On the face of it, Labour’s new all-singing all-dancing policy process is open for business. We’re pleased but it’s got a long way to go before we’ll see if it will make a difference. Will policy-making really become less top down? Will party members, constituency parties, and affiliates really have some influence or will the tracking system (which I haven’t yet located) merely trace the path of their views into the abyss? Will more than the geekiest amongst us really engage with it and how will we engage the rest?

We shall see. But in the meantime, there’s another more old-fashioned method of injecting new life into the process. An election. For the Joint Policy Commission (JPC) which oversees the process (unless it’s snatched away by the Leader and his policy review supremo). Until now, it has consisted mainly of yes-men (some women but this is, uniquely in the party, a body with no gender balance requirements). Most of whom don’t turn up. Now there’s a election, and a real chance of the odd critical friend emerging. Continue reading →