Re Founding Labour To Win

a party for the new generation
Introduction by Peter Hain The consultation: a summary The review of Labour in Scotland Change in Wales
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Refounding support for our councillors Page 26 Better representation for councillors within the party Replace ALC subscriptions with the elected representatives levy and provide better services for Councillors Minimum local group levy to help Fund Local Organisers Local government selection procedures Refounding our commitment to diversity Candidate selection A more representative membership Policy development Refounding support for women members An Annual National Womens Conference A local organisation for women Page 29
Refounding our local parties Page 11 Clause 1 Our Party Leader: rights and responsibilities Enabling structures New Local Campaign Forums Party meetings that focus upon widening involvement Effective working at a local level with Trade Unions Officers and local roles that match CLP needs A development plan for every CLP New strategic functions for Regional Boards Refounding our place in the community Page 15 A new Registered Supporters Scheme Increasing involvement of levy paying members of affiliated trade unions and members of our Socialist Societies Embedding community organising methods in the way we work Candidate Contracts for all elected representatives Northern Ireland Refounding Partnership into Power Involving all our party members in policy-making Reaching out to the public Stronger, better policy-making institutions Page 18
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Refounding support for young members Page 34 A greater say for young members An Annual Youth Conference A more representative Young Labour National Committee Increased support for young members and Young Labour groups Refounding support for ethnic minority members Ethnic minority forums Ethnic minority officers
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Refounding support for members with disabilities Page 38 Making our party accessible for members with disabilities Refounding support for LGBT members Making our party accessible for LGBT members Page 39
Refounding support for our members Page 22 Training and development New technology for communication Membership subscriptions Local party finances and the creation of an NEC Diversity Fund and an NEC Local Organising Fund Labour International Rights and responsibilities of our Labour MPs and MEPs Gender balance within the Leadership team
Introduction
Peter Hain MP, Chair, Labour Party National Policy Forum
The consultation paper Refounding Labour: a party for the new generation outlined in challenging terms the choices facing Labour. It was frank about the weaknesses exposed by our recent performance and about the profound changes in society to which we, and other parties, had been slow to react. It is a measure of the commitment and seriousness of our members and affiliates that they rose to the challenge and engaged with the issues set out in this stark fashion rather than taking refuge in denial or the repetition of old slogans. Above all, there was a general willingness and desire to learn from those local parties and elected representatives who have adopted new ways of campaigning and as a result defied the trends at the General Election and begun the fight back in this years elections and by-elections across the country. We are not seeking to change the party for the sake of change. As the title of this report says we are Refounding Labour to win. As a party we still have enormous determination to change Britain for the better and the strength of mind to recognise that we need to change our own ways of doing things if we are to be equal to the task.
them opportunities to learn and practice new skills and relying on them to apply our political values while thinking on their feet as they talk to their neighbours and develop a real community politics. Members want to take more responsibility and to have a greater say in the party. They want to reach out to their local communities to learn from their experience, to win their support for Labour and to work with them on the wide range of issues where civil society cannot wait for the next General Election but must make its needs and views known to politicians of all parties. When they do that, they want party structures that assist rather than impede the work. When they learn from that engagement they want the party at every level to listen seriously to their views.
In order to achieve this we need to:

Make clear our commitment to community organising and listening to our members in both a new Clause I and a new statement of objectives for the partys branches. Ensure through the way we work from making space for political discussion in meetings to providing specific training in user-friendly forms - that our members can develop the skills and the confidence to enter into dialogue with their communities and help local people to campaign for the changes they need in their everyday lives. Remove bureaucratic obstacles to our local parties getting on with that crucial work encouraging them to find approaches to organisation that best meet local needs. Reform our organisation at local government level by enabling parties to create streamlined action focussed Local Campaign Forums.
A campaigning, community-based party

We received a wealth of evidence that local parties and their elected representatives were already facing up to the challenges with innovative approaches to their work at local level including the way they communicated with their members, experiments in making their meetings more focused on policy and campaigning, the relationships they were building with their communities, and the efforts they were making to involve supporters in party activities. And the evidence showed that these changes were producing results in terms of membership, campaigning and electoral success. As always in the partys history, this consultation has shown that we can draw on a huge amount of good practice pioneered by local parties, elected representatives and affiliated organisations and learn lessons for the party as a whole. Refounding Labour to win recognises that with the decline in long-term voter identification with parties, the weakening audience for national news in a period of multiplying media options for the consumer, and increasing public cynicism about politics in general, we need to get back to being a party rooted in communities, dedicated to dialogue, and convincing people over years rather than weeks that Labour can serve them. In order to achieve this we will need to trust and listen to our members, giving
A party at the heart of a mass movement

We must rebuild a mass movement. Political parties alone cannot make the changes we need either in Britain as a whole or in the individual communities of which it is made up. We know and value the whole-hearted commitment of those who join or affiliate. Our individual members will always be at the heart of our party. We will continue to work shoulder to shoulder with the Trade Unions, the Cooperative movement and the Socialist Societies who are affiliated to us. But in order to create a mass movement we need to reach out to a wider range of individual supporters, community groups and national organisations to develop ways of working together where we share common aims and of talking through our differences honestly where our views diverge. This is not about building short-term
alliances for particular elections as American candidates are forced to do by the nature of their political system. We have a strong and active membership and are sustained by the organic links with our affiliates. Now we as a party need to reach out to all those who wish to improve their communities and country. The Labour family will always be central, but members know that we also need to work with a wider range of friends.
A party which values members views

Members are proud to be part of a democratic party in a democratic country. They know that elected representatives must listen to and engage with the wider public and not with party members alone. They know too that in an era of 24 hour rolling news, the party cannot afford endless public arguments over policy. They believe, however, that we will have better policies, more closely reflecting the views of those they meet in their everyday lives and when campaigning for the party, if we reform our policy process and Conference to make more room for genuine debate and exchange of honestly held opinions. We will revitalise our policy-making processes so that the lessons learned on the doorstep, in meetings with community groups and through discussion with our supporters can genuinely and easily make their way from our local activists to the National Policy Forum and Annual Conference where policies are made and from there into manifestos which speak to the reality of everyday life in communities across Britain.
The debate continues

We make no apology for beginning with these changes focused on the way local parties work and interact with elected representatives, the wider community, our affiliates and our supporters. The invitation to think afresh about the way our party works has started a discussion on many other issues of national organisation. But the clear message from the consultation and from the experience of local parties and elected representatives who successfully defied national trends at the General Election is that we must return to our roots and start from the local rather than working down from the centre. Refounding Labour as a campaigning, community-based party depends above all on our ability to enthuse and mobilise our members for that work, remove obstacles from their way and support them in their efforts. Without healthy local parties, we would be nothing and everything else we do is built upon the efforts of our volunteers. At the end of this first phase we know much more about what has already been achieved by local pioneers and we have set a clear course to refound our party on a stronger, healthier basis so that, together with millions of supporters, we can build the future the British people need and deserve. The debate is not finished and in a democratic socialist party faced with a fast changing world it should never be over but we have made a strong start to the job of refounding Labour to win with and for the people of Britain.
Key to achieving this wider engagement are:

Rebuilding the party as the core of a mass campaigning movement by enabling local parties to sign up our voters as Registered Supporters and invite them to regular social, fund-raising and political events, ask for their help in campaigns and give them opportunities to share their views in national and local issues with members and elected representatives. Reforming our subscriptions structure to make it easier for local parties to recruit more members and introducing a new financial deal for CLPs based on fairness and ensuring that every CLP receives a minimum guarantee package of support. Ensuring that our party reflects the whole of our society both in its polices and in those who express them on our behalf by strengthening our commitment to the equality and involvement of young members, women, BAME members, LGBT members and those with disabilities and reaching out to recruit more members and registered supporters from these groups. Working with our affiliated organisations to create more opportunities, both local and national, for joint activities and a welcome for each others members at events and in campaigns Putting our campaigning expertise developed in elections at the service of our politics rooted in communities using it both to win the power to deliver on our long-term policies and to spread the power to create change through our communities rather than using it to compensate for a lack of engagement with the public. Inviting national organisations (including charities, pressure groups and voluntary organisations) which share some aims and views with us to commit to a long-term dialogue with the party.
A party of which we can be proud

