Deep in the bowels of the Labour Party, nominations are being sought by members who want to stand for election to its National Executive Committee. I am no exception. My statement can be read here. Efforts to promote greater party democracy, initially pioneered (at least in my memory) by the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, continue and by lots more organisations and people. Labour UnCut is distracted by shenanigans on the left over nominations. Though Cowards Flinch carries a critical analysis of the contributions of the Labour leadership candidates to that debate. (Not easy reading if you're Diane Abbott.)But how do members keep an independent track of what the current members of the NEC actually do?
As part of any party democracy renewal package it seems to me that there is a case to be made for a service like the one 'They work for you' site offers the electorate regarding MPs. Just imagine Labour MPs/MEPs/Lords and Ladies being able being able to track what Michael Cashman MEP, Dennis Skinner MP and Angela Smith MP have been up to? And so on...those 150,000 something members being able to keep tabs on both the Centre Left Grassroots Alliance (not to be confused with Grassroots Labour) NEC slate members: Ann Black, Christine Shawcroft, Pete Willsman plus myself (Peter Kenyon) and the Labour First slate's: Ellie Reeves and Peter Wheeler. As for the three million plus affiliated members the list of Trade Union and Socialist Society NEC delegates is too long to repeat here. But you get the idea.
So who else is up for shining a light in this dark place? Would a summary of the voting record of constituency section members on key issues in the last 24 months ahead of the NEC ballot in September enable members to take a more informed decision about whom to vote for when the ballot papers arrive? Or will it just be another beauty contest?