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Draft motion for Labour conference on Ukraine

The deadline for Labour conference motions is 18 September, so it’s unlikely that many CLPs will be discussing motions as early as May or June. But, just in case, here is a model motion on Ukraine. We will work on revising the text in line with events.

The deadline for Labour conference motions is 18 September, so it’s unlikely that many CLPs will be discussing motions as early as May or June. But, just in case, here is a model motion on Ukraine. We will work on revising the text in line with events.

We condemn Putin’s war in Ukraine as an act of aggression against Ukraine’s democratic right to exist as an independent state. We support Ukraine’s right to self-determination, its right to defend itself, to appeal for weapons to defeat the invasion, and to be provided with weapons.

We extend our solidarity in particular to Ukrainian trade unionists and socialists who continue to promote and defend workers’ and human rights even in the midst of war. We call on the Ukrainian government to reverse war-time attacks on workers’ rights.

We support anti-war left and labour movement forces in Russia and extend our solidarity to those arrested for protesting against the war.

We do not support NATO; indeed we oppose its existence. But NATO is not the aggressor here. The aggressor is Russia. Putin openly declares that Ukraine should not exist as an independent state.

We oppose increased defence spending.

We congratulate members of Unite and Unison who have defied the anti-union laws by taking industrial action to block the import of Russian fossil fuels in solidarity with Ukraine.

We condemn the Tories’ restrictions on refugees from the war seeking to resettle in the UK and call for their scrapping, as part of our more general opposition to Tory anti-refugee / migrant policies.

The whole party will campaign on these lines, working with UK unions to raise support for the Ukrainian labour movement.

(231 words)

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