The NEC opened by expressing sympathy for the families of the
miners who died in Neath, and Peter Hain reported that
contributions to the appeal fund had reached £60,000 within
hours.
This was the last regular meeting before conference, and Ed
Miliband stressed that the focus must be outward, standing up for
hardworking people under attack by the government. Big
changes were needed in how the economy runs and in easing the
pain of the deficit. The Tories showed during the 2007/08 crisis
and since that they would never take on the banks or other vested
interests
We then spent most of the time on Refounding Labour, though
little new was said. The organisation committee had explored
most areas on 15 September, and negotiations were continuing
with trade union leaders on contentious items. Ed Miliband
argued that the national policy forum should have true debates
and conference should be more than a rally with balloons, but
only if it changed. The three million union levy-payers were a
huge untapped resource, particularly in building local links. He
opposed US-style primaries but was keen to allow registered
supporters a vote in choosing the leader, as a nod towards those
who backed Labour but were not quite ready to join. However
there would be plenty of time to review the idea before the next
leadership election.
Peter Hain said that registered supporters would only work if local
parties retained ownership. He reported enthusiasm for
candidates’ contracts, for greater respect for councillors, and for
the principle that either the leader or the deputy should be a
woman, with definite proposals coming to next year’s conference.
Following many angry messages about ex-ministers who have
done very nicely for themselves, I suggested that the 2% levy for
councillors and MPs on all earnings deriving from their elected
office should include profits from memoirs, but this was not taken
up.
The NEC agreed that Young Labour and the association of
Labour councillors should become affiliated organisations with the
right to put motions to conference, make nominations and vote,
though some were uneasy about confusion with other affiliates
which include non-members. After discussion the meeting
deferred outstanding issues to the eve of conference and
authorised immediate dispatch of everything else to delegates,
thanking the staff for turning round successive revisions in record
time.
Other Countries
The review of the Scottish Labour Party (SLP) conducted by Jim
Murphy MP and Sarah Boyack MSP, has concluded, though
unfortunately its recommendations were given to the media
before the Scottish executive saw them. The NEC agreed that a
new leader should be elected as soon as possible, and MPs and
MEPs will be able to stand if they commit to seek election as an
MSP. The SLP will decide the rules, and I believe they are
continuing the electoral college – one-third parliamentarians, one-
third party members, and one-third affiliates – after rejecting a
proposal to give councillors 10% of the vote.
The rest of the review will be discussed by the organisation
committee on 19 October. Some proposals have far-reaching
implications, particularly restructuring constituency parties (CLPs)
around Scottish rather than Westminster parliamentary seats.
This would need a change to the main rulebook, and give 73 local
parties instead of 52. I understand the political logic, but some
matters are part of the national framework, including selection of
Westminster candidates, entitlement to conference delegates,
nominations to national committees, and the new funding
package of over £1,200 per CLP. It is not clear whether Scotland
would run two systems in parallel, or whether interfaces with
national structures would be different in England, Scotland and
potentially Wales.
Abroad, the NEC congratulated Helle Thorning-Schmidt, leader of
the social democrats (and Neil and Glenys Kinnock’s daughter-in-
law) on her election as prime minister of Denmark. European
leader Glenis Willmott MEP regretted that lobbying by the tobacco
industry had delayed stronger anti-smoking measures. Finally the
NEC received updates on party finances and on the boundary
review
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