Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Conference day 3

Hi **These are very rough notes shared for the benefit of my Constituency Labour Party and anyone else interested. If anything is wrong or information is missing, please leave a comment. Links to videos of speeches also welcome**
Cooperative Party speaker: Gareth Thomas
It's time to inject new energy into the credit union movement.
Proposal for levy on payday lenders. Further change is needed to the banking sector.
Football fans have been treated like cash cows for too long. Fan ownership increases revenue and involvement. The Premier League should allow at least one member on the board if backed by ten percent of season ticket holders.
Coop councils examples: Edinburgh, Lambeth; network of Coop councillors. We want more councillors to be elected with coop council values.
If you're not a member of the Coop Party, I hope you'lll be tempted to join.
Britain's global role
Ellie Reeves Labour movement has always been on the side of the poor and dispossessed across the globe.
Labour values have given us many working rights through Europe.
Let's kick racism and fascism out of Europe once and for all.
We should support our armed forces and fund them properly, but not go unthinkingly into rushed conflicts.
The party's actions on Syria have been shown to be wise.
Some of the poorest countries have no health and safety culture and it is a dereliction of duty to forget the millions of people who are not as lucky as we are.
Millions also do not have the right to be in a trade union. We must not forget that we are an international party.
Glenys Wilmott - MEP leader
Last election was a disaster, we lost nearly a third of our votes in one of the most brutal campaigns ever.
We don't have to accept a version of Europe based on myths.
Need to be bold and talk about our voting record on better working rights, tax evasion, better protection for consumers and equal rights for all.
We have to convince the doubting electorate that we achieve more within Europe than we can separately.
Restate the case for a socially inclusive, progressive EU. EU funding gave a lifeline to places abandoned by the Conservative government. Europe isn't perfect and there are changes to be made, but Labour MEPs are working hard on that.
Young people have a guarantee of work, employment or training due to European starting fund of £6 billion.
Jim Murphy
We should always pay tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of our armed forces.
We've made a commitment to change the NHS constitution to ensure that veterans are properly supported if they have injuries and mental health problems; plans to name streets after the fallen; guaranteed job interviews.
Too many of our armed forces experience discrimination. We will table amendments to the Defence Reform Bill to make it a specific criminal offence to attack members of the armed forces.
Set up a military membership scheme. 800 new members have joined. Each is welcome and will strengthen our party.
We have to learn the lessons of our recent past. Contracted conflicts like Afghanistan were a failure.
We should invest properly in prevention. We would take a multilateral approach: defence, diplomacy, development, remembering we are an international party.
We were right to wait for UN evidence before voting for military action against Syria.
Submit your views on global role on Your Britain.
Debate
Unison is strongly opposed to any attempts to renegotiate European relationship that will threaten workers' rights. Full and decent employment is essential for the whole world's population.
Nationally defined measures of income security are the best way to create peaceful, secure societies. Call for MPs to oppose EU act (?) On Columbia: abuses of working rights should not be rewarded.
Veterans have skills, attitudes and experiences that can contribute to our society, but it can be tough to adjust to civilian life. Government at all levels have a duty to make the adjustment as easy as possible. Glasgow city council have created a single point of contact for all veterans and their families. It has helped with income, housing problems, further education and employment. For every £1 we invest, research showed we save the taxpayer £8.34 in lower health costs, homelessness referrals and worklessness. We offer 50% of a living wage to employers for a year if they will invest in a veteran. If you fought for your country, you shouldn't have to fight for a job when your service ends.
European candidate who had just returned from Berlin. Decision to unite Europe was taken by 500 million people. Europe is very different now. Issues for European socialists are just the same as ours: cost of rents, food, unemployment. We all face the same challenges.
Welcome that Israel and Palestine are negotiating again. But Israel have approved seven new settlements since talks begun. Our government admits that settlements are illegal and make peace more difficult to achieve, but they don't do anything about it. Ed Miliband supported the Palestinians when they went to the UN to ask to be a state. We now have to say we will trade with Israel, but not with illegal settlements. Speaker has set up Labour to Palestine to show people the effect of the wall and taking land. Settlements are not part of Israel: this is not an anti-Israel policy.
Labour councillors show what Labour values can do locally.
Ivan Lewis:
When people say politics cannot make a difference, remind them who set up the NHS.
Our everyday lives are affected by development beyond our borders. My Britain is committed to fairness, no child without food, access to universal healthcare. We give record amounts to Comic Relief year after year in good times and bad.
I came into politics to help poor people.
Launch of a global petition to mobilise people in support of early years provision in post-2015 development goals.
