Left scrutinises Labour policies

The was held at the STUC's HQ

New Labour's policies have been scrutinised by politicians, senior trade unionists and academics at a special conference.

The challenges facing the party were discussed on Saturday at the conference, called New Labour is failing - Real Labour must make itself felt.

MPs including George Galloway, Diane Abbott, John McAllion and John McDonnell took part in the event at the STUC's Glasgow headquarters.

It was organised by the left grouping within Scottish Labour Party, the Campaign for Socialism and the Socialist Campaign group for Labour MPs.

Some Labour policies are proving unpopular

They were supposed to have been joined by Andy Gilchrist, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union.

But Mr Gilchrist was forced to pull out on Friday to concentrate on further talks over the forthcoming firefighters strike, a spokesman for the Fire Brigade Unions said.

Conference organiser and spokesman for the Campaign for Socialism, Vince Mills, said: "Increasingly Labour Party members and supporters are dividing into two groups.

"A dwindling band of adherents to the New Labour project and the rest, who view the government's love affair with the private sector with a mixture of bewilderment and anger."

Mr Mills said delegates would discuss "positive alternatives" to the current direction and policies which are unpopular with both the electorate and the party membership.

He said the meeting was also being held to formulate alternative policy positions for the national and Scottish Labour policy conferences.