SOUTHERN REGIONAL LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE

 

The Southern Regional Labour Party conference was held in Reading over the 20/21 February 2010. With 19 Labour MP’s in the Regional Branch area it is a crucial area for the re-election of a Labour Government.

The conference focused on three areas, the Governments achievments over the period in office, the reality of the Tories policies and the future polices that the party should adopt and present in the manifesto particularly on jobs and public services.

Labour Government

Harriet Harman, Deputy Leader of the party highlighted the way this Government had handled the recession compared to the last recession under the Tories. During that period there were twice as many house repossessions, three times the number of small business failures and four times the number of job losses. The polices that Gordon Brown had argued for on an international basis had prevented further job losses and helped people over financial difficulties and home protection.

The four key focus points of the forthcoming Election would be:-

Securing the economic recovery
New jobs and industries
Protection of frontline services
Help for the many and not the few

Tories

John Prescott in a rousing speech chided the Tories for changing policies on issues from one day to another and producing inaccurate figures which they then had to withdraw. He said this showed the divisions that exist in the Tory Party.

Other speakers including David Milliband (Foreign Secretary) and Pete Skinner (SE MEP), pointed out that although Cameron comes across as ‘soft’, the reality is that the Tories in Europe work with parties to the right of similar parties in Europe and refuses to discuss constructively in Europe, especially opposing any legislation that benefits workers. This wing reflects the real right wing power base of the Tory party.

The Tories also aim to cut inheritance tax for the few at the expense of child tax credit for the many, if they are elected.

Future Policies

The CWU delegation was able to argue the case for the Post Bank & Digital Britain. Two of the campaigns currently running, as well as explaining the Pensions issue within the postal area.

Other policy issues discussed included future care for the elderly which the Tories have refused to debate cross party and Education where the Surestart scheme which had helped many parents is under threat if the Tories win the election.

During the conference a number of video ads were shown which graphically showed the policies implemented by the Government including increased Maternity Leave, Minimum Wage, Surestart and Winter Fuel Allowance. These are intended to be shown during the election campaign

The CWU delegation had discussions with MPs in the region, as well as new candidates standing in marginal seats, on the campaigns the Union is running.

Ian Warrick
Branch Political Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UNITE AGAINST FASCISM CONFERENCE

1ST MARCH 2008
 

The conference this year was orientated to a degree by the forthcoming London Assembly elections. As the BNP only failed by a margin of 0.5 % to gain a seat four years ago it was feared that with the general political scenario they could gain one if not two seats this year.

Nationally the BNP have 49 councillors and only 5 are up for re- election this year.

Hugh Lanning (Deputy General Sec. PCS union) said that the fight against racism cannot be seen in isolation from other issues. His union was faced with 200 local offices being axed and the loss of 15,000 jobs.

James Burrell the government minister for employment is aiming to replace the public sector with a private firm to get people into jobs. It was worth noting that a project being launched in Palestine to get people off welfare and into jobs is being run by a company called A for E. This is the same company that the British Government is looking at.

He said that the BNP argue for less public service from local authorities, allocated on a racial basis.

Martin Smith (UAF) pointed out that Le Pens National Front in France had learnt from the Lewisham anti NF clashes in the 70s that the National front should not march until their numbers are larger than the opponents. This is why the NF in France turned to the electoral field and the BNP have done the same.

He said the role of the media had worsened in terms of stoking racial divide. The Daily Express had run a story every day in the last year attacking some aspect of immigration. This partly explained why a survey conducted in 1997 indicated that 4% of the population feared immigrants whereas in 2008 it was around 38%. Another reason was probably because in 1997 there was hope that a Labour Government would introduce change whereas that was no longer the case.

Weyman Bennett (UAF) said that the BNPs Red White and Blue festival had to be challenged wherever it was being held this year. There were plans to develop the UAF through days of action across the country.

Kirsten Hearn (Disability Rights campaigner), spoke on how the BNP like their Nazi forebears regarded the disabled as second class citizens and a drain on the economy.

