Catherwood LibraryILR School

Having sponsored the 1998 Partnership in Power motion that sought to give the working-class and other members of Britain's Labour Party more control over the party's policy, public sector union Unison is seeking to put teeth in the Partnership language. Delegates to the union's annual political conference are expected to vote for continued Unison support for the Labour Party, but some delegates are demanding dissaffiliation and a resolution calling for greater accountability of party leaders to members is likely. Unison has pointed to the disconnect between the beliefs of most party members and the actions of the party leadership, and greater "vitality" at rallies against the policies of the current Labour government than at party conferences, as evidence of the need for change (see WIT's for Jan. 30, 17 and 14, 2003, Sep. 27 and 9, July 22, 19, 11, and 8, and June 26, 2002).