The BBC has published this agenda for the Labour Party Conference.The three consultations which we have been trying to track on Dronfield Blather will be dealt with under the following brisk timetable.
14.00 Sunday 25th September - Conferences Opens. Then after the normal wide range of introductory sessions, Lim Bryne will give a Report about the Policy Review - this was our submission. Then as the final item of the day Peter Hain will Report on the two other Consultations on which decisions are likely to be made (1) The National Policy Forum Report and (2) Refounding Labour - this thread trawls back on these (logically you need to start at the end and work your way back to the top.) There will probably later be a single card vote to push these two through. That is virtually it comrades. Then at 16.15 on Monday 26th, Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th; there will be a set of brief Policy Seminars. The final one ends at 17.00, but we are not told how long the others last. These will probably relate to the areas covered in Lim Bryne's Sunday Report.
That is all. Now you see it. Now you don't.
Labours on a mission a mission to take it where nobody else has been before, it could be a very lonely mission as the rest of us stay at home.
ReplyDeleteI think myself labour are worried that again labour will take three or four terms to win another election, so to make sure that does not happen they rip up the old rule book bring in a new one, to ensure that new Labour fits what they believe the people want.
I suspect it could be a record number of years looking at ways and means to Win again. because I'll be damed if I will vote for Newer labour once was enough.
Rob the crip
Hi Harry,
ReplyDeleteHaving read through some of Refounding Labour to win document it seems there are two threads running through this document to bring about changes; one is internal party structures and the other external reaching to out other groups / organisations / people.
Internal party structural changes will generate more debate than perhaps the external changes – which in my opinion will carry more weight with voters. Yes the Party Leader and Deputy Leader should have specific rights and responsibilities if all labour candidates are also to be held to account for their actions (or lack of) re Candidate Contracts. By selecting a front bench the Leader will be held to those appointments and if seen to be poor performing both front bench and Leader will be rejected. Front bench members selected by the Leader would pull together more than if selected by popular demand. It would be a team, instead of a single member with his / her popular mandate.
I still think party structures are of limited interest to those on the fringes of the Labour movement. How the PIP (Partnership in Power), JPC (Joint Policy Committee), NPF (National Policy Forum) and Policy Commissions work with local / regional level is still a mystery. Perhaps with more transparency and accountability of policy submissions, as suggested in the document this wouldn’t be the case. Replacing LGC (Local Government Committees) with LCF (Local Campaign Forums) has to be welcomed as a positive change. Focusing on why such activities take place will help organise / campaigning activities to win the next General Election. Instead of focusing on the process it should be about listening to the public, policy discussions and how best to transmit that message back to voters.
There are good ideas in the document to recruit more people to the Labour cause to help win the next General Election, such as support from other socialist groups, and if handled well, a Registered Supporters scheme. This would allow semi interested persons to be involved without becoming overwhelmed with party procedure and if happy with their initial experiences would be more likely to stay committed over time. Lower subscriptions with gradual increases must also be welcomed. New or existing members will need ongoing training and political education to develop / understand how best to present the socialist cause. Indeed even to discuss /develop policy positions, which this document lacks, would be helpful in deciding what Labour now stands for?
There seems to be many structural changes to implement especially at the regional level to allow member training / education to proceed. With other activities such as Development Plans it seems there needs to be more staff at this level – will there be enough funds to implement these changes?
One hopes democratic principles are applied during the final days of discussion and whatever the outcome of the vote it is accepted as a legitimate way forward for the Labour Party.
Regards
Jon Williams
The problem is of course labour is not even a Middle of the road social party it's moved to the right big time, and Miliband is no way shape or form good enough to pull this party out of opposition.
ReplyDeleteLabour has now stated they will lower students fee's to six thousand, tell you what end all fee's and then you will get the student vote lowering to £6000 is just not good enough the debt is still to much.
Miliband has just stated Labour is back, Kinnock said the same.
He also stated this is the party of the hard working families and the squeezed middle, leaves a lot of people without a party.
The sick the disabled unemployed, and also of course the single person who works but will not be part of a family.
I think labour will be out of power for a long long time as was the Tories, mainly because of the sleaze, and because people do not trust the party, refounding labour is a gimmick to give the leader more power.
Robert the crip