OUT OF THE BUBBLE....

I have just got home from Labour Party Conference. I will be heading back to Manchester tonight for the final session of the Convention Of The Left Rupa Huq wrote a predictably sneering piece in Comment Is Free but the Guardian have just rung me and hopefully there wil be a counter to that from John Nicholson. John Nicholson was once Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council. He is now a member of RESPECT. One of the thousandsof socialists the Labour Party has lost in the last 20 years.
The reason I did not get round to blogging from Manchester was because I was busy sorting out media interviews and other events for the alternative event in the Friends Meeting House. I didn't miss much by not being in the Conference sessions for most of the time. The unions saw to it , in their usual turkeys voting for Christmas fashion, that the Calder Valley resolution was defeated. Thanks to the CWU for suppoting us, though. 22 per cent of the CLPs backed it - despite us being denied a proper debate ( three speakers onb 10 rule changes- pitiful) and despite some serious spinning that it was an anti-Brown resolution. As our delegate said clearly, we wanted to ensure that next time there was a contest all wings of the Party could be represented. People like Tony Woodley and Derek Simpson, who have splendid rhetoricsal skills, obviously can't cope with that, because they vetoed UNITE support.
I was asked at the last minute by the CLPD to withdraw the resolution but refused. Why? Because rule changes can only be proposed every two years - in 2010 the reality is that we will have many fewer MPs . And New Labour will alays find some excuse to try and stifle Party democracy. Frankly, we had nothing to lose. Until the trade unions start getting real and stop kidding themselves about where we are then we will carry on , not sleepwalking, but as someone said to me last night, being frogmarched to disaster.
I watched Brown's speech. The American Convention-style schmaltz was embarrassing and
deeply cynical. There was much talk mof fairness in Gordon Brown's speech. Don't be fooled.
We are now the pro-business , pro-market, Party which only helps people who" pull their weight" and restricts immigration to those who are expedient to the economy. We continue to employ troops in Iraq and Afghhanistan.
There is much to be proud of in the NHS. But what the choice agenda really means is a drugs Lottery and billions wasted on PFI. Hpowever glowing Gordon's rhetoric, however faux socialist it may sound, that is the reality. At the Convention Of The Left, these issues were debated for hours. Labour delegates are lucky to get five minutes. One positive is that many people involved in the Convention Of The Left were delighted to meet what's left of the Left in the Labour Party. I hope some of them will consider joining us. This year 200 constituencies didn't even bother to send delegates. It is hardly surprising...