Members are insistent that their elected representatives at all levels must make it easier rather than harder for them to do their work in their own communities. Many were deeply hurt by both the expenses scandal and divisions at the top and they bore the brunt of public anger and disillusionment as they knocked on doors. They want to see clearer lines of accountability to the membership and the wider public from everyone from the Leader downwards. They want to see clear commitments from every candidate and elected representative to probity, service to the public and taking leading roles in party campaigning. They want to be proud to say they are Labour and they want no doubt about what Labour offers. We can achieve this by: Setting out the rights and duties of the Leader and Deputy Leader in the rules for the first time ever and allowing the Leader to appoint the Shadow Cabinet. Setting out the rights and duties of Labours MPs Creating candidate contracts for those who seek to represent the party at all levels to ensure their commitment to probity, hard work for the public, strong relationships with community organisations and party campaigning. Ensuring that Labour councillors receive the support they need for their work and that we learn from their experience and expertise in discussions at every level of the Party. 6
Moving forward
Agreement on the changes in this report is only the beginning. We have to implement them so that we genuinely do Refound Labour. And this cannot be achieved from above, even with an Annual Conference mandate. It can only be delivered from below, at the grass roots of our movement. That is the challenge for each and every one of us: to build a quite different type of party in tune with the new politics rather than remaining with the old. If we achieve this and, as recent success in constituencies like Barking, Edgbaston and Oxford East demonstrate, we can then we will have leapfrogged the other major parties, leaving them stuck behind. We have made a strong start to the job of refounding Labour to win with and for the people of Britain. Now lets drive forward.
The consultation: a summary

The Refounding Labour consultation produced submissions from thousands of individual members, supporters, elected representatives, local parties, trade unions, socialist societies, organisations and local government groups. It was vital to this consultation that we reached out to as many members as possible to get their ideas for our future. To do this we made it easy for members to engage in the consultation process. We had online submission forms on the main Labour Party websites, Membersnet and a dedicated Refounding Labour website where people could leave comments, discuss points raised in the document and make submissions. We set up a Refounding Labour email address where hundreds of submissions, questions and comments where received. We had active Refounding Labour twitters, blog and Facebook group. Refounding Labour Discussion Guides were produced to help local parties and groups run their own events, and our Scottish, Welsh and regional offices organised around six consultation events each across the country over the months of May and June. This resulted in the following consultation statistics: 3,255 individual submissions 20,354 hits on Refounding Labour websites 66 events across the country led by our National and Region Offices 184 party submissions 36 submissions from groups or affiliates. As well as the all of the online responses, hard copies of submissions, letters and notes were received by Labour Party. We received over sixty posted submissions to The Labour Party office or Peter Hain MPs parliamentary office. These were predominantly from individual Labour Party members. There were a small number of groups and affiliates who also posted their submissions.
Every submission was read and helped form these proposals now presented to conference. A Refounding Labour to Win Summary Report was produced and circulated to party stakeholders and Refounding Labour consultation participants in July. This was followed at the beginning of September with an email from Peter Hain to all members; a further email to all members after decisions were taken at the NEC Organisation Sub-Committee; and an email to all party units and conference delegates following decisions made by the September NEC.
Refounding Labour a party for the new generation
Refounding Labour a party for the new generation
The review of Labour in Scotland

On 17 May 2011 the NEC agreed the Terms of Reference for a Review of the Labour Party in Scotland. Those Terms of Reference specified that: The Review needs to consider how each level of the Scottish party local government, Members of the European Parliament, Members of the UK Parliament, Members of the Scottish Parliament and our affiliated organisations can best work together to achieve the Partys objectives in Scotland. The Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) recently met and agreed a number of interim recommendations ahead of a full report with further proposals that is to be produced in the autumn, which will be considered at a special one-day Scottish Conference at the end of October. Any proposals requiring national rule changes will be debated by the NEC before being decided at the 2012 Annual Conference. However the SEC and NEC have agreed that specific recommendations concerning the leadership of Scottish Labour Party should be raised at the forthcoming 2011 Annual Conference, ahead of the election due to take place this autumn. The SEC has explained the reasons for this recommendation, and for the timing of its proposals, stating that: Labour used that Scottish Parliament to deliver important reforms for Scotland, but we didnt reform ourselves. So now we need to make devolution a reality within our party too. Structures in themselves dont win us elections, but this, the biggest change for 90 years, marks a fresh start for the Scottish Labour Party This is only the start of the renewal of our party. We will be continuing the review over the coming months and will look at more detailed areas before producing the final stage of our report in the autumn. But we wanted to make our recommendations on the leadership now to allow our new Scottish Labour Party leader to be elected this year. Additionally, the Scottish Labour Leader and Leader of the Labour Group in the National Assembly for Wales will have a standing invitation to attend meetings of the National Executive Committee.
Recommendation: n It is therefore agreed to create for the first time an elected Leader of the Scottish Labour Party; with the SEC having primary responsibility over the procedures for electing the Leader of the Scottish party, where they intend to change the rules so as to widen the eligibility criteria to allow MPs and MEPs to contest the position.
Refounding our local parties

Clause 1
There was widespread support for the party expanding our mission statement or Clause 1, the clause in our rules that outlines our purpose as a political party. The current definition highlights our primary electoral objective, but is silent on our desire to be a force for change in our local communities. A new Clause 1 should set out our desire to build a party fit for the future; a genuine movement where the connection between the party and the public is strong. Our aim is to change the way the party works so we are more open and welcoming to members and supporters alike. Locally Labour needs to be seen as a catalyst for change, rooted in the communities we seek to serve and taking action to improve the lives of local people. Recommendation: n Agree a new Clause 1 for the Labour Party
The Leader as a member of the NEC shall have overall responsibility for all elections and shall appoint a Campaign Co-ordinator and a Campaign Committee to ensure that all Labour Party election campaigns report to the Leader and receive the support and assistance they need. It has also been argued that there should be consistency in the process for selecting members of the Labour front bench. Currently, when the party is in government the Cabinet is appointed by the Prime Minister; in opposition, the Shadow Cabinet is elected by members of the PLP in the Commons. These differing procedures are not contained in the partys constitutional rules but are set out in the Standing Orders of the PLP. Submissions to Refounding Labour said that the time had come to constitutionalise the system for selecting the front bench by creating a new rule stating that all front bench appointments shall be made by the Leader whether the party is in government or opposition. The PLP has now voted and agreed to this proposal, and this is to be reflected in our rule book. Apart from acting as Leader during any vacancy, the role of the Deputy Leader should arguably be left flexible in the rules. Different deputies will bring different strengths to the role and the Leader must have the power to decide how best to use the Deputys talents within the team. The new clause should provide that the Leader shall consult the Deputy on a regular basis and the Deputy shall provide the Leader with advice and support in achieving the goals of the party and deputise as requested. Recommendation: n A new clause will be included in the rules setting out the rights and duties of the Leader and Deputy Leader.
Changes in Wales
Welsh Labour faces radical change to party structures with the 25 per cent reduction in the number of its MPs and the decoupling of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies. The NEC will work with the Welsh Executive Committee to ensure that the Welsh party takes this as an opportunity to create effective and flexible methods of local organisation while minimising disruption to its successful campaigning work.
Our Party Leader: rights and responsibilities

The Refounding Labour consultation has exposed the fact that the position of the Leader has never been clearly stated in the partys rules. Clause VII.1.A simply says that there shall be a Leader and Deputy Leader and that they shall be ex-officio Leader and Deputy Leader, and then refers to the election process. We need a clear statement in the Constitutional Rules of the role, rights and duties of the partys democratically elected Leader. It has been suggested that a new clause in the Constitutional Rules would pull together existing rules provisions. But it would also include provisions that: The Leader shall have the right to attend any party meeting (or to appoint representatives to attend on his or her behalf) in order to promote understanding and co-operation between all sections of the party. The Leader shall, as a member the NEC shall uphold and enforce the constitution, rules and standing orders of the party and ensure the maintenance and development of an effective political Labour Party in parliament and in the country. The Leader shall report to Annual Conference on the work and state of the party and its aspirations for the country and make regular reports to the NEC, National Policy Forum and other party bodies between annual conferences.
Enabling Structures
Submissions were clear that a local structure for organisation is needed but we need to remove layers of bureaucracy that act as barriers to involvement, simplify our rules, provide options for re-organisation and create local parties that are open and welcoming of members, supporters, affiliated organisations, and the community. It is clear members and local parties want change. They want the freedom to develop local structures that allow for greater involvement of the wider membership, especially new and young members, supporters and the local 11
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community. A vast majority of submissions recognised that no one size fits all, and CLPs want to innovate, and develop local structures that suit their geography and circumstances. Structures are needed that allow for an increased focus upon policy-debate, campaigning and community action, and less focus on business and reports. Submissions also wanted CLPs to have a responsibility to ensure healthy branches as the base for our organisation, where branch activity is refocused toward local community action rather than business - so that at every level Labour locally is reaching out into the community. There was an acknowledgement that pending changes to the Constituency Boundaries provide CLPs with an ideal opportunity to review party structures at a local level. CLPs will be asked to consider what option of organisation is most appropriate for them in the period between now and re-organisation on new boundaries. Recommendation: n There should be no default structure set out in the Labour Party Rule Book instead there should be options for organisation set out which are appropriate to different circumstances and from which a CLP can choose and rules should be drafted accordingly. n The party will therefore provide advice for CLPs on the types of structural models adopted across the country and the types of activities and events that have proved successful, where any proposed structural models will allow for greater membership and affiliated organisation participation; allow for joint working between CLPs and across geographic boundaries; and accommodate the differences between urban and rural constituencies.
to promrote policy development. Membership of these new bodies should be balanced in terms of gender, BAME and youth representation. This would allow Labour Groups to take the lead on local policy development with full consultation with local members, affiliates and supporters. Where there is no Labour Group the Local Campaign Forum will provide a strategic place for cross constituency campaigning and building of a local government base, and work with local members and affiliates to promote policy development. Any changes should allow for the continuation of existing effective forums, and of course, within the broad campaign strategy, CLPs would continue to be responsible for the effective delivery of campaigns by their branches and members. Recommendation: n Replace Local Government Committees and County Parties with a new Local Campaign Forum allowing local adaptation and choice over the structure and membership of any forum
Recommendation: n Branches and CLPs should prioritise outreach into work places and local communities through campaigning and policy discussion. They should organise into teams for action for campaigning, fundraising, social events etc. and CLP rules will allow for the election of additional co-ordinators to give them the most flexible leadership team to achieve these objectives. n CLP AGMs should not be held during the run up to an election period and party rules will be amended accordingly.
n We will continue to give parties the flexibility within the rules to create the teams of officers that match their needs and activities. n The party will update the model job descriptions for officers to provide each post with a clear series of tasks and activities to choose from. The model job descriptions will make it clear that regard for equality issues should be inherent in every officer role. n We will suggest co-ordinator posts that local parties should consider adding to their teams for example: community involvement; trade union liason, membership recruitment and retention; fundraising.
Effective working at a local level with Trade Unions

