Priorities Ballot (deadline midday on Friday 11 June)

The priorities ballot is now open for delegates to Labour Party Women’s Conference to vote for the topics they want to debate and discuss motions on during the weekend (delegates should have received an email). There will be four topics prioritised by CLPs and four by affiliates and delegates have a wealth of important topics to choose from:

Grassroots Labour Women – a network of left organisations, including the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, backing candidates for the National Women’s Committee – is calling on CLP delegates to prioritise the following topics:

• Women and Palestine and the Middle East
• Women and Climate Justice
• Early Years and Education
• Social Care

We believe these are the topics that will provide the best opportunity for women to debate and agree the important policies Labour needs to promote justice and peace, to build a green economy and to address some of the key issues affecting our public services.

There will also be four very important topics agreed for support by the trade unions – these DO NOT need votes from CLPs to reach the conference agenda, so any votes cast by CLP delegates to prioritise these topics would be wasted.

• Violence Against Women and Girls
• Women and the Economy
• Women equality after the coronavirus pandemic
• Working parents’ and carers’ rights

CLP motions on these topics will be included in the composites if delegates attend the compositing meetings and at the conference itself, CLP and trade union delegates will be able to request to speak on any of the eight topics and motions selected.

Multiple CLPs have submitted motions on Palestine and the Middle East, drawing attention to the current crisis as well as the terrible ongoing situation for Palestinian women and their families, threatened with eviction, detainment and left out of the vaccination programme. Motions call on Labour to support human rights in Palestine and for sanctions against Israel, as well as support for the International Criminal Court.

Several CLPs have drawn attention to the Climate Emergency and its disproportionate impact on women. They call for climate justice including a stronger commitment to the Green New Deal and in particular support for the TUC’s proposal to create 1.24 million jobs within two years by investing £85bn in green technology, transport and housing, ensuring these are accessible to women and young people.

A wide range of motions have been submitted on Early Years, Education and Childcare, noting the predominantly female workforce in early years and covering important issues from increased funding for childcare, improvements to the benefits system, support for public nurseries, the impact of home-schooling on mothers, and addressing sexism in schools.

A range of CLPs have submitted motions on Social Care again noting the impact on women in the workforce and as carers. Motions support a National Care Service and affirm support for the Social Care policy supported in 2019. There are also important points made about Universal Credit and the need for a real living wage for care workers.

As well as addressing the current crisis in Palestine, these motions build on the popular policies of the 2017 and 2019 manifestos, maintaining Jeremy Corbyn’s policy legacy, which we cannot afford to let slip away. We urge delegates to support them to add to the important topics prioritised by the trade unions. Voting alongside other left sisters will ensure that the agenda includes the best possible selection of topics to set the policy agenda we need.