Reflection on what children in Syria are facing.
We need to do our part and galvanise countries to ensure that aid agencies can have full access. We will always be the first to respond to humanitarian crises. Business will have to operate decent practices throughout their supply chains and be transparent about their tax arrangements.
Fair rights for workers and decent working rights should be the hallmark of trade in the 21st century.
Post-2015 goals are an opportunity to reduce inequality, improve governance, "new social contract without borders".
We want to see an end to extreme poverty by 2030 and also an end to aid dependency.
Quote: "We didn't come into politics to explain the world as it is, we came in to change the world."
Douglas Alexander
When the government drafted its motion calling for military action, the UN was asking for more time. Labour's leadership prevented a rush to action without the necessary steps being taken and due process being followed. We have learned the lessons of the past.
Intervening immediately and asking questions later would have ill-served our country. We support intervention when we must, but should support diplomacy when we can.
Task now is to ensure humanitarian access and negotiation between warring parties. It is in our national interest to uphold rules and work with international shared goals.
We will oppose isolationist policies wherever we find it.
"Progressive internationalism"
Video: Your Britain
Jenny Formby
Employment policies are condemning families to a life of insecurity where payday loans are the only way to make ends meet. Every worker deserves to be treated with dignity and fairness by their employers.
Welcome announcements on zero hour contracts and other protections.
Chuka Amunna
Lessons learned: we should have regulated the banks. Growth for the few not the many is no growth at all. Our belief is through progressive politics and cooperation, we can harness global trade to work for everyone. - we must invest in skills.
We will maintain our world-class universities and improve vocational skills. We will increase apprenctice numbers and ensure they last a minimum two years with level 3 qualitications. - society and business depend on each other.
We will act to outlaw zero hours contracts where they exploit poeple. If government won't launch an investigation into blacklisting, we will. - toughen regime on minimum wage - substantial increase to fines.
Local authorities will have powers to enforce law on bad business practices as well as HMRC.
Work towards improving minimum living wage towards a living wage.
We will win with hope and optimism for what our country can be. We will work to rebuild faith in politics and our party.
Composite 3: employment rights
Moved by Len McClusky If our party is to have a future, it must speak for ordinary workers. Other European workers have better protection that British workers. We need to speak up for the millions that have no voice. Strong trade unions are the only thing that will stop the scandal of zero hours contracts. You will never appease the right wing media and to try demeans our party.
Young Labour seconded: Labour movement fought to ensure that people would not have to be uncertain whether they would have work.
Composition motion 4: Employment rights 2
GMB is organising at Amazon. Two thirds of their workforce in the UK are agency workers without minimal rights. We can't name which Amazon workers are in the trade union because it would put their jobs at risk.
Seconded by Bishop Aukland CLP Debate Support for composite 4
Carilian were taken out of exhibtion and replaced by anti-blacklisting Shrewsbury campaign.
UCATT thanks councils who have barred blacklisters from tendering for contracts. UK government should do the same.
We need a full inquiry to get the full truth about what happened. Blacklisting should become a criminal offence. Companies should pay compensation to the workers that they blacklisted for their ruined lives.
Stability and Prosperity Margaret Beckett [Speeches on Labour press twitter]
Ed Balls "We will combine iron discipline with fairer decisions".
There will be continued cuts. Make sure difficult choices are rooted in our values and fairness. Compulsory jobs guarantee
Picked up information about blacklisting. Local council have passed a motion not to use blacklisters. What steps have companies with local contracts taken to ensure blacklisting is not still happening? Are the paying compensation to blacklisted workers?
Liam Byrne:
 
Millions of people hate this government, but think there is no alternative.
If we are bold, we will give people hope. More than 5 million workers are earning less than the living wage. Many workers in construction being classified as self-employed. Proposals to change the culture of construction being worked on with UCATT. Example of someone on a PFI site being paid £8.80 a week. - very passionate speech, worth watching
Betting shop worker talks about minimum wage and how much it meant to her, even her manager was not on minimum wage. Still helping her son get through university.
Unite: Labour needs an interventionist strategy for manufacturing. We are still overdependent on financial and services sectors. Need to recognise the skills of workers in the successful car manufacturers. It's time for Labour to say they will invest in manufacturing and create skilled jobs for young people.
Sue Marsh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6pfVaaLwrc&feature=youtube_gdata_player
- one of the lead campaigners for Spartacus campaign against current ATOS system. Refers to report written with Labour - says Labour are listening.
Rachel Reeves
Jobs and social security policy forum Went to UR the boss manifesto fringe Trident fringe Motion was ruled 'not contemporary'
European reception
Health q&a

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