Party Backs Increased Control Over Unions

Gordon Brown has staved off the threat of an embarrassing defeat at his first Labour conference as party leader by winning approval for reforms to weaken the power of the trade unions.

So asserts Andrew Grice, Political Editor of The Independent this morning, reporting that the NEC agreed by 26 votes to 4 to back Gordon's proposals to change the system under which the Government previously suffered a series of defeats on policy issues at the annual conference.

Although conference votes have for years had little impact on the Labour Government, which has completely ignored them at least since the days of Clem Attlee, such discord has in the past produced damaging headlines about divisions in the Party. So, as Andrew Grice explains, "contemporary" motions will not be voted on by the conference in future but referred to the party's national policy forum, which will discuss them away from the media spotlight.

Smart man, Grice. Don't agree with a word he says politically, but at least he's got the hang of this one. We're not stopping the unions from raising demands for nationalisation of key services, safe working conditions, protected pensions and decent living standards.

We're just making sure that the whinging takes place in private and not in front of the cameras. I mean, what are we - stupid? No, we're the kings of PR. And the trades unions can spin on my middle finger.