Kemptown CLP Motions 06.01.2021

Motion 1 Beyond Furlough

Preamble:

In the face of the economic, social and public health crisis unleashed by Covid-19, billions of pounds have been spent by governments, including in the UK, on ‘furlough’ schemes to protect jobs, companies and incomes.
This money has been given to employers, with very little obligation to retain work or ensure a public benefit for this massive public spending. Indeed, companies like British Airways have attracted public and political ire by accepting millions in support from the job retention scheme whilst attempting to make workers redundant and attacking terms and conditions in a practice that has become known as ‘fire and rehire’.

There has been little discussion on who should pay for this spending spree. The costs of previous crises have been borne exclusively by those least able to pay, while the rich have escaped virtually untouched.
Simultaneously, this crisis has revealed the essential nature of the work performed by many of the lowest paid in society – NHS workers, care workers, delivery and food workers, refuse workers, education and childcare workers… In his victory speech, upon being elected Labour leader, Keir Starmer said, “We can see so clearly now who the key workers really are… for too long they’ve been taken for granted and poorly paid. They were last and should be first.”

Many unions, as well as employers, are making the case for support for various industries that are struggling. Some of these industries, such as aviation, aerospace and car production, are highly polluting and of dubious social benefit. Yet hundreds of thousands of workers, and entire communities are dependent on these jobs.

Locally, thousands of jobs depend on Gatwick Airport. Crawley used to boast of near full employment but is now the most threatened town in the country as the aviation industry collapses.
The recent extension and adaptation of the job retention (furlough) scheme by the government is to be broadly welcomed – especially as against the threatened ending of the scheme with no other replacement in sight. Yet many workers fall through the safety net put in place by the government. And while the government talks of ‘viable’ jobs, their definition of viable has no environmental or social element to it whatsoever.

The Covid crisis occurs at the same time as we stand on the edge of rapid automation that will reshape the industrial landscape and an existential climate crisis.
The Labour Party should seize this opportunity to reshape the economy in the interests of people and planet.

Our Green New Deal, supported at Party Conference 2019, set a course of public spending on “a workers-led ‘just transition’ from high-emission jobs to alternatives; public investment guaranteeing communities and living standards”. It calls for progressive taxation of the rich; a huge extension of public ownership; trade union rights and a radical programme for decarbonisation.

Motion:

Brighton and Kemptown Constituency Labour Party resolves to restate our support for Labour’s Green New Deal and insist that the Party leadership fight for the implementation of its recommendations and calls for:

• the extension and development of job retention schemes to genuinely protect all jobs and to future-proof these jobs – transitioning to environmentally and technologically sustainable and socially useful work

• public support for industries to be conditional on protection of workers’ jobs and incomes and progress towards carbon-neutrality. Where companies and industries cannot meet these conditions, or where strategically important, they should be taken into public ownership

• involving workers and their unions fully in all discussions on job retention and transition • support a massive extension of public ownership and democratic control of industry
• call loudly for a massive transfer of wealth – tax the rich and pay workers, especially key workers, properly

Actions, if passed:
This motion to be sent to the Labour Party Policy Forum.

Original motion passed by Queens Park Branch Labour Party on 13 October 2020.


Motion 2 Future use of the Brighton General hospital site

Preamble:

The current custodians of the site of Brighton General hospital may be Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCNFT), but it’s worth remembering that originally it was given to the people of Brighton to build a hospital following the closure of a workhouse on the site. It would be fitting that the use of the entire site is similarly dedicated for an equally public-spirited purpose that benefits those most in need. In order to make up for the severe lack of funding from the government for our NHS services, the SCNFT is insisting on selling the majority of the site of Brighton General Hospital for luxury housing to fund the construction of a new building for its services and administration on the remainder.

There are so few large sites within Brighton and Hove boundary suitable for housing development, our Council must seize this opportunity. The building of luxury housing will do nothing to help our desperate shortage of social housing, even if some units are deemed “affordable”, defined as 80% of market rent – way out of reach of families in need and most key workers.

Motion:

Brighton and Kemptown Constituency Labour Party urges the Labour Group on the B&H Council to do everything in its power to ensure that, since the sacrifice of this valuable NHS asset is beyond our control, the Council buys this part of the Brighton General Hospital site and builds desperately needed Council housing for key workers and families in genuine need.

This action will demonstrate Labour’s determination to provide good quality genuinely affordable social housing in our city. It will implement our May ’19 Election Manifesto and demonstrate to the electorate across the City the value and effectiveness of a democratic socialist Council.

Actions, if passed:
This motion to be sent to the BHCC Labour Group.

Original motion passed by Queens Park Branch Labour Party on 13 October 2020.


Motion 3 In support of Osime Brown’s campaign

Preamable:

Osime Brown is a young, autistic, learning-disabled man who was imprisoned as a teenager under a ‘joint enterprise’ conviction for a crime he did not commit. He now faces deportation to Jamaica, a country he left at the age of four and where he has no friends, family or support networks. Osime has suffered racist abuse and become seriously ill while in prison.
In October, Osime was originally due to be transferred to a detention facility, but thanks to mass action and legal protest, was allowed to return home to his family. The deportation order still stands.
Osime’s case highlights the racist, anti-immigrant, ableist discrimination that continues under this hostile environment of this Conservative government.

Motion:

Brighton and Kemptown Constituency Labour Party resolves to support Osime Brown’s campaign to overturn his conviction and his deportation order.

Actions, if passed:
This motion be sent to:

The Labour Party NEC

Lloyd Russel-Moyle MP, asking Lloyd to demand the Home Office review the case

The Secretary of the CLP, asking him to email members asking them: to support any further demonstrations or action that the campaign calls for; to sign and share the petition at bit.ly/osime-b ; to pass motions in trade union branches/trades council branch

The Communications/Social Media Officer, asking her to publish campaign resources on the CLP website.

Original motion passed by Queens Park Branch Labour Party on 10 November 2020.

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