Ed Miliband is stuck. He wants to lead One Nation. But Scotland got close to going alone. That independence referendum in mid-September showed Labour voters in its heartland authorities in Glasgow wanted out nearly as much as the SNP. UKIP, while tearing the Conservative Party apart, gave Labour a fright in the Heywood and Middleton by-election […]
Labour’s economic policy – a lingering attachment to austerity
Aug 30th, 2014 by Peter Kenyon.There was nothing subtle about economic policy under New Labour. ‘We are getting into bed with business‘. Fingers to the hoi polloi. ‘You’ve got nowhere else to go‘. People in their millions voted blindly for it in 1997. A significant proportion got wise by 2001 and placed their ‘X’ elsewhere or decided ‘None of the […]
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Labour’s internal election candidates should have an all-member eMail slot
May 29th, 2012 by Peter Kenyon.Today, Labour’s national executive committee has been meeting. In the wake of complaints about certain candidates for internal elected office having access to all-members contact details, by fair means or foul, I wondered whether consideration was given to a comradely gesture.
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Break-ins, flashbacks and ballot boxes
Mar 19th, 2012 by Peter Kenyon.News of forced entry in the Leader of the Labour Party’s office in the Palace of Westminster reminded me of the infamous ballot box and voting paper tampering during the Erith and Thamesmead prospective parliamentary candidate selection in 2009. Leader, Ed Miliband was reported earlier today by the Press Association, picked up by the Huffington […]
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Labour Party members’ policy reps: gagged for 2-years, now facing elections
Jan 9th, 2012 by Peter Kenyon.For those of you braced for late night tomorrow glued to CNN and the GOP New Hampshire primary spare a thought for Labour Party national policy forum (NPF) consitutency labour party(CLP) representatives facing an election next summer. Since taking up office in the autumn of 2010, these haplessindividuals (55 in total – five per Labour […]
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Will Ed order immediate publication of draft new Clause 1?
Sep 5th, 2011 by Peter Kenyon.Today’s Guardian carried a story misleadingly headlined, Ed Miliband seeks to rewrite Labour’s founding principles. I think that should have read return to Labour’s founding principles. But as ever the devil is in the detail. What is the proposed new Clause 1?
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Labour’s unbeatable offer to members – submit a motion
Aug 15th, 2011 by Peter Kenyon.As a constituency labour party (CLP) secretary, I have recently received an invitation from Head Office on behalf of the CLP to submit a contemporary motion for consideration at Annual Conference 2011. On first sight this is an excellent and timely reminder of a welcome opportunity. Members getting to have a say. But as the […]
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Refounding Labour: conference timetable stitch-up
Aug 8th, 2011 by Peter Kenyon.According to the draft Labour Party Annual Conference timetable, rule changes and other matters arising from the Refounding Labour ‘consultation’ will be ‘decided’ on Sunday 25 September – the first day. The proposals themselves will be tabled at a deferred Organisation Committee on Thursday 15 September, and decided at the Labour’s pre-Conference executive committee on Tuesday […]
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Ed and the mystery of unpublished Refounding Labour submissions
Aug 3rd, 2011 by Peter Kenyon.Come on. It’s the silly season. How many Labour Party members does it take to publish what they think? More than are currently paid up. On present showing, Labour can’t afford openness and transparency, it’s still paying off its debts. Oh, how Ed must yearn for the days of “Tony wants”, and “Gordon says”. Remember […]
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NEC member fears a pre-Conference fix
Jul 26th, 2011 by Peter Kenyon.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 representative on the ruling national executive committee, Ann Black, any rule changes to be put to party conference will not be decided until the executive’s next meeting […]
