The Labour Party is now committed to starting to select prospective parliamentary candidates in 26 'marginal' constituencies. This is despite the expected Boundary Commission review (subject to the necessary legislation from the Conservative government) to reduce the number of seats in the House of Commons to 600 from 650.
Left Futures set out the logic for this after the January National Executive Committee on 22 January here.
Grassroots Labour National Executive Committee member Ann Black in her report of the meeting just published wrote reassuringly:
The NEC also noted the organisation committee’s decisions on all-women shortlists, following consultation with local parties.
There is many a slip twixt cup and lip. Staff servicing the NEC and its sub-committees from the general secretary down are seasoned practitioners in the dark arts that foul Labour's internal workings. I'm no longer a member of the NEC, so I have to rely on those reports from current members and those affected by NEC decisions.
My sources insist that party staff did not consult the officers of Warwick and Leamington Constituency Labour Party (listed for Open Selection) whom I'm told are hostile to the idea of an early selection. The person whom some un-named party staffer did consult was the former Labour MP, James Plaskitt, whom I'm reliably informed opposed early selection too.
So what about all the other CLPs? Were they properly consulted? We should be told.
Even if turns out that only one CLP was denied its right to state its case and misrepresented to the party's ruling body, who will take appropriate action to restore trust between volunteers and party staff?