour as individuals, but the NEC confirmed that

the party would not organise there. Unsurprisingly the aggrieved

members claim that they are still victims of discrimination and are

pursuing further legal action. I just hope our lawyers were right

when they assured us that this would fail. New laws on disability will

affect constituencies and branches, and guidance on access to

meetings will be issued later this year.

Two-Tier Forum

The Spring Conference was proclaimed the biggest and most

successful ever, with attendance over 2,700. Ian McCartney

reported that the National Policy Forum also ran smoothly.

However, Part Two in July will have four times as much to discuss.

Amendments may be rationed, and there will still be too little time to

consider and consult. I again raised the difficulties for constituency

members compared with ministers and trade unions. They have the

Joint Policy Committee papers three days before the Forum, we

have them for three minutes. They can send substitutes to maintain

their voting strength, constituencies cannot. They can share

amendments among a number of delegates, constituencies have no

central co-ordination. They have full-time support staff, we have

full-time jobs outside the labour movement. But I sensed that I was

making little progress.

Peace Breaks Out

And finally, a first: Mark Seddon proposed and I seconded a motion

which was carried unanimously:

“The NEC wishes to express its sincere condolences to the

people of Madrid and unreservedly condemns the terrorist

outrage that killed up to two hundred people and maimed many

others. The NEC also notes that the third anniversary of the

terrorist attack on the World Trade Center will be

commemorated later this year in New York and welcomes

plans to erect a memorial to British victims in Lower

Manhattan. The NEC furthermore congratulates our sister

party, the Spanish Socialists, for their recent general election

victory and looks forward to building relations between our two

parties.”

Questions and comments are welcome, and I am happy for this to

be circulated to members as a personal account, not an official

record. Past reports are available at http://www.annblack.com

Ann Black, 88 Howard Street, Oxford OX4 3BE, 01865-722230,

ann.black@unisonfree.net

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