Exclusive: Jeremy Corbyn’s party reforms – in full

Sienna Rodgers

Following LabourList‘s analysis of the most significant democracy review proposals, below is the full summary of the latest recommendations set out in the report given exclusively to NEC members earlier this week.

ELECTION OF LEADER AND DEPUTY LEADER

  • Nomination rights for CLPs, trade unions and PLP in Leader and Deputy Leader elections
  • Registered supporter and affiliated supporter category should remain
  • Rules relating to “freeze dates” and entitlement to vote set out in rule book

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

  • Pathway to a “members’ led” NEC
  • Scottish Conference and Welsh Conference to decide how Scottish Labour Party and Welsh Labour Party NEC places elected
  • Creation of a Disability place on NEC
  • Reform of Socialist Society representation
  • By-elections for NEC vacancies

REGIONS

  • Creation of new Regional Executive Committees
  • Annual policy making Regional Conferences where motions on national and regional matters can be debated

EQUALITY

  • Improve political education and training opportunities for under-represented groups building on best practice
  • 50% of Cabinet and Committee Chair posts in Labour run local authorities to be held by women
  • Campaign to allow all women shortlists for Metro-Mayor selections Equality training available for all CLP and branch Officers
  • Equality audit of Annual Conference, Regional Conferences, all national, regional, CLP and branch structures
  • All Labour Groups expected to adopt formal maternity, paternity and adoption leave policy All equality officers to have access to networks, training and resources
  • Work to ask BAME and disabled members to self-define to build BAME and disabled members networks
  • Job shares allowed at CLP and branch level
  • The Labour Party will campaign for a change to the law to allow candidate shortlists which cover all protected characteristics and in government would look to introduce the relevant legislation

BUILDING LOCAL PARTIES

  • Creation of new Policy Officer to have lead role in new people powered policy making process
  • All equality and TULO Officers to have voting rights on CLP Executives and branch Committees
  • Reducing quorum for All Member CLP meetings
  • “Default” branch and CLP rules set out in Rule Book
  • CLPs allowed to have staggered meetings to maximise involvement
  • Review of CLP funding and membership rates
  • Use of technology to allow e-attendance and virtual meetings
  • Special Measures procedures to be codified and set out in the Rule Book
  • Easier to move from All Member CLP structure to General Committee structure and vice versa
  • Rules for multi constituency CLPs

MEMBERS’ RIGHTS

  • A new set of Rights for Members should be enshrined in Rule Book
  • Rules will be written in clear and unambiguous language
  • Members will have minimum rights to attend meetings and policy consultations each year – can be on-line or off-line
  • Members will have more rights to information in the Party
  • Standardisation of rights to take part in internal democracy including local government selections
  • Review of current system of trade union and socialist society affiliation to CLPs
  • More political education opportunities for all
  • Enforcement of requirement to be a trade union member for candidates
  • Role and responsibilities of the NEC, NEC Officers, NEC Committees, General Secretary and the Acting Leader to be further codified and set out in Rule Book
  • All Members will be entitled to attend their CLP and LGC unless it is clearly impracticable to allow that to happen

WOMEN

  • Women’s Conference entitled to send two motions and a constitutional amendment to Annual Conference
  • A new National Women’s Committee will be elected
  • Annual Regional Women’s Conferences and Regional Women’s Committee will be set out in the Rule Book
  • Voting entitled at Annual Women’s Conference to reflect Annual Conference More support for Women’s Officers including a range of campaigning materials
  • Regional, Scottish and Welsh Labour Party Women’s Conferences will be able to send a motion and potential constitutional amendment to Annual Women’s Conference
  • Regional Women’s Conferences will be entitled to send a motion to Regional Conference There will a Woman’s Officer on every new Regional Executive Committee
  • There will be standing orders for Regional Women’s Conferences and Committees

LGBT+

  • LGBT+ Officer on every new Regional Executive Committee
  • There will be rule book provision for LGBT+ Forum with the same rights as women’s forum and ethnic minority forum
  • A LGBT+ training course established for those considering standing as a candidate

