The National Young Members Forum get to send two lucky people to Labour’s Annual Conference every year, and this years lucky people are Emma McLoughlin and me.
I’m currently about half way through a 4 hour train journey. Much time has been passed by reading the 200+ page document that is the National Policy Forum report which comes to Conference for ratification. Like everything with our relationship with Labour I agree with the vast majority (and there are clear bit when the trade unions including UNISON have had key influence). There are also those things we disagree on, such as ‘diversity of provision’ seen in the raft of new types of school and the drive for private providers in the NHS.
As it stands it’s difficult to see what the week ahead will bring. A key issue is party reform measures being proposed by the leadership which I’ve already blogged about. Since my last blog there has been compromise reached which many of the unions have signed up to. I’m still rather sceptical, and those Labour Link Committee members such as myself who are available will be meeting to discuss UNISON’s position later today.
Another interesting part of the week will be what could be a last hurrah for contemporary motions. UNISON’s motion covers issues within local government and the single equalities bill, especially around equal pay. This has already had some attention in the media, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out.
But more than anything this conference seems to be about the fringes and the receptions. I’m particularly looking forward to the LGBT Labour do tonight (for obvious reasons) and the Labour Students party on Tuesday (which promises to be a haven of youthfulness in the conference). UNISON’s own reception is on Wednesday, the last night, and is sure to send us out with a bang!
Not sure if I’ll get chance to blog during the conference but I will certainly do one reporting on the whole thing.
I’m currently about half way through a 4 hour train journey. Much time has been passed by reading the 200+ page document that is the National Policy Forum report which comes to Conference for ratification. Like everything with our relationship with Labour I agree with the vast majority (and there are clear bit when the trade unions including UNISON have had key influence). There are also those things we disagree on, such as ‘diversity of provision’ seen in the raft of new types of school and the drive for private providers in the NHS.
As it stands it’s difficult to see what the week ahead will bring. A key issue is party reform measures being proposed by the leadership which I’ve already blogged about. Since my last blog there has been compromise reached which many of the unions have signed up to. I’m still rather sceptical, and those Labour Link Committee members such as myself who are available will be meeting to discuss UNISON’s position later today.
Another interesting part of the week will be what could be a last hurrah for contemporary motions. UNISON’s motion covers issues within local government and the single equalities bill, especially around equal pay. This has already had some attention in the media, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out.
But more than anything this conference seems to be about the fringes and the receptions. I’m particularly looking forward to the LGBT Labour do tonight (for obvious reasons) and the Labour Students party on Tuesday (which promises to be a haven of youthfulness in the conference). UNISON’s own reception is on Wednesday, the last night, and is sure to send us out with a bang!
Not sure if I’ll get chance to blog during the conference but I will certainly do one reporting on the whole thing.
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