Labour’s constituency branches are increasingly wondering what the point of sending delegates is at all – last year, a whole quarter of constituency branches (CLPs) voted with their feet, and didn’t turn up at all. That’s a quarter of CLPs disenfranchised from numerous votes – but proper participation in conference requires mandating of conference delegates by local members as well as just turning up. What this means is that decisions on how delegates vote should, where possible, be taken by the wider membership rather than delegates themselves. Continue reading
Tagged with Conference Arrangements Committee
CAC: The election that could get winning ideas onto Labour’s agenda
The deadline for nominating candidates for Labour’s conference arrangements committee (CAC) has passed – and September’s party conference will see battle lines drawn between party democracy champions Katy Clark MP and Pete Willsman, and two parliamentary whips, Heidi Alexander and Tom Blenkinsop. But it’s not too late to make sure your vote is cast for candidates who will stand up for grassroots members, whose voices are all too often lost in the party machine. Continue reading