Whilst some local Labour Parties and Trade Union branches work well together in other places there is room for improvement and an opportunity to improve. Many submissions talked about the need for local parties to work more closely with local trade union members. Recommendation: n The party will continue to support Trade Unions in their worker get worker campaign activity and look for opportunities to extend this and look for other ways to organise together around elections. n We will also ensure local parties are aware of rule requirement for joint working with trade unions.
A development plan for every CLP

Good planning is essential for all organisations. Planning helps you clarify what you want to achieve, understand where you are and identify the best way to reach your goals. Good planning also helps you to build a team with a sense of direction and purpose, and to be well organised. Local Labour parties up and down the country have, for many years, been using Development Plans to help them increase membership, boost activity levels, raise funds and campaign effectively. Many Refounding Labour submissions talked about the importance of development plans becoming standard practice across all parties so they could identify how they want to build their CLP and map out activities into the future with the primary focus on developing their activity and organisational capacity. However the submissions were clear that the development plans should not be over-complicated but may include targets for membership and registered supporters, development of members into activists, targets for voter ID contacts, plans for leafleting and newsletters, plans for the involvement and recruitment to the party of trade union members and joint campaigning with local trade unions, an outline budget and fund-raising target, and an outline calendar of key campaigns and events. They should also include a review of branch organisation, womens organisation and Young Labour organisation and steps the CLP would take to help overcome shortcomings and build on success.
Party meetings that focus upon widening involvement

The submissions were clear that meetings should be more focused on the key purposes of local parties. CLP officers should ensure that: Members are actively involved in selecting policy areas for policy debates in meetings There is an opportunity for political debate with community and external speakers from, for example, local community groups, the local voluntary sector, trade unions and business Plans for campaigning and particularly campaigning on local issues are central, alongside discussion of how to develop community engagement and organisation by building stronger relationships with members, trade unions, supporters, and community groups. Members are asked what transferable skills they have and what areas of campaigning / community involvement they would like to be involved in, so they are encouraged to develop their skills in areas outside leafleting/election organisation. The party should ensure local party innovation and best practice is disseminated as it is recognised that significant local change can occur without formal rule changes.
Officers and local roles that match CLP needs

It is clear from the submissions that parties want a set of officers that match their needs and therefore want flexibility over the number and types of officers they have at a local level. The party will also develop technology that allows officers to network together, share information and best practice. Recommendation: n The party will review the core set of officers and update in model guidelines for CLPs which Executive officer posts are deemed mandatory, so that CLPs have greater flexibility and awareness of that flexibility. n The rules will make it clear that Executive Officers and other elected co-ordinators share leadership responsibilities. And we will make it clear an election agent does not have to be an EC member but should be appointed as the best person to do the job.
New Local Campaign Forums

There was widespread support for Local Government Committees and County Parties to be replaced with a smaller functional body comprising of officers and/ or CLP and trade union representatives, along with the Co-operative Party and other affiliates, election agent(s), leader and deputy leader of the Labour group and where applicable, the local MP/PPC/MSP/AM. These new bodies are to be called Local Campaign Forums. The Local Campaign Forum should concentrate on local election campaign co-ordination, candidate recruitment and candidate selection. and working with the Labour Group
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There has been a lot of feedback from the submissions on the need to make sure local parties provide a warm welcome and encouragement to new members and in order to meet this need, the creation and maintenance of a network of new member mentors responsible for keeping in touch with new members on a one-to-one basis should feature prominently in all development plans. Recommendation: n There should be a rule requirement for each CLP to submit in the fourth quarter of the year a development plan (in a format approved by the NEC) for the calendar year ahead to its Scottish, Welsh or regional office. n The party will give rewards for improving CLPs, meeting targets, and local innovation through incentives schemes, national recognition, at Annual Conference for example, and with the agreement of the NEC, by inviting key members to take a lead role in spreading best practices more widely.
Regional Board Working Groups

Regional Board Working Groups which would work with Regional Staff, stakeholders, CLPs, MPs, Councillors, Trade Unions, Socialist Societies and members to add value to the work of the Regional Labour Parties should be established. Each Region is different and we need to provide a framework that gives the greatest flexibility to ensure these groups are as useful and productive as possible. Different stages of the electoral cycle will also govern the areas which are the greatest priority at any given time. There should also be the capacity for the regional board to co-opt members onto a specific working group in response to different circumstances and to make use of wider talent and experience at different levels of the party. Different ideas and suggestions are given for the Working Groups such as Member Recruitment and Retention; Fund-raising; Women; Young members; Campaigning; Training and Candidates; policy engagement; Trade union engagement. This list is not exhaustive and different regions and challenges will require different focus or actions. Recommendation: n The party will develop a Regional Strategy as a framework to support each Regional Team of stakeholders, CLPs and affiliates, with each region agreeing a set of annual events for local members, affiliates and supporters to get involved in the work of the party.
Refounding our place in the community

A new Registered Supporters Scheme
There is widespread support for involving supporters more formally and consistently in the party, but not at the expense of the rights of members. CLPs should therefore have the right to recruit registered supporters. Around the country there are many excellent examples of individual MPs mobilising support from people in their local community who back Labour but are not members of the party. These supporter networks can be mobilised to back local campaigns and add to local party efforts at election time; be invited to local events and be consulted on local and national matters by email. We can also look to the networks developed by the Obama campaign for the last presidential race where people who often had no history of direct involvement with the political process were inspired to get involved to change America. Labour can learn from these examples of best practice and develop a network of registered supporters who can take part in our party, improve our organisation on the ground, build our links into communities and, most importantly, help deliver successful election results. There are a number of routes through which people could become registered supporters by providing their contact details and making a positive decision by signing up through: Local recruitment by CLPs, affiliates and elected representatives Online registration through national, regional and local party sites National campaign technology to facilitate registered supporters schemes for every CLP The Registered Supporters Scheme would be based on individuals making a positive decision to sign up as supporters by completing a paper or on-line form. It would not displace or hinder less formal ways of relating to a wider group of supporters but would provide a distinctive way in which strong supporters, who were not prepared to join the party could make a commitment to support us.
The best community organisation and supporters groups are locally led and locally organised but the party should provide tools that enable local elected representatives and campaigners build, manage and communicate with their local supporters and offer them the opportunity to sign up as registered supporters; as well as share best practice and ideas across CLPs on what makes a successful registered supporters scheme. This technology must enable local parties to recruit supporters, track their involvement, communicate with them and encourage their participation. It is important that individual campaigners and elected representatives own their supporters lists and the national or regional parties will not use them for national email distribution or fundraising. As the system develops powerful organising tools will be added to allow event organisation, local donation tracking, communication management and the sharing of information between local parties, regions and the national party, and target through selections from list of supporters for mailing through integration with Contact Creator and Print Creator. In addition it will allow local parties to upload and manage both existing ad hoc lists of supporters and lists of supporters they have built up on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. This inevitably will lead to local parties having a sophisticated tool to help manage their member and registered supporter volunteers to maximise their value to campaigns. It is also important that local campaigns are able to add supporters details manually and not rely on their supporters going online to join their campaigns, e.g. details collected at a street stall must be able to be uploaded to the registered supporters scheme. As part of bench-marking for CLPs and elected representatives, CLPs should be expected to hold at least one policy consultation event a year open to Registered Supporters and MPs should be expected to host at least one event a year for them. In order to safeguard the membership offer, there should be no formal rights for Registered Supporters in CLPs or Branches, only local members and affiliates are to be involved in selections and the formal duties of a BLP or CLP but CLPs, Branches and elected representatives should be encouraged to involve them in social and fund-raising
New strategic functions for Regional Boards

