Ensuring Inclusion and Representation

Ensuring A More Inclusive, Representative and Democratic Party

Below is a rule change that was circulated to CLPs (Constituency Labour Parties) by CLPD (the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy) this year, ahead of Sept 2021 Annual Labour Party Conference.

2020 Labour Party Rulebook.

Chapter 1 (Constitutional Rules)

Clause II (Party Structure and Affiliated Organisations)

Insert on Point 2C on page 1

A disability branch may be established, consisting of all disabled members within that CLP.

A Working Class/Low Income branch may be established, consisting of all Working Class/Low Income members within that CLP.

Insert on Point 2D on page 1

(and Regional BAME), Disabled and Working Class/Low Income members’ sections.

Insert a new Point 12 on page 2

There shall be a Working Class/Low Income Members’ Representative Structure which shall operate on procedural guidelines issued by the NEC.

Clause VIII (The National Executive Committee)

INSERT a new point K on page 6

One Working Class/Low Income member elected under such conditions as may be set out in rules Chapter 4. III below. This member to be elected when conditions laid out by the NEC have been met.

Chapter 7 (Rules for CLPs)

Clause VI (Method of Organisation)

Re-number so that points 5 and 6 on page 40 are replaced by

5. There may be established a Disability Branch to coordinate work among disabled members, acting in accordance with the rules for Disabled Branches and any other regulations approved by the NEC and on boundaries approved by the NEC.

6. There may be established a Working Class/Low Income branch, acting in accordance with the rules for Working Class/Low Income Branch and any other regulations approved by the NEC and on boundaries approved by the NEC.

Clause VIII (Officers)

The existing point number 2 on page 41 reads

2. The Executive Officers of this CLP shall be; chair, vice-chair, vice-chair/ membership, secretary, treasurer, policy officer, women’s officer, BAME officer (where established), disability officer (where established), LGBT+ officer (where established), youth officer (where established), trade union liaison officer (where established, who shall be a member of a trade union in accordance with Chapter 2 Clause I.6.B above), political education officer (where established), communications and social media officer (where established). At least three of the first six officers listed above, as well as at least half of the total number of officers, must be women. This CLP may, with the approval of the NEC add other Executive Officer posts drawn from amongst its Coordinator roles subject to the gender quota being amended appropriately..

Proposed change:

Amend Chapter 7, Clause 8, Point 2 to read

2. The Executive Officers of this CLP shall be; chair, vice-chair, vice-chair/ membership, secretary, treasurer, policy officer, women’s officer, BAME officer (where established), disability officer (where established), LGBT+ officer (where established), youth officer (where established), trade union liaison officer (where established) who shall be a member of a trade union in accordance with Chapter 2 Clause I.6.B above), Working Class/Low Income Officer (where established), political education officer (where established), communications and social media officer (where established). At least three of the first six officers listed above, as well as at least half of the total number of officers, must be women. This CLP may, with the approval of the NEC add other Executive Officer posts drawn from amongst its Coordinator roles subject to the gender quota being amended appropriately..

Chapter 9 (B) (Rules for Regional Executive Committees and Regional Conferences)

Clause V (Membership of the Regional Executive Committee)

The existing Clause V, Point 1H on page 49 reads

H. A Co-operative Party representative nominated by the Co-operative Party who must be a woman at least every other term.

Proposed change:

Replace the above with a new Point 1H

A Working Class/Low Income representative elected by the regional Working Class/Low Income Committee, or elected by delegates to regional conference if there is no active regional Working Class/Low Income Committee

INSERT 17 on page 81 (Rules for Labour Party Low Income/Working Class Branches)

Clause I. Name

1. The { } Constituency Labour Party Low Income/Working Class Members’ Branch (this Low Income/Working Class members’ branch)

Clause II. Objects

1. To ensure that low income/working class members’ voices are heard in the Party, through monitoring low income/working class members’ involvement in activities, and shaping the low income/working class member’s agenda and contributing to policy making.

2. To encourage and support low income/working class members to play a full and active part in all the Party’s activities, particularly through facilitating training, networking and mentoring, and encouraging low income/working class members to run for elected office.

3. To build links with low income/working class voters in the community, through contact with trade unions, community organisations and individual low income/working class voters, consultation, campaigning and joint working.

4. To encourage low income/working class voters to join the Party and to ensure that new working class/low income members are welcomed.

5. To work jointly with low income/working class members in neighbouring CLPs in the delivery of the above aims.

Clause III. Membership

1. The membership of the low income/working class members’ branch shall consist of all individual low income/working class members in { } Constituency Labour Party. All low income/working class members shall be mailed at least annually to inform them about the activity of the low income/working class branch and/or officer.

