Labour councillors' conference

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THE Labour Party local government conference, held each year in the depth of winter, is normally a weak Support But Livingstone and his co-thinkers have also — so it seems Liverpool not to defy the Tories this year.

government Left, in Tribune last week. authorities comes in. expect others to win our battle for us. Smart, who acts as Labour spokesperson for all the urban authorities in the Association of Metropolitan Authorities.

Not all local Labour councillors support Smart's politics, but similar if less brutal cuts are being carried through by Labour local authorities in Newcastle and many other places.

The speeches from the platform on the first night of the conference offered little alternative perspective. Party leader Neil Kinnock, who was supposed to be making a big contribution to defending those under attack in local government, confined himself to one line jokes and statements about how compassionate Labour local authorities are compared to Tories.

He was also alleged to have said that Labour local authorities should do nothing which appeared to defy the Tories, though it was hard for me to determine this from the various rhetorical flights of fancy.

Jack Cunningham, front bench spokesperson on local government issues, seemed to know a little more on the actual problems facing local authorities and to have even less idea about what they should do. He rebuked all those, like Ted Knight and Hazel Smith from Lambeth and Derek Hatton from Liverpool, who advocated a fight and defiance in any way.

He even complained about those who expected the Labour front bench to have any policies on local government. There was time enough, he said, for that, over the next four years.

The forthcoming confrontation in Liverpool even received tepid support from Jack Straw, the other Labour front bencher on the issue, who promised in one fringe meeting to visit the area. Many of us were delighted to see that one authority is in a position to confront the Tories this year, even if the crunch will come for the rest of us a year from now.

Despite their small majority which may well lead to their collapse, and their unclear tactics, which may have the same result, they clearly merit full support.

Whatever the short term outcome of the current Liverpool stand, the issue will soon merge into others, as defiance of Tory proposals to abolish the metropolitan authorities has to be translated into more concrete terms and as the Tories attempt to enforce their cuts on local authorities throughout the land.

Ken Livingstone and David Blunkett spoke of the need to fight in these circumstances. It is to be hoped that they will express clearer support for Liverpool in the meantime.