It was also of concern that other people in society had the same view of disabled people. Some of the arguments used are not far off those used against asylum seekers. It was also the case that the BNP regarded women as an inferior sex.

A speaker from the floor raised the point that where the BNP have councillors they have argued against public services because council employees pensions cost too much!

A PCS union rep from Cumbria pointed out that other right wing groups exist including the National Front and New England. He also said that with the Euro elections on the horizon the BNP are focusing on these and campaigning increasingly in rural areas as well as inner cities, in order to pick up a sizable vote if not a seat in the Euro elections. He suggested sending BNP recruitment forms back to them without a stamp on which will cost them money.

Other speakers made the argument that when them BNP, media or others raised the threat to the ‘British Way of Life’ from immigration, this needs to be countered.

The perceived Britishness, of village greens, country pubs and cottages etc has not reflected the mass of people living in towns and cities. The real basis of the country has been built on waves of immigration leading to a multicultural development and diversity. This needs to be defended as the alternative would be segregated cultures and ethnic ghettos that as in parts of the United States and Europe can lead to violence and rioting

The Love Music Hate Racism carnival on 27th April marks the 30th anniversary of the Anti Nazi League Rock against Racism events and it was hoped that the turnout will be a lever to defeating the BNP in the elections on May 1st

Ian Warrick (Political Officer)

LABOUR PARTY NETWORK MEETING

26TH FEBRUARY 2008
 

John Cruddus (MP Dagenham) began by referring to the success of the Agency Workers Bill going through parliament on the second reading. He feared however that the Government position of setting up a commission, would delay the progress of the legislation for some time to come.

He referred to the danger of the BNP gaining support in the forthcoming elections particularly in London. They were focusing on the issue of housing to win support, with the lack of council housing provision leading to more problems in that field. If the BNP won 8% of the vote they would achieve 2 seats in London Assembly.

He critised recent comments by ministers regarding some people on benefit, which had stigmatised that section of society in terms of housing provision. When 22.5% of young people are officially in poverty, the importance of the ‘Fair Pay in the Public Sector’ campaign, as the next stage of the minimum wage fight, was emphasised

The party faced a problem with activists some of them long term members, becoming disillusioned with the Government and dropping out of activity. This to some in the party was not a negative situation as they want to replace the democratic apparatus with Focus groups to establish policy. He said that there was even more of a case of fighting for socialist change than 10 years ago as problems for workers were getting worse.

Chris Mullins a councillor from Crawley said that being a Labour councillor at present, was like being in the front line of an army and being shot down. Another member felt it was only possible to sell the party message if it is known and it seemed that the leadership was not clear on some policies.

Michael Connarty (Sec. CWU group of MPs) believed that Gordon Brown was prepared to listen to union delegations more than Tony Blair did. He referred to the Lisbon Treaty as providing the right to strike and establishing the importance of a controlled economy, which is why the Tories are opposing it.

Introducing Ken Livingstone, Billy Hayes said that the way Ken handled the situation in London after the 7/7 bombings, had prevented serious reprisals and division.

Ken Livingstone (London Mayor) began by explaining that the policy of city hall to establish a £7.20ph minimum wage for contact and direct labour workers, had resulted in a reduction of sick absence and staff turnover. It had also resulted in an improvement in staff moral. It was unfortunate that not one London borough had followed this lead on this issue.

He said the media still perpetrated the myth that Capitalism created wealth and the public sector was a parasite. The reality as far as London was concerned is that the Assembly was developing major projects including Crossrail, East London rail line,

On housing he said that in the post-war period there were 40-50,000 new builds with the population declining, whereas over recent years there was 18,000 new builds with the population increasing. The Assembly was aiming for 50,000 new houses two thirds for rent or part rent part buy. The target is for 35% affordable housing from new builds. He also said that a lot of councils do not want social housing in their areas because it increases the pressure on public services.

The effect of climate change was also an issue with the over heating of housing and the underground system likely to lead to more deaths unless rectified. The Assembly was entering into more bulk purchasing to reduce both prices and transportation and is giving away energy saving light bulbs to reduce emissions. There were eight different forms of recycling that did not emit carbon, and these were being looked at.

