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Report from Ann Black: NEC Meeting 24 September 2002
Tony Blair opened the
meeting before leaving for the parliamentary debate on Iraq. He
hoped that the international community could coalesce around a clear
United Nations resolution enabling the weapons inspectors to do their
job, but stressed that Saddam Hussein would never comply unless
diplomacy was backed up by force. He also recognised that Labour
would be judged primarily on domestic policy. At times of
economic insecurity people were best helped by active government, not
by Tory laisser-faire, and investment in public services was bringing
real improvement. Equally important was criminal justice reform, and
avoiding the difficulties with asylum and immigration experienced by
fellow- European countries. He would be meeting Gerhard
Schroeder later, and the NEC expressed pleasure at recent socialist
election victories in both Germany and Sweden.
Many concerns were
expressed regarding Iraq, particularly the United States’ pursuit of
regime change regardless of Baghdad’s actions and of world opinion.
Pre-emptive strikes would set alarming precedents: why
should India not attack Pakistan, or China invade Taiwan? George
Bush had also branded Iran and North Korea rogue states: would we be
involved in wars without end? United Nations decisions should be
enforced, but double standards were resented, with resolutions on
Palestine and Kashmir gathering dust. The West were fickle in
their alliances, and Saddam Hussein committed his worst crimes against
the Kurds and the Iranians with American complicity and British
silence. After the war, would Iraq balkanise and Saudi Arabia
collapse?
Iraq had no
demonstrated connection with Al-Qaeda and September 11, where
terrorists used ordinary knives, not weapons of mass destruction.
Better intelligence and tighter security were the priorities.
Was this new war really about oil instead? Closer to home,
soaring petrol prices had proved politically dangerous two years ago.
Alignment with George Bush was unpopular in the party and on the
doorstep.
Members also asked
for immigration and asylum to be discussed separately from crime, and
reported continuing problems with private companies screwing down pay
and conditions. Tony Blair agreed that public service workers should
not suffer, but failure to reform posed greater risks. And
Dennis Skinner said that ministers should have taken a stronger line
against the Countryside Alliance, whose villages were generally far
more affluent than former mining communities.
In closing, Tony Blair emphasised the importance of the Middle East peace process in its own right, and repeated that he did not want unilateral action, but implementation of the will of the United Nations. A statement from the Britain in the World policy commission also hoped for a peaceful outcome, with force as a last resort. There will be a debate, and votes, at the annual conference, on an NEC statement and probably one or more resolutions. I believe the party will hold together as long as wishful thinking convinces us that there will be no war. What happens when the bombing starts is another matter entirely.
European Matters
Gary Titley, the
newly-elected leader of the European Parliamentary Labour Party,
explained the suspension of whistle-blower Marta Andreason, for which
Neil Kinnock has received a lot of flak. She had taken
allegations to the press which were either already in the public
domain, or unsupported by facts, and the Daily Telegraph were loving
it. His written summary included new proposals to recycle up to
65% of all packaging, and to reduce the amount of wrapping material
used in the first place.
David Triesman reported that most regions had selected their Euro- candidates for 2004. One-member-one-vote ballots to rank sitting MEPs at the top of each list and women and men for the remainder would open on 4 October and close on 1 November. For the first time, candidates’ names would be listed in random rather than alphabetical order. Tony Banks, Nicky Gavron and Bob Shannon had been shortlisted for the London mayoral election, and this ballot would run to the same timetable. Turning the Corner
Financial news was
moderately encouraging. Expenditure was below forecast levels,
outstanding debts were being pursued, and membership fees and small
donations were ahead of target. Media attacks on major donors
were unfair and damaging, but hopefully existing promises would be
kept. David Triesman was working constructively with Bill
Morris, the Chair of the Trade Union Liaison Committee. The
level of union support was important, but stability and predictability
even more so. Members pointed out that many unions had to ballot
soon on keeping their political funds, under legislation introduced by
Margaret Thatcher solely to cut off Labour’s financial lifeline.
This should have been abolished long ago. The ballots
could be won, if members were convinced that Labour still represented
working people, but they absorbed time and resources which could be
better spent.
While recognising international concerns, the conference week would focus on investment and reform of public services, and on the threat of Tory extremism. The Tories had stolen the American Republican rhetoric of “compassionate conservatism”, and domestically at least George Bush’s policies are fair game. Members asked also for material to counter the LibDems’ repackaged image, when we find out what it is. Others emphasised Labour’s social justice agenda and the new benefits and tax credits, which needed promoting both to members and to the wider electorate. Openness, engagement and free debate would run through every session. By contrast, the Tory conference would be a hollow PR exercise.
Mark Seddon proposed
“Socialism, Peace and Justice” for the backdrop, but it looked
like the slogan would be “Schools and Hospitals First”. Pictures
of the hall layout showed a hexagonal stage extending into the
audience and linked to the top table by a catwalk. Speakers were
distinctly nervous, and no-one quite knew what it would feel like in
the hall, or, more importantly, the impression on television viewers
back home. There was unhappiness about finishing at Thursday
lunchtime and losing the advertised afternoon session. The
Friday has already gone, and like glaciers under global warming, a few
more hours are eroded every year. Worse, no-one knew who made
the decision. The NEC certainly did not, and the Conference
Arrangements Committee say it wasn’t them either.
The Rules of the
Game
The NEC opposed
various constitutional amendments from constituencies and affiliates.
These included extra constituency seats on the NEC; admitting
eight contemporary topics for debate with four each chosen by the
constituencies and the unions; the right to amend National Policy
Forum papers, and to refer back sections of policy documents without
rejecting the whole package; and having quotas for men wherever there
are quotas for women. I was hopeful that we could at last
exclude the Lords from the constituency section of the NEC by giving
them their own seats. Though the GMB and the TGWU were in favour, only
three constituency representatives - Christine Shawcroft, Mark Seddon
and myself – voted for change, and we lost by 7 votes to 10. However
it could well be carried on the floor of conference.
Finally a modest
success. In July I reported that candidates in local and
national elections, as well as elected councillors and MPs, would have
to pay the full subscription rate. Campaign organisers trying to
mobilise volunteers for hopeless seats responded with anguished mails
explaining that this would make a difficult job impossible. They
attracted considerable sympathy, and the rule changes sent to
conference delegates imposed the full rate only on elected
representatives. Unfortunately this turned out to be a mistake,
not a change of heart, and an additional amendment covering candidates
was ready for circulation in Blackpool. I asked for it to be
withdrawn, if only because delegates would have had no chance to
consult their constituencies, and this was agreed by 12 votes to 9.
Your arguments won the day, and showed that the NEC can listen
to ordinary party members who do the work on the ground.
Ann Black, 88 Howard Street, Oxford OX4 3BE, 01865-722230, ann.black@unisonfree.net
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