Class of 2010: why Labour should use this opportunity to introduce BAME shortlists

By Patrick Vernon

With David Miliband being tipped as a future Foreign Minister for Europe the issue of the success of the classes of 1997, 2001, and 2005 of New Labour MPs has again been raised. Although we still have a high proportion of those members in Parliament, there seems to have been a trend in recent years of key high-profile members disappearing from the political scene. A fair number have either resigned or been sacked from their roles as Minsters or key influencers as a result of disillusionment in either the Blair or Brown camps, or have resigned or been threatened with deselection as a result of the expenses scandal.

This will mean that a potential figure of over 50 ‘safe seats’ will be up for grabs between now and the general election, which now – according to pundits – will take place in May 2010 to coincide with local council elections.

This raises issues as to what type of candidates the Party wants to select for the remaining seats that need to be filled over the several months before a general election.

Historically, the last minute selections which take place, where the process is managed directly by the NEC, tends to favour people working closely to Ministers and the party machinery and thus potentially work against, women, BAME candidates and even the working class.

What is quite clear from the public reaction to the MPs’ expenses scandal is that people want MPs to be accountable and also more reflective of the diversity of local communities. We may not get a chance again for possibly a decade to address the historical inequalities and structural barriers of women and BAME representation in Parliament.

If we want to secure that fourth term, the party needs to take a radical approach in supporting and sustaining a new breed of candidates based on activism, experience and knowledge and of the key issues that the party needs to have a grip on. Those issues include, namely, climate change, public sector reform, equalities and community cohesion, regeneration, health and social care, housing, education, local government, regulation of financial services, tackling poverty and social inequality, worklessness and the criminal justice, foreign affairs and international development, heritage and the arts.

Today, we need 21st century policies for 21st century issues led by 21st century politicians. Our current Parliament and group of Labour MPs still do not reflect the cultural diversity or demographics of our nation that bind us together – not in terms of ethnicity, faith, gender, sexuality, disability, age or socio-economic status.

The Aall Women Shortlist approach has been effective in selecting more women candidates to be MPs over the last several years. It is now time to seriously consider using BAME shortlistd to at least meet the target set by BAME Labour of 56 MPs by 2010.

We need to adopt best practice in recruitment and selection and move away from favouritism and prejudice, particularly against women and BAME candidates, and especially Asian women and black men who are often at the bottom of the selection process.

These new recruits will take an active role in renewing the party and revitalising all aspects of policy. They will also help with a major recruitment drive to attract new and former members to the party and engage with those communities who are disenchanted with the current political process. These new MPs will also need to develop a political education programme to attract and identify the next generation of potential party members and activists.

In order for that to occur, the NEC, in consultation with CLPs, needs to establish the following rules to ensure proper selection processes are followed through and also to create a legacy for more women and BAME candidates:

1. No future peerages for MPs who decided to give up their seat within two months of a date fixed for a general election.

2. The NEC should introduce combined AWS and BAME shortlists for selected seats in consultation with relevant CLPs.

3. NEC should undertake an equalities impact assessment in identifying potential seats and monitoring progress during selection processes.

4. The NEC should formally approach the BAME Labour national executive and local branches to identify potential BAME PPCs for a special selection list.

5. The party should draw up a special shortlist of women and BAME PPCs of between 50-70 candidates who will be given extra support and advice for preparation (this list should be based on advice and recommendations from party activists, socialist societies and affiliates etc).

6. There must be no interference in selection processes by current government ministers or senior officials unless they are supporting more BAME candidates.

7. Debriefing sessions and advice should be given to unsuccessful candidates to review prospects for future selections.

8. A star chamber should be established to deal with evidence of sexism, racism and homophobia in selection processes.

9. Where BAME and women candidates have been selected as PPCs in an unwinnable seat the NEC should use its discretion to allow the candidate to put themselves forward for other potential seats leading up to the general election.

10. There should be a cap on the amount of candidate expenditure for selection processes.

In light of the Single Equalities Bill going through Parliament with a single duty to the type of equalities we will expect from local government, NHS and the police, etc, to deliver this agenda, surely the principles should apply to the selection of potential MPs by the party, as these are also public servants representing and advocating for constituents.

It is important that we have a fourth term to ensure not only that this is Bill is passed but to further extend equality and human rights legislations against the backdrop of the increasing media profile of the BNP.

BAME and women candidates want a fair and equal playing field to be selected for safe seats. The NEC has the power to rectify the democratic deficit in Parliament. This could be the last chance in a generation for the party to do the right thing for a future legacy of a diverse Parliament of Labour MPs.

Patrick Vernon is a Councillor for the London of Hackney and an executive member of BAME Labour. An alternative version of this argument was published on the Progress website last month.