Progress is carrying an article by Luke Bozier proposing a relaunch of the Labour Party website. In my capacity as a newly-elected member of the Party's national executive committee, I think this is an issue that needs to be dealt with as a matter of urgency. A policy stance that refocuses attention locally, enabling rather than dictating, seems more appropriate that the current offering. Is Luke right?

Good to see that Liberal Conspiracy is keeping up with news from afar. Sunny Hundal is stateside reporting on a story avid followers of this blog will recall was posted nearly a week ago. The more of us that look closely at this fascinating aspect of the Obama campaign the better.

Despite the protestations of myself and others there isn't going to be a change at the top of the party any time soon, and it is time to move on from this drive.

So. This is Labour's strategic dilemma, in 18 months time there is going to be an election with the 200 crucial seats being almost all Suburban and English and middle-class, almost all held by Labour. Ashcroft money saturates them, the locals are feeling poorer and will be feeling poorer still in 18 months time.

Nothing can be done to alter this macroeconomic reality, every government action (and non-action) now will be dissected in the press in the coming 18 months as we head into a deep recession - and more often than not cited as a cause rather that an ameliorating factor.

How do we win the votes of the middle-class suburban English during a deep recession after 12 years in power?

Suggestions please.

Come Fourth - The Campaign for Gordon Brown to lead us into the next election. While it is a sure thing we will come second under GB, fourth is

There's a sudden interest in the Labour Party rule book and I'm getting lots of calls from journalists interested in the powers by which a Leader can be replaced.

Labourhome Editor Alex Hilton writes in PR Week

Mike Smithson has confirmed that IPSOS Mori will publish a poll tomorrow putting the Tories at a 28% lead.

The NEC has rejected the requests from twelve rebel Labour MPs to issue nomination papers for the position of leader of the Labour Party prior to the party conference. NEC Chair Dianne Hayter said that the party's rules stated that a contest could only be triggered by a card vote at conference.

Further to stories like this one in today's Guardian,I've tried to work out how the NEC will split tomorrow night on issuing re-nomination papers for the leadership. Short answer:they probably won't. And the (slightly) longer answer is here. Will those 12 union reps vote for papers? I doubt any of them will.

 I wouldn't be too surprised if me or my boss wrote something about it in Tribune this week...

Apparently Jack Dromey has been re-elected as treasurer of the Labour party

After the recent treatment of Mike Griffiths and the many other 'very democractic' processes in our party, I would like to ask for your support through the Compass, LRC, affiliates, trade unions and wherever you maybe in the party for democractic change.  We must use the NEC elections this year and in two years time, also the NPF and other avenues to start again on the NEC and get some people election who are willing to work for the grassroots actvists and WILL LISTEN and act like DEMOCRACTS and not AUTOCRATS!!

John Wiseman

Peter Oborne writes in the Mail today about the current state of the party's finances

Embattled Labour Party leader Gordon Brown today invited members to underwrite the Party's debts according to their means and pledged a major overhaul to re-establish a mass-membership organisation reaching out to every community in Britain to promote Labour values.

Once again there has been a round of speculation in the press on the state of Labour's finances, but party members are not being told what is really happening.

Tribune has been following the Labour Party refinancing saga closely - seemingly the only good source of info for ordinary members on how the £21 million debt, largely from the 2005 election campaign, will be handled. The saga moves on another notch today.

Last week's Labour Party National Executive Committee considered the next stage of policy-making. Since the launch of Partnership in Power in 1997, the internal processes have developed what astrophysicists refer to as "black hole" characteristics.