Refounding Labour: Party members to be kept in dark

August 1, 2011 By 2 Comments

Labour Party members are to be denied sight of rule changes arising from the Refounding Labour consultation triggered by Ed Miliband’s election ten months ago.

According to veteran constituency Labour Party (CLP) representative on the ruling National Executive Committee, Ann Black, any rule changes to be put to Conference will not be decided until the NEC’s next meeting on 20 September. Annual Conference 2011 starts in Liverpool four days later.

In her covering note to her unofficial NEC report, Ann wrote:

As explained below, final recommendations will not be agreed by the NEC until 20 September, and these are likely to include some of the most contentious areas.  So there will be no time for delegates to consult with their local parties before annual conference. In addition current plans are that no amendments will be allowed and the document will be voted on a whole, Yes or No, including any rule changes.

Members need to find their voice to stop this attempted pre-Conference fix. I have drafted an Emergency resolution:

This CLP:

1. Notes the publication of a summary report about the Refounding Labour consultation following the NEC July meeting
2. Welcomes support for strategic planning by CLPs, more differentiated membership rates, progress under consideration regarding equality and Young Labour structures.
 3. Remains concerned about the apparent absence of measures to respond to members’ calls for more democratic and accountable policy-making. This is now urgent with less than nine weeks before Conference 2011.
4. Is alarmed about the registered supporters proposals, especially voting rights in leadership elections which we doubt was reflected in submissions and has undermined our confidence in the consultation process.
We therefore request our NEC/NPF representatives to press for:
A. the distribution to all CLP secretaries of the planned Refounding Labour paper at the same time as it is despatched to the September Organisation Sub* to enable members to be consulted and our representatives to be advised  
B. the publication all Refounding Labour submissions at the same time to start to rebuild confidence in the Labour Party’s consultation processes
  
*due to meet on 6 September
This has now been overtaken by events, NEC officers in their determination to prevent you having a say have postponed the Org Sub until Thursday 15 September.
That is unless you create such a fuss, HO is forced to change its self-serving timetable and rethink its strategy.

 

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