Peter Kenyon

Election readiness - an opportunity for Labour, but threat to control freaks

Labour's leader Jeremy Corbyn wants members to decide who will be their prospective parliamentary candidate at the next General Election. Given the Tories inability to govern that opportunity might not be far away. Reactions to Ian Lavery MP's recent pronouncements suggest that the age of entitlement in the Labour Party is not over (yet). Let me untangle these issues.

Ahead of the shock, surprise May 2017 General Election, Labour was so ill-prepared that the NEC took upon itself the power to select candidates. Serial rebel MPs in the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) were given a 'Get out of Jail' card. However much local disquiet to a sitting MP standing again for re-election - tough. Labour's rebels have much to thank Tory PM Theresa May for her decision to call a snap election. Their candidacy was safe. Though in some isolated places previously safe Labour seats were lost.

With the Tories in disarray over how to govern (full stop), never mind Brexit, the prospects of another General Election in 2017 require decisive action on the part of Labour CLPs and the NEC. The mantra is that nothing can be done without the authority of the NEC. I find that jobsworth approach utterly depressing. The Labour Party needs candidates in place for both local, regional and national elections much earlier than has been common practice.

National contingency planning needs to focus on the full panoply of opportunity - national, regional, local and, dare I add, European elections. If the NEC is unable to provide detailed guidance ahead of the July meeting cycle for local parties, IMHO CLPs should get on and ask the June 2017 PPCs whether they wish to stand again. In the absence of an acceptable 'sitting candidate', then CLPs should invite expressions of interest and enable all their members to take part in a selection process.

This may mean some ruffling of feathers among Labour MPs with an inflated sense of entitlement, tough. Members are entitled to decide. It is in the rules. What is the problem? Oh, yes - entitlement. Well, sorry peeps, it's time to get real.

 

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.