Labour delegates all had their say

I was present most of the week as a visitor and can assure Mr Homewood that there were some real debates.

It wasn't all simply listening to what the leadership or government ministers had to say -- nor, as Mr Homewood observes, was it a case of delegates simply agreeing to do what ministers thought best. The delegates came to different conclusions not only on public ownership of train operators services (the infrastructure is already publicly-owned) but also on allowing councils to retain and invest in their council housing stock where that is what tenants would prefer.

The conference also sent strong messages to the leadership on the issues of public services, pensions, employment rights and manufacturing industry. Lastly there was a genuine debate on Iraq.

This concluded with the national executive's statement being approved as against a more critical motion which was rejected. However, in moving the NEC statement, Shahid Malik made it quite clear that he, like thousands of other Labour Party members had been opposed to the war but that we had to work together to bring the occupation to an acceptable conclusion, rather than withdrawing now.

His case was accepted by most delegates and I believe the Labour Party was strengthened by that debate and the others throughout the week.

Jim Homewood is right that the Chancellor made it clear that the Government would not comply with the conference decision that railway services should be taken back into public ownership. However, the Chancellor's position was based not on any prohibition by the European Commission (there isn't any) but on the supposed cost, estimated at £22 billion.

The conference accepted the counter-argument that it need not cost anything like that if renationalisation were to be done step by step, by not renewing franchises when they fall in. I don't know who is right but I bet a lot of lawyers could get rich by arguing about it.

COUNCILLOR DEREK BODEN