From Tribune, 17 August 2007

GORDON BROWN’S consultation document, Extending and Reviewing Party Democracy, which was broadly welcomed by Labour’s National Executive Committee when he presented it at the party’s Manchester conference, recognises the need to engage with local communities more effectively while empowering the members by involving them more in the policymaking process.

At the heart of the consultation is the role of Labour’s National Policy Forum and Partnership in Power. As a London representative on the NPF for five years, I have seen at first hand how local members have lost confidence in the NPF process. All too often, people do not know who their regional NPF representatives are. They may have never attended a local policy forum. And even if they have, their experience of it may have been very disappointing. If they made a submission on a NPF policy document, it is unlikely they would have received any feedback about what consideration – if any – was given to it. 

All this leads to scepticism about party democracy. The situation has been made worse by the confusion in recent years over the right forum for policy debate. Is it through Partnership in Power and policy forums or through vehicles such as the so-called Big Conversation and Let’s Talk?

If there is mistrust over the policymaking process, local policy forums can become insular. Instead, they need to reach out to their communities. In education, for example, they need to involve teachers, school governors and the teaching unions. The Labour Party is at its strongest and best when it works with local communities, shares their concerns and listens to their experiences.

The Prime Minister’s proposals for strengthening Partnership in Power should be welcomed. For them to work, local policy forums must allow for member participation and debate, rather than simply provide a platform for ministers to make speeches. Labour’s regional offices must be given the support and resources necessary to run effective regional policy forums.

NPF representatives need to see policy documents well in advance of meetings so they can consult with the membership before debating them at the NPF. And for ordinary Labour members to have a renewed confidence in Partnership in Power, they have to get feedback on policy submissions so they feel they have a meaningful stake in the process. A new executive of the National Policy Forum, accountable to party members, will help to ensure the NPF can achieve these aims.

Labour should not be afraid to reform its structures or scared of disagreement. There will be times when we argue, but that is part of being in a democratic party. A system where issues are considered in greater depth through a reinvigorated National Policy Forum process and then properly debated throughout the party is surely a better way of policy-making for the future where disagreements are resolved in the most effective and democratic way.

That is why I welcome Gordon Brown’s proposals that contemporary issues should be referred back from the party conference to the new, strengthened NPF for detailed scrutiny. The sustainable communities commission housing sub-committee is an example of how this can work.

Compromised of representatives from the Government, constituency parties and the trade unions, this has built up a consensus about the future of social housing. It is this consensus building after informed debate, and scrutiny, rather than late-night conference composites, which will drive forward a policy agenda which Labour members can share and be proud of.

We need to give party members a stake in the policy making process from start to finish, so I welcome the proposal that, once a Parliament starts, the membership will have a vote on the party’s programme. If we are serious about involving more members in policymaking from the start of the policy cycle, it is only right that they then get to vote at the end. Such a move would enfranchise Labour’s membership through discussion, dialogue and decision.

Ellie Reeves is a trade union lawyer and a constituency representative on Labour’s National Executive Committee

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