2. Low income/working class members’ branches may be established on alternative electoral boundaries (such as local authorities) with the agreement of the NEC Equalities Committee. Any low income/working class members’ branches which cross CLP boundaries shall retain the rights of interaction with component CLPs as defined by Clause VI below.

3. A proportion of members’ subscriptions should be allocated to this low income/working class branch as determined by the CLP General Meeting(s), or by the Executive Committee if given such delegated authority by the General Meeting.

Clause IV. Officers and Executive Committee

1. Where possible, or necessary, the officers of this low income/working class members’ branch shall be chair, vice chair, secretary, and treasurer, at least two of these officers shall be women. This low income/working class members’ branch shall appoint two auditors when required and other functional officers as required.

2. This low income/working class members’ branch executive shall consist of the low income/working class officer(s) of any CLP(s) covered by the low income/working class members branch and, if required, not more than four other members.

3. Elections for these posts shall be held at the annual meeting.

Clause V. Meetings

1. The annual meeting of this low income/working class members’ branch shall be held in {} of each year. In the event of the annual meeting not being held in that month for any reason it shall be held as soon as possible thereafter.

2. 14 days’ notice of the annual meeting shall be given to the CLP(s) and to all individual members in this low income/working class members’ branch.

3. This low income/working class members’ branch shall raise and hold funds to support activities within the objects of this low income/working class members’ branch. The financial year of this low income/working class members’ branch will begin on 1 January and end on 31 December. The annual accounts of this low income/working class members’ branch shall be forwarded to the CLP Treasurer(s) no later than the end of February each year so they can be incorporated into the CLP(s) Annual Statement of Accounts.

4. Where the CLP(s) requires delegates to be appointed to the General Meeting of the CLP(s) they shall be elected at the annual meeting, but may be changed as necessary at subsequent ordinary meetings. Unless otherwise decided, the term of a delegate elected at the annual meeting shall commence at the annual general meeting of the CLP(s).

5. At a formal meeting the low income/working class members’ branch may, if it wishes, make nominations to the CLP for posts open to nomination from branches (i.e. CLP officers, parliamentary/European parliamentary candidate, members of the NEC, National Policy Forum, etc.). A formal meeting may also agree motions to be sent to the General Meeting.

6. The low income/working class members’ branch may hold whatever informal meetings or gatherings it sees fit to work towards meeting its aims.

7. Ordinary meetings shall be held at such intervals and on such notice as may be laid down in the standing orders, or as determined by this low income/working class members’ branch from time to time. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of this low income/working class members’ branch executive or at the written request of 20 per cent of the members.

8. Notice of ordinary and special meetings shall be sent to all members a minimum of seven days in advance.

Clause VI. Activities

1. The low income/working class members’ branch shall seek to ensure that low income/working class members’ voices are properly heard in the Party, through the above activities and through, for example:

A. feeding low income/working class members’ views on policy into local and national policy forums and to the constituency’s General Meeting.

B. encouraging low income/working class members to play an active role in these and other bodies, monitoring low income/working class members’ involvement and working with the rest of the Party to develop arrangements which maximise this involvement.

C. bringing any problems regarding low income/working class members’ involvement, including through the filling of quotas, to the attention of the constituency secretary, other officers or the regional Party office.

D. holding local policy forums for low income/working class members.

E. engaging with national structures by electing delegates and submitting motions to Low Income/Working Class Members’ Conference.

2. The low income/working class members’ branch shall prioritise work which aims to support low income/working class members of the Party to play an active part in all the Party’s activities – in particular, training, mentoring and networking among low income/working class members to encourage low income/working class members to:

A. hold elected office within the Party (e.g. as branch or constituency chair, political education officer, etc.)

B. stand as councillors, MPs, MEPs and other forms of elected representative for the Party

C. become involved in the community, for example, as school governors/ board members, on committees of local organisations, as magistrates, members of community health councils, etc.

D. take part in all forms of Party activities – in particular campaigns, recruitment activity, Party committees, meetings and policy forums.

3. The low income/working class members branch shall also seek to build links with low income/working class voters in the community through, for example:

A. building relationships with organisations, such as low income/working class voters’ voluntary organisations, tenants’ groups, trade unions and other organisations in which low income/working class voters are active, through information exchange, personal contact, joint meetings, events and campaigns.

B. working with the Party and Labour councillors and MPs to consult low income/working class voters in the community about their views and concerns, using consultation meetings, policy forums, surveys, listening campaigns and other techniques.

C. targeted campaigning and recruitment activity with low income/working class voters, including campaigns on issues of particular interest to low income/working class voters.

