National Policy Forum - Your Southeast CLP representatives

CONFERENCE AND THE PROSPERITY AND WORK COMMISSION
BY DEBORAH GARDINER

Conference this year was held in the beautiful and transformed city of Manchester, a city that also has the good sense to have an overwhelmingly Labour Council with not a single Tory Councillor.

Obviously much of the talk around the Conference hall and the fringe was, “What next for the Party?” There seemed to be a very strong desire amongst delegates to move away from damaging Westminster Village backbiting, plotting and endless navel gazing and to think about what we are should do next, how to reconnect with voters, and how we should be telling people what we have done and what we are going to do rather than talking amongst ourselves about who said what about whom.

The Prime Minister’s final speech to Conference was elegant and emotional, and the fact that Conference knew it was his final speech gave delegates and visitors an opportunity to enjoy it, even be swept along by it, without an undercurrent of anxiety which would have been there had we not known what his plans were. As it was we could enjoy his speech, say thanks for the unprecedented three election victories and look forward to what we hope will be an orderly transition….

With regard to the Prosperity and Work Commission, delegates had the chance to put their ideas and points of view to Ministers at a policy seminar. Delegates were keen to put forward their thoughts on protection for migrant workers, rights at work and pension reform. These issues were also widely discussed on the fringe.

Although as a Commission title it doesn’t sound very exciting, so many of the issues which lie at the heart of Party members’ commitment to social justice are covered by this Commission; fairness at work, support for families, ending child poverty, help for pensioners. Do have a look at the document and have your say on these vital areas of policy.