Members of the Oxford & District Labour Party have voted to send two contemporary resolutions to annual conference.
Every Constituency Labour Party may submit one contemporary resolution, which must relate to an issue arising after 5 August 2016, the date by which the national policy forum and NEC reports are compiled.
Four resolutions were received, and at our pre-conference meeting on Friday 9th September, members voted to send the following contemporary resolutions to conference.
Anti-austerity policies can deliver growth and a Labour victory
Conference notes:
1. The 9 August National Institute of Economic and Social Research report that Britain’s economy shrank in July, increasing the possibility of recession.
2. The cost of living continues increasing: the ONS reporting on 16 August inflation rising to 0.6% with sterling devalued more than 10% since June.
3. Austerity has not eliminated the government deficit, contrary to Tory predictions.
4. Instead, due to Tory policies, the economy has stagnated.
5. Living standards are declining – real wages down 10.4% since the 2008 financial crisis (the TUC reports), similar to Greece.
6. Labour’s successes this past year in forcing some Government U-turns on austerity policies.
7. Public opposition to austerity, which will have assisted Labour’s recent parliamentary by-election victories and Labour beating the Tories’ vote share at May’s local elections.
8. The widespread view of voters in 2015 that Labour lacked a credible economic policy.
Conference believes:
1. Government economic policy needs fundamental change. Austerity should end and public investment significantly increase to stimulate growth and raise living standards.
2. Labour should propose a £500bn public investment programme in: infrastructure, manufacturing, green and new industries, building 1m homes in five years.
3. A National Investment Bank should be established.
4. The government deficit should be cut by raising its income – by growth not austerity.
5. To succeed both economically and electorally Labour needs credible fiscal rules, borrowing for large scale investment whilst balancing the current budget over the economic cycle, as proposed by the Shadow Chancellor.
Proposed by Liz Peretz and Dan Iley-Williamson
Reclaiming the NHS
Conference notes
?- The rising tide of cuts and privatisation engulfing the NHS.
-
?That, following junior doctors’ vote rejecting Jeremy Hunt’s unsafe, unfair contract, the BMA’s Junior Doctors’ executive voted (11 August) for escalating strikes from early September; subsequently, the ‘risk register’ on Hunt’s so-called “seven-day NHS” plan was leaked.
?- The sudden closure of Grantham’s A&E (10 August) due to staff shortages; similar situations nationwide. ?
– St Helen’s CCG’s proposal (9 August) to suspend all non-urgent care for four months! Although the decision was reversed, the Royal College of Surgeons predicts such problems becoming “commonplace” without increased funding and ending resource-draining, market-driven bureaucratisation.
Conference commits Labour to
?- ? Wholeheartedly supporting junior doctors’ and health workers’ fight to defend themselves and the NHS.
?- Exposing and fighting rolling privatisation and cuts, including the “Sustainability and Transformation Plans”.
?- ?Rolling renationalisation of clinical, ancillary and back-office services; creating a universal, comprehensive, publicly-owned, – run and – accountable, and free (including prescriptions, dentistry, optical care) NHS.
?- ?Nationalising social care along the same lines: a free, public system.
?- ?Fully publicly funding both, including by reversing expensive and wasteful privatisation and marketisation; increasing taxes on the rich and corporations; borrowing to invest where necessary.
?- ?Ending PFI; liberating the NHS from debt.
?- ?Reversing attacks on migrants’ rights to healthcare.
?- ?Opposing any “trade deal” aiding privatisation of public services or assets.
?- ?Improving workers’ pay, rights, training and say; restoring bursaries; safe staffing levels.
?- ?Tackling causes of ill health by reversing “austerity”.
?- ?Legislation furthering these goals.
– ?Campaigning with unions, health campaigns, the “NHS Bill” initiative.
Proposed by Bill Mackeith, seconded by Mark Ladbrooke