Clause VII. Relationship with constituency parties

1. This low income/working class members’ branch shall maintain good relations with the CLP(s) within its geographical boundary. In particular, this low income/working class members’ branch shall inform the CLP(s) within its geographical boundary of any campaigns, activities or events it is running, organising or assisting with. This low income/working class members’ branch shall also receive the cooperation, encouragement and assistance of the CLP(s), branches and their officers.

2. This low income/working class members’ branch shall be entitled to send delegates to the CLP(s) on a basis consistent with Appendix 7 of this Rule Book.

3. Should a low income/working class members’ branch cross CLP boundaries, only members of this branch who are members of the appropriate CLP shall be involved in business relevant to that CLP, such as nomination of and voting for delegates to the General Meeting.

Clause VIII. Miscellaneous

1. The general provisions of the constitution and rules of the Party shall apply to this low income/working class members’ branch.

2. This low income/working class members’ branch shall not enter into affiliation or give support financially or otherwise to any political party or organisation ancillary or subsidiary thereto declared ineligible for affiliation to the Party by the Party conference or by the NEC.

3. This low income/working class members’ branch shall not have the power to enter into property-related transactions or to employ staff

4. This low income/working class members’ branch shall adopt standing orders and procedural rules as may be agreed by the appropriate RD(GS).

5. Any alteration or addition to these rules may only be made at the annual general meeting of the { } Constituency Labour Party low income/working class members’ branch but must be submitted to the appropriate Regional Director/General Secretary for approval before being put into operation. Such changes shall not contravene the spirit or intention of the model rules as accepted by Party Conference or the NEC.

Supporting Information

Two areas of inequality and political exclusion have been long-neglected by our party and within politics and every other influential sphere within society despite our party having achieved impressive results within other equalities areas. Socio-economically disadvantaged people and disabled people remain virtually invisible and as a direct result, our party democracy and ability to appeal across and to effectively represent all sections of the electorate can only suffer.

There remain many solid barriers that prevent low income and politically excluded working class people of all ages, genders and ethnicities, whether straight, or LGBT+ and whether disabled or not from having a place at the table of power and influence within our society.

20% of Labour MPs are now BAME (which compares to 14% of the population as a whole. So 1 in 5 MPs are now from BAME backgrounds (this figure was 1 in 40 MPs just 10 years ago). This is excellent progress, something we should work hard to maintain and shows just how effective a determined, pro-active approach can be.

Over half of all Labour MPs are now women and given the dismal progress made in combating violence against women and girls within society, this must now be maintained.

About 14% of Labour MPs are openly gay, whereas only 2.2% of the population are, so we have performed extremely well in ensuring people who identify as LGBT+ feel they have a welcoming and inclusive political home within the Labour Party.

However it is equally important that those filling protected spaces within the party represent all socio-economic backgrounds. 22% of the population have a disability yet only 1% of Labour MPs do. One of the main barriers cited is poverty and people with disabilities, single parents and people from BAME backgrounds are all over-represented within the lower end of the income spectrum.

Despite our attention to equalities within the rule book, the vast majority of Labour MPs of any ethnicity, sex, ability or disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or age are from professional and managerial backgrounds - A staggering 97% (up from 37% in 1951). With only 3% or less of Labour MPs coming from ‘routine/manual’ occupational backgrounds when upward of 30% of the population falls into that category and with research showing that two thirds of our membership are now from middle class backgrounds, this proposed rule change cuts across the entire rule book because it needs to. The aim is to enable the party to function as a welcoming, fully inclusive and representative political home for disenfranchised disabled and working class socialists.

This does not imply that we should in any way take our foot off the pedal in terms of ensuring democratic and fair representation of the existing recognised and protected equalities groups, yet there isn’t a finite amount of equality to be shared around. We need to win back the majority of lost traditional labour votes and add to them. Even with an inspirational policy platform, we still need to broaden our appeal beyond the middle class in order to rebuild the trust we have lost not just in 2019 but gradually over decades, in order to win the next General Election.

As a party that prides itself on its equalities standards, that favours economic re-distribution and democracy, given the above figures, it is the obvious and right thing to do. Following a year where those on the lowest incomes and in the lowest status jobs have held society together yet lost their lives and livelihoods at over double the rate of those on more secure incomes, we have an opportunity to show that we take the issues of disability, socio-economic deprivation in relation to political visibility and engagement seriously.

Although within the party and more broadly across society and academia, definitions of what constitutes being working class may vary, the party has already made some mention of working class political exclusion and our intention to address it. Within the context of the relative invisibility of some groups from positions of influence and power within society, it is most useful to think of this group in terms of its relationship to structures of power and their relative inaccessibility based on the socio-economic and cultural forces that shape society unfairly and to trust members to self-identify and define their own terms for activism within this section of party on that basis, with the whole membership’s backing and support.