Starmer further strengthens support for his leadership within party machine

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Keir Starmer has strengthened support for his leadership in the party machine with yet more internal party victories. In elections held yesterday between members of Labour’s ruling body, the national executive committee (NEC), the Corbynite left lost two key posts. The Communication Workers Union’s Andy Kerr was swapped out for UNISON representative Wendy Nichols as chair of the NEC’s organisation sub-committee known as ‘Org Sub’, and Usdaw’s Michael Wheeler was picked as vice-chair. This sub-committee deals with party rules, its constitution, conferences, selections, local party and membership issues.

Parliamentary party representative Shabana Mahmood MP also replaced Momentum-backed local party rep Yasmine Dar as chair of the NEC disputes panel, which oversees the handling of disciplinary cases. Mahmood will, of course, be overseeing the overhaul of Labour’s complaints system, as the party must get an independent one up and running by December. These changes give Starmer’s allies more power, which is particularly notable in the new composition of the NEC officers’ group (the NEC within the NEC). This core body no longer includes any members who joined the digital walkout last year. See my write-up for a full update.

Alice Perry’s latest NEC report confirms that the party will be introducing additional checks and balances for due diligence in selection procedures, as promised in the Equality and Human Rights Commission action plan. It has also started publishing stats on complaints, as promised. General secretary David Evans told the NEC that the much-anticipated Forde Inquiry, which was first promised in July, then December, will be “completed and delivered shortly”. It is a remarkably non-leaky inquiry, contrary to Labour’s typical style, which should give confidence in its independence. I’m told Evans said the inquiry was aiming to deliver the report by January 31st and has been instructed to update the general secretary if that date cannot be met.

We don’t yet know whether Labour’s next annual conference will be virtual – contingency plans are underway for a hybrid or online one, as Alice Perry noted in her last report. (Glasto has been cancelled. It’s simply too risky for businesses, which may also apply for September.) The party told members yesterday that “we can’t be certain how this year’s conference will look and feel” but it is moving forward with national committee elections anyway. Nominations have opened for auditors and conference arrangements committee (CAC) places, as well as the quasi-judicial disciplinary body the national constitutional committee (NCC).

Amid the transition to a new independent complaints system and independent ‘elements’ being introduced in the meantime, and ahead of a conference where groups such as Momentum are planning to push hard on policy, the leadership will be hoping to win these internal elections. This is far from inevitable: the left-backed candidates for the joint policy committee (JPC) were elected this week, and the Momentum slate won a majority of local party seats on the NEC last year. When the electorate is the wider membership, rather than the NEC, Labour’s factions have all to play for.

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