Our Regional Boards are made up of experienced party members whose talent, experience and time should be used as productively as possible. Regional Boards have a key role in developing regional policy and holding elected representatives and MEPs in the region to account. Some submissions are clear that we need to do more to harness this resource. Regional Boards can be better used to help us organise and support members to be as involved in the party as they would like to be, to engage with party members and support them and to help maximise the resources that go into campaigning where we need it most. We can do more to facilitate our Regional Board members taking more responsibility for the health of our Constituency Labour Parties and having strategic oversight of the CLP Development Plans, as outlined above, being able to intervene as necessary, take appropriate action and offer support in instances where a CLP does not submit a Development Plan. Within each region, different CLPs have different challenges and opportunities whether they are safe Labour seats, marginal seats or seats Labour has never held. Key to us achieving success is ensuring that each region is working in a way which is appropriate to their circumstances and harnesses the enthusiasm and energy of all our members and supporters.
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events, campaigns and policy consultations, so, along with party members, there is a mechanism for their voice, and the voice of party members, to be heard by the party leadership. In order to avoid any arguments over individuals rights, a supporter shall become a Registered Supporter of the national Labour Party only when his or her details are recorded on Contact Creator. Registered Supporters will also be encouraged to join the Labour Party at the low local join rate of 15. The NEC would also reserve the right to refuse or withdraw Registered Supporter status from any individual whose aims or activities were deemed inconsistent with those of the party.
Recommendation: n The party will work with Trade Union and Socialist Society colleagues over the coming months to develop a reciprocal framework for communications across the Labour movement between party members and Trade Union and Socialist Society members.
n We will work with local parties to ensure there are minimum standards for all local parties and elected representatives to ensure community campaigns are established and community engagement happens through campaign contracts and ideas such as: n Annual survey/consultation exercise with local residents and community groups n Annual campaign(s) following on from survey results n Increasing our work with our affiliated Trade unions and the Co-operative movement to share expertise and develop training partnerships to enhance Community Organising in the Labour Party. n Improving and continue to deliver the Community Organising Training Academy Module across the country by working with community organising partners and experts in this field.
process.
Northern Ireland
The growth of party membership in Northern Ireland is very welcome and we note a few submissions have been received, including a submission from our NI CLP, that have requested the party agree to stand candidates for election in Northern Ireland. Recommendation: n The party will continue discussions with our NI CLP, and enter into discussions with our sister parties the SDLP and Irish Labour Party.
Embedding community organising methods in the way we work

Throughout the submissions it is clear the party and its stakeholders believe there is much to be learned from the approach to community organising in the US and from organisations in the UK such as London Citizens and Trade Unions. Central to our mission to engage with, represent and campaign in our local communities is work to: build relationships in local communities work with local people and groups to campaign for change on the behalf of local people. Community organising is central to the role of our elected representatives and local campaigners but also crucial to our electoral chances. Many of our elected representatives, candidates and local campaigners are already fantastic community organisers. Others would welcome support, training and direction in this area in the form of best practice from their peers and from organisations with expertise. It is also important that we embed minimum standards across the Labour Party so that in every constituency we are engaged with and campaigning for our local communities. As well as peer-led training, there is much we can learn from other organisations who engage in community Organising and community campaigning such as our affiliated Trade Unions and the Co-operative movement. Recommendation: n The party will develop peer-led training and advice in community organising techniques for Labour elected representatives and candidates. Our best community organisers sharing their experiences with those who want advice, training and support. n We will provide a series of standard models and guidelines for developing relationship networks, identifying talent and key people and organising community campaigns.
Increasing involvement of levy paying members of affiliated Trade Unions and members of our socialist societies
Together with Registered Supporters, Trade Union members represent the wider society that needs to be heard in our party alongside our individual membership. Members of affiliated Trade Unions who are not individual party members should have the right to apply for Conference Visitors tickets on the same basis as members and the expectation of regular contact and invitations to events from their local Labour Party. The party wants to work with Trade Union and Socialist Societies colleagues over the coming months to develop a reciprocal framework for communications across the Labour movement between party members and trade union and socialist society members. Using new technology and other means of communications, we want to work with the trade unions and Socialist Society to develop a process whereby our CLPs are able to keep in touch with and invite Trade Union levy payers and socialist society members in their area to policy, campaigning and social events, and where our nationally affiliated Trade Unions and Socialist Societies are able to keep in touch with and invite Labour Party members to their events.
Candidate Contracts for all elected representatives

Labours elected representatives and candidates must be hard-working, in constant contact with their communities and active as leaders of their local parties, while meeting high standards of conduct in all aspects of their work. Our elected representatives hold a vast array of posts in wide ranging circumstances so making a one size fits all model would be inappropriate. However, part of the role of any candidate and Labour elected representative is to campaign and engage with local communities throughout the year. Many of our elected representatives excel at this work but it is also important that local parties make clear their expectations of anyone who is privileged to take on the role of Labour Party elected representative. Recommendation: n Rule changes will be made to require all our candidates and elected representatives to sign a Candidate Contract. n A Candidate Contract will consist of some agreed mandatory elements, including the two per cent elected representative levy on total salary, but be locally determined and relevant to type of seat and the post the candidate or elected representative holds. The party will therefore produce models for local parties to adapt. n Any Candidate Contract is to include specific and measurable targets for campaign and community engagement activity all year round and locally should be taken into account as part of the re-selection
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Refounding Partnership into Power
To build a vibrant movement capable of winning the next general election, Labour needs to transform our policy making, because that is essential to rebuilding trust and support from members, trade unionists and voters. We want to open up our process of making policy, both to give party members much greater say and to enable supporters and voters to feed in their ideas, so that the party leadership keeps in much closer touch with public opinion and public pressure for new policies.
We must also look outwards to the public. Too often we have looked inwards, distracting us from the task of serving the country. Giving a greater say to our members cannot be at the expense of forgetting the British public. We need to reach out, to ensure that our policy making is rooted in a reinforced bond with the public. We want to fundamentally reform our policy making process, to change the National Policy Forum and Annual Conference, and to provide new opportunities for online policy consultation and interaction with members and supporters. Through such change we can create a reformed policy making process one which is more responsive to our members and the public, which reaches out to our communities, families and workplaces. By harnessing the enthusiasm and expertise that exists both within and without of our party we can refound our policy making process so that it supports us in producing an innovative policy programme which once again commands the support of the British public and allows us to formulate a manifesto to win the next election.
has happened to their submissions. We need to open up the policy making process by harnessing technology to allow for a more inclusive and interactive discussion, in terms of discussion of documents produced for consideration but also in terms of dealing with current issues which arise outside the current cycle of longterm policy development. By re-establishing the original stated purpose of PiP the a deliberative, consensual system which ensures members, local parties, affiliates as well as other stakeholders have the opportunity to shape future policy - we can reinvigorate the party and tap in to the energy and enthusiasm of our members. Supporting membership engagement We need to open up the policy making process, to give members more opportunity to get involved in our discussions as well as making it as easy as possible for them to do so. Greater clarity is necessary to so that members understand how to get involved in the system and what it involves. To accompany any new system, clear information on structures, with clarity on how to engage with them and what you can expect when you do will be provided. We must also make it easier for members to get involved in the debates, either as individuals, or via their local party meetings. A more responsive process For those people who do take the time to get involved in the policy making process, issues of transparency and feedback are key. Feedback from national to local level and back again is essential to avoid perceptions that submissions to the policy making process sink without trace. We need to do justice to the time and effort members make when participating in policy discussions. Recognising limited resources, a technological solution will be introduced in the form of an online tracking system to provide members with better quality feedback. This will allow submitting bodies to see the status of their submission, with NPF representatives on relevant policy commissions empowered to, and responsible for, providing more detailed feedback. Such a solution will further help to strengthening the link between members and their elected representatives on the NPF.
Harnessing online technology to encourage debate Modernising the way we discuss and agree policy means taking advantage of new technology in a way which improves current processes and also opens up new avenues of engagement.
Reaching out to the public

