Lessons for Labour from its Leader - 3

We (the members) are not helpless by-standers. Recent events have confirmed our new Leader needs a helping hand. His future, that of serving MPs, MSPs, AMs, councillors and members is in all our hands. That's democracy. While the Westminster village focusses on the headline grabbing stuff, what's happening in the undergrowth - in the Labour Party's depleted branch and constituency party structure?

My own branch agenda on Wednesday night in 90 minutes reviewed its local political narrative - London living wage, Lights Out, Wardmote timetable, mega-planning issues (one one million square foot development oversahdowing the Barbican), social housing provision in the polling district that voted Ken not Boris. Next were the lessons from the London elections - should we launch a membership drive? Then there was national party business - Rule changes (deadline 6 June), Partnership in Power review (deadline 20 June). Model rule changes from Save the Labour Party and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy were discussed. Debate alighted on a big hole in the Model Rule thinking. The link between members and the Leadership has been broken. Conference Arrangements Committee has stifled the members' voices. Our response - a provisional agenda to be issued by 30 June. A new Rule change has been duly drafted. The rest of the model resolutions were reordered and endorsed en bloc as necessary changes to restore that link obliging those entrusted with stewardship of the Party's affairs are accountable to the membership as a whole. Then we walked to a member's flat and had a jolly supper that raised £50 for local party funds and put the world to rights.

Most of the proposed Rule changes are rooted firmly in the recommendations of the LabOUR Commission, chaired by Angela Eagle MP, when she was vice-chair of the Parliamentary Labour Party. I could detail the torturous route these ideas have still to travel to see the light of day inside the Party bureaucracy. But thanks to this facility and the Internet, anyone who's interested can see what we are up to.

What are the broader lessons?

To action many of those recommendations does not require Rule Book changes in advance. Our Leader and the NEC have the power to effect change. They just need the political will. They need to feel the weight of Party opinion to rebuild. They need to acknowledge the central message of the LabOUR Commissions's work - giving members a say applies to how the Party is run, as well as the policies it seeks elected office, and the democractic legitimacy of the electorate to enact.

The Party needs to raise £40 million to pay of the Blair debts and fight the next General Election. That is in addition to annual running costs. It is a very big ask in present circumstances. It will take a very radical repositioning of the Party with its members to achieve. It is not impossible. First, the squabbling has to stop. Our Leader has to come out very clearly as a democractic socialist. He has to be ready to accept that the majority of remaining members, former members and supporters have no confidence in Labour Party HO as it is currently organised. It is at branch level that the treasury function is going to have to be restarted, quality assured and networked through regional and national structures to redistribute locally raised funds to less well-off branches and CLPs with target seats at whatever level of government.

In parallel, the Partnership in Power policy review has to be open and transparent. Gordon Brown and Dianne Hayter have failed to even acknowledge correspondence from Save the Labour Party.

UPDATE 1030 I have received a letter from Dianne Hayter, Labour Party NEC chair, which will be published on the STLP website shortly declining our offer of facilities to ensure an open and transparent process.

So we are just going ahead and posting a link on the Labour Party intranet to all the official documents set out in a format that any member can comment on, or post an amendment, and any other member with Internet access can see.

So to recap for starters:

1. organise at branch level - the point of contact with the Party for each member

2. back a Labour Party Rule Book change to force the NEC to be accountable to members

3. have your say in Labour Party policy-making and know that your contribution can be seen

Let's get on with it.