Labour's future as a democratic socialist party as far as I'm concerned hangs on whether it delivers 21st century tools enabling members to have a say.
Yesterday's proceedings of the Organisation Sub-Committee reported first by Luke Akehurst and posted here, suggest that the culture remains top down. While there were words expressed about the use of technology:
• There will be greater use of technology to facilitate discussion and
to feedback to party units about their submissions. NPF members will
also be involved in giving feedback. All NPF members will get greater
information about the work of the JPC and the Policy Commissions.
• There will be an online audit trail to track what has happened to amendments.
they are hedged with conditionality.
So the challenge for all members of the NEC CLP section seeking re-election on whichever slate, or none is have you agreed a specification and budget for that technology with a delivery date? Will the policy documents be published in a format that enables any member to see any proposed changes by any other member? Will representative sample voting facilities be included?
If not, none of you will be getting my vote when the ballot papers arrive to enable me to cast my vote in the 2012 CLP NEC elections.