Anger as women’s conference assigned only 20 minutes to debate each motion

Labour women members have voiced their anger at only having around 20 minutes to debate each policy motion at the women’s conference tomorrow, after the party further scaled back the annual event.

Only six motions will be debated at the women’s conference, taking place the day before events for the national conference kick off in Liverpool, with the amount of time for debate on policy motions cut from three hours last year to just two.

It comes a year after the conference was controversially cut from two days down to one.

READ MORE: Revealed: PM’s allies help snuff out thorny women’s conference motions on winter fuel, two-child cap and gender

Rachel Garnham, co-chair of the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD) and a former Labour national executive committee member, told LabourList: “CLPD has been disappointed to see the further diminishing of women’s voices in the Labour Party with a smaller, deprioritised, top-down women’s conference this year.

“20 minutes for discussion on crucial topics is an insult.

“Grassroots women members and trade unions bring a valuable perspective that Labour in government need to listen to in order to deliver the change women need.

“CLPD continues to call for a two-day, policy-making spring women’s conference where women’s voices can genuinely be heard.”

READ MORE: The full LabourList conference programme, from karaoke to key panel debates

A video filmed by one delegate comparing the level of information about its women’s and its main conference has been circulating among frustrated women members.

Sammy Wentworth, a delegate from Bexleyheath and Crayford CLP, said it “sickens me” after filming herself flicking through the long main programme, comparing it to the single A4 sheet she has about the women’s event.

A recent CLPD email to its members urged delegates to vote for three candidates at the conference to the Women’s Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC) who back the restoration of a standalone two-day policy-making conference that is separate from annual conference, as well as for an agenda “that includes as much input from grassroots women members and trade unionists as possible.”

READ MORE: Follow all of LabourList‘s Labour party conference 2024 news and debate here

Jean Crocker of CLPD, one of the candidates for the Women’s CAC election, said: “At the two-day women’s conferences, we had eight motion debates. When we were cut to one day in 2023, there was pressure to have only four – but we held firm on six, which increased the number of grassroots CLP voices heard, and the same has happened in 2024.

“We are calling for a return to a two-day standalone women’s conference in 2025.”

Two other candidates, Louise Irvine and Lynne Troughton, backed by the gender-critical group Labour Women’s Declaration, also expressed their commitment to fighting to restore the two-day conference.

They said: “Labour’s rulebook commits to a two-day annual women’s conference. In the past, it was held in the spring. In standing for women’s CAC, we would campaign to re-establish this. The 2023 and 2024 one-day autumn events offer very limited time for policy discussion and do not do justice to the contribution women members can make.”

Teresa Gray, women’s officer in Bexley and Sidcup CLP, said she was “appalled” by the cuts to the conference and said: “Conference appears to have lost its role in shaping policies for women.”

She said that the reduction to just one day last year “diminished the status of the conference” and claimed motions chosen in advance “seemed carefully chosen not so much to support debate as consensus”.

One CLP officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I have been a long-time Starmer supporter.

“The disorganisation in the lead up to conference and the paucity of the agenda, not to mention major errors like advertising an election to the National Women’s Committee when it’s not up for election this year, has been disgraceful. We all appreciate the pressures staff have been under, but the absence of a working National Women’s Committee means that these short cuts and disrespect for women’s organisation within the party have gone unchecked.

“Two hours to discuss six motions plus emergency motions is derisory. Come on Labour. Women matter.”

The Labour Party was approached for comment.

SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected]. 

SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning. 

DONATE: If you value our work, please donate to become one of our supporters here and help sustain and expand our coverage.

PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or content, email [email protected].