Labour's NPF: a paradigm shift? How can we be sure?

Delegate reports from this weekend's Labour Party National Policy Forum are eagerly awaited by those of us who worry as much about how policy is made as the outcomes to win the next Westminster election. My twitter feed is littered with plaudits for both Cruddas and 'newly-elected' NPF chair Angela Eagle. Alon Or-bach a London Region members' directly elected representative tweeted on Sunday:

Alon Or-bach ‏@alonorbach Now being addressed by @JonCruddasMP - a real paradigm shift! :-)#NPF

Martin Rathfelder ‏@rathfelder @angelaeagle Excellent job this weekend. You've got a lot of support behind you.

My own take on Cruddas's appointment is here. I doubt that Or-bach was lauding the method of that appointment either. So what has changed?

Or-bach revealed late Sunday there was a real buzz on opening up Labour policy making and shaping an alternative vision for our next Labour government. That needs explaining, so I asked him to elaborate. He recalled there had been widespread calls for accountable tracking of submissions, adding: "Very hopeful it will actually happen." That prompted Fabian Society Deputy General Secretary, Marcus Roberts to observe: 

Marcus A. Roberts ‏@marcusaroberts @alonorbach @peterkenyon transparency key to legitimacy in Lab policy making. But we've been burned by this before so bar set high now! #npf

So that is one indicator we can look for - tools for open and transparent policy making.

Now is not the time to cast doubt, but show how easily and cheaply it can be achieved. The rewards of showing that as a Labour Party member you can have a say, and your contribution doesn't get lost will be there for all to see in increased membership, activism, and electoral success at all levels of government.