Labour Conference dates changed - no consultation

Yesterday's Labour Party National Executive Committee voted 20 - 4 to change the dates of its 2008 Annual Conference without consultation. No prizes for guessing who voted against this move - yes, the four sitting members of the Centre Left Grassroots Alliance - Ann Black, Christine Shawcroft, Pete Willsman and Walter Wolfgang. (Details of the six candidates standing in the 2008 NEC elections can be found here.)

The proposal is that Conference runs from Saturday 20 September and finishes on Wednesday 24 September, instead of Sunday 21 to Thursday 25.

CLPs were notified of the original dates by post only last week. Obviously money is no object.

For dedicated followers of slates - Peter Wheeler and Ellie Reeves of Labour First voted in favour of the Head Office move without consultation. Peter W raised objections. But it's the vote that counts.

For those inclined to think it's only a day, what's the fuss? Apart from the principle, consider the implications for any CLP delegate taking their role seriously with business to be undertaken with the Conference Arrangements Committee - they will have to be in Manchester on the Friday - cutting into two working weeks. No problem if you are a full-time union official, or career politician. But a real issue if you are a volunteer in work. So much for extending and renewing party democracy, to coin a phrase.

Update 1630: Sources close to the NEC have asked me to make clear that while the report on the vote is correct, it was agreed that further soundings should be taken and a final decision taken by NEC officers in mid-February. So if you consider that the Annual Conference should start on Sunday rather than Saturday (as proposed)  please make you views known to the acting general secretary chris_lennie AT new.labour.org.uk and copy them to Ann Black annblack50 AT btinternet.com

Remember, if you would like Conference to be more about debate and decision, and less of a rally this is the time to take a stand and say Yes to Sunday Opening.

Comments

[a very public sociologist]

Any particular reason why they wish to move the conference?

[Peter Kenyon]

Dear public sociologist (very)

The pretext was Gordon Brown diary planning. Instead of a Leader's speech on Tuesday as had been the format for as long I can remember attended Labour Party Conference, it was changed to Monday last year. Now Gordon wants it on Wednesday afternoon.

Then there was Cabinet, that was on a Thursday for as long as I can remember. But when Gordon became Leader he changed it to a Tuesday.

Get the picture? We could open a book on which day the Leader's Report will be in 2010.