Peter Kenyon

GB UN speech: rallying call to join Labour

Today's speech by Gordon Brown to the United Nations was somewhat low-key, but no less effective. I watched it live on BBC 24 News. It was fact/action packed and inspirational. His was a wake-up call to international agencies, governments, NGOs and the private sector to meet agreed targets and more. We know how to tackle global poverty, we have the means to address the challenges - we need to get on with it. A skilful counter-balance to the diplomatic obligations of yesterday at Camp David. So for anyone in two minds about the direction of travel: Join the Labour Party to signal endorsement and make sure it happens.

Labour: To be, or not to be contemporary

Top marks to my former CLP, Hackney North and Stoke Newington for debating the Gordon Brown proposals, Extending and Renewing Party Democracy. The outcomes published by Luke Akehurst here illustrate vividly the dilemmas created by Gordon Brown's decision to rush into this particular initiative without consultation.

Gordon Brown's key Proposal 5 - to end Contemporary Resolutions to Conference and substitute Issues received NO votes in favour.

One thing that can be said about Hackney North and Stoke Newington is that it is emphatically not in the grip of raving, left-wing loonies. If the majority of CLPs adopt this approach before the Consultation ends on 14 September, then Gordon Brown faces a challenging first conference with the risk of acrimonious exchanges about gagging Conference and stifling dissent unless he listens.

My current CLP, Cities of London and Westminster took a different tack here calling on Gordon Brown to take take note of the LabOUR Commission's Interim Report, and look at Extending and renewing party democracy in the round to reverse falling membership trends, rebuild Labour's base in local, regional, and devolved government as well as win a 4th term in the Westminster Parliament, as well as sort out Party finances.

Save the Labour Party and some leading lights in the Campaign For Labour Party Democracy  are sympathetic to reform of the Contemporary Resolution procedure. But not at the expense of stifling debate at Conference. The underlying problems for Labour remain the Command/Elite Party model, flirting with the right-wing press, trade union bashing and policy wonkery.

The inherent danger at Annual Conference 2007 is that Rule Changes to end Contemporary Resolutions will be tabled by the NEC, and the Trade Unions will be 'persuaded' over Warwick 2 to back the Leader, leaving CLPs and the individual membership out in the cold.

Left manifesto club online: come on, Ed!

Tormenting the Tories with the prospect of a snap election makes good copy for the silly season. But there is a serious side to the current bounce in Labour's electoral popularity which risks being overlooked. Douglas Alexander is billed as election 'strategist'. The correct word is probably 'tactician', unless he really is thinking about how to use the opportunity to rebuild the party, as well as retain marginal seats and win back those lost in 2005. As for the Manifesto, hat tip to Bob Piper who alerted me to the Left Book Club online created and promoted by none other than Ed Miliband. Let's have a Left Manifesto club online to engage all the talents, bring it on, Ed!

Blair's legacy to Labour: debt

The Electoral Commission published the 2006 Statement of Accounts for the major political parties yesterday. Labour's can be downloaded here. They show the outgoing Leader left the Party with debts of £24.86 million. As an avid promotor of rights and responsibilities, I hope Tony Blair will be honouring his when it comes to helping the Labour Party pay them off. Talking of fundraising, I was doing my bit last night at an event to help pay for campaigning leaflets to secure 50% social housing in the proposed Chelsea Barracks development. It was organised by comrades in Pimlico branches of Cities of London and Westminster CLP. Oh, and while we were partying the winner of £100 in our bi-monthly shareclub draw was announced. That scheme is grossing 20% more than at the beginning of the financial year. But I digress. In accounting terms is Labour a going concern? The auditors appear to have signed off the accounts without qualification. Though how the Party is going to pay off its national debt and raise enough money to fight a General Election any time soon is a mystery. At a constituency level we are preparing a five-year budget aimed at ensuring we link our fund-raising to the costs of campaigning, elections and internal party democracy, policy development and governance. Are any other CLPs thinking along similar lines?

Political weather report: Sun caught in Dalston

Whenever the sun shines in Dalson, it is caught in the act. Even if there are clouds in the sky. There is no escape.

