26th October 2002, Glasgow
Conference Report

After New Labour

Calls for the Left in the Labour Party to re-assert the importance of socialist solutions were made at the After New Labour Conference in Glasgow on Saturday. The 100 participants heard an impressive group of MPs, MSPs, Trade unionists and academics argue alternatives to the New Labour policies which are undermining the living standards of British working people.

Elaine Smith MSP, John McDonnell and MP John McAllion MSP set the tone for the conference by arguing the need for an aggressive response to New Labour. John McAllion said that he was as an enemy of New Labour and that he would not get involved in any compromise in order to prop New Labour up. An impromptu speech by Scottish Secretary of the FBU Tam Tierney won warm applause. He quoted the constitution of the FBU with its commitment to a socialist society. That was what the FBU was fighting for, he declared, as well as a decent wage for fire fighters.

In workshop sessions alternatives to new Labour were developed. Professor David Donnison argued that redistributive taxation could help modify inequalities of income and wealth. Councillor Aileen Colleran argued that in local government the "modernisation" agenda uses the very real deficiencies that exist in representation and communication at local level to justify policies that are designed to shift service delivery and policy making to a small "elite" of elected members and non-elected officers. They would contract with the private sector away from any form of public scrutiny. She argued for greater democratic accountability.

Elaine Smith MSP argued that we need to make universality in benefits a reality. She argued that the thinking amongst New Labour politicians in the Scottish Parliament is confused. Universality is welcomed in the form of free personal care for the elderly. However, the notion of providing universal free school meals in a country where at least 30% of our children are living in poverty is dismissed because of the "danger" of 'feeding rich kids'.

Dave Watson of Unison asked whether consumerism was the right way forward for public services. He argued that instead they could be delivered with a new approach to public service management which steers a way between the competitive ethos of much New Labour thinking and statist command and control approaches of the past. The challenge for post New Labour thinking is to develop a new vision for Scotland's public services which meets the aspirations of 21st century society whilst retaining a strong public service ethos.

The conference ended with a stirring call to action from Rozanne Foyer STUC, Richard Leonard GMB and Jeremy Corbyn MP.

Richard Leonard argued that the Labour Party needs to be more visionary. He argued that we need an economic policy that uses less Scottish Enterprise speak and instead says more about creating work for our people to meet the needs of our communities.