Reflections of a Conference virgin

I have attended many conferences in a long business career but never before a political one so had no clear idea of what to expect of the Labour Party Conference 2013, which my wife and I attended as non-delegates. Helped by the leftwards tendency of the Leader's speech and some other policy announcements very much in tune with @uckfieldlabour's thinking, we came away thoroughly inspired - though with some ideas too on things that still need pressing.

First of all, it was a surprise to me after years of halls full of men-in-suits, just how big a part women played as leaders, speakers, candidates. Labour really has got it as far as this issue is concerned.

Secondly, as reported briefly earlier, it was so serious! Every fringe session (apart from the excellent "Stand Up for Labour" evenings) was a working session, aimed at informing the party or sharing expertise. No posing or posturing, no competing for importance or status; not even about how to stuff the other parties in 2015; just genuine focus on issues which could make lives better for people in this country.

The restatement by Ed M of policy being based on values was music to my (and thousands of others') ears. The care worker's plea for time to exercise her skill was inspiring - a no-brainer for anyone who actually cares what happens to needy people. Andy Burnham's passionate advocacy of a public sector integrating care and health services. The plan to build 1m homes for ordinary people. A move towards pay which would reflect workers' skills whilst allowing them to live a decent life with self-respect. These were highlights but the shared, positive energy for seeing through the values of fairness and mutuality into workable policies and services was the overriding memory.

There is more to do: to remove the benefits cap, which is so arbitrary and such nonsense when it applies equally to Kirkwall and Kensington; to prove the efficacy and practicality of the Living Wage so that it can become universal; to take back vital services into social ownership.

Yes, there is voter apathy. Yes, young people feel that politics is irrelevant. But surely these issues will only be countered if people's real life concerns are the agenda, rather than how big a multi-national's dividend pay-out is [aka by Tories "the economy"].

Labour's problem now is that the Press, including the BBC, signally failed to report all of this, choosing only the story about Big Energy. One vehicle yet to be effectively used by Labour, which could be very effective in spreading messages, is social networking. It would be great to be in touch online with like-minded Members, across the country; to share stories and ideas; to find out what works and what does not; and above all to communicate in the way most younger voters do, and recruit more thereby. Bring on a national Labour Network, open, set up but not controlled by the Party.

Leadership

I am sitting on the stairs in the Brighton Centre, queuing for Ed M's big speech. I find it difficult to see instant perspective on even what I have heard and seen at Conference so far, so will defer longer comment until after it is all over. Suffice it to say, I have been extremely impressed by the seriousness and working nature of the events, really targeted at improving life for everyone. I wonder how this will compare with next week's event. This one has not been destructive or about image. More soon....

Sent from my Windows Phone

Test

This is a test blog to see if I shall be able to blog from Conference.
Sent from my Windows Phone

Lewes Festival of Trade Unionism and Socialism

The 3rd incarnation of this festival takes place between Sept 24 and Oct 8th, subtitled Alternatives to Austerity. Must be worth attending at least some of the great-looking events.
Information in Viva Lewes Events listings

 

  

Alternatives

to

Austerity

   

Women & Socialism

Anti capitalist roadshow   

Comfortable South-East?

Just in case it may be thought that lovely East Sussex is free from the ills affecting other areas and that its political domination by Tories is explained by their usual complacency, let us take note of this finding just put out by Sovereign FM: that one in 6 people in Wealden affected by the Bedroom Tax have fallen behind on their rent since its introduction. I bet there are people around the Home Counties who would be surprised to hear that anyone in East Sussex needs social housing, let alone cannot pay their ill-begotten tax on living space but yes, real people live here too.
It is too easy to list critiques of the Bedroom Tax but as far as Wealden in particular is concerned, a shortage of affordable homes of the sizes needed by those now being taxed into further dependency is a big one, which the Tory get-out clauses allowing house builders to avoid the minimum level of affordable homes in any project will do nothing to overcome. This is no party-partisan comment but factual. It looks unlikely that the incumbent governing party nor their bedfellows in cruelty will pay heed to this situation so I urge anybody of any persuasion to express outrage against the Bedroom Tax - and don't stay quiet just because the noise starts from the Left.
Tom Serpell
http://www.sovereignfm.com/sovstory.asp?id=4403

Organisation or Network?

I really am concerned at the Labour Party and its organisation. Recent experience, whether it concerns policy engagement or admin, suggests that the Party is still a monolithic, controlling body rather than the sum of its parts. Policy submissions require detective work just to establish where to submit them, covering swathes of issues under abstruse categories. The submissions then disappear into a black hole from which no feedback returns. On admin, the Party/NEC seems to be all about bureaucracy rather than stimulation, expansion or engagement. I recently paid to go to Conference but have still no ticket or programme despite apparently passing muster weeks ago - my money has been taken, of course. Every charity, cinema or festival does better with ticketing than this - because they treat the paying public as customers. On the other hand, as Members, we are still not in the 21st century. Social networks are so simple to create today, so why is the Labour Membership not one social network, engaging with one another, facilitated by the Party, instead of being kept in the dark as to which of our neighbours may be like-minded? Top-down seems to be the order of the day, whether in admin or engagement or policy - this is unhealthy, inefficient and demotivating. If things are this bad with 200,000 members and Ed is hoping for 500,000, it is time surely to loosen the Party's stays and join the new digital world?

This is the first posting on this new blog. It is the mouthpiece for a group of like-minded lefties living in rural East Sussex. We have absolutely no prospect of voting in a candidate in any local or national election, but nonetheless want to feel that our opinions on how the country and our communities are run can be "heard" and shared with others around the country like us may feel less isolated. We know already, just from coming together in our small discussion group, how valuable it is to be aware of the presence of other progressives in places where we are a near- invisible minority. By putting up candidates in recent CC elections we already uncovered hundreds of sympathisers, to our gratified surprise. We are just amazed that everybody does not castigate this frightful government, which is presiding over a return to Poor Law  Britain.

Views on this blog are those of individual members of this discussion group. Comment is welcomed.