National Executive
Committee, 20 September 2004
Tony Blair stressed
that the coming conference must present a strong forward offer,
telling voters what Labour would do in a third term rather than
resting on our laurels. The Tories were ever more extreme, and
the LibDems were split into two factions pulling in opposite
directions. On Iraq, whether the initial invasion was right or
wrong we had to hold firm and see the task through. He promised
to talk with the unions over manufacturing job losses at Jaguar and in
South Wales.
He then responded to
comments and questions. The European constitution would not be a
major issue until after the general election, but we could defend our
success in retaining national control over tax and defence. He
reassured the unions that he was committed to agreements reached by
the National Policy Forum at Warwick, as they were sensible measures
which would benefit working people. Members praised the new bill
controlling gangmasters, which would protect British as well as
migrant workers, and Dennis Skinner again praised Labour’s
outstanding record on the economy which underpinned jobs, health and
everything else, but which voters somehow took for granted.
Electorally members
had two main concerns. The Tories and the LibDems were wooing
pensioners, and Labour needed to improve take-up of the pension
credit, look at thresholds for council tax benefit, and consider
concessionary bus fares and funding long-term care. The other
remained Iraq, including alienation of the ethnic minority vote.
Christine Shawcroft called for British troops to be withdrawn, while
Mark Seddon suggested handing over to Muslim peace-keepers, and was
anxious about protecting the Turkoman and Assyrian Christian
minorities. He feared that a re-elected George Bush would launch
fresh military “pacification”. Tony Blair said there was no
evidence for this. Labour was the only party to give Muslims
their own schools, and promote Muslim candidates as likely MPs.
All governments, pro- or anti-war, faced the problems of Iraq, and if
Britain had stayed out we would have reaped cascades of criticism for
wrecking the transatlantic alliance. Other members condemned all
terrorism and called for suicide bombers to be brought to justice.
Ugly Rumours
I deplored continued
press sniping at ministers, and asked Tony Blair about his
oft-repeated phrase that the party has never been so ideologically
united. Was he worried that it was also shrinking, and were we
driving people away if they did not share his ideology? I cited
the 190,000 paid-up members who can vote in selections. Tony Blair
responded with the 215,000 including those in arrears, and the 15,000
new recruits this year. He argued that no-one could oppose an
ideology which had created two million new jobs, invested record
amounts in public services, and increased aid to developing countries.
Conference must show us as confident, not uncertain or divided.
Members gave him a table-thumping round of applause as he left to
launch Richard Branson’s tilting Virgin train.
Membership figures
will be reported verbally to future meetings of the NEC’s audit
committee. The £2-for-two-years deal for young members,
recorded in the annual report, has been adapted to allow people to
join Labour Students and the party for £1, and this should boost
numbers and activism.
Leadership in
Europe
Gary Titley spoke of
the challenges for a group of 19 Labour MEPs, down from 29 and within
a larger overall socialist group. They were rebuilding post-Iraq
bridges with sister parties, starting with Malta and Greece, and
looked forward to working with Peter Mandelson as trade commissioner.
The UK would hold the presidency of the European Union in the second
half of 2005, dealing with funding after 2006 and further enlargement:
Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia and most controversially Turkey are queuing
up to join. Other issues included maintaining national control
of health services and getting the agency workers’ directive through
the council of ministers, where the socialist group want a delay of no
more than six weeks before these workers gain equal rights.
Sadly there have been backward shifts on equalities. A group
called Women on Waves, which provides advice on reproductive rights
from onboard a ship, has been barred from Portuguese waters, and the
European parliament backed this interference with freedom of movement
and information on on anti-abortion grounds. The NEC supported
the MEPs on employment rights, and were interested in the antics of
the UKIP contingent.
The Great Survivor
Ian McCartney,
happily still with us, reported on the Hartlepool by- election, where
Labour’s candidate Iain Wright had reassured voters that the local
hospital would stay open. Middlesbrough mayor Ray Mallon was
lending his weight to the campaign, and to the referendum for a
north-east assembly.
He reinforced the
success of the July National Policy Forum. Tony Robinson
questioned whether the sense of ownership was shared by constituency
representatives, who were not involved in the all- night negotiations
and had to spend the night asleep or in the bar. Others suggested that
submitters of amendments which provoked conflict were rewarded by
face-to-face discussion with ministers, compared with those
contributing more constructive comments. Nevertheless the outcomes
were good and should be promoted widely, to ordinary workers on the
shop floor and not just to the activists.
Final documents were
signed off by officers of the Forum, the joint policy committee and
the organisation committee. Some queried the constitutionality
of this rather ad hoc group, and indeed the organisation committee has
no remit over policy, but on this occasion their decisions were not
controversial. The role of the joint policy committee will be
picked up in the review of Partnership in Power. The three
working groups have each met twice, and there will be further
consultation at conference, at the NEC awayday in November, and
through the year ahead.
Conference Preview
Conference will be
themed around A Better Life for All, especially for hard-working
families. Most rule changes had already been discussed, but in
addition the NEC agreed to propose that the Young Labour
representative should be a woman at least every other term. Also the
jury is still out on the Clause V committee which signs off the
election manifesto. Current plans include the NEC, seven
backbench members of the parliamentary committee, the cabinet, the
chair and vice-chairs of the National Policy Forum, and eight extra
trade union members. Some members were unhappy with constituency
representation cut to below 10%, the lack of European input, and the
likely shift to a more male make-up. Others argued that the
cabinet must be included as they have to implement the manifesto.
The NEC will decide its final position at conference before going to
the vote.
Given the variety of
recent protests – Batman climbing Buckingham Palace, invasion of the
Commons chamber, and angry scuffles outside parliament – the chief
constable of Sussex was heard with particular attention as he outlined
measures to protect the conference. He stressed that though
security was his top priority, the police were also keen that
democratic proceedings should continue, and that delegates should
enjoy themselves. The NEC thanked John Watts and the conference
unit for their work, including the enormous logistical job of
processing 15,000 applications for accreditation. Numbers of
constituencies represented will be reported afterwards. (Last
year 518 delegates from 499 constituencies attended, down from 570
delegates from 527 constituencies in 2002.)
I asked for earlier
circulation of papers and clearer guidance on late applications for
delegates, as the forms contradict each other. Policy resolutions
which are not judged contemporary or not prioritised are referred to
the policy commissions, and I tried again to discover what happens to
those which concern party organisation, and are said to be “referred
to the NEC”. The chair of the conference arrangements
committee thought that the organisation committee saw them, but we
don’t. Others questioned why a fringe meeting on fighting the
BNP had four white men as the only speakers.
There was a
mini-wrangle over the three assistant chairs. The rules state
that one each shall come from the unions/socialist societies, the MPs/councillors,
and the constituencies, by selection of “the senior member who has
yet to be chair or vice-chair” in each section. This did not
prevent assorted members throwing their own or others’ hats into the
ring, and the supreme chair Mary Turner will choose between the many
volunteers. Finally, Bono of U2 will not be speaking – more
press fabrication – though a steelworkers’ choir, a chorus from
Corus, has offered to sing the Red Flag.
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