Internal victory for Labour left in election of key party conference posts

The Labour left can celebrate an internal party victory today as Seema Chandwani and Billy Hayes have again been elected as the two local party representatives on the key conference arrangements committee (CAC).

CAC CLP representatives election results:

CHANDWANI Seema – 42,844 – ELECTED
HAYES Billy – 39,486 – ELECTED
TATLER Shama – 33,865
WIMBURY Mary – 36,593

The CAC candidates needed to be nominated by at least five local parties, and at least one of the winners needed to be a woman. Chandwani and Hayes have been re-elected in an all-members ballot for a two-year term for the third time running.

The pair – backed by Momentum, Campaign for Socialism and the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy – were elected in 2017 and again in 2019, against Judi Billing and Katie Curtis.

Reacting to the result, Mish Rahman – a member of Labour’s ruling body and of Momentum’s national coordinating group – said: “This clear victory for socialist candidates shows that the Labour membership want democracy in their party.

“We look forward to a Labour Party Conference where the rights of members are respected and where crucial debates on the economic recovery from Covid-19, climate change and migrants’ rights are conducted democratically and openly.

“Conference will be an opportunity for Labour to reset and overcome the recent stagnation – we intend to take it.”

Shama Tatler and Mary Wimbury were backed by Labour to Win, and its constituent organisations Labour First and Progressive Britain, all of which are supportive of the current Labour leadership.

Labour to Win co-founder Luke Akehurst tweeted: “Today’s CAC result – 46% for [Labour to Win] – was the best vote share result for Labour’s centre-left in [a one-member-one-vote] national committee election since 2015.”

The CAC is responsible for running Labour conference, which this year is taking place in Brighton. The body is crucial in determining the timetable and topics debated on the conference floor.