On the Post Office he said the Assembly were considering suing over the Post Office closure consultation period. The business had established a six week period even though the Government had recommended a twelve week consultation. Having said that he felt that the consultation period could be a hundred and twelve years and royal mail would still close the offices. Only one Post Office had been saved from closure under the last Tory Government and that was in John Major’s constituency!

He had offered Royal Mail exemption from the London traffic congestion charges, in return for a payment to staff affected by it. Although this would have been around 10% of the businesses congestion charges they refused. Postcomm also complained to him about his interference in post office issues.

Geraldine Smith MP (Chair CWU Group of MPs) stated that a lot of people were unhappy about Gordon Browns comments during the postal strike. She quoted from a Tory document which attacked the Government for giving in to trade unions by introducing the Working Time Directive and the Minimum Wage! She believed the party had a problem in recruiting advisors who came up with bad ideas and policy solutions.

Issues raised by members were the under-funding of the Post Office Pension by the Government, the concern that National Forums were replacing resolutions democratically agreed at conference and the lack of a website for direct contributions to the forums from trade unions

Members argued that it was not good enough to attack the Tories as being worse and that fighting such a negative campaign attacking the opposition, had led to losing the election in Scotland.

Andy Kerr who sits on the Labour Party NEC from the union said that it had not been decided whether a NEC report would be sent to branches or direct to the membership through the Voice.

LOBBYING MPS AND COUNCILLORS

 

Background

The last few years has been a period in Royal Mail/Post Office LTD history of continued reduction in spending. There is no doubt that this will continue in the next few years and will have an impact on CWU members together with the postal service itself.

Closures

The main areas under threat are

The transfer of Crown Offices into a retailer has had an impact on the level of membership in that area, with many members opting for redundancy rather than transferring to the retailer.

The affect on the public is usually detrimental with the post office counter being poorly located in the shop and creating longer queues.

Although the closure of post offices does not have a direct impact on members, as they are franchised by shop owners, it is still an attack on the level of service and in some cases will impact on collections if the boxes are removed or relocated.

In terms of Delivery office closures it has always been the case that offices have closed due to deteriation, development or leases expiring. In some cases this has been beneficial to members who have worked in those offices under poor conditions. The future however as with some Mail Centres, is that closures will take place solely on financial grounds without regard to the impact on our members or customer service.

Campaigning

The main purpose of the union is to protect the interests of the membership when RM/POL wants to make changes. It is also important however, that as a union and as individual members we are to the fore in protecting the postal service from being undermined. Both RM/POL management and Postcomm which serves to enable business rivals to cream off sections of the market, appear to taking a negative road.

Lobbying

One of the areas of campaigning against closures or relocation is the lobbying of MPs and Councillors in the area.

The purpose of lobbying is to make the MP or Councillor fully aware of the issues surrounding a closure plan from OUR point of view, and to persuade them to actively fight the proposals.

MPs and Councillors deal with numerous issues and the closure of a post office may not be high on their agenda. Even if as at present there is activity from councillors across the country, it often descends into the Tories and Lib Dems attacking the Government and Labour not raising the real issues of what is wrong with RM/POL (No government intervention and poor management)

This is where the onus is on us to raise the issues through lobbying, which can be done by attending local surgeries. Most MPs and Councillors hold surgeries on a regular basis which are advertised in the local council or press.

It is advisable to pre arrange a specific time beforehand so that the MP/Councillor can read up on the issue, otherwise the replies you get might be so vague as to be useless. If there is time it would be worth submitting a press release or letter to the local paper about the fact you are to lobby. Equally a press release should be made after the lobby to emphasise any commitment made by the MP/Councillor

Lobby Meeting

* The discussion should be two way rather than the MP/Councillor listening to a long statement. This can be done by posing questions that have to be answered

Points to Raise

Each area is different in the nature of the closure/transfer and therefore arguments need to be developed locally. The following are the main points.