DISABLED MEMBERS

  • Strategy for inclusion with more resources dedicated to disabled people being able to participate and in-house expert advice on disabled access
  • Resources for all CLPs, branches, disabled members and the wider Party with advice on disability access and the requirements of the Equality Act
  • Adopt the social model of disability for how we organise as a Party
  • Annual Disabled Member’s Conference with voting entitlement to mirror Annual Conference
  • National Disabled Members Committee (will be elected by OMOV election of disabled members if this can be justified under the Equality Act)
  • Regional disabled members’ networks will be developed
  • There will be rule book provision for Disabled Members Forum with the same rights as women’s forum and ethnic minority forum
  • Disability Officer on the new Regional Executive Committee
  • Regional networks and more support for Disability Officers
  • Training course for potential disabled candidates
  • Evidence will be compiled to have reserved disabled members seats on bodies such as CLPs and LGC’s

BLACK ASIAN AND MINORITY ETHNIC MEMBERS

  • A radically reformed BAME structure with all who self-define as BAME automatically members
  • Annual national BAME Conference with voting entitlement to mirror Annual Conference Each Region asked to organise a Regional BAME Conference
  • Newly elected National and Regional BAME Committees
  • A BAME Officer on every Regional Executive Committee and regional networks Mapping exercise of BAME communities
  • Evidence complied to have reserved BAME seats on bodies such asCLPs and LGC with a higher percentage of reserved BAME seats in areas with high BAME population where there is current under-representation

YOUNG LABOUR

  • Resources dedicated to build a national network of Young Labour groups
  • New Youth and Student Unit established
  • Young Labour groups will be able to communicate with Young Labour members with a protocol
  • There will be a NEC fund for poorer CLPs to fund delegates to Young Labour Conference
  • Annual Young Labour Conference will be able to send two motions and one potential constitutional amendment to Annual Conference and to Annual Women’s Conference
  • Each Region will organise an Annual Young Labour Conference
  • An event for under 18s with safeguarding provisions will be organised
  • Point of contact in each Regional Office for Young Labour and Labour Students Regional Young Labour Committee elected by OMOV

STUDENTS

  • OMOV elections for Labour Students

POLICY

  • New people powered policy process to maximise involvement of members and CLPs in the policy process
  • Trade Unions and socialist societies with specialist interests heavily involved in the policy process
  • New NEC Policy Committee
  • Motions on national matters from CLPs and motions from Regional Conferences and the Scottish and Welsh Conferences will be sent the new Policy Committee
  • Pilots to develop regional and local economic policy and local plans
  • Direct democracy and digital democracy will feed into the process
  • Strengthened role for Regional Conferences and the new LGC in policy making

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

  • Members-led Annual Conference with enhanced policy role as the sovereign body of the Party
  • Open-up Annual Conference with no “contemporary criteria” or “three-year” rule
  • Large affiliates entitled to additional motion to Annual Conference
  • Constitutional amendments debated the year they are submitted
  • Timetable and paperwork available for delegates in advance to discuss with CLPs and affiliates
  • Reference back process formalised and set out in Rule Book Constitutional amendments debated the year they are submitted Electronic voting at Conference
  • Reform of CAC
  • Additional representation for Disabled, BAME and LGBT+ members

DIGITAL DEMOCRACY

  • An advanced social media event
  • Every CLP will be supported to have a website
  • Secure on-line voting systems for CLPs developed for policy and other matters Procedures for CLPs social media accounts
  • Regional social media networks facilitated

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

  • LGC re-established with 75% CLP and branch and 25% affiliate representation
  • All Member LGC’s allowed where they currently already function as All Member LCF’s
  • Each LGC required to have an Annual Conference for all members to discuss local government matters
  • Action plan to ensure that there are a wide range of potential candidates including mentoring, shadowing, political education and training building on best practise
  • Similar process to Clause V where the manifesto will be agreed by the LGC and the Labour Group
  • Councillor contract and criteria for selection reviewed from an equalities perspective Affiliated trade unions able to add to local government panel using same criteria as LGC Pilots considered for election of Council Leaders by wider party
  • Open selections for council candidates
  • Wider review of local government structures including the contribution given and support provided to councillors

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

  • Regional Executive Committee should ensure that a LGC structure is in place for Regional Government structures
  • Members and affiliates involved in manifesto making process
  • Rule Book amended to provide for manifesto sign off in a similar way to the Clause V process

SOCIALIST SOCIETIES

  • Opening-up and promotion of the work of Socialist Societies with development plan

INTERNATIONAL

  • After Brexit the Labour Party would maintain the closest relationship with the Party of European Socialists

PARLIAMENTARY SELECTIONS

  • Should boundary changes proceed, the procedures relating to Parliamentary Selections will be reviewed

NCC

  • Additional NCC places created

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