Labour Party Conference: views from delegates

Submitted by Matthew on 7 October, 2010 - 1:18

A Unison activist from Chesterfield told Solidarity:

“On one level I was more optimistic about the mood of conference because I think that in some ways the meaning of the vote for Ed Miliband was underestimated. I was pleased that David did not win leadership of the Party.

Although the media said there was only a tiny margin, that one per cent margin represented 30,000 votes of individual levy-paying trade union members. I think it represented real desire among ordinary union members and Labour Party members to draw a line and start off in a new direction, even if it wasn’t as radical as we might have hoped.

If you look at the trade union vote, Diane Abbott came third. She got more votes than the other two.

I was pleased that the union resolutions, for example, defending Royal Mail, got through, but I was disappointed that many rule changes didn’t get through and that trade union votes were implicated in that. I’m pleased that there will be a review of Partnership in Power and that Party and union members will have their voices heard in a debate over what sort of Party we want. I was pleased that there was a slight breach in the consensus that there have to be cuts, it’s just a matter of time and degree.

There were no radical changes, but little glimmers of optimism and openings that we can work with.”

Gary Heather, CWU, said:

“A lot of people are running around euphorically after Ed Miliband’s victory. I’m not sure I share that sentiment entirely, but it’s better than if David had won.

In his speech Ed indicated a different economic policy to the Tories on the cuts, which is good. I wasn’t pleased about how proposed rule changes got ruled out of order by the bureaucracy.

We need to argue in the Party against the cuts and for an alternative which is investment to maintain services and create jobs. We need to argue for democracy in the Party, with members having involvement in the structures and decision making of the Party, and we need to argue for progressive, socialist politics in the Party — no Trident replacement, nationalise the railways, etc.

We’ve got to deal with inequality, and try to reduce inequality in society. That means not only bringing the least well-off up but reigning in those who get more than they deserve.

The membership of the Party is growing, and we have to make sure that membership means getting involved in the activity of the Party.”

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