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luke
Joined: 11 Feb 2007
Location: by the sea
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 Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 12:55 pm Post subject: Labour conf. : the alternative offering just down the road |
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| Quote: | Labour conference: the alternative offering just down the road
Come and have a go if you don't think they're left enough
Gordon Brown's problems are about to multiply at Labour conference by the launch of a rival left-of-centre rally at Manchester for delegates who find the official event too tame.
A full-scale five-day conference just down the road from the official venue includes people from Respect, the Green party and Scottish nationalists, the Communist and Socialist Workers parties as well as veteran lefties like Tony Benn and Tariq Ali.
Among the figures who will address the meeting are filmmaker Ken Loach, the Respect MP George Galloway, and three non-affiliated trade union general secretaries - Mark Serwotka of the Public and Commercial Services Union; Jeremy Dear of the National Union of Journalists and Matt Wrack of the Fire Brigades Union.
An official website, Conventionoftheleft.org.uk , promises debates on integrated transport, electoral reform, racism, nuclear power and organising protests.
At least two Labour leftwing MPs, John McDonnell and Jeremy Corbyn, are planning to moonlight from the official event so they can deliver their speeches to the left convention rather than attempt to debate them at Labour's conference.
Also confirmed as a participant is Maria Exall, the TUC general council member, who campaigns on gay and lesbian issues. She is coordinating the fight to remove Christian Evangelist Joel Edwards, who believes gay relationships are sinful, from being the commissioner for gender equality at the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Her other claim to fame is being "outed" by Harriet Harman, the equalities minister, at the TUC on her civil partnership ceremony with Angela Eagle, the Treasury minister.
Altogether it sounds that Friends Meeting House could be more lively than the staid debates at the official event. And there is one other advantage. Event organisers are stressing that unlike the official event there will be no hassle with security to get in. |
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faceless
admin
Joined: 25 Apr 2006
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| Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Sounds like it will be a much more interesting and lively conference than the official one up the road. If the groups concerned could coordinate properly (in the short term it's possible at least) I think they could become quite a force. A coalition of the willing if you like... |
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