Our strength as a movement comes not just from our politicians at the top but from our relationships on the ground - the way we build networks between party members and the public; in our communities, in workplaces and across civil society. While our reforms must rightly improve the way that members interact with our policy making system that alone is not enough: we cannot merely talk to ourselves. Meeting our aim of delivering a policy programme which the British people can believe in and support means developing a system which supports us in reaching out and listening to the public. We need ideas that are based on real conversations with the public. The best policy does not come from a few people locked in a room; it comes from conversations, on the doorstep, at the school gate, in our workplaces. Every week, in constituencies up and down the country, Labour members talk to people on the doorstep or over the phone. Some constituencies also regularly survey voter opinion on key issues. It is through such contact that we reflect the concerns of the public. We will strengthen our policy making processes to ensure that ongoing dialogue with the public is encouraged and where possible rewarded. Those who do the most in their communities and workplaces should be recognised in our processes. Building policy networks We need to open up our policy-making, to reach out to Britain and to the voices who have so much to offer us. Engagement with external organisations should be encouraged as it helps to inform our thinking through as wide a range of views as possible and also aids the party in explaining our current thinking. We must do more to reach out to charities, community groups, workplaces, affiliates, businesses and civil society both at national level but also at local level.
The case for reform

Submissions were clear that the fundamental aim of our policy making process should be to support the party in developing a policy programme which appeals to, and connects with, the electorate. Since 1997, we have done this through Partnership in Power our system of policymaking. When introduced, the Partnership in Power reforms were the most significant set of changes to our policy making processes in our history. Designed to ensure the party and the Labour Government worked together to develop new policy and implement it in Government, Partnership in Power can claim significant successes. More members have been involved in policy making than was ever the case before 1997 and we produced election winning manifestos in both 2001 and 2005. The Partnership into Power process was designed to provide the party with a more deliberative and consensual way of making policy. We remain committed to this model of policy making. But we need to be frank about the weaknesses in our present system. Too few members feel a part of the process. We must recognise that there is a degree of cynicism amongst some in the party about how PiP has operated in recent years. Some members have reported that they have felt it has not been worthwhile participating - whether it is sending in their policies ideas, attending meetings or getting involved in discussions while others have called for a greater level of feedback on the outcome of their representations. In a party whose values are rooted in democracy, equal opportunity and inclusivity we must ensure that transparency and accountability are at the heart of our policy-making.
Involving all our party members in policy making

Being a member of our party brings with it the right to a voice in our policy making process a principle that must be honoured in any reform, as we recognise that we all joined the Labour Party to make a contribution. Submissions to Refounding Labour were clear that members value their voice in the policy making process and wish for our processes to be improved to enhance this say. The sense is that the current processes do not always do justice to the dedication and effort of the members who involve themselves in meetings, who submitting their ideas and who take part in policy discussions across the country. Throughout the last cycle of Partnership into Power there was feedback that those members who do get involved in the process usually enjoy doing so. But others are unsure about the process whether that is due to a lack of clarity about how to get involved or scepticism about the value of doing so. We need to ensure that a reformed policy making system gives more of a voice to party members, that it is more accessible and responsive to them and does justice to their efforts when they take the time to get involved in policy discussions and send in their ideas. We need to improve transparency and information so that members know what
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Working on policy issues Opening up our policy-making processes and making our system more transparent, accountable and responsive to members and the public alike means reforming our institutions and the way we make policy in the medium and short term. We need to reform how we make policy, and the mechanisms we use to do so, so that they support us in our aim: producing an innovative policy platform which will reflect the priorities of Britain. Working on current issues In a policy making process which is geared towards developing a policy programme for the next general election, particular challenges are posed by issues which arise outside of the structure cycle of policy development. In addition to their work drawing up policy documents for consideration by the NPF, policy commissions are responsible discussing topical issues as they arise. They provide a forum for discussion between the Shadow Cabinet and the party, discussing the submissions they have received. They report on this work in their Annual Reports to Conference each year and the submissions they receive inform the documents they produce. However this format has difficulties when it comes to dealing with current issues. Policy commissions need to continue to discuss submissions as they arrive but there is room for improving the current system so that members can more easily contribute to the policy discussion. Online technology will be used to provide a forum for party members to make their views known on issues, with submissions and views feeding in to the relevant commission.
three year programme has been an issue of debate throughout the Refounding Labour consultation; as has the way in which CLPs and members engage with the institutions and the policy documents they produce. Members require clarity in the process. A reformed PiP process should be accompanied by a clear structures and new information, with clarity about how party members can engage with the policy-making bodies and what they can expect when they do so. The National Policy Forum The National Policy Forum plays a vital role in our policy discussions, being the main vehicle for policy debate and discussion. In the past, such as with the 2004 Warwick agreement, it has succeeded in producing a policy programme around which all members can unite. However, the Refounding Labour consultation has revealed that members want to be more involved in discussions on policy which take place in an NPF which is more responsive, credible and transparent. The NPF needs to be reinvigorated, with meaningful policy discussion at meetings and a strong link to the wider Party and Annual Conference. There is a desire for NPF meetings to be as transparent as possible with better feedback to the party in terms of what is discussed and outcomes. We will also help to harness the expertise of socialist societies by allowing their representatives to attend NPF meetings. The success of Partnership into Power is dependent on effective and sustained engagement with all those who have a part to play in it. Submissions have focused on the importance of this principle applying at all levels, from local parties engaging in the annual work programmes of the policy commissions, through to ministerial, and shadow ministerial, engagement with the NPF, its policy commissions and the Joint Policy Committee. At all levels of the policy-making process there is a desire for greater clarity on what is required from all our stakeholders. NPF representatives themselves have reflected on the need to have clearly set out guidelines in terms of their roles and responsibilities. NPF representatives should play a greater role in dealing with the submissions which come from party members. The introduction of a new online audit trail could include giving representatives responsibility for the more detailed feedback to individual submissions, with technology
developed in order to make this as easy as possible for them. This would help to foster a stronger link between representatives and their constituencies. There should be greater shadow ministerial engagement with all our PiP institutions the NPF, JPC and policy commissions as well as at local and regional level through policy forums and discussions. NPF representatives need to be empowered to communicate with each other better. A new intranet will be created to allow NPF representatives to communicate with each other. And policy submissions, as well as papers and reports, will be provided to representatives through the use of technology, keeping them better informed on work across PiPs institutions. Policy Commissions Policy Commissions have a vital role as the bodies responsible for drafting policy documents as well as being where members and affiliates submissions are considered initially. Policy Commissions currently play an important role in carrying forward contemporary issues from one Conference to the next, and in scrutinising the implementation of policy in government. Generally Policy Commissions work well as a forum for debate and consideration but there is a sense that their workings are sometimes opaque and distant from the wider membership. More needs to be done to improve understanding of their role, their engagement with the membership and in terms of reporting on their work. Policy Commissions should meet regularly, and should hear evidence from external organisations as well as members and affiliated organisations. Commissions need to be accessible and transparent. Policy commissions should draft documents in a format which encourages engagement and interaction. As well as improving the documents sent out for consultation, we will reform the way commissions respond to the ideas they receive. A new, online system of submission and feedback will be developed in order to improve members understanding of, and ability to make submissions to, the policy commissions. They will report on their work in their Annual Reports to Conference every year. Under the current system, those NPF representatives who are not elected on to policy commissions do not have day-to-day involvement with their work. Any new system will allow for all NPF representatives to be able to attend meetings of one of the commissions and play a more active
role in policy deliberation, with those not elected directly allocated to attend meetings ex-offico. For this to work, policy commissions will need clear work programmes and meeting timetables, in appropriate venues with the proper notice and staff resource. Joint Policy Committee As the body with responsibility for the direction of PiP, and as the link between the NEC, NPF and the Shadow Cabinet, it is the JPCs role to steer the policy-making process and set priorities for debate. It also has an important role to play in setting procedural guidelines and recommending which issues require discussion. A reinvigorated committee must see regular and sustained engagement from all stakeholder representatives - Shadow Cabinet, CLPs, trade unions and affiliates. Annual Conference Conference is our sovereign policy making body. It is also the most important party gathering in the political calendar and provides a significant opportunity to project Labours message directly to the wider public. Documents drawn up by the NPF are submitted to Annual Conference for agreement and its policy debates take place around these and the commissions Annual Reports. There is a strong desire for Conference to retain its position at the apex of our internal democracy. However, the Refounding Labour consultation has revealed a widespread sense that the present conference arrangements and structures could be improved. We need to improve the link between the debates and decisions taken yearly at Annual Conference and the work done throughout the year in the NPF and also on the doorstep where our members hold thousands of conversations on policy. The role of Conference in our policy making process needs to be enhanced so that delegates feel that they can genuinely influence policy by attending.
Stronger, better policy making institutions

