The Politics of Defending Public Services

Conference has unanimously agreed Composite F on Public Services and is now debating Composite N on the National Health Service.

In a sense, UNISON's support for the public provision of public services is every bit as shocking as Papal Catholicism and the arboreal toilet habits of ursine mammals, but the serious purpose of such debates is to enable delegates from the front line of the battle, such as in Edinburgh and Barnet, to report on how they are resisting privatisation in the here and now.

It's quite right for my NEC colleague James Anthony to pledge that we will (try to) see that the Tories and Lib Dems are booted out of office for what they have done to the National Health Service, but that pledge falls short in two ways.

First, our members cannot wait (and are not waiting) for the next General Election before fighting to defend our public services. Secondly, as Dave Prentis has just told Conference, Labour built the bridges the Tories walk over - and are not (yet?) committing to policies which are worthy of our support.

Which leads to the questions which will be asked at the Socialist Question Time on Wednesday at 5.30pm at the Bournemouth Central Premier Inn...
Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange