Conference began with a speech from Tony Blair, the theme being the need to continue the pledge: "We fought the election as New Labour, we will govern as New Labour." Party Conference this year would see "New Labour undiluted," in the proposals on Partnership in Power (PiP).
The speech set the tone for the weekend. Every platform speaker praised PiP. Mo Mowlam, along with four new women MPs managed a mention of it and Clare Short berated the "conservative left"' for opposing the modernisers' steamroller. However not everyone was convinced. At a well attended fringe meeting, "Partnership in Power - an attack on democracy", many delegates reported on the widespread lack of support in the Labour Party for PiP.
Loraine Monk, London Region rep on the National Policy Forum, outlined the dangers for basic democracy and the womens' organisation in the Party from PiP.
Pam Tatlow stated how women in the Party would have no effective organisation. The removal of the Womens' Section of the NEC, new methods of elections to national policy forum and a rolling programme of policy, rubber stamped by Annual Conference, add up to less democracy for women in the Party.
The most interesting part of the Training Conference were workshops with Labour women having their say about Labour's policy programme. All the speakers in the "Welfare To Work" discussion were critical of the scheme as it could go the way of previous Tory schemes - creating a pool of cheap labour, offering no real opportunities for young people and being based on compulsion.
Labour's lack of commitment to change dominated the discussion in the Economy Workshop: why is Labour not reversing the Tory spending cuts in health and education? Why are we holding on to Tory spending limits? Why is Labour carrying out Tory cuts to single parent benefit?
Labour women spoke of the need for greater welfare spending to repair some of the Tory damage of the last 18 years. Many Labour women at the conference expressed frustration at not enough being done, as well as the narrow agenda. At a fringe meeting called by the Labour Women's Action Committee, Audrey Wise MP spoke of the need to reassert socialist values. Many Labour women are not happy about the direction of the New Labour Government. They want to change working class womens' lives, through a minimum wage, repeal of the anti-trade union laws and the rebuilding of the welfare state.
Several years ago, Labour Womens' Conference was made a biennial event, alternating with a "training conference", in order to prevent left wing outbreaks. The 1997 event should have been a policy making conference. Many of us were unhappy about not being allowed to vote at a time when crucial debates were taking place!
Many of the women were new members who'd come as individuals rather than delegates. It is good that women want to get involved in political discussions. However an event with women delegates would ensure greater democracy within a collective organisation to contribute to political policy making.