{"id":9305,"date":"2016-07-14T18:10:20","date_gmt":"2016-07-14T17:10:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=9305"},"modified":"2016-07-18T12:09:09","modified_gmt":"2016-07-18T11:09:09","slug":"radical-transformation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=9305","title":{"rendered":"Radical transformation"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell<\/strong> laid out the Labour party\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s single-minded \u00e2\u20ac\u015bambition to radically transform society\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 in a speech at Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s policy conference today (July 14), in which he also took questions from delegates.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He explained the sweeping measures the party has taken since he took the helm as shadow chancellor after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s election to \u00e2\u20ac\u015brestore economic credibility to the Labour party.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In a process which has involved the input of affiliates such as Unite, party members, entrepreneurs and economic experts, Labour has set up an economic advisory council and \u00e2\u20ac\u015breview after review of the tax system, the Treasury and the Bank of England\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the heart of Labour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s economic policy, McDonnell explained, is long-term state investment that draws out private investment and in so doing rebalances the economy and brings broad, shared prosperity to all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He credited Unite for contributing to a central plank of Labour\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s new economic policy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe learned a lesson from this union,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis union for years now has been arguing for what it is that we need now \u00e2\u20ac\u201c a long-term industrial strategy.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Next stage”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

McDonnell decried the media\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s contention that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been unable to attract support since being elected last year.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhen he was elected we were 10 to 14 points behind the Tories in opinion polls,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bNow we have not only matched the Tories and but we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve gone ahead of them.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

McDonnell highlighted that Labour has won every by-election since Corbyn was elected leader and in three out of four, their majorities increased.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He noted that every single mayoral election has been won by Labour under Corbyn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s leadership and he paid especial tribute to Marvin Rees\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 election as mayor of Bristol. He called it \u00e2\u20ac\u015bthrilling\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 that he won as a \u00e2\u20ac\u015bblack man in a city which built its wealth on slavery.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Labour also held on to every council that the media predicted the party would lose.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

These early victories, McDonnell explained, have laid the groundwork for what he called the \u00e2\u20ac\u015bnext stage\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 for Labour.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe time to get rid of the Tories is coming,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“Existential threat”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Echoing a sentiment expressed by Jeremy Corbyn in his speech yesterday (July 13), McDonnell condemned the anti-trade union legislation passed by the Tory government that he said posed \u00e2\u20ac\u015ban existential threat to trade unions\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And like Corbyn, he confirmed a key Labour pledge \u00e2\u20ac\u201c \u00e2\u20ac\u015bIn the first 100 days in government we will scrap the trade union Act. It will go.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

McDonnell said Labour was committed, too, to securing a fair post-Brexit deal for working people. He praised Corbyn for running a \u00e2\u20ac\u015bRemain but reform\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 campaign that secured a positive vote from 7 out of 10 Labour voters as well as the vast majority of young voters.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But he conceded the campaign was not perfect.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bSome of the claims were so exaggerated and it turned people off,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI disagreed with sharing platforms with Tories.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

“It enabled the media to put us up as part of Westminster establishment,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 McDonnell argued, which, he said, couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be farther from the truth.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Now that the people have decided to leave the EU, he noted, Labour would seek to build a new relationship with Europe, one in which the rights of EU citizens now living in Britain were protected and one in which, conversely, the rights of British people living in the EU were protected as well.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe will not allow any government to negotiate Brexit that undermines working people rights,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He warned that new prime minister Theresa May\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u015bwarm words\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 for working people in a recent speech should not be trusted because her record proves she is no friend of those outside the wealthy elite.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s vote for every cut, he noted, and supported policies that have turned the country into \u00e2\u20ac\u015bfood bank Britain\u00e2\u20ac\u0165.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He called on the upcoming Labour leadership election to be a \u00e2\u20ac\u015bfair\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 one with \u00e2\u20ac\u015bcomradely debate\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 in which party and affiliated members ultimately decide and he asked that their mandate be respected, whatever the result.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIf we have that style of election, we have a good chance for Jeremy Corbyn to take us forward,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Question time<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Clarifying the Labour party\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s position on various policies, McDonnell answered questions from delegates.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Unite delegate Simon O\u00e2\u20ac\u2122Keeffe<\/strong>, an NHS worker, asked where Labour stood on PFI contracts that have saddled an already underfunded health service with debt.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

McDonnell was unreserved in his criticism of PFI and noted that he and Corbyn voted against the contracts at every single opportunity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bPFI was a disaster,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bLet\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s be clear \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we will end privatisation of the NHS.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He confirmed too that Labour would stand by the steel industry and combat Chinese dumping, following a question from Unite delegate Andrew Groom<\/strong>. An industrial strategy with steel at its heart would be the way forward to protect and grow the industry now on the brink of collapse under the Tories\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 watch, he said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When asked by Unite delegate Mike Hedges<\/strong> whether the Labour party would reject spending limits imposed by the Tory government, McDonnell unreservedly said that it would.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe have our own fiscal rule,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bYes we have to tackle the deficit but we do that by growing the economy. We do it by investing in the economy. We will not be constrained by spending limits we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had in the past.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

McDonnell closed by thanking Unite and its members, which he said has shown the Corbyn leadership such solidarity \u00e2\u20ac\u015bin a time of real struggle.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI know you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll show that solidarity,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThat\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the heart of this union and always has been.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell laid out the Labour party\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s single-minded \u00e2\u20ac\u015bambition to radically transform society\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 in a speech at Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s policy conference today (July 14), in which he also took questions from delegates.   He explained the sweeping measures the party has taken since he took the helm as shadow chancellor after Labour leader Jeremy […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[265,360,464,545],"wps_subtitle":"McDonnell calls for solidarity and new vision","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9305"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9305"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9314,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9305\/revisions\/9314"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}