Labour link to be kept

Moves to disaffiliate BECTU from the Labour Party were heavily defeated at the union's 2000 conference.

Individual branches had brought motions to the conference calling for the union to withdraw from the party, and cease subscription payments.

Delegates voted against the motions by significant margins after a tense debate.

Branches calling for the Labour link to be broken argued that the party had deserted its traditional supporters and was now being turned into a surrogate Tory party.

The union's leadership, supported by many delegates who spoke in the debate, rejected claims that Labour had abandoned trade unions.

Assistant General Secretary Gerry Morrissey highlighted changes like the minimum wage, working family tax credits, and new employment laws as examples of Labour keeping faith with the working population.

However the union's leadership accepted that New Labour had still to deliver many of its promises, even though its record on industry issues like film funding and privatisation of the BBC was good.

Ultimately, said supporters of keeping the Labour link, the union would have less influence on the party's decisions if it disaffiliated, and had to comment on policy from the sideline.

The motions on disaffiliation were rejected so decisively by a show of hands by delegates that no card votes were necessary.