Priorities following Labour Party Annual Conference 2021
Labour Party Annual Conference 2021 was very defensive for the left. But there was a contradiction between the changes brought by the Party right, centre and bureaucracy, meaning they now fully control the Party apparatus, and the support for policies, from CLPs and trade unions, which are completely at odds with what they want.
The LRC will therefore organise around the following and call on others to do likewise.
Motions
Several motions passed at Conference promoted policies in the interests of the working class. We need to campaign now on these issues, in our communities and workplaces, in the Party and affiliated trade unions to demand that the Party builds resistance to the Tories and capitalist class on these questions.
Rule changes
This was the area of biggest defeat for the left e.g. the thresholds for Party leadership elections handing major power back to the Parliamentary Labour Party and the introduction of new disciplinary procedures under the direct control of the Party General Secretary. Rule changes should not be seen as a distraction but a necessary part of the class struggle within the Party. We need to fight for democracy in the Party and trade unions to ensure they properly reflect the views of the members. If the rules are stacked against us, we struggle to build working class power.
• Principled left unity must include fighting the witchhunt - The witchhunt continues apace including e.g. suspending or expelling CLP delegates shortly before or during Conference. We must fight the witchhunt including having public solidarity with those being unjustly expelled, excluded and fighting against proscriptions. The LRC has long been in favour of, and devoted major resources to, building unity across the Labour left. While we will work with anyone inside or outside the Party on specific campaigns where there is agreement, we do not think it is possible to build long term organisations which do not make opposition to the witchhunt a central and visible part of their platform.
Motions
We must demand the Party leadership implement the Conference motions below, while not waiting for them and campaigning on the issues now. Whilst there were many excellent motions passed at Conference, the LRC with our limited resources are prioritising a small number where we feel we can make the most difference. (For copies of the motions see here,)
These will form part of the priorities of the LRC up until the rescheduled LRC Conference 2022,. Any motions passed at the LRC Conference will form the basis of priorities for 2022.
Housing
• Support initiatives from the Labour Campaign for Council Housing and Labour Tenants United coming out of Conference. Support any campaigns and actions in your local area.
• Move the Labour Campaign for Council Housing model motion ‘Declaring a housing emergency’ at your BLP, CLP and trade union branch.
• For more information see Martin Wicks on LabourList. ‘How Labour must hold the government’s feet to the fire on the housing crisis’,
• In many areas there are also Renters Unions which, among other things, campaign against evictions – try and link up with those in your area.
Fight environmental cataclysm – For a Socialist Green New Deal
• Support Labour for a Green New Deal, Red Green Labour and the Campaign Against Climate Change Trade Union Group. It is important comrades fight in the trade unions to ensure there is support for policies to tackle the climate emergency and also organise to make the Party visible on environmental protests.
• Major protests are planned around the COP26 talks, taking place in Glasgow, including demonstrations in many cities on Saturday November 6th. See this interactive map
• One key demand is “the retro-fitting of council housing to cut greenhouse gases, provide jobs and promote a shift from outsourcing to Direct Labour Organisations”. There are possibilities here for making links between campaigns for housing and the socialist green new deal.
• There are many important local initiatives, from campaigning against the Edmonton and other incineration, to campaigning against the pollution of the beaches in Kent. Link up with what is going on and make Party and trade union presence visible.
NHS and Social Care
• Support the Socialist Health Association and Keep Our NHS Public.(KONP)
• Of immediate importance is building opposition to the Health and Social Care Bill. See this briefing from KONP,
• Trade union members in the NHS have rejected the Tories’ 3% pay offer and are now being balloted for strike action. It is crucial comrades support any strike action and do anything they can to increase turn out in the ballots.
Right to Food
• Support the Right to Food campaign and any campaigns and actions in your local area. More information here.
• The Bakers’ Food and Allied Workers’ Union (BFAWU) is a strong supporter of the Right to Food campaign. See their report. here
Palestine
• Conference overwhelmingly passed this excellent motion on Israel Palestine.
• Labour and Palestine, Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Palestine Action carry regular updates of events and activity in support of the struggle of the Palestinians.
Rule changes
We must begin building for future Conferences to pass rule changes which defend and extend Party democracy. It is key that priorities are set e.g. more power for Party members at local government level and restarting the campaign for open selection of MPs.
It should be noted that the defeat on Party leadership thresholds happened with the votes of Unison, who went against their trade union’s democratically agreed position. There are key struggles going on within Unison and the upcoming Labour Link elections are very important. We give full solidarity to those candidates standing on the #TimeforRealChange slate.
Covid-19
The Zero-Covid motion did not make the priorities ballot. Covid-19 continues to kill people and ruin people’s lives, support a Zero Covid strategy to beat the pandemic. Get your BLP, CLP and trade union branches to invite speakers from and affiliate to Zero Covid.
Local government cuts
Whilst the motion on local government cuts, which the LRC had prioritised, did not make the priorities ballot, the motion on public services did call on the Labour Party to “build a campaign with trade unions, community and tenant organisations, service users and Labour councillors to fight for the funding necessary to not only stop, but reverse local government cuts.”
The LRC believe local government should be a key area of struggle over the coming months and years, because it could bring together communities, trade union members and the Party in local government. Trade union members in councils and schools have rejected the Tories’ 1.75% pay offer and are now being balloted for strike action. It is crucial comrades support any strike action and do anything they can to increase turn out in the ballots.
The LRC hopes to be involved in organising further actions and campaigns about local government cuts. As a start, model motions for BLPs, CLPs and trade union branches, which include a number of minimum campaign demands, are available on our website here.
