National
Executive Committee, 18 July 2006
The prime
minister described the Middle East situation as the most
dangerous for decades, with kidnappings and rocket attacks
provoking retaliation and the Lebanese people caught between
Hizbollah and Israel. Dialogue could only follow after
hostilities had ceased, and with a stabilisation force in
south Lebanon. Some members stressed that Tony Blair’s
commitment to a two-state solution had kept them on board
over Iraq, and gave personal reports of the Wall and
Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. Shelling civilians
was a disproportionate response. Tony Blair felt that
Hizbollah, backed by Iran and Syria, had started this cycle
of violence, and saw it more widely as a struggle between
modernisers, whose aims included multi-party elections and
votes for women, and extremists. He extended his analysis
to Kashmir, raised by Mohammed Azam, saying that President
Musharraf wanted a return to democracy but here also,
terrorist groups derailed any forward moves. There was no
chance to continue discussion by pointing out that Hamas and
the Iranian president both won popular mandates, so
elections did not solve everything, not even, closer to
home, in Northern Ireland.
I expressed
concern about abolishing the chief inspector of prisons, and
sending proportionately more people to prison than other
European countries. Tony Blair thought that changes to the
inspectorate were intended to improve efficiency rather than
reduce independent oversight. Though crime had fallen under
Labour for the first time ever, regrettably the rates were
still higher than in the rest of Europe, an answer which
raises further questions about why. Others asked about
funding cuts for the ACAS helpline and citizens’ advice
bureaux, the impact of withdrawing post office account cards
on rural areas, transparency in European Union meetings, and
the cost of implementing equal pay in public services,
especially with individual lawyers undermining collectively
negotiated settlements.
Money
Matters
Consultation on Labour’s submission to the Hayden Phillips’
enquiry on party funding continues until the end of July,
and the NEC noted a summary of submissions so far. The most
controversial aspect continues to be whether individual
donations should be capped and how this could impact on
Labour’s relationship with the unions, either immediately or
under a future Tory government. Tony Blair assured the NEC
that there was no truth in reports of secret deals between
Number 10 and opposition parties. Dennis Skinner suggested
that Labour should regain the moral high ground by barring
MPs from second jobs, hitting 90% of Tory MPs and their city
sidelines. No-one could starve on a backbencher’s salary of
£60,000 a year.
The party’s
accounts were tabled, and have been published on the
Electoral Commission’s website. General secretary Peter
Watt added that the headline deficit of £27 million was
misleading in that it included the mortgage on Old Queen
Street, shortly to be sold, and a figure for long-term
pension liabilities, newly required under accounting
regulation FRS 17. (Governors of public bodies and company
directors will be familiar with this.) Otherwise, £4
million of the loans will be repaid as originally arranged,
and the others have been rescheduled. Members pointed out
that the Tories, unlike Labour, had probably concealed loans
from abroad, and more of their people than ours had been
interviewed by the police, so they were in no position to
throw stones.
Membership
remained almost level at 198,026, down from 201,374, but
income per member rose from £18.10 to £24, with no sign that
the subscription increase had put people off. New recruits
averaged 220 a week, with 57% joining through the website,
and 1,233 people had rejoined. Resignations were low and
stable, well below the Iraq peak. However several people
stressed the importance of valuing members, some of whom are
disillusioned by party spending priorities, lack of
influence over policy, or inability to choose their own
candidates. Christine Shawcroft cited continued impositions
in Tower Hamlets and the suspension of local government
committees, though on a happier note Birmingham LGC should
soon be restored to life as a result of Mike Griffiths’
persistence. Union affiliations had been paid promptly, and
expenditure was under tight control. The biggest fall was
in high- value donations, unsurprising given the negative
publicity. So there was no immediate crisis, but the gaps
would need addressing if we were to fight the next elections
effectively.
No-one
would envy Peter Watt’s responsibilities. However the NEC
is personally liable for the debts, so it is in our
interests to trust each other and ensure that all NEC
members are involved in important financial and political
decisions. Dianne Hayter had drafted a paper on governance
which would ensure that delegated authority is exercised
within clear guidelines, and that decisions were reported
and approved through subcommittee minutes and officers’
reports. This will be welcome.
Conference
Update
One
decision never reported to the NEC was the increase in
conference visitors’ fees from £59 full / £29 unwaged rate
to £82.25 with no concessions. Pete Willsman and I
successfully argued for a lower rate where visitors could
not otherwise attend, and their fee has been reduced to (I
think) £35. Another was the plan to deduct unpaid
subscriptions to the Association of Labour Councillors from
constituency membership money, and I was pleased to support
an NEC rule change to conference requiring Labour groups to
collect ALC subscriptions plus any extra levy agreed by the
group, lifting the threat to constituencies. However,
withholding NEC ballot papers from councillors in arrears or
not paying membership by direct debit caused unease. Legal
advice was that they were still members but without voting
rights, though the direct debit requirement has been waived
in some cases.
Two other
ideas will not go forward: a bar on council employees being
observers to their local Labour group, and requiring party
members to be legally resident, not just resident.
Constitutional amendments from constituencies will go to
delegates with the organisation committee’s reasons for
rejection, to be confirmed at the September NEC. They
include a call for party staff to act impartially while
carrying out their duties, unnecessary because codes of
conduct, for instance for NEC elections, already prohibit
staff from promoting particular candidates. Delegates should
note that rule changes are scheduled for Monday afternoon,
not Tuesday after the leader’s speech, and are encouraged to
register in advance for the policy seminars, an excellent
chance for frank discussion away from the media spotlight.
The NEC will also present a statement spelling out the key
role of members, and adding the need to draw supporters into
our activities. Rumours of a rule change giving supporters
explicit rights without the requirement even to prove that
they exist have turned out to be exaggerated.
Hazel
Blears reported progress on the “Warwick “ package of
employment-related measures, including new laws on corporate
manslaughter. The national policy forum was judged
successful by those who attended, and I convinced the joint
policy committee to allow time for constituencies to submit
amendments to the final documents in 2008. However there is
continuing concern that the party should have space to think
creatively without ideas being vetoed by ministers.
Representation
MPs will
now be asked to say whether they wish to stand again by 15
September, with reselections starting in October. All-women
shortlists will be decided in January 2007, with selections
from May onwards. One member bemoaned the difficulty of
deselecting perennially disloyal MPs, but in general trigger
ballots with union involvement help party managers. Members
disagreed over whether the standing orders of the
parliamentary Labour party were the property of the PLP or
of the NEC, and were worried that the Chief Whip’s power to
suspend MPs would be applied to the usual suspects, rather
than to ex-ministers criticising their successors which
gained far more damaging coverage.
And
finally, the recent ethnic minorities forum attracted more
than 400 members and an explosion of interest in reviving
the Black Socialist Society, with four people elected to an
interim steering committee. This attracted criticism from
existing BSS officers as the elections were not advertised
in advance, but as the society has been dormant for years
no-one holds an undisputed mandate. A properly-constituted
annual general meeting will be held by the end of the year,
and in the meantime any black or ethnic minority member can
join the BSS for £1 by contacting
bss@new.labour.org.uk
Questions
and comments are welcome, and I am happy for this to be
circulated to members – and supporters - as a personal
account, not an official record. Past reports are at
www.annblack.com .
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