Peter Kenyon

Don't be fooled: there has been NO opening up of Labour policy-making yet

Some issues are worth pursuing. I would urge all Labour Party members who regard having a say in policy making as an inalienable right to be cautious about declarations of hope following last weekend's National Policy Forum.

The latest glowing report was published earlier today on Labour List authored by Stephen Twigg MP, former chair and now honorary president of Progress. Twigg proclaimed:

I left Birmingham with a feeling that the NPF has a renewed sense of purpose.

This is to the credit of the representatives and Party members across the country who responded to the Partnership into Power consultation documents published in May. I co-chair the Education and Skills Commission with Mary Turner of the GMB and was particularly impressed by the number of responses received to our consultation document from individuals, CLPs and affiliates. 

So, Stephen, how many responses were there? How many from individual members or affiliates? How many from party units? How many from outside bodies? And when will you publish them?

He went on:

Those responses informed constructive discussions in our five workshops over the course of the weekend. It is also to the credit of Party staff who are working tirelessly to open up the process as widely as possible as we build towards our next manifesto.

Well, I'm all in favour of giving credit where it is due. But we know the former Deputy General Secretary Alicia Kennedy expressly refused to open up the process. Former NPF chair Peter Hain lacked the ego-strength to challenge her. Judging by the message sent out in the name of the new National Policy Forum chair, Angela Eagle, earlier this week party staff are still administering a 'black hole' stategy for submissions.

I have been asked personally to have faith. And I will. But only when the method of inviting submissions is open and transparent to members. Those processes have to be linked to practical schedules of meetings for the NPF, and its policy commissions. The work of the top-down appointee as policy coordinator, Jon Cruddas has to be incorporated into that framework and accountable to the NPF.

Then there might be reason for supposing something has been learned.

 

Will Labour's NEC take Executive Board plan lying down?

Labour's National Executive Committee (NEC) meets today in the wake of news of the membership and chair of the unconstitutional Executive Board. My own jaundiced views were posted here. Labour List provided details here. Dan Hodges added spice here and The Guardian played catchup here.

Will anyone have the temerity to challange the proposals and demand a debate and vote(s)?

I haven't bothered to ring any of my sources. There is not a mention of the Executive Board on either of the blog sites of Johanna Baxter or Luke Akehurst - the two most energetic member representatives on the NEC in the blogosphere. (Note they are members' representatives, not CLP representatives under the one-member-one-vote election system.) 

What are its Terms of Reference? When were they agreed? How does this body relate to the NEC Business Board?

If Dan Hodges' account is to be believed, the Labour Party made a £1.7mln loss in 2011. That suggests that the Business Board lost its grip on the management accounts early on in the last financial year, while m'lord Collins was still carrying the title of general secretary, but Alicia Kennedy was actually in charge.

If nothing else, I hope some highly pointed questions are being asked about who was managing the money. Remind me who is the Treasurer?

But I'm not holding my breath. Just keeping a firm hand on my pocket book when it comes to donating money to the Labour Party. As for the idea of an unelected business person chairing an unconstitutional body within a democratic socialist political party, I have only one thing to say - stand for election after you have got your proposals authorised by the constitutionally designated body - the NEC. Otherwise make your excuses and leave those responsible to put the Labour Party's affairs in order.

Awaiting the piss-up in Brewer's Yard

Crikey, it's four and a half weeks since I last posted a blog. Was it the weather? Was it the moon? Was it a branch in my constituency labour party that must remain nameless? Was it the polls? Whatever, it was has passed. At last news about those six director level appointments at Labour Party HQ and a lot more. They were first advertised in early January here. They are due to move shortly from Victoria Street further west of Parliament to Brewer's Yard. (You couldn't make it up!). 

I can reveal that some high-placed Labour Party sources see these appointments as a litmus test of Iain McNicol's grip as General Secretary. There was a three-way power struggle between Iain, his outgoing Deputy Alicia Kennedy and the Leader's officer. Iain you will recall was not Ed Miliband's candidate for the job. His election in favour of the well-oiled machine hand, Chris Lennie, followed the elevation to the peerage of m'Lord (formerly Ray) Collins.

Alicia Kennedy, de facto General Secretary under Ray Collins, whose role as Deputy General Secretary has been written out of the new structure, is appointed to a new post as special advisor to the appointed Deputy Chair Tom Watson. Chris Lennie, the other former Deputy General Secretary, will continue to assist in external relations and fundraising. Now the transfer window has closed, we must ask: is it possible that the Leader's office will be pulling the strings leaving McNicol wondering whether his move from the GMB was wise?

Update: News of skirmishes from the Leader's Office (aka Eastern Front) on Left Futures : Leader’s office oversteps mark with Labour Party HQ http://bit.ly/wQ3WEk

Update: A different take here Vive la résistance la rue Victoria! « Labour Uncut http://bit.ly/wCRLgC which reports:

In the words of one staffer on Friday, “Iain [McNicol] is basically now a glorified head of HR”.

Update: The whole debacle is reduced to an even baser level in the Telegraph: The Labour Party is tearing itself apart, and Len McCluskey is preparing a silent coup  http://soc.li/guJfMZK

Young Labour: a case study in command and control

As a Constituency Labour Party secretary, I received a letter signed by Labour's Deputy General Secretary Alicia Kennedy (aka Lady Kennedy following former Labour Party co-worker Roy Kennedy's elevation to the peerage).

Dated 10 November, it concerns a Young Labour 'event' planned to take place in Scotland on 11-13 February 2011.The deadline for nominations for the posts of regional representatives on the Young Labour National Committee and NEC Youth Representative was given as 10 December 2010.

Our CLP has been invited to nominate to the NEC Youth representative position. Our last meeting before the deadline is on Tuesday. So if there are Young Labour members planning to stand for this position, please let me know before 23 November.

Given the importance attached by our new Leader to the new generation, openness and transparence, I was puzzled by the tight timetable. I contacted a couple of Young Labour members whom I know.

Was the sitting Young Labour national committee consulted about any aspect of the above arrangements? No

Did they think a later date for nomination was feasible? Yes

Shouldn't the NEC Youth Representative be elected by OMOV? ...that one caused pause for thought

For those of you not familiar with this latest branding and organisation of the Labour Party's members under or at or around 27 years of age, Young Labour members who now number over 25,000 are drawn into the 'fixing' mentality of those currently controlling ThIs Great Movement Of Ours (TIGMOO) at an early age.

So, it's congratulations to Alicia for another case study in command and control. In 2009, if I remember rightly you and your ilk were out smarted by a well-organised Young Labour faction who took the position of Young Labour chair uncontested. I quite understand why you have taken them by surprise this time, fixed a ridiculously short timetable for nominations, and brought the date forward for the 'event' to February from April previously.

Another thing for the new Leader to take a close look at on his return from paternity leave.