Grassroots activists have set the tone for a potentially stormy Scottish Labour party conference with resolutions condemning keystones of the Government policy including one from Gordon Brown's own constituency party.

Tuition fees for university students and plans to cut lone parent benefit figure strongly in the resolutions unveiled by general secretary Jack McConnell.

But Mr McConnell brushed aside the potential pitfalls which await the March conference in Perth and insisted an exciting time lay ahead for the Government as Labour prepared for the challenge of a Scottish Parliament.

However it will be hard to dismiss at least one stinging resolution submitted by the women's section in the Chancellor Gordon Brown's constituency of Dunfermline East in Fife.

In direct contradiction of Government policy, it states: "Conference believes that lone parents should not be forced to go out to work; it should be their choice based on their personal circumstances. Parenting is important work which prioritises the needs of children, and which must be valued by a civilised and just society. Therefore lone parent benefit should stay in place."

Gordon Brown has been defending the Government's plans for welfare reform and told a conference that there was 'no place for the status quo' in welfare provision. Obviously this has not struck a chord with members of his own CLP.

Almost half the resolutions concerning Fair Taxes and Benefits urge the Government to reverse its policy on Lone Parent Benefit.

The Falkirk West CLP Women's Section resolution branded the changes "economically inept, morally repugnant and spiritually bereft." It urges the Government to reverse its policy on Lone Parent Benefit.

Of the resolutions published in the pre-conference document, Building The New Scotland, almost half of those about education condemn the Government's proposals to charge tuition fees.

But Mr McConnell defended the plans and said: "Nobody has suggested that being in Government was going to be easy. Some of the hard decisions we have had to make was never going to be easy.

"There will be people with different views from the Government from time to time inside and outside the Government."
 

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