ASLEF withdraw “outlaw Progress” motion from Labour Conference

Last year, ASLEF sent a motion to Labour Party conference that seemed intended to “outlaw Progress” as the GMB’s Paul Kenny had indicated weeks earlier. The motion read:

ASLEF Constitutional Amendment
June 2012
Delete rule 5.B, insert:

B. Political organisations not affiliated or associated under a national agreement with the party, but whom engage in internal activity, shall be required to:

i. Notify the national party of all legally reportable donations received.
ii. Transfer 50% of all donations received beyond the first £25,000 per annum to the national Labour Party.

C. Incorporated organisations that engage in internal activity shall be required to provide upon request all legal, constitutional, and financial documentation to the National Executive Committee to ensure that they meet acceptable standards of democracy, governance and transparency. These organisations are expected to abide by the authority of the NEC in such matters.

D. The NEC shall be responsible for the interpretation, implementation, and enforcement of these rules.

As this was a constitutional amendment, it wasn’t voted on last year, but was still on the agenda for this year’s conference in Brighton – despite being discussed at the last NEC meeting, it’s believed that the motion was still on the agenda for the party’s NEC meeting next week.

Until today – when ASLEF decided to withdraw the motion, in what I’m told was in pursuit of “party unity”.

Considering the other rows that may well erupt at conference – including, of course, on party reform – Ed Miliband will be glad to see what could have been a damaging row over the role of Progress, and potentially other groups in the party, being diffused before becoming a major issue.

Proceeding with this motion would have been a mistake for ASLEF, and a nightmare for the party and Miliband in the run up to conference. Withdrawing it was the right decision.

Update: A Labour source I spoke to this afternoon said:

“This is a very welcome and unifying step by Aslef.”