The SKWAWKBOX has covered the anti-democratic efforts of the Labour right to control the Labour Party Irish Society (LPIS) – an affiliated society that can influence local and national politics – and broke the news last night that Labour’s NEC (National Executive Committee) is to investigate the ‘rigging’ of the society’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) with a view to having it re-run democratically.
Some have challenged the NEC’s right to interfere in the processes of an affiliated society, but NEC sources have made plain that the committee has every right, based on Labour’s rules, to require LPIS to behave in a proper and democratic fashion.
The pertinent parts of the rule-book are:
Affiliated societies are discrete organisations – but the conditions of their affiliation dictate that they must behave in accordance with Labour’s rules.
According to NEC sources, there was outrage last night on the part of some right-wing NEC members and right-wing LPIS members when the decision was taken that the NEC’s ‘Org Sub’ (Organisation Committee) would investigate the ‘rigging’ of the AGM. Specific reference was made by those in favour of the decision to the ‘smoking gun’ emails that the SKWAWKBOX exclusively published, which put beyond question the fact that advance plans had been made by right-wingers to control the meeting.
Those same sources acknowledged that it is possible for LPIS to ignore NEC instructions to re-run the meeting – but confirmed that if it did so, the NEC could annul the society’s affiliation, removing it from all influence within the party – and its very reason for existing.
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The right wing of the Labour Party would rather lose general elections than lose control of the party machinery.
As this this latest attempt to rig an AGM clearly shows, the right wing would prefer this organisation lose its affilliation to the Labour party than for them to lose control of the Labour Party Irish Society.
The right wing of Labour is destructive and corrupt. It places the interests of its corporate donors above the interests of the party and the public.
From what I can gather about the conduct of the LPIS AGM, then the generally incompetent manner in which the Right in the party conduct themselves has just continued. I am sure that the NEC will sort it all out to the Blairite’s chagrin. And a good job too!
I’m amazed that the Chicken Coup is still scrabbling about – and thinking they can get away with it.
Them days are gorn. Time to root out corruption, in whatever form.
Another PR fumble by Yesterday’s Labour – gerrymandering by letting top brass in early while grassroots stand outside is a TERRIBLE look for a labour party affiliate.