96% of members deprived of input into regional conference – and women especially disadvantaged
Letter to Amy Fodé from Branch Secretaries
Amy Fodé
Regional Director
Greater London Labour Party
By emailCC National Executive Committee Constituency Labour Party representatives, Conference Arrangements Committee members, chair and vice-chair of Regional Executive Committee
We are branch secretaries who want to express our clear opposition to the last-minute rescheduling of the London Regional conference from November to the 24th and 25th July.
The announcement at the beginning of June of the revised timing of the Regional Conference is not reasonable notice. It comes at the start of what is the busiest month in the annual calendar as local party units prepare for AGMs and National Conference.
During the last year, in the challenging circumstances of Covid-19, branch secretaries with other elected representatives have worked hard to keep members engaged and to minimise the disruption that has been caused to normal party business. They deserve to have their rights and those of ordinary members respected by being afforded sufficient time for the important democratic process of electing delegates, preparing motions and standing as candidates. The deadline of 14th July will deny them this.
There will be extra pressure on branch secretaries in CLPs with AMMs to ensure that all branch members, especially new ones, are aware of the implications of the change of date of Conference and the importance of submitting motions and attending any scheduled branch meeting. Pre-planned branch business is likely to restrict the amount of time available for discussion. Subsequent CLP decisions regarding motions and delegates will likely require an additional ‘special’ meeting. Determining a convenient time for this at such short notice will not be straightforward. In CLPs with a delegate structure, branches have been cut out of the process entirely, meaning 24 out of every 25 members will have no input into the conference at all.
For so many reasons, holding the Conference in July is very far from ideal and not least because the scale of the task confronting the Labour Party is huge. To develop the effective policy responses required to address the growing list of issues impacting our region from soaring inequality, catastrophic climate breakdown and the government’s callous handling of the pandemic it is vital that members are on board and fully able to contribute their energy and ideas.
A rushed, ill-prepared Conference will not allow for thoughtful debate and discussion of how collectively as a party we move forward on the key problems that we face as a society. As the Conference is at the start of the school summer holidays, it means many women in particular are likely to be excluded from the chance of attendance due to child care issues.
We call on Amy Fodé to rethink the decision and return to the planned autumn date for the Conference.
Bensham Manor Branch Secretary
Boleyn Branch Secretary
Bruce Grove Branch Secretary
Cazenove Branch Secretary
Cleveland Branch Secretary
Clissold Branch Secretary
Cranbrook Branch Secretary
Dalston Branch Secretary
Finchley Road and Kilburn Branch Secretary
Greenford Green Branch Secretary
Hackney Central Branch Secretary
Hackney Downs Branch Secretary
Haggerston Branch Secretary
Highbury East Branch Secretary
Hobbayne Branch Secretary
Hoxton West Branch Secretary
Islington Mildmay Branch Secretary
Kings Park Branch Secretary
Lea Bridge Branch Secretary
Muswell Hill Branch Secretary
Shacklewell Co-Branch Secretary
St Leonards Branch Secretary
Tottenham Green Branch Secretary
Tottenham Hale Branch Secretary
Victoria Branch Branch Secretary
The Labour right’s determination to railroad members into rule change and bypass or subvert democracy is an ongoing scandal.
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“Dying as its roots are severed: Labour’s democracy”.
The grief to me is due to the predictable having been predicted SIR Rodney Starmer “is bad, Bad, BAD news.” Check his record and those with whom he plotted coups.
The horror is that the predictable will be repeated again if even we were granted another miracle. Habits are hard to break. They can be broken though.
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Revolving doors to and fro merchant banks, the big six accounting and legal firms and the far reaching tentacled tax avoiding IT and “market place” bandits and big pharmaceutical companies. There is one main aim of Tories including SIR Rodney Starmer, Evans & Cabal et al. Their aim is to protect and serve that one percent clique. It is NOT new. The language of many, is the language of surprise as if only now realising that for eg Starmer has always been the tool of the one percent. Language as if they REALLY expected something different.
Nothing different will come from those with eyes set on the well lubricated revolving doors of fixers, plunderers, parasites some more insatiable than “the many” could imagine let alone understand.
Nothing good will come of those who still remain short sighted and narrow focused on those they know like Ummuna, Gardner, Milliband, Lewis, Burnham, Cooper et al. Sone who rightly despise the status quo, treat the slush of propaganda from the MSM as gospel. Despite Jeremy having come from nowhere … a last minute step over the nominations deadline to win the leadership and defeat the so called “big names”, and defeat the same “big names” at Starmer’s TWO coups, some will NEVER learn.
