Refounding Labour – a Member’s Charter in the works

August 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In the battle to decide what sort of Labour Party is needed to represent the progressive majority it would be easy to overlook grassroots initiatives that pre-date Anno Ed (AE). As followers of Refounding Labour know, it is proving a struggle to keep track of those that post date AE. Among the recommendations in the LabOUR Commission interim report (2007) were proposals for a Charter of Member’s Rights, an Ombudsperson and a Code of Ethics.

In the bundle of Rule changes proposed by members that is on the Agenda for Conference 2011 is this one from Hyndburn CLP in Lancashire for a Charter of Member’s Rights. The Labour Democratic Network committee, which met in Birmingham last Saturday, urges the NEC Organisation Committee (aka Org Sub) to make sure this is incorporated into the Refounding Labour package to be put to members either at Conference 2011 (or a special Conference)as a means of securing a broad consensus about how to reshape the party to better represent the electorate. Here is the Hyndburn CLP rule change:

To Establish a Charter of Labour Party individual and trades union affiliated member’s rights

Add new Rule 2B 5 as follows:

There shall be a Charter of Labour Party Individual and Trades Union Member’s Rights to guarantee the rights of both individual and trades union affiliated members of the Party. This Charter shall be drafted by the National Executive Committee and shall be approved by Conference following full consultation. This Charter shall make provision for the following matters:

  • The right of individual and trades union affiliated Party members to inspect the financial records of the Party on giving reasonable notice
  • The right of individual and trades union affiliated Party members to be provided with full information about the party’s finances on an annual basis.
  • The right of individual and trades union affiliated Party members to determine the Party’s donations policy under the sovereign authority of Conference.
  • The right of individual and trades union affiliated Party members to participate fully in the selection of candidates to represent the Party in elections to public office on an equal opportunities basis and in accordance with the Party rules.
  • The right of individual and trades union party members to be considered for nomination as a Party candidate for election to public office, on satisfying prescribed qual ifying conditions
  • The right of individual and trades union affiliated Party members to participate in the selection and election of all persons nominated to represent the Party in the House of Lords or replacement upper chamber.
  • The right of all individual and trades union affiliated Party members to participate in local and national party governance by taking part through being elected as delegates to appropriate institutional bodies including Constituency General Committees (where these exist) Labour Regional Boards, the National Policy Forum, the National Executive Committee and the Party Annual Conference
  • The right of individual and trades union affiliated Party members to participate in the development of party policy, under the sovereign authority of Conference, and the right not to be excluded there-from except in accordance with the rules of the Party.
  • The right of individual and trades union affiliated Party members to transparency in the policy making process, including clear audit trails and feed-back.
  • The trades unions affiliated to the Labour Party shall collectively continue to enjoy their collective rights under the current Labour Party rules including 50% of the votes at the Labour Party Conference one third of the votes in the party electoral colleges for the Leadership etc.
  • The right of trades union affiliated and individual members of the Party and of affiliated trades unions collectively to complain to the Labour Party Ombudsperson (when appointed) about conduct of party officers, party employees, party representatives, party contractors and party members alleged to be in breach of (i) the Labour Party Constitution or (ii) The Labour Party Code of Ethics(when in place) and to be informed of the outcome of such a complaint.
  • The right of individual and trades union affiliated party members not to be unreasonably disciplined or expelled from the Party, including a right not to be disciplined or expelled for exercising rights contained in this Charter.

proposed by Hyndburn CLP agreed at GC on 16/07/2010

 

Filed Under: Blog, Conference 2011, Conference Briefing

Bridgend CLP calls for Refounding Labour special Conference

August 4, 2011 By 4 Comments

Bridgend CLP General Management Committee held an emergency meeting on Tuesday 2nd August 2011 at 7.00pm in the OCLP Club Bryntirion, to consider an Emergency Resolution on the Refounding Labour Consultation, recommendations and planned rule changes. The Emergency Resolution detailed below was carried unanimously by the GMC.

  1. Bridgend CLP requests that the planned rule changes and recommendations arising from the Refounding Labour consultation should not be decided by the NEC meeting on 15th September or by the Annual Conference from 24th September onwards but should be decided by a Special One Day Refounding Labour Conference to be held in London in November 2011 after CLPs and Labour Party members have seen the proposed rule changes, and be allowed to respond to them as part of the final stages of the Refounding consultation. Bridgend CLP requests that the NEC and the NPF representatives support this resolution. A precedent for this type of one day conference was set in 1997.
  1. Bridgend CLP requests that the party use the period from the end of the Annual Conference (September 2011) through to the Special One Day Refounding Labour Conference in November 2011 to facilitate full engagement and participation by members and party units and publicise and make accessible all Refounding Labour submissions to inform members and help them further to contribute constructively to the refinement of rule changes and implementation of Refounding Labour recommendations.
  1. Bridgend CLP recommended as part of the Refounding Labour consultation that the policy making process within the party be made more open, transparent, democratic and accountable and is deeply disappointed by the lack of detail in the Summary report to respond to our call and calls from party members generally to democratise the policy making process within the party.
  1. Bridgend CLP requests that a specific statement on the party’s historical commitment to socialist values, ideas and principles be included in the Refounding recommendations and rule changes.
  1. Bridgend CLP greatly appreciates constructive proposals in the summary report such as engaging with communities, development plans, better communication arrangements, creating flexible local structures, empowering younger members and numerous other constructive proposals to ensure the party facilitates political engagement and participation.

Edith Hughes

Bridgend CLP Secretary

 

Hopkin Thomas

Bridgend CLP Chair

Filed Under: Blog, Conference 2011, Conference Briefing, News

Calling all Refounding Labour participants

August 3, 2011 By 1 Comment

Labour Democratic Network is calling on all Party units, organisations and individuals to contact Head Office urgently re publication of your submissions, ideally by eMail.

If you support Leader Ed Miliband’s ambition for an open and transparent party, please inform HO as soon as possible that you authorise publication of you submission(s) immediately.

If you would prefer not to have your name published, but think your ideas should be seen by all, ask for publication anonymously.

If you would prefer your submission not to be published at all, please make your position clear, and no one outside Head Office need know.

Peter Kenyon

secretary, LDN

Filed Under: Conference 2011, Conference Briefing

Conference Briefing

August 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

LDN is launching a Conference Briefing Service for delegates to the 2011 Labour Party Conference which, this year, is being held in Liverpool on the 25th to 29th September. The service will also be of interest to Conference Visitors and to Labour Party members generally.

The 2011 conference will be debating a number of issues that will be fundamental to the future of the Labour Party; these will include the policy review that is being Chaired by Liam Byrne, and the organisational review — Refounding Labour which is being Chaired by Peter Hain.

As I write — at the beginning of August — the final reports of both reviews are not available and we are do not know the timetable for publication. Information about the reviews, and the subsequent motions that will be put to conference, will no doubt seep out during the summer. The LDN Conference Briefing will keep you up to date with developments and will feature articles, blogs and other resources, that are designed to keep delegates up-to-date with conference issues and conference arrangements.

Finally, we are happy to promote or publish you own contributions. Conact us via. conference.briefing@labourdemocraticnetwork.org.

Sign up to the briefing.

 

Filed Under: Conference 2011, Conference Briefing