Mobilising members - it's not too late

Peter Kenyon Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 06:40:20 PM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

While the Westminster village is in a febrile state, there are elections out here on the doorstep in London, Wales and many parts of England. As a Labour Party branch officer, the ongoing challenge is to mobilise when members feel cut out of the loop.




Networks of contacts help if only with commiseration. Today has been no exception. But one story keeps popping up. Village gossip repeatedly casts the new General Secretary, David Pitt-Watson in the role of fund-raiser in chief, with the Prime Minister's Political Secretary, Fiona Gordon, as de facto party chief. If that's the impression, our leader Gordon Brown wants us to have, the minnions are doing a good job letting everyone know. Can that really be how he thinks he's going to get Labour re-elected with a working majority at the next General Election? Mike Ion thinks its all about policy. That begs the question of who makes it. The Labour Commission concluded that members had to have a say.
With Parliament in recess for a couple of weeks, will the voices of reason be able to develop a narrative that links the idea of an active, solvent mass membership Labour Party to governing in the interests of the majority of the electorate? Mobilising members is the way to getting out the vote. Think about it. Gordon. You have all these PR/media savvy-people around you in No 10 now, what do they say? Or are we going to have to lose London and more council seats before realisation dawns? Alternatively, you could talk to the CLP or Labour Party branch coordinator at every campaign speaking opportunity over the the next four weeks and ask them.

Mobilising members is the key to rebuilding the Party's finances as well as winning the next General Elections. A motivated membership will be willing to contribute more money. But, Gordon, you have really, really got to want more members. Enthusing members in this campaign is the first step. Next come the Labour Party Partnership in Power Policy debates in May/June. Every CLP can put is as many policy amendments as it likes. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's focus on mobilising members. It is not too late.



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Mobilising members - it's not too late | 4 comments (4 topical)

Re: Mobilising members - it's not too late (#1)

by Curlew on Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 08:51:17 PM GMT

"But, Gordon, you have really, really got to want more members"

It's funny how politics imitates business (or is it the other way around).  The banks are in turmoil because they no longer wanted to borrow money from their savers (members) and pay them a decent interest rate - they thought they would get the money from elsewhere. So people stopped saving and bought houses leading to the spiral and the shortage of cash - and still the BankofEng thinks the way to cure this is by dropping interest rates.

Likewise, there are no concessions to the membership of the party - perhaps we are not needed.  Does the party need a crisis like the banking system?  Will it make any difference?


Re: Mobilising members - it's not too late (#2)

by HenryG on Fri Apr 04, 2008 at 09:45:35 PM GMT

Good post.


Re: Mobilising members - it's not too late (#3)

by Peter Kenyon on Sat Apr 05, 2008 at 07:52:01 AM GMT

Dear HenryG

Many thanks. This is part of the ongoing campaign of Save the Labour Party - our recent suggestions to the Party hierarchy are set out here:

http://www.savethelabourparty.org/Newsletter_No._11.pdf

Peter Kenyon

CLGA candidate for the 2008 NEC Constituency section elections


[ Parent ]

Re: Mobilising members - it's not too late (#4)

by musicman on Thu Apr 10, 2008 at 08:07:12 AM GMT

Nice post.


Mobilising members - it's not too late | 4 comments (4 topical)