Labour’s first conference row erupts as NEC holds meeting on rule changes

Labour’s first conference row has erupted, a little over a week before the start of the gathering in Brighton. A number of policy motions on a green new deal have been submitted to conference by local parties and affiliates. One of these is the proposal of Labour for a Green New Deal, the campaign group that really pushed the party on this issue at conference in 2019, which has been submitted by 21 local parties. Its motion covers a lot, demanding a Universal Care Service and universal free broadband, as well as investment in green technologies, etc. Critics say they tried to stuff the 2019 manifesto into a single motion. It has now been ruled ‘out of order’ by the conference arrangements committee (the CAC, whose role it is to ensure the smooth running of conference) on the recommendation of party staff, according to Labour GND.

The campaign group has said the move “makes a mockery of party democracy” and “sends entirely the wrong message to voters”. Momentum, which backed the motion in its policy primary, described the blocking as “disgraceful” and argued that “our policies in this area cannot be siloed into isolated, ineffective parts”. MPs including John McDonnell, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Clive Lewis, plus FBU’s Matt Wrack and others, have slammed the decision. Pro-leadership sources have dismissed the criticism, pointing out that a green new deal will still reach the priorities ballot and be debated at conference thanks to “more tightly drafted” GND motions. An appeal will be heard on Monday.

Labour’s ruling national executive committee (NEC) will meet today. Earlier this week, I revealed the key rule changes being put forward by the party for the approval of NEC members at this meeting and subsequently to be passed by conference next weekend. Supporters of the leadership describe this batch of constitutional amendments as simplifying a tidying-up exercise: Labour to Win’s Luke Akehurst, for example, said they are “uncontentious” and he was “puzzled” by the objections voiced by Momentum. Many of the 76 rule changes are simply things like removing references to MEPs and replacing “Welsh Assembly” with “Welsh Parliament”.

A number of the changes have more substance, however. There are those mandated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), introducing the new complaints system. The fact that the general secretary appoints the recruitment committee that in turn picks party members for the independent complaints board (ICB – yes, there will now be even more Labour acronyms to remember!) has raised some objections, but they cannot be elected and need to come from somewhere. Where the Labour left is set to clash with the leadership is over compulsory training for candidates, a probationary period of provisional membership and giving the NEC the power to consider conduct by Labour representatives and candidates as “prejudicial and grossly detrimental”. My earlier write-up should explain all.

Hopefully, the Labour NEC meeting today will be less than July’s nine-hour affair. (Vice-chair Alice Perry has tweeted praise for the “focused agenda” this time.) LabourList will bring you all the news regardless of how long it goes on for, of course. In the meantime, do check out the piece by our barrister columnist Jake Richards on why Dominic Raab’s move to justice is so troubling. We also have an important piece by End Violence Against Women Coalition director Andrea Simon, who is writing ahead of our Labour conference event, which we are very proud of, on the same subject. The ‘How many more? Time for an effective response to violence against women and girls’ panel will feature Dame Vera Baird QC, Jess Phillips MP, Ellie Reeves MP, Farah Nazeer of Women’s Aid and Rosie Lewis of Imkaan, and will take place on Sunday 26th at 3pm in the Hilton Brighton Metropole. Do come along if you’re attending conference.