BLACKPOOL (ENGLAND), Sept 28: Britian's governing Labour Party opened its annual conference yesterday with Left-wing victories in party elections marking the first setback for Prime Minister Tony Blair and his centrist policies.Outside the Winter Gardens Conference Centre in this north England town, several thousand Left-wing demonstrators chanted - "democracy and diversity in the Labour party''.Blair, however, remained in firm control of the governing body. Most of the other seats will go or are likely to go, in ballots announced during the week, to his supporters - some his nominees and others elected by trade unions and lawmakers. Trade unions are major funders of the party, despite Blair's wooing of big business.The Leftists, running on a joint ticket called grassroots alliance, did well although the Electricians' Union spent 15,000-pounds (25,000 dollars) on a campaign to get Blair loyalists elected. The union paid a telephone canvassing company to call round members.Only 133,597 membersvoted - a turnout of 35 per cent.Earlier, Blair stressed that he will stick to an economic programme whose main objective is to hold inflation to 2.5 per cent.Several thousand farmers also demonstrated in Blackpool. Like many industrialists and Labour Union leaders, they are upset about the high value of the British pound which makes exports expensive.