The occasion yesterday was the official opening of the Bootstrap Company's first solar roof on its Print House building in Ashwin Street Dalson. It's a social enterprise of which I am a Trustee. We are now generating enough electricity to meet most of the needs of tenants in our affordable workspace at the Print House. A display in the Reception tells everyone how much we are generating and how much CO2 has been saved.

The investment was possible thanks to a Labour government funded grant scheme and the European Regional Development Fund.

When we can afford it we will put an energy-efficient display on the roof too - where it can be seen from the street and not block the sun.

If every roof in Britain with a southerly aspect was made of what we have got...might we escape the need to even think about nuclear power?

UPDATE: Daily Telegraph report:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2007/07/23/easolar123.xml

Paying for Labour's next General Election win

On a positive note, let's examine the options to funding Labour's next General Election campaign. How much money needs to be raised? Well that depends on the new Brown government's success in getting new legislation on the Statute Book to cap spending. Hayden Phillips in his report on political party funding suggested £12.5 million.  The Electoral Commission in its report on the same subject had proposed £15 million. Whatever. If Labour had stuck to its 1990s target of one million members with (say) a subscription rate of £12 a month (the current concessionare rate) that adds up to £48 million over a four year period - four times the amount really needed. Of course, there are lots of other expenses running a modern mainstream political party. But come on Gordon, let's be ambitious. Let's put the cash for honours scandal behind us and focus on the future - a mass membership party capable of funding itself without any more help from the taxpayer. I think the electorate would really appreciate that sort of response - not the ridiculous claims of vindication. Paragraph 25 of the CPS decision not to bring charges makes the case very well.

If one person makes an offer, etc, in the hope or expectation of being granted an honour, or in the belief that it might put him/her in a more favourable position when nominations are subsequently being considered, that does not of itself constitute an offence.

There is only one escape from the impression of undue influence by wealthy donors. Rebuild Labour's finances with membership fees and small donations from the many, not the few.

Political weather: severe froth warning

The Political Weather Centre today issued the following severe froth warning for the British Isles. A deep depression is forming over Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service. Although a much brighter outlook has been forecast in Labour areas Levy, Turner and Evans. The severe media froth that is expected to spread over the electorate risks drowning clear political judgement. The mopping up operation is expected to cost taxpayers over £20 million a year.

Jack Straw keeps HP sauce dossier

  Contrary to my earlier post about who in the new government would pick up the Hayden Phillips dossier on the political funding, it has been retained by Jack Straw. The new Leader of the House, Harriet Harman, is married to the Treasurer of the Labour Party. Under the new regime at No. 10 there is clearly a better sense of propriety about possible perceived conflicts of interest.

Latest news from ongoing deliberations is that there is NO prospect of a cross-party consensus. The Tories' finances following the sale of CCO in Smith Square are relatively sound compared with either Labour or the Lib-Dems. The main target is legislation to impose caps on election spending and an end to the so-called 'financial arms race', which in Labour's case led, wholly unnecessarily' to the so-called cash for honours debacle. There are also lingering high hopes of dollops of taxpayers' money for political parties. I find this very difficult to take seriously in the absence of Tory support. Better to cap the spending asap, then see how the Tories square up in the marginals on a theme of 'buying votes'.

Has anyone told PLP chair Tony Lloyd?

Among the nuggets at yesterday's Labour Party National Executive Committee was an apparent reluctance to recognise Gordon Brown's titles of Party Chair or vice-chairs (six). As far as the NEC is concerned, Harriet Harman is Deputy Leader - a position she stood for and was elected as. As for the vice-chairs, NEC chair Mike Griffiths gruffly dismissed them as vice-chairs of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). I wonder if anyone bothered to ask Tony Lloyd, chair of the PLP.

Psst Hazel, its OK to change your website

While waiting for news from the Labour Party NEC meeting today, I decided to do a little housekeeping. What happened to the websites of the Leader and Deputy Leader candidates that I added to my favorites during the campaign? Gordon Brown redirects straight through to the Labour Party website, Harriet Harman says thanks, as does John Cruddas and Hilary Benn, Alan Johnson is frozen in time, Peter Hain has been zapped, and Hazel Blears - well she has reverted to her regular site, but still describes herself as Party Chair and Minister without Portfolio. Oops.