Labour Commission Set Up To Address Issues Of Democracy And Accountability Within The Party
A Labour Commission has been set up to investigate the state of democracy and accountability within the Labour Party, to examine how far this may have contributed to the loss of 200,000 in party membership in recent years and the loss of 4 million votes at the last election, and to make recommendations for reform where appropriate in the light of this analysis.
Its membership is:
Michael Meacher MP (Chair)
Tony Robinson, former NEC CLP section representative
Barry Camfield, Assistant General Secretary TGWU
Prof Keith Ewing, King’s College, London (constitutional reform)
Billy Hayes, General Secretary CWU
Steve Bullock, Mayor of Borough of Lewisham
Mary Turner, President of GMB, member of Labour Party NEC
Cllr David Gardner, Head of Public Policy KPMG
Peter Kenyon, Chair of Save the Labour Party
Yasmin Qureshi, Labour PPC Brent East (2005)
Graham Allen MP
Elaine Smith MSP
Mike Watts, former Director of Finance and Personnel, Labour Party
Mark Seddon, member of Labour Party NEC
Jane Edbrooke. Chair of Birkbeck College Labour students
The Commission’s work will initially concentrate on focus groups to provide in-depth insights into how far a broadly representative sample of Party members felt the current procedures of the Party met their aspirations and, where they did not do so, what reforms they believed necessary to restore membership and to regenerate the Party. ICM has already been commissioned to undertake this work independently. This work will be complemented by taking evidence from representatives, both current and former members, across each of the main sections of the Party.
In the light of these initial investigations a wider-ranging and targeted questionnaire may be used in later stages of the work, and a number of meetings held in the country to discuss the implications of the findings. It is intended to complete the project in time for publication before Party Conference 2006.
The Commission’s work is being funded by individual and trade union donations. A pledgebank facility is also now being launched on the internet on the principle: “I will pay £5 towards an open inquiry into why 200,000 Labour Party members have resigned, and 4 million voters switched allegiance since 1997, but only if 4,999 other Labour supporters will too”.
The Commission’s work is focussed specifically on issues of democracy and accountability within the Labour Party. It is planned to set up a linked project to examine complementary issues of Parliamentary accountability at a later stage.
A meeting to launch the work of the Commission at the Labour Party Conference and to present the initial results has been arranged for 5.30pm on Monday 26 September in the Friends Meeting House in Brighton.
Labour Commission Set Up To Address Issues Of Democracy And Accountability Within The Party
