‘No urgent business’ means election of conference delegates cannot take place before deadline
The chair of West Bromwich East CLP (constituency Labour party) – the parliamentary seat currently filled by Tom Watson – has cancelled a meeting after members mooted a vote on switching their meetings to an all-member (AMM) basis under new party rules, instead of the delegate-only basis used by some Labour MPs to keep a tight grip on local members’ activities and decisions.
CLP chair Simon Hackett works for Watson as a parliamentary researcher. Watson’s close Labour First ally John Spellar recently suffered a defeat when Warley members voted by a significant majority to switch to all-member meetings.
A notice circulated to delegates by the West Bromwich East (WBE) secretary on behalf of the CLP informs them that the June meeting will not take place because there is ‘no urgent business to discuss’:
The deadline for security registration of CLP delegates to Labour’s annual conference expires 28 June, so WBE members will be deprived of an opportunity to elect their conference delegates, but this is clearly not ‘urgent business’, in spite of the deadline.
Local members believe that the cancellation is to ensure that last year’s right-wing delegates can be sent again to conference without challenge – but especially because word had leaked that they were planning to move a vote on a switch to AMM. This will not now take place until after the AGM, ensuring that positions are voted on by delegates largely meeting the approval of Watson and his supporters.
SKWAWKBOX view:
Democracy is long overdue in West Bromwich East. But then, Watson has been depriving Labour’s entire membership for years of a chance to have their say on his dire performance as deputy leader.
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