Several subcommittees and working groups have met since the NEC awayday in November, and some notes are below. Refounding Labour to Win Peter Hain chaired the first meeting of the implementation group, and emphasised the importance of moving fast on registered supporters. Unless we reached 50,000 by conference 2012, the project would be seen as […]
The meeting after conference is always a marathon, reviewing the state of the party and planning the year ahead. First up was Tom Watson, deputy party Chair and campaign co-ordinator, praised for his tactics in the famous Hodge Hill by-election. Tom saw his role as mobilising members, consulting on policy and raising funds. At my […]
NEC Meeting, Tuesday 20 September 2011 The NEC opened by expressing sympathy for the families of the miners who died in Neath, and Peter Hain reported that contributions to the appeal fund had reached £60,000 within hours. This was the last regular meeting before conference, and Ed Miliband stressed that the focus must be outward, […]
Refounding Labour – Update, 9 August 2011 Three weeks after the NEC meeting significant gaps remain, and even NEC members will not see detailed proposals till 15 September at the earliest, with the conference debate scheduled for Sunday 25 September. I am increasingly concerned at putting such a complex project – the draft section on […]
Tuesday 19 July was a dramatic day in parliament, with Tom Watson questioning the Murdochs and Keith Vaz chairing interviews with senior police officers. Across the committee corridor the NEC meeting was quieter but equally tense as we chose Iain McNicol for Labour’s next general secretary, the sixth appointment in 11 years, after Ray Collins’ […]
The Chair Peter Hain welcomed members to Wrexham in Labour Wales, where student fees remain low and the NHS is safe from privatisation, and expressed solidarity with the public service unions fighting for justice. He reported that Refounding Labour had received 125 submissions from constituencies, 35 from affiliates and groups, and 2,660 individual contributions through […]
After the Scottish election defeat, general secretary Ray Collins said that Jim Murphy MP and Sarah Boyack MSP would chair a review of Labour in Scotland, bringing together all stakeholders to develop a new organisational and political framework. Terms of reference had been agreed with the Scottish executive committee and were endorsed by the NEC. […]
After congratulating everyone involved with Saturday’s march, the NEC moved on to Labour’s various reviews. A stormy meeting of the joint policy committee (JPC) had criticised Liam Byrne for giving a LibDem councillor a prominent role in rethinking Labour policies. The NEC agreed emphatically, though Peter Hain argued for reaching out to LibDems who opposed […]
Harriet Harman opened by thanking the hundreds of volunteers and staff who helped Debbie Abrahams win Oldham East & Saddleworth in challenging political circumstances and awful weather. Efforts now turned to 5 May, with elections everywhere except London and Cornwall. Labour would be the people’s voice in tough times, winning the economic argument and highlighting […]