Crown Office Transfer

* The effect of the transfer on the service
* Longer Queues * Situation for Pensioners in terms of location access
* Staffing levels

Post Office Closures

• Consultation in some parts of the country is just a token gesture and not real consultation
• Some of the post offices on the hit list are financially viable, while others not on the list
   with financial difficulties may close anyway
* Accessibility of nearest post office
* Other post boxes in the area being overfilled leading to security issues of mail inside.

Delivery Office Closures

* Linked to later delivery of mail
* Effect on small businesses
* Effect on items having to be returned to the office due to customers not at home
* Urgent items being delayed

The key point is to persuade the MP/Councillor to actively take up the issue. They will probably have closer contact with people in the media, and will be able to achieve stronger media coverage.

Ian Warrick SE No 5 Political Officer

ROBERT TRESSELL FESTIVAL 30th June – 1st July 2007

Robert Tressell –who is he?

Robert Tressell was born in Dublin in 1870, eventually living in Hastings as a sign writer and builder. Around 1906-8 while in Hastings, he wrote what is regarded as the first British socialist novel ‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropist’. It was written from the viewpoint of a building worker and portrays the industrial struggles and living conditions of the working class at the time.

The Robert Tressell Society has held the Annual weekend festival since 1999. The weekend consists of speakers and discussion covering different aspects of Robert Tressell, the book and the Labour movement and Billy Hayes spoke at the event in 2006. Although there are stalls from Unions and Labour organisations, it was the first year we have had a CWU stall and we were able to promote the dispute as well as the Union generally.

The speakers covered the link between Tressells work and other radical writers such as William Morris, how the Tressell festival sits alongside other Labour events such as Tolpuddle Martyers, Burford (Civil war Levellers) and Britain’s longest strike the Burston school strike 1914-39, which all have Annual events. Another spoke on the start of the Labour movement in the south east, when even Tunbridge Wells had a socialist councillor!

The guest speaker was Ricky Tomlinson of ‘Royale Family’ fame. His interest in Robert Tressell was sparked at the time he was imprisoned under Thatchers anti trade union laws, for picketing during a building strike. The prison governor had been in the building trade and gave him a copy of the ‘Ragged Trousered Philanthropist’ which he became hooked on. Ricky gave a sometimes funny at times moving account of his period in prison along with the late Des Warren, during which they were both on hunger strike for nearly thirty days and being force fed. A campaign is ongoing for a review of the case.

I spoke on the background of our dispute - the day after the first strike day - which was well received, especially by other public service unions like Unison (also being offered 2.5%) with one Rep telling me it was encouraging to hear about other disputes, as there were few opportunities given the demise of most local Trades Councils.

It is planned to hold the Tressell event in Liverpool next year as part of the European City of Culture events and Ricky Tomlinson and others are working on organising this probably around May Day time.

Ian Warrick
Branch Political Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REPORT ON UAF CONFERENCE
 
SATURDAY 17th FEBRUARY 2007 TUC CONGRESS HOUSE

 
BACKGROUND

The BNP currently have 49 councillors since the last elections and only failed to pick up a seat in the London Assembly by 0.2% of the vote. This was in a situation where the UKIP split the vote in the last assembly elections
 
The main bases of their councillors are in Barking & Dagenham (11) Burnley (7)
Epping (6) and Stoke (5)   
 
In the local elections their total vote increased from 3022 in 2000 to 238,389 in 2006
 
Based on this growth in vote the BNP are looking to increase their vote in this year’s election and are planning to field 500 local election candidates and 32 candidates for the Scottish Assembly. 60 wards need a swing of less than 5% to allow a BNP candidate in.
 
Europe has also seen a growth in the far right leading to the establishment of the New Europe group in the European Assembly including the granddaughter of Mussolini.
The UKIP group of EMPs have joined this group. With the next European elections due in 2009 concern is that this group will grow.
 
 
AFFECT OF GROWTH

One of the methods of the BNP to increase their support is to take isolated incidents of crime, e.g. muggings, assaults that happen in an area and generalise them into a broader problem. Another is to spread myths such as the accusation that Dagenham Council was giving African immigrants money to buy houses.
 
