Tagged with Conference 2012

Conference delegates sidelined three days in a row

At Labour conference in Manchester, for three days running constituency Labour parties (CLPs) have been silenced and their rights ignored.

On Sunday, CLP delegate Maggie Dunn went to the rostrum to complain that debates on rule changes proposed last year by Bridgend and Islington North might not be allowed because of an NEC rule change only finalised that day.

Several delegates moved reference back on the Conference Arragements Committee (CAC) report on this issue, as is their right. The conference Chair, Michael Cashman, ignored them and went straight to the vote on the CAC report.

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A chance for concrete reforms in the original spirit of Refounding Labour

One of the functions of Labour conference is to consider proposed changes to the party constitution.

Some of these rule changes will be proposed by the national executive committee (NEC). These will be set out in the Delegates Report issued to delegates before Conference. Advice in relation to these rule changes will be given to delegates in Campaign Briefing, the daily conference bulletin issued by the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD).

Conference will have the opportunity to debate and vote on important rule change proposals from constituency Labour parties (CLPs), which would modernise the party and empower the grassroots. These were submitted in 2011, but under the Party’s procedures are not brought forward until 2012.

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Why Labour conference must be saved – and how to do it

Labour party conference ain’t what it used to be – that much is certain. It’s been a matter dogging the left blogosphere for some time But it’s got particularly heated in the past few weeks, with Mark Ferguson of LabourList arguing that HQ should jettison the event from the party calendar.

A few weeks on, and the debate has become a little more mature. Labour MP Toby Perkins may think it’s all about networking (I feel a little queasy) and his frontbench colleague Emily Thornberry has told London Labour delegates that it’s like a great big family party. Both enjoy it and think it’s worth hanging onto.

But for several weeks there was an elephant in the room: the fact that if Labour party conference was restored to a meaningful part in the policy making process, then we probably wouldn’t be having this debate at all.

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