22/07/2021
TONIGHT at the Hackney South Labour meeting, we will decide what to submit to Conference. We are backing an historic rule change that proposes making Labour MPs accountable to the members, trade unions and socialist societies that they represent via Labour’s National Conference. It also provides a way to challenge the withdrawal of the Labour whip from Jeremy Corbyn and from any other MPs in the future.
There are two main reasons why we support this rule change.
1. The only way to ensure this rule change is on the Conference agenda, is for us to make it our submission to Conference:
We are only allowed to submit EITHER a rule change OR a motion. The deadline for rule changes has gone and we were one of very few local parties who submitted this rule change in time. If we and the others decide to switch to a policy motion before the Conference, the rule change will not be on the agenda.
2. There isn’t a good alternative:
There are only two alternatives to the rule change.
The first is the Momentum motion for Proportional Representation. It is supported by the 'moderate' wing of our local party. It’s a sensible tactical decision - given how finely balanced our meetings are now, they may well need support from left members to defeat the rule change. A right-wing motion could not get this but a Momentum motion might.
The second looks like the Momentum Green New Deal motion. Unfortunately it has been amended to remove references to unionised jobs, universal public services and public ownership of utilities, and to change the retrofitting target from 2030 to 2040.
Both the Proportional Representation and the Green New Deal motions are widely popular and will be submitted by other local parties. Whether they get on the Conference agenda will depend on the Priorities Ballot NOT on how many parties submit them.
If we do submit a motion instead of the rule change and that gets on the Conference agenda, then two of our delegates attend the compositing meeting. In theory, a compositing meeting is simply where you combine motions on the same topic together to get a single agreed version - a ‘composite’. In practice, it’s where the leadership puts pressure on delegates to remove the left-wing parts of motions. Given that half our delegates are from the right, this will not be helpful in getting a strong motion to the floor of Conference. Our Green New Deal motion will be damaging as it will offer wording that can be used to water down stronger motions passed in other local parties.