Our policy-making relies on a number of institutions. The Joint Policy Committee (JPC) steers the process, providing strategic oversight; the National Policy Forum (NPF) discusses and agrees the policy documents and, through the NPF representatives, oversees engagement with the wider party; and the policy commissions, of which there are currently six, have responsibility for drafting policy documents, considering submissions, and maintaining an ongoing dialogue throughout the year. The smooth running of these institutions is vital to the health and success of PiP. In reforming PiP we must consider how best to engage members with the work of the NPF. The structure of the current cycle whereby policy is developed via a rolling
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Refounding support for our members

Every members contribution needs to be recognised and valued, whether it is just a non-active financial contribution or an active contribution all our members are our greatest resource. Member recruitment and involvement should be local priorities for CLPs, regions and the national party.
n A training programme for new members delivered by webinar will be rolled out as an extension of the partys web based training offer. n An equality and diversity training module will be developed and run through the Training Academy, and all CLP officers should be encouraged to attend. n The party will allow local organisers access to training similar to the Labour Party Trainee Organiser scheme through a national Labour Party Local Organiser Programme. n A volunteer force of member and affiliate trainers will be recruited to deliver training to their own local parties or peers within the party. This volunteer force will receive Train the Trainers training as well as the training modules and resources from the party to help. n The Future Candidates Programme should become an annual training event, and those who are part of the Future Candidate Programme, along with selected candidates will be allocated a mentor and fixed training from the Labour Party. n The role of Trade Unions within the Future Candidates Programme will be formalised to ensure their members are gaining places on the Programme. n Trade Unions should also work with the Labour Party to deliver their own similar Future Candidates Programme supported by and recognised by the Labour Party. n As a party more work will be done to promote the existence of Merit Awards, Long Service Awards and Honorary membership, and develop new ways for rewarding hard work and innovation as we need to recognise more the achievements of our members, their innovations and their commitment. n Best practice too will be shared more effectively and at Annual Conference local parties should be asked to submit examples of their excellent work in submissions for awards.
New and improved technology for communication

Membersnet was launched at Conference in 2006 and in the proceeding five years has taken huge steps both in terms of the functionality that has been added to it and the number of party members using it. Membersnet functions, as diverse as loans and donations reporting to events organisation to Annual Conference nominations to internal messaging to blogging, are used by a huge number of party members up and down the country 59,000 members having logged on in the last six months alone. Over the last year, 3,300 events have been created by over 400 CLPs; 15,000 private messages have been sent through the system and over 100,000 donated to local candidates through its local fundraising tools. However, it is clear that many members find the system hard to use. It looks and feels dated and in the process of making so much information available, the homepage has become cluttered and the layout difficult to navigate due to competing and equally important elements. The site will therefore be reviewed from a user experience perspective, including user testing and evaluation, in order to revamp the site with the aim of making it much easier to use. A clear message to come out of the Refounding Labour consultation process is that access to membership information, and an inability to communicate with members outside of the established local party structures makes it very difficult for individual members to meet and organise independently of established meetings and activities. It is also difficult for role holders to share best practise and learn from the work of other officers in the same position. There is therefore overwhelming support from party members for a better infrastructure that allows them to form informal groups with each other and communicate with each other NEC/NPF to members; officer to officer; new member to new member; young member to young member; officer to member; MP/Councillor to members and supporter; and so on as well as gain easy, simple access to local party and national contacts, party resources, sign up to events, discuss policy, share their ideas and best practice. In addition, we need to build a communication system that allows staff to deal promptly and effectively with member email communications.
In addition the party needs a place for the views of members on current issues and policy topics to be fed to the party leadership and policy-making process, through innovative ideas which allow us to get a better sense of what both our members and supporters are thinking and saying about topical arising issues. Recommendation: n The party will invest in a new online platform and undertake urgent work to develop a key tool for communication between members and a launch pad for new forms of organisation. n Using the range of new media platforms available to us, we will develop new ways to enable members to communicate in order to encourage participation from members who may not be active in their local parties.
Training and development

An extensive number of submissions highlighted the need for the Party to continue to invest in the talents and skills of its members. In addition to expanding and developing the training currently offered through Train ton Win, the Labour Party Training Academy and webinar programme, submissions have highlighted key people who should be trained to help deliver the training to their peers and local parties, and have identified party roles with key responsibilities for which specific training should be made available, maybe compulsory in some instances. The Future Candidate Programme (FCP) which aims to train a new generation of community and party activists to be Labour candidates and campaigners of the future, has stakeholder support and should become an annual fixture. It is a vital programme to ensure we support and encourage community campaigners from different backgrounds and from under-represented groups, such as working-class women. The Labour Party must reflect the communities we seek to serve and the Trade Unions have a key role to play in identifying and encouraging their members to come forward as Labour Party candidates and therefore their role in the FCP should be formalised. Recommendation: n Rule changes will be made that make training for agents and treasurers compulsory. n Training and regular communications will be made available for CLP officers, especially CLP Chairs and Secretaries, annually post AGMs, where proper support and advice should be provided, along with a mentor system. The scope of this training will cover team building so officers are best placed to build local teams. n There will be training provided for newly elected councillors each year after elections and there will be opportunities for members and councillors to take part in post election feedback and analysis sessions.
Membership subscriptions
Recruiting and retaining members is an important function of the Labour Party. Since the General Election, we have recruited an additional 65,000 members to the party which have substantially strengthened our organisation and political capacity. Many of the submissions received, focused on ensuring that our membership fees reflected our political values of equality and fairness and enabling the maximum number of people to join and stay involved. While it was recognised that the annual membership income provided financial stability to the party, members were keen to ensure that cost was not a barrier to getting involved. A number of submissions called for a lower local join rate that would encourage local parties to undertake recruitment campaigns. There was however, an understanding that some members were in a position to pay and that this should continue to be encouraged - 21 per cent of all of the members recruited since the General Election have paid above the standard rate. Members were keen to ensure that the different membership rates were clearly explained on all materials and on the website to make it easier for members to find the rate most appropriate to their own circumstances. In particular that we promote monthly direct debit where ever possible to spread the cost of membership. Submissions also concentrated on the need to encourage
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young people to join the Labour Party, suggestions included lowering the age of membership from 15 to 14, and recognition that once young members had joined the party often on a special introductory rate then it was important that the cost should increase gradually. A number of submissions raised the need for the party to be the most welcoming political party to our Armed Forces, and former members of the Armed Forces, and therefore wanted a low membership join fee of 1, as well as national support for the move to establish a Labour Friends of the Forces group with the aim of becoming an affiliated socialist society. It was recognised that our party would benefit from their unique experience and insight. MPs, MSPs, Peers, AMs and WAMs currently pay the parliamentarian rate, which is double the standard membership rate. However there are now a number of other senior representatives such as directly elected Mayors and GLA members who currently only pay the standard rate of membership. To ensure fairness therefore a new Representative rate will be applied to all current and future elected officials, including Peers but excluding councillors. Submissions also commented on the importance of recruiting individual trade union members to the Labour Party. It therefore agreed we maintain the reduced rate for Trade Union members and allow Trade Union members to join at the new low local join rate. Recommendation: Maintain the current membership rules but amend to reflect the following changes: n Create a lower local join rate of 15 to help local parties and affiliates carry out recruitment campaigns. n Extend this local join rate to registered supporters and trade union members. n Extend the 1 join rate to current and former members of the armed forces. n Replace the Parliamentarian rate with the Elected Representatives rate and extend this rate to all current and future elected representatives, including Peers but excluding councillors. n Reduce the party joining age to 14 years of age. n Change the youth rate to 1 for ages 14 to 19 and 12 (1 a month) for ages 20 to 26 with young members moving to the reduced rate at the age of 27 for one year.
n Members recruited through the lower local join rate, to aid retention, will be renewed at the reduced rate in year one and will then move to the most appropriate rate in year two. n Continue to promote the concept of paying according to income so that those that are willing to pay more for membership are able to do so. n Promote membership rates clearly online and in all materials and promote monthly direct debits where ever possible to spread the cost of membership.
The need for local organisers and incentives to support campaigning CLPs
The case for local organisers, covering as many seats as possible, is well made and a number of submissions wanted the Party to invest significantly in local organisers, as well provide incentives as a way to support local campaigning. Therefore there is a new proposal for changing the way funds from membership subscriptions are allocated to CLPs which will operate from January 2012. The proposal will: Roll into the new scheme the costs of the European Election Levy, the Election Insurance payment, Contact Creator and the cost of one delegate pass for Annual Conference for every CLP in the country the CLP package, a Minimum Guarantee for CLPs. Write off historic debt owed to the party from CLPs for the non-payment of Election Insurance or the Euro levy and debt from past General Elections. Create a fairer distribution of cash payments to CLPs that ensures that every CLP receives a cash payment in addition to the package outlined above. Recognise that there should be some discrepancy in cash payments to account for the differing administration costs associated with being a larger CLP. Have transitional arrangements in place to temper the effects of the changes over two years rather than one,, with a membership email and number to contact so CLPs can ask questions and enquire how the changes will affect them. Create two new NEC administered funds: a) The NEC Diversity and Democracy Fund and b) the NEC Local Campaigns and Improvement Fund.
Local Party finances and the creation of an NEC Diversity and Democracy Fund and an NEC Local Campaigns and Improvement Fund
Currently CLPs receive a share of membership income that is directly related to the number and type of members they have which mean that the larger constituencies get significantly more than the smaller constituencies. We also know that membership of the Labour Party strongly follows demographic lines and as such many CLPs benefit from these bigger payments simply by virtue of their geographical location rather than via any local recruitment campaigns. Prior to the payment of membership fees, national deductions are taken for the European Election Levy and the Election Insurance payment these two together cost every CLP currently 665 per year. This means: Following these deductions 116 CLPs get less than 445 in cash which is less than enough to cover the cost of Contact Creator. Last year 25 CLPs received no cash payment as their payment was less than the 665 Euro levy and insurance charge. Instead they owe Head Office money and for many this means an annual accruing level of debt. Over 200 CLPs regularly do not purchase Contact Creator a base requirement for all CLPs. In paying Head Office for Contact Creator, CLPs also pay 30,000 in VAT charges that cannot be reclaimed. In addition many smaller CLPs struggle to meet the costs of sending a delegate to Conference each year. 70 CLPs have not sent a delegate to conference in the last three years. Our research has shown that there is a strong correlation between the amount of money a CLP has and their attendance at Annual Conference.
2. A minimum guarantee for every CLP and no national deductions Alongside a cash payment every CLP will receive free access to Contact Creator and one free pass to Annual Conference. In addition, the party will no longer deduct the Euro levy and Elections insurance (665) from CLP membership subscriptions, but account centrally for these items out of membership subscription payments. 3. Transitional arrangements will be in place for year one (2012) As we move to create more equal payments to CLPs there are by definition winners and some losers. In order to help CLPs with financial planning, transitional arrangements will be in place for the first year of operation of the new system. For those CLPs getting less under the new scheme their loss would be mitigated in year 1 by paying back half their losses in addition to their new cash payment. These transitional costs are to be met from the sums allocated to the NEC administered funds in the first year. 4. The Creation of NEC administered Diversity & Democracy Fund and Local Campaigns and Improvement Fund The new proposal will leave funds available to allow for the creation of two NEC administered funds an NEC Diversity and Democracy Fund and a Local Campaigns and Improvement Fund. The amounts placed into the NEC funds will be calculated by using as a base the total amount that would have been paid to CLPs under the current formula minus: a) the cost of providing the minimum guarantee to CLPs; b) cost of not having any national deductions; and c) the cash payments made to CLPs. The new NEC funds would be overseen by a panel of NEC members chosen directly from the NEC. CLPs would be invited to bid for funding from the committees which would meet at least twice a year to consider applications. The Scottish and Welsh Executives and General Secretaries, and the Regional Directors and Regional Boards would be asked for input and views on each bid received. The aim of each fund is as follows: 1. NEC Diversity and Democracy Fund. Aimed at helping the poorest CLPs with the cost of sending delegates to Annual, Scottish and Welsh Conferences, and for encouraging diversity at a local level. 2. NEC Local Campaigns and Improvement Fund This fund would specifically support local campaigning in the field so activity is rewarded and incentivised, and match funding of projects or organisers would be considered.
The detail of the proposal

