Unity to the Fore

Report by conference organiser Graham Stevenson of the successful Morning Star conference that was attended by delegates from Greater Manchester branch:

London’s Bishopsgate was crowded on Saturday an hour before official starting time for the best-attended Morning Star conference in many a long year. In the end, over 250 people crowded in to hear from an array of almost thirty Left political figures, trade unionists, and campaigners. By any standards, this was a marvelous success. Yet, this was no mere vanity project. 

The aim from the outset was to bring together a range of labour movement and anti-cuts activists in a display of unity. A key objective was to promote the role of Morning Star readers in building an anti-monopoly alliance. 

The session, `Against a bankers’ Britain’, saw top-notch speakers forcefully agree the need to give direction in the fight against the Con-Dem government. It was understood that campaigning organisations and the labour movement are key allies in the fight to develop alternatives to the ruling class strategy of cuts and austerity.


Vital questions 

The point of the conference can be summed up in a single phrase – how do we answer the key questions that face the working class today? Ensuring that, as we do that, we banish any sectarianism that divides us from the mass of working people, or each other. For many, this government is just as much an unelected bankers’ dictatorship as those imposed by the EU in Greece and Italy. The voters of Bradford have grasped this. So, too, did the energetic and lively crowd at Bishopsgate. 

Maybe the answers are still all out there? But a start was made on many a problem at the Bishopsgate Conference. We will need to find means to force the Labour Party leadership to be part of the solution, not part of the problem by siding with the class enemy, or even adopting its policies wholesale. We will need to unify all those unions in struggle as well as forging an alliance between organised labour and the mass of the people. 

Sixteen workshops ran back-to-back in four locations. Stories of steps to strengthen relations between the Morning Star and the wider left and progressive movements were heard. Enthusiastic workshops considered the future of the paper, how to build a movement around mass unemployment, to understand the impact on women of the cuts, fighting for rights in retirement, uniting workers with disabilities, campaigning against the arms trade, fighting for LGBTQ rights, and launching civil disobedience campaigns. 

Anger at the need to end forced unpaid work for benefits mixed with eager debates about how to set up a Morning Star readers and supporters group, the role of the media, attacks on health and safety, new shackles for unions, and the fight against NHS privatisation. 

The final plenary, `For a People's Britain: the way ahead’, with its mix of views was a powerful expression of how strong the 21st century awkward squad is.


Unity in diversity 

Delegates came from local Trades Union Councils such as Cambridge, Chelmsford, Halton, Harlow, Peterborough, Westminster, and Wolverhampton. 

Morning Star activists came from Birmingham, Cambridge, Coventry, East London, Leicester, Manchester, Richmond, Sheffield, Southend, Tyneside - in some cases in force! There was formal representation from union branches of BECTU, GMB, the Musicians Union, NUT, PCS, Prospect, RMT, Unison, Unite, and USDAW. 

We even had welcome visitors from the Communist Party of Ireland and the Tudeh Party of Iran, Lambeth Save Our Services, the Labour Land Campaign, Lewisham People Before Profit, along with Epping Forest Green & Democratic Left. 

For those who wanted to stock up on T-shirts, books and badges, there were stalls galore. 

Both the Red Flag and the Internationale were sung with gusto and a bumper collection was taken for the Morning Star, producing the astounding sum of £2,285.22. 


Next Steps 

There is no bad news – only good news for those that missed what was described in a cheered contribution from the floor as an `uplifting’ event. The conference was filmed throughout and a campaign DVD will be made that should convey the mood of confidence for all –including history – to observe and also provide funds for the paper. 

But also that we will continue the fight and unite in national action in defense of our class! Readers’ and Supporters’ Groups will be issuing calls in every nook and cranny of Britain to start a united fightback now. Unite around the Morning Star as the beacon for struggle!

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