The following reminder has just been sent out by Labour Party Head Office:
IMPORTANT: Conference 2011 - Nominations and Constitutional Amendments
To CLP Secretaries
Dear Colleague
You will recall our first letter (sent in December) about arrangements for appointing delegates and also inviting nominations for this year's elections and for submission of constitutional amendments.
I thought it would be useful to remind you about the arrangements for submitting nominations and constitutional amendments.
Nominations and Constitutional Amendments
The deadline for submitting nominations and constitutional amendments is Friday 24 June 2011.
To which I replied:
Many thanks for the reminder. Why 24 June? Why not at least 1 July, so that all CLPs meeting monthly have just under two full monthly meeting cycles to consider any submissions/nominations from the time of the 2011 elections?
My own CLP will be obliged to complete any proposed constitutional amendments in the May cycle, as we meet on the 4th Tuesday. In June that day falls after 24 June.
As a consequence that will leave virtually no time for consideration of the substantive issues by branches/members who are being asked/encouraged to assist in local elections campaigns. Our May branch meetings will take place the week immediately after the local elections.
The timetable would only be managable for CLPs meeting monthly on the fourth Wednesday/Thursday. All I would request is that the timetable is optimised for the benefit of volunteer members. An extra week will make a big difference by enabling more time for debate.
With best wishes
Peter Kenyon
secretary, Cities of London and Westminster CLP
Would you prefer more time? Especially as Peter Hain is planning to issue a consultative document on Party reform possibly by the end of March. With elections looming, that is a very tight timetable anyway.
Is your CLP adversely affected like mine? Should we care, given members' submissions are invariably ruled out of order, whether it is a Rule change or a 'contemporary' motion?