Michael Meacher - Labour's Future

The inestimable Ann Black has thoughtfully provided a guide (see below) for members wanting to respond to the current proposals for the reorganisation of annual conference and policy making. It's not as straightforward as you might expect. For a start, submissions are to come from individuals, not branches, CLPs or affiliated societies, as they are to be sent via individual members' MpURLs - which party units do not have. Presumably they can stilll write directly to Peter Watt, Labour Party General Secretary (39 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0HA) but the consultation document does not make that clear. The second issue is that of internet access. It's about 60%, as the ONS report from last year shows - but it is not universal and it is heavily weighted away from areas and incomes where one might expect Labour members and support to reside.

Ann's email:

[A motion proposing a contemporary resolution on] this will not be accepted as a contemporary motion because it does not relate to events after 1 August, and the subject will be covered in the NEC report to conference. So it will not be printed and no-one will see it.

Can I suggest that branches collectively and members individually make these points in the response form on the party website on their MpURLs? - see sequence below. I will of course ask for what responses have been received, and if possible read them, and if the majority think that abolishing conference, or for that matter the NEC, it will be hard to oppose.

I also understand that the unions - though not constituency representatives - had sight of the proposals some time in advance of the NEC, and removing contemporary resolutions was not a deal-breaker for them. So there are questions to be asked there as well.

Ann

Go to http://www.labour.org.uk/labour_membersnet

and click where it says "if you are already a member of the Labour Party etc"

If you have already used your MpURL this will take you to

http://members.labour.org.uk/

If not, it may ask you for a username and password. Some people have had problems getting in - if so, or for any other problems with access), ring Computing for Labour on 0207-783-1291 If OK so far, scroll down to Gordon Brown, leader of the Labour Party under this, click where it says "to read Gordon Brown's message etc", which takes you to

http://members.labour.org.uk/Survey2007

from where you can see the document and also complete a response form.