ference in books they will make.
The conference so ‹ramatic. important, and in the end, hilarating. unal I was political occasion which dwarfs any gathering that the British labour movement has held for many, many years.
The extent of the sensation that the Winter Gardens 1980 has shifted the terrain on which the British Word Gras camped For a while little happened at the conference to suggest it would turn out to be so memorable. The first two days were mundane and for the conference, rather sombre.
of radical resolutions were passed — on economic strategy, educanon, low pay - out tney carried them a suggestion Ur unically. Vote Every available forecast was that on the crucial issue of democratic reform of the Labour Party the left would lose. Such defeat would mean that Labour MPs and the party leader would carry as they had done in the past and happily ignore the conference decisions because parlamcharlans would remain unaccountable to the their constituency party.
The pre-conference edition bulletin of the Campaign Labour 'CLV comes to this Conference stronger than ever,' was the Cratill.
The first indication that these words were bluster came on Sunday night when Amalgamated Union Engineering Workers' delega tion voted by 18 to 17 to back the left-wing candidates for the national executive.
This decision was portrayed by AUEW president Terry Duffy as the result of accidental voting. member of the and at the same meeting the agreed to vote all of democratic reforms being proposed.
million votes in the possession Duffy and fellow right winger eneral secretary John Boyd his seemec bear out prophecies of victory for the right. Bitter Ironically, it was CLV's own rally on Monday night that provided SLOTECSU hint yet that the right would not have an unquis meeting tre the ang of The stars of Shirley Williams David owen. and Rodgers. They did behave as if they had it all sewn up. They were bitter, at times hysterical.
compared the left fascists. Owen predicted it would be a 'bad week'. Rodgers admitted he was 'always reluctant to come Socialist Challenge 9 October 1980 THERE will be history books written about what happened at the Labour Party conBlackpool last week. Exciting exfor of to Labour conferences'.
The worries, even despair, evident at the meeting given substance the next day when the results of the election TOT national ecutive were announced. The left slightly increased its majority. 'NEC - worse the was the morbid CYCH ment from the daily bulletin of the CLV The reaction of the left, as of seen at a meeting held under Co-ordinating Committee on Tuesday night, was Although the discussion was entitled 'Which way Forward for the Left?' blatform speakers had a grea the Chris Mullin of Tribune suggested that the constituenthe withhold their affiliation fees Labour Parties if the reforms weren't passed which seemed meone drowning clutching at straws.
Bill Tony Benn gave a jovial speech but one which had litle to offer for the Audrey Wise, speaker, had failed to win a place on the NEC and was openly disheartened And then came Wednesday. Wednesday, 1 October, LABOUR the week tions There especially day.
The waiting Ior Labour Stated his oppo conference, head bowed.
With one or two excepthe pected. What was voting went as expected. different was the atmosphere.
was militancy the consti tuency section, curiously ab sent the first two days of mood, and not just this or that motion being passed head of steam was building up, steam which hissed at the right wing of the party as if to say get off our backs , we the rank and file of the Labour Party are going to have our Fighting Wednesday afternoon was what everyone was - the resolutions on democratic reform of the Party. These would Tony Benn had said majority much Sorrowe than had been expected, and here again hint that perhaps, on the third question, the election of the party leader, the right wing might not have the success that was predicted. Parasites The first discussion was on the principle of widening franchise that the unions and the CLPs • would have some say, as well as the Mrs, • should be the party leader. 'It is,' said Eric Heffer, up behalf of the NEC 'a very moderate proposal. But because it threatened une monopoly of power exercised The crunch issue of the come conterence It was a sweet and joyful when Lena Jaeger announced the figures of the vote which took the election