About CLPD
Established in 1973, the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy fights for more power for Labour’s members and affiliates.
Co-Chairs: Lizzy Ali & Rachel Garnham
CLPD – A Potted History:
CLPD was formed in 1973 by a group of rank-and-file activists, with support from about ten Labour MPs. The first President was Frank Allaun. The main motivation for the Campaign was the record of the Labour governments in the sixties and the way that Annual Conference decisions were continually ignored on key domestic and international issues. The immediate cause was Harold Wilson’s outright rejection in 1973 of the proposal to take into public ownership some 25 of the largest manufacturing companies, covering the major sectors of the economy.
CLPD’s first demand was therefore for mandatory re-selection of Labour MPs so that they would be under pressure to carry out Conference policies. This demand was achieved in 1979/80 through the overwhelming support of CLPs and several major unions, especially those unions where the demand for re-selection was won at their own annual conferences (e.g. TGWU, AUEW, NUPE).
CLPD also sought to make the Leader accountable through election by an electoral college involving MPs, CLPs and Trade Unions. Hitherto Labour leaders were elected by MPs alone. This demand was achieved in January 1981.
CLPD also promoted a range of reforms to give Labour women and black members greater representation within the Party. The main demand for a woman on every parliamentary shortlist was achieved over the period 1986 – 1988.
CLPD will sometimes promote seemingly non-democracy issues such as the significant extension of public ownership, defending the welfare state and the first- past-the-post electoral system (PR would mean no majority Labour Governments). All such policies derive from our commitment to socialist values and socialist advance.
The major focus of CLPD’s work in recent years has been to win back power for the rank-and-file, which has been surreptitiously transferred to the centre under the pretext of “modernisation” and, ironically, “extending Party democracy”. For example, CLPD campaigned for, and achieved, OMOV for the CLP section of the National Policy Forum. At 2014 Annual Conference we won OMOV for the CLP Section of the Conference Arrangements Committee.
At 2017 Conference CLPD campaigned for, and achieved a reduction of the number of MPs’ nominations required for a candidate to stand for leader of the party. Previously the number was 15% of the Parliamentary Labour Party, it has now been reduced to 10%.
At 2017 Conference CLPD also campaigned for, and achieved three extra places for CLPs on Labour’s NEC, reflecting the vast growth in membership under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.
You can read more about CLPD’s policies on democratic reform in Labour from our submission to Labour’s Democracy Review in 2018, which can be found here.
CLPD Campaigns For:
- a real policy-making Annual Conference
- an effective and accountable NEC
- the defence of the Trade Union link
- more progressive Labour candidates for elected office who are women or BAME; and, generally, for an increase in candidates with a working-class background, to counteract the current unacceptable under-representation
- a local electoral college for choosing leaders of council Labour Groups
- an internal Party ombudsperson
- a clear jobs and growth policy in sharp opposition to the Tories and austerity
- a majority Labour government (and for this reason does not support Proportional Representation as this would mean no majority Labour Governments and permanent coalitions)
CLPD Supports the Charter for a Democratic Conference:
1. At least 50% of conference time should be reserved for contributions in policy debates by delegates
2. The criteria for motions should be flexible and fair
3. Conference should choose the right policies, not rubber stamp them
4. Conference decisions and all papers should be available online to party members
5. The structure of conference needs a review by the Conference Arrangements Committee