Political Motions Conference 2009

[Big Daz]

POLITICAL FUND MANAGEMENT

Section 8 | Monday 10.00 – 10.50
99CATEGORY A
This Conference instructs the incoming National
Executive Council that any Labour MP who does not support the
Early Day Motion on the part privatisation of the Post Office will not receive
either financial or physical help from the CWU and or CWU Branches in the
forthcoming general election.
South Central No.1

100CATEGORY A: Composite Motion
Conference calls for a
full review of the Political Levy by September 2009.
Therefore conference instructs the NEC with a view to introducing a new
classification of political levy payment to enable members to continue to
pay the levy without contributing to affiliation of whichever political
party is prescribed by virtue of relevant national rule and/or conference
decision.
Conference further instruct the NEC to do this by, either introducing a
second, lower, rate of levy which would not include a contribution to any
affiliation fee, or by the “partitioning” of the political fund as is the case
in some of our sister Unions.
Eastern No.3
Eastern Regional Committee


101CATEGORY A: Composite Motion

Conference instructs the incoming NEC that all Political funding held by Head
Office as a result of either a Branch not affiliating to a Constituency
Labour Party or who are having further funding withheld due to
inactivity in spending of their allocation of this funding agree that it shall
be sent to their respective Regional Political financial accounts.
This will allow Branches who are having funds withheld an opportunity
to determine how it may be spent on political campaigning within their
respective Regions at their own Regional Political meetings.
Capital
London Regional Committee

102CATEGORY A

This conference notes that the 2007 Labour
Party Conference decided to suspend its own right to vote for
or against 'contemporary' motions on policy issues. Additionally, it is noted
that they also agreed that this suspension would not continue for more than
two years without being subject to review.
This conference believes that the democratic right of constituency parties
and affiliated organisations to submit and vote on motions at the Labour
Party Conference should now be restored.
This conference agrees that it is a fundamental right for the Labour Party's
sovereign policy-making body to be able to take democratic decisions on
pressing issues of major concern to CLPs, Trade Unions and affiliated
organisations.
This conference therefore instructs the National Executive to, as a matter
of urgency, campaign through all available avenues, including the wider
Trade Union Movement, in order that Trade Unions, constituency parties
and affiliated organisations be given back their right to submit motions to
the Labour Party Conference for full debate and voting.
This conference further calls for the criteria for accepting such motions as
being in order should be broadened, so that they are not restricted to
topics involving specific 'contemporary' incidents occurring in the few
weeks immediately prior to conference.
London North Western C&C

103CATEGORY A Conference recognises that the CWU cannot
continue to support a Political Party whose Government
continues to ignore the interest of our members and whose policies
conflict with those of the CWU. Conference believes that Unions money
spent on affiliation to the Labour Party cannot any longer be justified.
Conference instructs the NEC to begin talks with other Trade Unions and
Socialists in an endeavour to work towards the creation of a new political
framework in order to provide genuine political representation for
working people at the next election and provide an electoral alternative to
the racist BNP.
Coventry

104CATEGORY B
This Conference instructs the incoming
National Executive Council that the CWU disaffiliate from
and end all funding to the Labour Party at the earliest opportunity.
If Carried 105 and 106 Fall Northern Home Counties Postal


105CATEGORY B

Conference notes: That the Labour government has pressed ahead with the privatisation of
Royal Mail.
That the government’s promises about a wholly publicly-owned Royal Mail
have proved empty.
That the millions of pounds that the CWU gave to Labour helped a party
that then attacked us.
Conference believes: That we did not get value from the money we give to the Labour Party.
That some Labour MPs have supported us, and deserve continuing support.
That MPs, councillors and activists from other parties also supported us and
should be considered for support.
That the test should be to support only those representatives who broadly
support the policies of the CWU.
Conference resolves: To instruct the national executive to cease affiliation to the Labour Party. The
CWU should use its political fund for campaigns and to support Labour
MPs who support our policies, and also to MPs and councillors on the left in
other organisations who support our policies.
That money should go only to those MPs, MSPs, AMs, councillors (and
candidates for these posts) who, as a minimum, oppose the privatisation of
the post office (whether full or partial), and voted against this wherever
possible, and who also support the trade union freedom bill.
That no monies in any circumstances should go to members of the BNP or
other fascist organisations.
That the CWU should work with unions who are members of the Trade
Union Co-ordinating Group (PCS, POA, RMT, FBU, NUJ and others). These
unions are working together to have effective representation.
If Carried 106 Falls Bradford and District Amal

106CATEGORY B
This Conference agrees that it is unacceptable
to the CWU that the Labour Government are reneging on their
manifesto commitment to the British Public to keep Royal Mail as a ‘Wholly
Publicly Owned’ service. We recognise that this commitment was a
contributory factor in the Governments re-election.
We further condemn the action of the Royal Mail, aided by the then, Tory
Government when they took a pension holiday for over a decade. This was
a major contributing factor to the current pension’s deficit.
This conference therefore instructs the incoming NEC that unless the
pension’s issues are resolved to the satisfaction of the CWU and members
without any element of privatisation the CWU will withdraw its Labour
Party affiliation.
Merseyside Amal

[gaza1968]

yet again the soft motions are put first we shouldsupport the coventry motion lets hear your views

[Big Daz]

First impressions are support 99-102 oppose 103 and 104 support 105 and 106.

103 I think setting up a new political party is a lost cause, the smaller left of labour/ pro trade union political parties already exist, if a new movement was possible then all these would have joined together. In the North West Euro Elections RESPECT have chosen not to stand but instead support the Green Party as they believe this the greens a helping hand to come 4th and thus stopping the BNP picking up a MEP win. Putting differences aside and working together on certain issues is probably the best way forward for the smaller left of labour/ pro trade union political parties.

104 This wants to break the link without giving the members a say, My belief is the membership should decide, not conference deciding for the membership.

[IWW Fellow Worker]

First impressions are support 99-102 oppose 103 and 104 support 105 and 106.

103 I think setting up a new political party is a lost cause, the smaller left of labour/ pro trade union political parties already exist, if a new movement was possible then all these would have joined together. In the North West Euro Elections RESPECT have chosen not to stand but instead support the Green Party as they believe this the greens a helping hand to come 4th and thus stopping the BNP picking up a MEP win. Putting differences aside and working together on certain issues is probably the best way forward for the smaller left of labour/ pro trade union political parties.

104 This wants to break the link without giving the members a say, My belief is the membership should decide, not conference deciding for the membership.

I might have got the wrong end of the stick, but I get the impression the motion isn't refering to a political party as such, but a "political framework". So, for example, an existing socialist party or group starts an initiative which the CWU can agree on, the CWU might give it financial or practical support.
As for balloting the members, I agree with you 100%. Unfortunately for some years now the 'opt-out' box regarding the political fund has not appeared on membership forms so it looks as if the leadership has already been deciding on our behalf.