National Delegate Conference 21-24 June
2011
Conference Review: Everybody agrees it was consensus
Organisation, dispelling myths, winning hearts and minds to defend
over 60 years of a civilised society that our people fought for
and won.
That’s what this week was and rightly should have been about.
Consensus on the need to defend the founding principles of our
NHS. As Bevan said, it will be there so long as we have the faith
to defend it.
Consensus on the need to defend care of the most vulnerable;
the welfare state; education for all, not just the few; a voluntary
and community sector that enhances rather than competes, underpinned
by properly resourced public services.
Consensus against attacks on our civil liberties. Against the
big business financed politicians who want to destroy our trade
union rights so they can control, exploit and steal the dignity
of our members and those they serve.
Consensus on pensions. The ultimate mark of a caring society
being attacked not because we can’t afford them. Not because we
don’t pay enough into them. But because the profiteers don’t want
to pay their share now or in the future or for the workers they
want to exploit in privatisation.
Most of all, consensus on the need to get back to basics. To
organise, to recruit. To enable and trust members to stand up
for themselves with all the support they need. The examples were
there.
Campaigns that built 98% membership through involving, educating
and organising. Not patronising with “I’ll fix it for you”, instead
“We’ll fix this together”.
Consensus too on the need to keep articulating that there is
an alternative political and economic strategy to the ConDem ideology.
Exploding myths. Like the North West newsheet pointing out that
national debt repayments were much higher under Thatcher than
they are now.
The delegate who reminded us that the debt was much higher after
the war, yet we could still build the NHS. The exposure of the
great ideological con about the economy.
It is not sequential. We don’t explode the myths one day then
move onto action the next. We need to make the arguments again
and again.
Dave Prentis and our Conference reached out and did that this
week. Record recruitment online followed as the news media had
to at least nod towards the fact that there is an alternative.
We need to keep up that work because only when our members and
their families are convinced, will action follow. Lots of consensus
then.
But it is just a conference after all. It is not yet a movement.
A movement enthuses beyond its boundaries. We have made steps.
Look at the Northern Region alliances and the work with communities
in parts of Scotland. That’s where organisation is the key.
If these motions go no further than the conference hall and the
pubs of Manchester, then this Conference has been a failure. If
they go out into our workplaces and communities, it will have
been a real success.
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