1. Every CLP will receive a cash payment based on the number of members in that CLP CLPs would continue to receive a cash payment every two months. This cash payment will be worked out by multiplying the number of paid up members in that CLP by 1.50. So for example if a CLP has 300 members, it will receive a 450 cash payment.
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Given the anticipated demand, the majority of the money should be placed in the NEC Local Campaigns and Improvement Fund. However, this allocation can be amended year on year for example in General Election year by the NEC. Guidelines will be produced for CLPs on both the operation of these funds and how to bid from these funds. Recommendation: n Agree rules to give effect to the new scheme.
In the case of a hung parliament the NEC and PLP should be consulted on any positions taken by the Party Leadership. There shall be a Parliamentary Committee elected by the PLP, in accordance with PLP Standing Orders, when the Party is in Government and Opposition. There shall also be a Chair of the PLP, elected by the PLP in accordance with PLP Standing Orders. The Parliamentary Committee shall be the executive of the PLP, chaired by the PLP Chair, and will meet each week when the House is in session. The Parliamentary Committee shall be part of the joint meeting to decide which items from the party programme shall be included in the manifesto, which shall be discussed with the NEC prior to every general election. The Chair of the PLP shall have the right to attend meetings of the Shadow Cabinet. In addition, the General Secretary of the party, the Chair of the LGA Labour Group, and Leader of the EPLP shall have the right to attend meetings of the political Shadow Cabinet. Each Labour MP must be a member of a trade union. In addition, the need to be a member of a trade union should be added to all application forms to stand for election at every level. Recommendation: n A new clause is to be included in the rules setting out the rights and duties of Labour MPs.
Parliamentary selections
The pilot parliamentary selections procedure being used for the twenty-six early selections is itself subject to review following the completion of the selections. This is to allow the NEC to reflect upon the pilot process and make recommendations for a final procedure for further parliamentary selections. This review should not only consider issues from the practical application of the pilot process, but should also consider points made by submissions when drawing up any new process. Recommendation: n The party will seek to ensure future parliamentary selection process are simplified and made more open to a wider range of potential candidates, and address the barriers to recruitment of potential councillors, whilst maintaining affiliates, nominations rights and the rights of members.
Labour International (LI)

LI have asked to be given CLP status with the same rights at our Northern Ireland CLP. Recommendation: n Labour International will be given the same rights as our Northern Ireland CLP.
Rights and responsibilities of our MPs and MEPs

If there is an argument for more clearly defining the rights and responsibilities of the Party Leader, it also extends to the elected representatives who comprise their team in Parliament. It should be noted that as well as the elected representative levy of two per cent, many of our Labour MPs and MEPs give financial support to their local Labour parties. It is proposed to include in Labours constitutional rules, for the first time in the partys history, clear statements about the role, rights and duties of Labour MPs and MEPs. This could reference the fact that all the partys elected representatives in Parliament are expected to adhere to the responsibilities detailed in the PLP Code of Conduct as well as in the House of Commons Code of Conduct. It should also reference the right of the leader of the EPLP to attend political cabinet and political shadow cabinet. Alongside that, the rules would also detail the rights of elected representatives including: There shall be a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) each week when the House is in session, which shall receive regular reports and briefings from the Cabinet when in Government and Shadow Cabinet in opposition. Immediately after the party has secured a majority at a General Election a meeting of the PLP shall be held to discuss priorities for the Queens Speech.
Gender balance within the Leadership Team

Many submissions have called for measures to cement the principle of gender balance within the partys leadership team. This would demonstrate our commitment to achieve equality at every level of the party and can only be ensured by changing the election rules to require that there is a women in Labours leadership team. Recommendation: n Support the principle of gender balance within the leadership team but before making final recommendations to Annual Conference, establish a working group to consult further on how the principle could be given practical effect, with a view to report back to Conference in 2012.
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Refounding support for our Councillors

