Posted by Peter Kenyon

Iain McNicol’s in-tray: Pandora’s Box

I welcome Iain McNicol’s election as the Labour Party’s next General Secretary. I would not describe him as a buddy, or close personal friend. Iain is a comrade. And I would like to share two experiences that highlight why.

I first met him in my capacity as chair of Save the Labour Party in 20045 while seeking members for the LabOUR Commission and starting to raise money to pay for its research programme. The GMB’s Mary Turner joined the Commission, and the GMB made a substantial financial contribution to its work. Its Interim Report is here. Continue reading →

Blairite continuity candidate to run party? Shome mishtake shurely, Ed!

It’s time to take stock of the Party, Ed. On Tuesday, you and the other members of the National Executive Committee will decide who will be the next General Secretary. You will also have a report on the Refounding Labour consultation. That report appears to have been written before the submissions were read or analysed. Furthermore, it is not impossible that someone will raise the fiasco of a National Policy Forum held in Wrexham four weeks ago. On that occasion A better future for Britain was sent to representatives just 36 hours, without NPF elected representatives having sight of submissions either. As one senior parliamentarian put it very bluntly to me last week: “It’s rubbish.” That was in reference to the content, not its late delivery. Continue reading →

Labour’s new General Secretary: a battle for the soul of the Party

Behind the scenes a battle is underway for the soul of the Labour Party. In a week’s time its national executive will be in full swing. Top of its agenda will be deciding who is to be the next general secretary. The short-listing panel has offered the 33-member body a simple choice between head of fundraising and former acting general secretary, Chris Lennie and the GMB union’s national political officer, Iain McNicol. Continue reading →

Labour party managers meet tomorrow – to fix or to facilitate?

Ed Miliband’s leadership faces a key test tomorrow. It is unlikely to be reported in the conventional media. But it concerns preparations for forthcoming set piece events. A week on Saturday the Labour Party’s National Policy Forum meets in Wrexham. Three months later Annual Conference takes place in Liverpool.

At the centre of a web of Labour Party policy making bodies is the Joint Policy Commission bringing together representatives of the Parliamentary Labour Party, National Executive Committee and the National Policy Forum. It sounds balanced and altogether reasonable. But. There always is a but. Since its inception the JPC has failed party members. Instead of enabling debate, the JPC become part of the machine’s apparatus to stifle members’ contributions.

Put simply the question for Ed, is will you take the opportunity tomorrow to nobble the fixers, and herald openness and transparency?

Selections in the spotlight: Oldham East and Saddleworth (UPDATE – new shortist)

Joy of joys. Here we are again. So soon. Less than nine months since the General Election and the Labour Party prospective parliamentary candidate machine is back in action. This time it is Oldham East and Saddleworth – a vacancy arising from a decision of an Electoral Court to nullify the outcome of the ballot in Oldham East and Saddleworth, and exclude the winner – Phil Woolas – from standing again for a nominal three years (more likely ever again at least as a Labour Party candidate). (UPDATE – new shorlist, see comments) Continue reading →