Labour Conference - Wrap Up

We’ll it’s all over but for the recriminations, all the glad rags put away till next year. So what was it all about from our perspective, what did my first Labour Conference in Manchester achieve? When will my feet feel normal again?

Busy certainly, so many events on the fringe; even with the Internet and emails I still missed some of them. All too short and rushed. If Ministers appeared they were rushing off to their next appointment before the networking/dialogue. The march was of course stimulating; many of the events were a chance to meet old friends and campaigners. So, good for us for ‘bonding’ and seeing our NGO’s organisation and pulling power.

But in terms of influence on policy, debate, campaigning? Not from the fringe meetings. Good PR for the party selling their message. Good to demonstrate to them we are still here. I have to hope that inside the security barriers there was some actual dialogue, some pressure for progress. But if the media’s reflection of the conference is anything to go by, there was only one topic being discussed in huddles.

However sceptical that sounds, Hilary Benn has to be congratulated, he was everywhere (on the fringe). He defends his position with some conviction and compared to many countries does have much to be proud to tell us. And he as good as admitted DfID were wrong to make TV adverts promoting privatisation of water and there aren’t many Ministers who ever admit mistakes.

I thought his defence of EPA’s was insulting (the proposed new European Partnership Agreements that are the new focus for Trade Justice Campaigning in the autumn). The developing countries can’t just walk away if they are not in their interests.

In my opinion we need to work on a different format to these fringe events. Currently the panels spout their mantras and then there are few quick, often garbled questions and a rushed response. It doesn’t break through the communications barriers; challenge the assertions. What might be worthwhile is a one on one or at most three person, real debate. A Minister, a NGO lobbyist and an activist say, having a dialogue, challenging each other. Of course a much narrower agenda, but a chance to get through the spin.

In terms of progressing the debt campaign, the fringe meetings didn’t make any impact. On the other hand, time and again when Ministers or speakers wanted anything positive to say on International Development, it was the achievements on debt cancellation that were their flagship.

What next? Well for me, as the nights draw in and it gets cold and wet, this conference has convinced me that I need to put together the evidence and the arguments that extend debt cancellation to all poor countries struggling to meet the Millennium Development Goals and build on the one area where campaigners can show real solid progress – debt cancellation.