Quite astonishing. They really do believe that they are so smart and so strategic that the facts … even recent ones, escapes them. They return to their timorous kitchen table plans which are part of our problem. STILL all based on what the MSM pumps out.
Despite seeing the Right Wing picking off the best “Left” one by one, some STILL think it wise to extract names of our best bets. WEIRD. By all means say who we won’t support. I certainly will NEVER support Lewis, Gardner, ANYONE who towed the a-S line of lies. No one who does that is the leader we need. No quitter is fit either. Look and learn. Bernie Sanders quit for Clinton. And quit again for Biden. Biden in his first year supported the return to bombing of the defenceless Palestinians.
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I can see what the spivs and thieves in the Red Tory party want to do
But how do they do it
Are there no democratic checks and balances
At end of day isnt it voted on at conference and where is NEC and Unions in this
Confused.com
Doug – “But how do they do it”.
They do it by doing it. They break any “rule” and enforce any “rule” as suits “them” and their aims.
Doug – “Are there no democratic checks and balances”
No.
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On second thought: “Doug – “Are there no democratic checks and balances”?
There are but they are observed or ignored when it suits “them”.
Ask John McDonnell and Dianne Abbott, who are “them”
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The secretaries would be well advised to not hold their breath waiting for a reply.
Clearly, the Right is ready to move in for the kill, and the less time to organise against them, they figure, the better.
In light of the internal report how do they have the numbers to implement anything
Move in for the kill
How
Withdrawal of financial support is all these parasites will understand. It’s one of the two things that will see them off. The other being physical support by way of canvassing for them.
But withdrawal of financial support is key.
Remember, they diverted funds to ensure they remained at the trough, and bollocks to anyone what wanted to join them, friend or foe.
They’ve got theirs for another term; the electorate don’t matter until the next election, party rank & file are only slightly more important as long as they keep stumping up.
IIRC mcgovern (The permawhinge from Wirral South) didn’t send anyone from her constituency to canvass in the neighbouring costituency of Wirral West for Margaret Greenwood – a far better MP than mcgovern – in order to get rid of the godawful irma grese wannabe better known as Fester Mcvile.
I’m sure that wasn’t a one-off.
Do to those what they would (And have) do unto you….Only do it with more frequency, and resolve.
Agreed, withdraw Union subs money too. But will Unite have the cahones to follow Beckett’s threats through of defunding the Labour Party? I somehow doubt it, but let’s wait and see, because I think that’s the only thing that will bring the corrupt Labour Party Management down.
The Blairites never run short of money, they are working for imperialism which will ensure that they never run out of funds.
Well, all I can say to that is, they haven’t so far. Woodentop’s plea for money has fallen on deaf ears from those with the money.
New New Labour less than democratic? My gast has never been so flabbered
IF you play by the rules of the Labour party then “more fool you” they don’t and the power of the subs will never be stronger than it is now.Withhold the money 💰 thats your power.!
that and a campaigning strike, the grassroots have a load of power they just dont realise it
Quite correct.
The name of that website says it all…
THEY work for YOU.
Why does Keir Starmer keep telling voters that Labour deserves to lose? by Matt Zarb-Cousin
The opposition leader’s misguided attempt to ‘win the right to be heard’ has only driven away his own base
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/23/keir-starmer-labour-lose-opposition-base
PW – From that article………’Labour must rediscover its radical edge quickly or it will continue to lose support. Otherwise, despite all the criticism, Corbyn’s leadership will be seen as a post-2005 high-water mark for a party in perpetual decline.’
Yes, and it will still be all Corbyn’s fault.
Yup sounds like this stupid cult of new Labour 2.0 with their usual right-wing Tory-lite power trip games here. They could not give less than a damn about anyone or anything apart from the cult!
Talk about no empathy or understanding it’s pathological their asshattery I tell you…
……….& as a single dad I am yet again rendered invisible; probably time to leave.
If the July conference is forced through hold an unofficial protest one in November too.
No comment section on the PWC thread?
No surprise to see that parasite rachel (I’ll be tougher than the toerags on benefit claimants) reeves making use of free labour…
If you thought workfare was a heinous exploitation, vote stammerite labour and enable a return to outright slavery.