Party elections: Why we need pro-Starmer reps shaping conference

October’s Labour Party conference is going to be a very special event. It will probably be the last policymaking conference before the general election (expected in autumn 2024). It will be a chance to show the world what a Keir Starmer Labour government would do to deliver prosperity across the UK, raise wages and living standards, remove barriers to opportunities and transform lives.

At this year’s conference, the party will also be electing representatives to some of Labour’s important national committees. We (Phil Wilson and Alice Perry) are standing for the conference arrangements committee. We are working together as part of the slate that supports Keir Starmer’s leadership and has the party’s best interests at heart. If we are elected in 2023 we will take up our positions for next year’s Labour Party conference.

Labour Party conference should be a welcoming and inclusive forum where members can discuss policy and showcase Labour as a government in waiting. We have attended conference in different capacities, as delegates, ex-officio members representing MPs/councillors and as members of the national executive committee (NEC). We know how conference works. We value its importance as Labour’s primary democratic institution.

Throughout our history, Labour Party conference has a played crucial role promoting and adopting radical, well thought out policy that will shape our offer to the British people at the next election. Make no mistake, this is an election we must win to end the damage caused by 13 years of Conservative governments and reverse the Tory path of managed decline, replacing it with Labour’s positive, hope-filled vision for a better future.

While we don’t know the date of the next general election, we expect the 2024 Labour Party conference will be shortly before, or immediately after it. This makes next year’s conference of vital, historical significance. It is essential that this conference demonstrates Labour at its best. We need to prove the difference Keir Starmer’s ‘mission‘ driven government will make to the lives of the communities we represent.

Labour is a serious political party. We are a government in waiting. With the eyes of the world on us, and interest (and scrutiny) higher than it has been for a generation, we can’t afford to waste this precious opportunity. The 2024 Labour Party conference must be outward facing, talking to Britain and the voters we are asking to put their trust in us. If you elect us to the CAC, we promise to keep the focus on putting the country first and bringing about a Labour government to deliver prosperity to every part of our country.

Today’s Labour Party is full of energy, talent, and ideas. We are united in our determination to win the next general election and deliver the change Britain desperately needs. If you elect us to the conference arrangements committee, we will ensure the 2024 conference is a platform for members from all our nations and regions. We want to highlight the best of Labour from Glasgow to Grimsby, from Cardiff to Corby. We will push for greater constituency Labour Party (CLP) representation in policy debates and, if the 2024 conference is before the general election, more time for prospective parliamentary candidates to talk about the difference voting Labour will make to their communities.

We will work with the NEC equalities committee to make sure conference is an inclusive, welcoming, and positive experience for delegates and visitors. We will work to make panels and platform speakers diverse. We believe in transparency and will write reports on CAC meetings, so members can stay informed about important decisions and why are they taken.

Please ask your CLP to nominate Alice Perry and Phil Wilson to the conference arrangements committee by 23 June.

You can also see a list of the fantastic candidates we are backing for the NCC at https://www.labourtowin.org/labour-internal-elections-2023/

Alice Perry and Phil Wilson are standing for Labour’s conference arrangements committee.

Alice Perry is backed by Open Labour and Labour to Win.

Phil Wilson is backed by Labour to Win.