Yellow Pages
Labour Party Conference 2022 – Yellow Pages – Sunday 25th September
Vote Against Factional NEC Rule Changes: Defend OMOV
Rather than focus on fighting the Tories, the NEC has been spending its time trying to unwind some of the democratic gains for members in recent years – and showing total disregard for members and our engagement in the Party.
● First, it is proposing to change the voting method for the CLP section of the Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC) from one-member-one- vote to election by a small number of Conference delegates. This is deeply disengaging given that not all CLPs send delegates to Conference. We know OMOV was introduced following allegations of cheating and factional behaviour in relation to that election when it took place at Conference (entirely in line with the criticisms contained in the Forde report). To return to this method is to disregard Forde and put power in the hands of the few not the many. VOTE AGAINST. (CAC CLP Reps to be elected by Conference Delegates – CHAPTER 4 Clause III B; i).
● Second the NEC are proposing to add an extra year into the timetable for CLPs to send rule changes to Annual Conference. When this year’s wait was removed a few years ago, following mass consultation with members and affiliates as part of the Democracy Re- view, it was noted that this historic delay no longer served any purpose – the rule changes were merely ignored in the intervening year. This reversal has had no consultation and seemingly no arguments put in favour, other than a right wing NEC CLP rep who argued against CLPs being engaged at all in the rule change process – we can’t be trusted to be sensible apparently! VOTE AGAINST (Re-introducing the 1 year gap for CLP-backed rule changes – CHAPTER 3 Clause III 1)
● Third the NEC propose to cap the number of delegates that CLPs can send to Conference at six – making it less representative and undoubtedly reducing representation of Black and Asian members who are more likely to be delegates from larger CLPs, which tend to be in more diverse areas. VOTE AGAINST (CLP delegation numbers – CHAPTER 3 Clause I 1; B)
●Fourth, there appears to be a rule change allowing the NEC to do as it pleases in snap by-election selections despite Keir’s leadership election pledge against NEC imposition, and despite a clear desire from grassroots members across the party spectrum to select their own candidates. VOTE AGAINST (Clarifications on snap elections and by-election selections – CHAPTER 5 Clause IV 12)
● Finally also VOTE AGAINST these NEC rule changes:
– Party’s legal compliance responsibil- ities – CHAPTER 1 Clause VII 1; C; iii
– The holding or expression of views – CHAPTER 2 Clause I 12 –
– Disciplining councillors over agreements with other parties in local government – CHAPTER 16 Clause X 1
