02.04.2003

Conference soundbites

Billy Hayes, general secretary, Communication Workers Union "We must not get distracted. We must be part of the broad anti-war movement. There's plenty of real blood being spilled in Iraq, without an assault on MPs and the government in this country. When the war is over, there will be time to look at things differently. There will be time to call a balance sheet. At this point, it is important we maintain a broad anti-war movement and reach out rather than internalise "¦" John Edmonds, general secretary, GMB "We need to think what we do next. I am worried that we will do what we do so often in the labour movement - retreat into our comfort zone, internalise our difficulties and argue amongst ourselves "¦ Overturning the prime minister of the UK won't stop the war." Alice Mahon MP "Any attempt to change the leadership of the party now would be a huge distraction "¦ I have been in this party for 50 years and I'm not walking away now." Alan Simpson MP "The only time that any other party will be formed is when the trade union movement decided to refound a Labour Party. There are two challenges here. First, the one we all need to take away - are there enough of us to work for the return of a genuine Labour Party? The second is whether there is the democratic space. And that is the issue that the trade union movement must accept central responsibility for." John McDonnell MP "George has posed us some real questions that we have to address "¦ We know what we've got to do: we've got to reclaim the Labour Party. How do we do it? Tony Benn "We won't get two million people in Hyde Park for a leadership challenge!"