‘Huge victory’
The motion passed with only a handful of votes against it, and was backed by three major Labour backing unions – Unite, ASLEF and TSSA. Momentum, the left-wing pressure group set up to support former leader Jeremy Corbyn, called the vote “a huge victory – and a clear message to the leadership”. “Trade unions and Labour members, like the public, overwhelmingly want our public services in public hands, not being run for profit.” Before the vote, Unite published a survey which found voters in seats known as the Red Wall – traditionally Labour areas where the Conservatives won in 2019 – were overwhelmingly in favour of putting energy utilities back into public ownership.
More than two-thirds of the 2,000 potential voters surveyed in those constituencies across the North, Midlands and Wales agreed that the UK’s domestic energy industry should be in public ownership. The motion also reaffirmed Labour’s commitment to build HS2 in full and to retain or reopen fully staffed rail ticket officers. On Thursday, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer said he could not commit to building HS2’s northern leg after the government “took a wrecking ball” to the project’s finances. Policy voted on by conference feeds into Labour’s National Policy Forum, which debates and finalises Labour’s policy. The party’s current policy include a commitment to public ownership of different industries – including renationalising the railways when contracts with existing operators expire or fail. Labour have also promised to create GB Energy, a publicly owned national energy company that will compete with private industry and promote clean energy.
