No, this is not another piece about England’s domination in the test series, bit about the implications of the major Parliamentary Boundary review that will take place before the next General Election.
This Boundary Review has the potential to be far more significant than many of its predecessors as it will coincide with a significant reduction in Parliamentary seats. Many members seem to have been following the work of Lewis Baston who has produced some review suggestions through Democratic Audit. Lewis’ work has certainly exercised the minds of all who have read it.
Far fewer members seem to have picked up that the Labour Party itself has produced its own alternatives that respond to the new boundary challenge.
The Labour Party has not published its own ideas, even though at least one observer is convinced that they heard a London commitment to do so. However, it has been agreed that Constituency Secretaries should be given details of the recommendations the effect their own patch.
Constituency Secretaries should be able to get hold of the plans for their area from their Regional Officer. Alternatively, they can email Greg Cook directly. Greg is the Labour Party officer who has compiled the alternative ideas/submission.
These proposals could be important to you. The boundary Commission places a lot of emphasis on the submissions that are made to it; they do not come up with proposals in a vacuum. In safe Labour areas it is not unlikely that the Party’s submission will carry real clout.
Greg Cook can be emailed at greg_cook@new.labour.org.uk
Dear LDN
Well spotted. London Region CLPs were invited to a presentation at the end of July. Without putting too fine a point on the alternatives, I couldn’t help wondering about a hidden agenda – Protect the loyalists, ditch the rebels – looking at the HO alternatives to the Democratic Audit suggestions. But them I’m a self-confessed old cynic who has had the pleasure of representing members on the National Executive Committee.
Members have a right to be consulted. From the timetable set by HO there is a serious risk of this being nothing more than perfunctory, like the issue of selections themselves about which the NEC has favoured incumbency, and members being seen but not heard.
I have been corresponding with Greg Cook and he has been extremely helpful – a model of good practice in how to do this. It would be good when he has his final options to post them onto membersnet so members can see them, or if they are going to be publicly submitted maybe Labourlist could devote a section of their site to them. Of course you can post them here as well.
Finally! A well created post. All of the strategies and information
I need to have for this study are well outlined on this review.
A big heads up and will definitely hit join!