Whilst we celebrate that Labour’s clean up of the party machine has started, we nevertheless continue to find that the remaining relics of the old corrupt regime are still up to no good. And so it is with what’s left of democracy and accountability in local government which we have criticised before. Recent changes, reinforced by those agreed in November by the organisation committee of Labour’s executive, remove many of the last vestiges of accountability of leaders to Labour groups, and of councillors to the local party. Amongst them are the following: Continue reading
Tagged with Refounding Labour
Report of Labour’s September executive and of conference
NEC Meeting, Tuesday 20 September 2011
The NEC opened by expressing sympathy for the families of the miners who died in Neath, and Peter Hain reported that contributions to the appeal fund had reached £60,000 within hours.
This was the last regular meeting before conference, and Ed Miliband stressed that the focus must be outward, standing up for hardworking people under attack by the government. Big changes were needed in how the economy runs and in easing the pain of the deficit. The Tories showed during the 2007/08 crisis and since that they would never take on the banks or other vested interests. Continue reading
Share:
Labour conference: resentment at manipulation grows
This morning, Labour’s conference gave another indication that its patience with party managers’ manipulation is running out. We reported the noisy dissatisfaction on Sunday with the railroading of Refounding Labour. This morning, they clearly resented the further gagging of those constituencies who proposed a rule change 18 months ago designed to prevent the “parachuting‟ of Parliamentary candidates into safe Labour seats. Continue reading
Share:
Proposed ban on parachuting candidates into safe seats blocked by sharp practice
First we had the stitch-up. Then the farce. But today, Labour’s party managers have excelled themselves in their cynical manipulation of Labour’s conference agenda. The Conference Arrangements Committee, in its interpretation of the rulebook, has added new dimensions to the elasticity of meaning. Delegates from six constituency parties (Amber Valley, Blackpool South, Caerphilly, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Newport West, Uxbridge and South Ruislip) were summoned to discuss the rule change they submitted 18 months ago, designed to prevent the “parachuting‟ of Parliamentary candidates into safe Labour seats.
Labour’s rulebook includes a ban on proposing an amendment to the same “part” of the rules that has been amended within the previous three years. This was designed to prevent debating the same issue year after year. Unlike those proposing several other rule changes ruled out on this basis, these constituency parties were asked last month to confirm that they wanted to pursue the rule change, and it was scheduled to be taken on Wednesday morning. The trade unions have a particularly strong interest in this rule change because it is often union-sponsored candidates who are pushed aside by sharp-suited career politicians. Continue reading
Share:
Refounding Labour – from stitch up to farce
Giving registered supporters a vote in the leadership election is not popular with constituency parties who are concerned about devaluing party membership. And it’s not popular with trade unions, whose levy payers do pay a great deal of money to the party and who now, potentially, could have less influence. The precise way in which they will vote was dreamed up late in the day, and set out in an NEC statement in the conference arrangements committee report which delegates received on Sunday afternoon. Continue reading