Both the BNP and the media are pushing society to the right so that some racial attitudes that would have been unacceptable in the past are regarded as reasonable.
An example of this is the situation in France where the hijab was banned in public service jobs.

The media in their regular attacks on ‘Muslims’ do not distinguish between the numerous different cultures within that religion and lump all Muslims together.
 
This situation has not been helped by some politicians in the Labour movement making comments which serves to give credibility to these views.

A number of speakers critised Margaret Hodges statements during the elections that the BNP could win seats in the area she was in. This gave increased confidence to the BNP that they could be successful which in fact happened.

Jack Straw has also spoken against the wearing of the hijab and Trevor Philips (CRE) has questioned multiculturalism which he believes has contributed to crime.
 
 
MULTICULTRALISM

Multiculturalism is based on the premise that individuals have the right to follow their own cultural pursuits within a mixed society. At the same time it is not acceptable that any one culture should impose itself on others within that community.
 
Multiculturalism is now under attack with some politicians arguing that people coming into the country should adapt to British culture or live within their own communities. It was pointed out by speakers that this would lead to ghettos and increased racial tension – the ideal breeding ground for the BNP. It was also stated by some that the attack on multiculturalism was an attack on all religious minorities not just Muslims.
 
 
BRITISH NATIONAL PARTY

The BNP is attempting to cloak itself in respectability even writing to the Jewish Chronicle arguing that Jews were ok, but other races were the problem.
Despite this attempt at respectability the BNP still attracts thugs and criminal to its cause. Two of their councillors have been charged with arms offences and others with the more usual offences of hate mail, assaults and firebombs. They also still question the holocaust and seek to ‘reform’ gays and disabled people.
 
Although they have made gains in the electoral field this should not be interpreted that there is a groundswell of support for the BNP in society. An attempt to hold a meeting in a park in the Dagenham area only their hardcore members turned up. This would suggest that their electoral support is as much protest against other parties as support for the BNP.   
 
This does not mean that electoral success is not a danger as they would use this as a base to build on cause division in these areas
 
 
MEDIA
 
The push to the right of the media suits their own agenda and reflects the attitude of the establishment that uses racism to protect their position.
 
In many cases the most virulent anti-immigration supporters are those that employ immigrants on low wages in order to push down wages in society. The hypocrisy of this is the same elements argue for the free market in goods and money, but not people. 
  
CELEBRITY SUPPORT
 
One issue that is currently of concern is of celebrities being interviewed in magazines voicing support for the BNP. The current example is Simone Clarke a member of the English National Ballet, who said in a Mail on Sunday interview that although she did not support all their policies she joined the BNP because of her opposition to immigration. Apart from the fact that she is married to a Cuban, and is in a profession which like football is cross national, the main concern is that she is using her position in a publicly funded organisation to give publicity to the likes of the BNP and could lead to a media search for other celebrities to offer support.
 
 
FIGHT AGAINST THE BNP
 
As a number of speakers pointed out the BNPs rise is built on the back of the problems faced by workers and the middle classes. The shortage of housing, pension concerns and public spending cuts all serve to provide a quick fire response of blaming a scapegoat for creating these problems
 
The public service union PCS is combining their campaign to defend public services with the Unite against Fascism campaign to challenge these myths.
 
In the immediate future the issue is of taking the BNP on where they are standing in the local elections. Jeremy Corbyn MP said that to ignore the BNP will lead to their growth. This was demonstrated in Barking and Dagenham where the lack of a big campaign led to the BNP winning seats.
 
Turnout was also important as figure show that the BNP have picked up seats on the back of apathy and abstentions for other parties more than strong votes for the BNP.
One speaker pointed out that council house stock transfer ballots are running in the high 80s whereas local elections run at between 20-30% turnout.
 
In the SE No 5 Branch the BNP are standing in Bracknell and Wokingham, which follows the pattern that they stand in areas which have a very low ethnic population and therefore fuel beliefs based on hearsay.
 
Other areas where the BNP are standing should be notified to the branch.              
 
 
 
IAN WARRICK
Branch Political Officer