Iraq

Only CLPs can ensure a Conference debate - make it top priority in the ballot

The Party must prioritise Iraq for debate this week. The issue has dominated both international and domestic politics for months. It would be a disgrace if it were kept off the agenda.

Iraq remains a huge issue of public concern. Conference also comes hard on the heels of the Brent East by-election – a wake up call to the party leadership – listen to Labour’?s members and voters and change course. But unless 50% of CLPs delegates vote for Iraq it will not be timetabled.

TU priorities

Every delegate will be able to vote for four contemporary issues for debate. Major trade unions are opting to vote for foundation hospitals, manufacturing investment, pensions and employment rights – making it certain these important issues will get through the priorities ballot. But any issue that gains more than 50% of CLPs support will also be placed on the ballot paper. CLPs can use this opportunity to secure a debate on Iraq.

At least 25 constituencies submitted contemporary motions on Iraq. However, the Conference Arrangements Committee accepted only 14. These include some pro-government resolutions that have been rustled up to try to influence the shape of any final debate. Delegates should not be intimidated and must stand firm behind motions which can bring peace in Iraq.

Conference ignored

Labour leaders ignored last year’s conference policy. This said that conference considered that any military action ‘should be taken within the context of international law and with the authority of the UN’. This policy was put aside when the British government joined in a US war opposed by the United Nations.

This policy has brought disaster on the Party: Labour not only lost its 58th safest seat Brent East, its first by-election loss in 15 years, it is now on its lowest poll rating for 11 years, at 35 points.

Hutton

As the Hutton Inquiry has highlighted, the supposed reason for war – Saddam Hussein’?s possession and imminent use of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ – was bogus. No such weapons have been found. The real reason was and remains the US’s determination to gain unfettered access to Iraq’s oil and a strategic base for its troops in the Middle East.

Conference must vote in favour of restoring international democracy and for peace in Iraq. Resolutions submitted – if prioritised for debate – would give conference the right to vote to end the occupation of Iraq, transfer power to an interim United Nations administration to oversee a clear timetable for handing power to the Iraqi people. It would send the wrong message to the wider party and the country as a whole if the conference were not able to discuss this critical issue.

CLPs must prioritise Iraq.

Priorities Ballot

Vote for:

ü Iraq

ü Foundation hospitals

CLPs let down – yet again

The 2003 conference was scheduled to discuss minority positions to several NPF reports. But this has now been postponed to next year. There is therefore space for more discussion of pressing concerns. So with this in mind a proposal was made at the Conference Arrangements Committee to increase contemporary issues to be debated from four to six giving CLPs more opportunity to have their concerns timetabled.

But the two CLP representatives on the CAC, government ministers Stephen Twigg and Yvette Cooper, did not support this positive move. These two cannot serve two masters.

CLP delegates have an opportunity to elect genuine representatives by voting on Monday in the CLP section of the CAC for Alice Mahon and George McManus.

Democracy, political engagement, citizenship and equalities

Delegates will have the opportunity to raise a wide range of issues including House of Lords reform, dramatic falls in voter turnout, the extension of state funding of political parties, issues of equality and anti-racism (including the rise of the BNP).

Yet more shenanigans

This year pro-government motions have flowed in from ministers’ CLPs on all the contemporary issues that are likely to be debated. This tactic has been particularly successful in relation to top-up fees and foundation hospitals. Anti-government motions on both these issues have been ruled out. Many of those ruled out on foundation hospitals were Unison-inspired and made reference to debates in the House of Lords which took place in September. This makes them contemporary. Nevertheless, they were all ruled out of order by the CAC whose chair is Margaret Wheeler, a Unison full-time official. Some of these motions also make reference to the debate on foundation hospitals at the TUC in September, which is obviously contemporary.

The CLP delegates with these motions refused to be gagged and made forcible representations to the CAC on Saturday afternoon. In the face of this onslaught the CAC relented and changed its mind. But disgracefully the CAC let through several pro-government motions on foundation hospitals that had no contemporary reference at all. They merely congratulated the government's August achievement of becoming the longest serving Labour government. These sorts of manoeuvres bring the CAC into disrepute. Yet another reason for electing Mahon and McManus. And you don’t have to be a cynic to wonder whether the unprecedented Sunday morning policy seminars are an attempt to influence the priorities ballot and subsequent debate.