The left fights on!
by Kenny Watson
Like many on the Labour left I’ve experienced the machinations of the ascendant Labour right both before and certainly since Keir Starmer took the leadership and much of our left membership resigned.
Our right wing dominated CLP for instance took the stance that we could only afford to send 1 delegate to National Conference (we had no problem with funds) and having voted on the person to send, then decided that we couldn’t send that male comrade because the Labour rules on gender balance would be broken. However, this did have an impact for the regional conference, where the poverty excuse was again initially used by the right to limit our delegates, but as all those who expressed an interest in going had decided they would pay for their own tickets and accommodation, we ended up sending the full 6 delegates allowed. However, the right wingers were aware of the dangers of sending 6 delegates, at least one of which was a known leftie and decided that a “Lead Delegate” would be selected who would make all the decisions for the delegation including the crucial votes for regional board. Unsurprisingly, the right wing candidate secured that vote.
Low Expectations for the Blackpool Conference
Based on what I’d heard about the National Conference and other regional conferences post Corbyn I didn’t have high expectations for our Blackpool gathering. Certainly the speakers did not include any from the left of the party and the final speech was to be delivered by none other than Lisa Nandy MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, Communities and Local Government). Last time I saw her was when she furtively appeared just before the start of the Wigan Diggers Festival in September, having done her level best to get this celebration of working class resistance in her constituency stopped, presumably because of the rumour that Jeremy Corbyn would come and speak (as he did).
I’d been a regular delegate from my CLP for regional conference during the Corbyn era and this conference seemed significantly smaller than those conferences. Previously the North West Regional Conference had been held in a large conference hall within the Hilton Hotel but now was situated in the rather smaller Spanish Hall of the Winter Gardens, and this was by no means full. This may have been in part due to the very high winds which cancelled and delayed a number of trains, certainly several speakers and panellists had not made the trip. However it was a pleasant surprise to see several comrades from other CLP’s had been elected as delegates.
Conference was surprisingly good.
The Black Lives Matter speech by John Barnes and the discussion following was excellent, including his almost Marxist analysis of racism and why racism cannot be tackled by simply by creating more middle class and upper class black people, but by fighting oppression for working class people of colour. Panel discussion included Rosena Allin-Khan’s heart rending description of working in hospitals during the pandemic.
Angela Rayner was typically feisty and spoke of the “Labour Family” and how we might fight like any family “but we stick together”. She stressed we must focus on the Tories and the Johnson’s corrupt government. She talked of the “Great Train Robbery” following the government’s recent scrapping of the cross Pennine part of HS2. She also attacked the Health and Social Care Bill as a dementia tax (surprisingly nothing about its stealth privatisation).
Metro Mayor Andy Burnham continued with the Tories’ betrayal of the “Northern Powerhouse” and supposed levelling up. Burnham also spoke of the successes of Labour local councils.
Fringe Sessions and Policy Workshops
Fringe Sessions included the UNITE Fringe with Steve Turner and Mick Whitley from UNITE along with Andrea Egan of UNISON, Leigh Drennan (now chair of the Labour NW Regional Board) and Paula Barker MP (former UNISON convenor). This concentrated on Fire and Re-Hire and some significant union successes and ongoing disputes on this front. It also condemned some Labour councils for actually using this tactic – appalling when you consider that Councillors should be members of TUC affiliated unions before they’re even considered for councillors.
Also the evening fringe with the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour Councillors. This fringe was about the expulsion of good Labour activists and was an interesting session given that when this meeting was arranged everyone speaking was a member of the Labour Party but by the time of the meeting both Ian Hodson, President of the food workers union BFAWU and Councillor Jo Bird had been expelled. Some very spurious reasons for investigation, suspension and expulsion were evident from all involved. The right to natural justice being completely ignored in most cases.
I went to the education policy workshop which included Kate Green MP (former Shadow Secretary of State for Education) and Mike Garvey. The theme from this was a post COVID Education Recovery Plan and interestingly also included Labour’s continued commitment to abolition of tuition fees.
Conference Motions and decisions
I’m sure it will disappoint the right wingers in my CLP to learn that the motions were decided by a show of hands, making the “lead delegate” irrelevant for this particular part of the conference. All the motions were passed either unanimously or with very few dissenting votes. These included motions on:
- Wealth Tax
- Child Poverty, restoration of universal credit benefit cap removal
- Ban the S*n – Starmer to apologise and vow no cooperation with the rag
- Retain the Green New Deal/Green Jobs Revolution
- Fight Public Spending Cuts
- Oppose the Health and Care Bill
- Oppose the stealth privatisation of the NHS through Integrated Care Systems
- Address Health inequalities – poverty impact on health
- Affordable rural housing.
- Ban MP’s second jobs.
The only low point regarding the motions was the view held by a small minority of delegates that the Leader of the Labour Party writing in the S*n constitutes “talking to the working class” when all it does is legitimise the racist and misogynistic rag.
Of course, the National Conference has taught us that the Leadership of the Party feels it can safely ignore conference motions including the sanctions against Israel motion as they seem to consider that Conference is only sovereign “while it is in session”. I don’t expect an apology from Sir Keir anytime soon.
Day Two is only a half day and generally a little of an anticlimax from the first day. This included a panel discussions on the pandemic’s effect on women’s rights led by Angela Eagle MP, a discussion on Community Engagement (largely foodbanks) and a Trade Union Panel on employment rights.
Standing Ovation for Rebecca Long Bailey
The last of these included an appearance by Rebecca Long Bailey who received the biggest standing ovation of the Conference when she rose to speak.
The final keynote speech was left to Lisa Nandy MP. Not the most popular amongst the delegates but was warmly welcomed. Nandy pushed for Labour to adopt the Biden model and included several claims of questionable provenance such as a 20% jump in the polls when Keir Starmer was elected leader and “seeing off” Galloway in the Batley by-election (not a comment about the swing which almost lost the seat).
In conclusion, a mixed bag of a conference but there were several positives to take away not least of which was the vast majority of the Broad Left Slate being elected to Regional Board and the left claiming both Chair and Vice Chair positions on the Board. That and the standing ovation for Long-Bailey and the S*n newspaper motion show the left is alive and well and still winning battles in the North West.
Don’t leave – Organise!
Kenny Watson is Secretary of UNITE NW/70209 North West Service Industries Branch, Chair of Warrington Momentum and Organiser of Warrington Against Racism and Fascism.
