Blair speaks for the rich: We need a workers' voice (2003)
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There were two Labour Party conferences. One was the official conference, organised as a publicity event for the leadership of the Labour Party.
Solidarity 3/38, 9 October 2003
Iraq: hope from below
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By Clive Bradley
Serious cracks are appearing in the Bush administration's handling of post-war Iraq. A new body, the Iraq Stabilization Group, has been set up under the leadership of National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, which will take some of the power over the running of Iraq away from the Pentagon and the so-called Coalition Provisional Authority.
Will the real Tories please stand up?
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By Frank Higgins
If you wanted to see the "Blairite Revolution" in British politics over the last ten years graphically illustrated, the place to go this week was the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, where the Tories held their annual conference.
The Guardian neatly summed up the present status of this party-one might almost say, rump-by comparing the numbers of stalls at the Labour, Liberal and Tory conferences (220, 94, 57 respectively).
Public and scientists agree: No GM!
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By Tony Jeffreys
The government decides soon whether or not to allow commercial growing of Genetically Modified crops in Britain. If it heeded public or scientific opinion it would say no to GM.
EU plans new constitution. We say: For a democratic united states of Europe!
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"Let us for a moment grant that German militarism succeeds in carrying out the half-union of Europe... what then would be the central slogan of the European proletariat? Would it be the dissolution of the forced European coalition and the return of all people under the roof of isolated national states?...
National demo called by the National Union of Students
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No to top-up fees!
Sunday 26 October, starts 12.30 at University of London Union, Malet Street (nearest tube: Euston, Goodge St, Russell Sq)
For more information about the Campaign for Free Education mobilisation email alan.clarke@nus.org.uk
Bournemouth demonstration: "Let's get radical again!"
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By Alan Clarke, NUS National Executive, personal capacity
One thousand students demonstrated at Bournemouth International Centre on 1 October, during Labour Party Conference. Organised by South West Area of the National Union of Students, the theme was "Death of Free Education" and students dressed in black and processed silently through the town as if in a funeral march.
Ditch Blair, but don't back Brown
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By Rhodri Evans
It was Gordon Brown who made the New Labour government's first act independence of the Bank of England from any democratic control.
The Labour manifesto had not mentioned it; the Labour Party had never discussed it; but Brown moved straight away to do what the bankers wanted.
For rank and file Labour Representation Committees!
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Solidarity and Workers' Liberty believe that what's needed now is rank and file Labour Representation Committees of trade unionists and socialists in every city across the country. We have been campaigning for seven years now for the unions to form a Labour Representation Committee.
The trade unions start to move
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A union delegate reports from the conference
There was more open criticism of the Government at this year's conference, on the floor and in the fringes. Blair, his stance on the war, and his domestic policies are all unpopular. That needs to be followed up by union and constituency activists in the coming year.