Labour councillors are the backbone of our organisation, our thermometer for public opinion, and a crucial part of our policy development, as they see the effect of policy implementation on the ground in our communities. Better representation for councillors within the party The status and support, therefore, given to our Labour councillors needs to be increased throughout the party. There are a number of submissions that argue for a greater voice for councillors within our policy-making process, at Annual Conference and in voting through the Electoral College in Leadership elections. We therefore want to give the Association of Labour Councillors (ALC) these rights in respect to Annual Conference, regional conferences and leadership elections. In addition the party will establish a working group, comprising of ALC NEC members, which co-ordinates electoral strategy and local government manifestos for local elections each year, thus giving greater input from local government into year round policy development. This should be led jointly by the leader of the LGA Labour Group and a senior politician as directed by the Leader of the Labour Party and responsible to the NEC of the Labour Party. Its membership should comprise other councillors, senior politicians and relevant party staff. This will largely put into practice the decision of the NEC, following the dissolution of the Joint Local Government Committee, to form a group which meets to consider campaign strategy and reports to the Organisation Subcommittee of the NEC and the NEC as required. The Leaders Campaign Committee shall also include a senior Local Government representative, and a senior Local Government representative shall have the right to attend political shadow cabinet and political cabinet when the party is in government. The new ALC affiliate shall have an executive committee which shall meet as and when necessary to determine its own arrangements. The ALC executive committee and NEC local government working group shall be administered by a designated national officer of the Labour Party.
Recommendation: n To strengthen the influence of our local councillors within the party the ALC will be given rights in respect to Annual Conference, regional conferences and leadership elections. n Increase the local government represention of the NPF by including delegate from the Welsh Labour local Government Association. n The Leaders Campaign Committee will include a senior Local Government representative. n A senior Local Government representative will have the right to attend political shadow cabinet and political cabinet when the party is in government. n The party will establish a working group, comprising of ALC NEC members, which co-ordinates electoral strategy for local elections each year. n The new PiP process will encourage greater liaison between the partys shadow cabinet and councillors holding policy portfolios in local government. n The ALC executive and the new local government working group will be supported by a designated national officer of the Labour Party.
Enhanced online facilities through dedicated local government sections of the party websites, including new best practice forums Political support and a full training programme delivered through Scottish, Welsh, regional and head offices and distance learning where possible. This is in addition to the current four full-time local government support staff - a Local Government Officer, a Local Government Constitutional Officer, External Relations Manager in the Leaders Office, and the Local Government Lawyer. There will also be a designated officer who administers ALC business and acts as a secretariat to the ALC executive and the working group. In addition to this, Labour groups will have the opportunity to apply to the NEC Local Campaigns and Improvement Fund for support for their campaigns and local organisers. There should also be an increased focus on development plans for all Labour Groups, particularly those with fewer than 10 members, whereby groups should seek to work as closely as possible with their Scottish, Welsh or regional office, producing a development plan for each set of elections (and fallow years where an authority elects by halves or all outs every four years). Recommendation: n ALC subscriptions will be replaced and councillors will be asked to pay two per cent of their total income in line with other Labour elected representatives. n The party will work with the LGA and the ALC to agree a package of support for local councillors to be delivered which will include leaflet templates/designs, a new website and enhanced online facilities, political support and training.
levy whilst maintaining the principle that the rate is locally determined. The party would then support this by: managing the payroll services for all local organisers; providing a mentor for the Local Organiser if they are new; providing training for the Local Organiser; asking the trade unions to head hunt amongst their members for suitable organisers; and where possible offering financial support to pay for an organiser to Groups who have made a big effort in raising their own funds. Recommendation: n The party will suggest to Labour groups they set their group levy at five per cent as a minimum.
Local Government selection procedures

There is a need to re-examine the partys local government selection procedures. Local party submissions and the LGA are clear early candidate selection should be encouraged in order to allow for more dedicated campaigning in the run up to local elections. A long drawn out selection process, or a late one, can damage chances in local elections and be potentially disruptive. As a minimum, candidates for winnable seats should be selected six months before polling day in order that they can establish themselves locally. In elections which are all outs or out in halves the recommended time should be one year. It is sometimes suggested that the party through its own re-selection procedures does not have enough flexibility for those candidates or councillors who lose narrow election contests, and thus have to spend a relatively long amount of time being re-interviewed and going back through the same procedures, losing any incumbency factor they may have had. The procedures could be changed to consider this, balloting members and allowing for quick re-selection in those key wards however this potentially would run against existing procedures which seek to get more women into marginal wards which attempts to increase representation on Labour groups. And we must maintain our commitment to increasing the number of women councillors through the use of positive action. To alleviate the pressure on regional offices, which are in some cases forced to run selections or appeals, the regional board should be able to convene a regional selection panel which can run selections for parties which are unable to do so properly for whatever reason. There are cases already where local selections are run entirely with external
Replace ALC subscriptions with the elected representative levy and provide better services for all our councillors
MPs, MEPs, MSPs and AMs already pay two per cent of their total basic salaries to the party. These requirements should be maintained and the levy extended to cover total income flowing directly from office (to include payments for additional responsibilities and roles in government). This should include salaried positions in the House of Lords. Paid councillors (excluding unpaid Parish/Town/Community councillors) should be required to pay a similar two per cent levy on total income from council and joint body sources. This would replace ALC subscriptions. Councillors would receive an increased level of service in addition to those already received. This shall include, but not limited to: Existing legal services the legal line and the Local Government lawyer Campaign development through leaflet templates and greater bespoke design support A new website for councillors to use and customise free of charge 28
Minimum local Group levy to help fund Local Organisers

We recognise that a large number of Labour Groups, throughout the country, operate a Group levy of around five per cent which helps towards their electoral performance by building a local financial war chest - using the money, for instance, to buy printing machines and fund regular newsletters. We agree with the LGA that all Labour Groups should levy councillors, and invest in a Local Organiser, and for this reason we would recommend a minimum Group
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selection panels and this is simply an extension of this practice. The party also needs to be realistic about the difficulties of recruiting and retaining councillors, and as we seek to encourage new members, trade unionists and community activists to be candidates for local government, we therefore need to consider amending the rule that states you need twelve months membership to be an eligible candidate. In addition, the party should promote and develop a mechanism whereby parties or groups, who want the flexibility to innovate, can apply for NEC approval to adapt or pilot new local procedures. Recommendation: n Over the coming year the party will consult further with stakeholders and gather best practice to review its local government selections procedures.
Refounding our commitment to diversity

Throughout the submissions, it is clear that our commitment to increasing diversity and equal representation at every level of our party is welcome. However there are a number of areas highlighted by the submissions where further work is needed and we will work with our equality socialist societies and stakeholders to deliver the changes that members have told us they want to see. Submissions from individual members which covered equality and diversity issues, along with submissions from our equality focused socialist societies and stakeholders such as BAME Labour, the Labour Womens Network, Young Labour and LGBT Labour, were full of good ideas about how to enhance and support the diversity of our party. There were joint calls and consensus across the submissions on areas of joint interest such as increasing representation and recruiting and engaging members. Therefore the recommendations that impact all groups are listed below, and recommendations that are more specific to individual sections of our party are grouped separately.
at every level of the party, but not solely in seats with high ethnic minority populations. The party has a duty to encourage talented BAME candidates to put themselves forward for all seats irrespective of seat demographics and geography. All Women Shortlists The majority of submissions credit our commitment to using All Women Shortlists (AWS) with the changing face of our party. However there was concern raised with the uneven application of AWSs, and calls for a clear and transparent allocation process were voiced across the submissions. It was also clear that women members wanted to see the principle of equal representation applied across the board from local branches, to Labour Groups, Local Government Cabinets, and the Leadership team. We should make sure that as new elected bodies or positions come into being, for example City Mayors, we apply these rules and principles in the same way we did with selections for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. Recommendation: n The NEC remains committed to All Women Shortlists (AWS) as a mechanism to achieving gender equality and recognises the need for each AWS to be decided upon objectively through a transparent decision-making process. n The party will ensure that the finalised parliamentary selection process takes into account financial burdens, pre and post selection, and will seek to encourage and support members, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds in going forward for selection. We will consult with our equality socialist societies and stakeholders on these selection processes before any final decisions are made. n A training and mentoring programme will be developed and targeted at under-represented members. It will equip members with the necessary skills and information to seek selection. n The party should make sure that its complaints procedure is open and accessible, so that members know how to report a problem if one does occur. n The party will work with BAME Labour to identify seats they could target for selection. n The partys selection guidelines will be amended to ensure that the same questions are to be asked to all candidates in selection and hustings meetings. n The Party should advertise the work of the Labour Womens Network, Emilys List, Bernies List and the
Candidate selection
The party needs to do more to ensure more members from under-represented groups are selected as Labour candidates. For example, LGBT Labours submission highlighted the issue of LGBT representation not just in terms of the UK Parliament, but also in the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. There was a clear feeling that selection contests can be costly, and mean time away from home, where the issue of childcare and the potential need to take time off from work can be prohibitive when combined. This can mean that women members and members from non-traditional, or particularly low income backgrounds, do not put themselves forward for candidate selection. A number of submissions also raised the format of selection hustings and questioned the way in which different questions could be asked to candidates, meaning that some candidates could be singled out favourably or unfavourably. It is considered good practice to ask all candidates the same standard questions at job interviews, and this should be the case at selection meetings. The party agrees more needs to be done to encourage BAME members to put themselves forward for selection 30
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Chris Smith List which exist to provide support to women, ethnic minority and LGBT candidates. n The NEC will examine in particular how the party can better help disabled members and LGBT women to stand for selection. n The party will work with LGBT Labour to develop specialist programmes to support openly LGBT people to stand for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly.
Policy development
A number of submissions highlighted the need for the voices of women, young members, BAME, disabled, LGBT and other under-represented members to be heard in the development of our policy. Recommendation: n The JPC will ensure the voices of women, young members and under-represented members are effectively fed into the policy making process by making sure a member of each policy commission has responsibility for assessing policies to examine the impact they will have on under-represented groups. n LGBT Labour and the Labour Party Disabled Members Group will be given representation to the National Policy Forum to ensure that the voices of their members are heard within our policy making structures n More efforts will be made to explain women, young members and under-represented members how our policy making structures work and how they can get involved.
Refounding our support for women members

An Annual National Womens Conference
There was overwhelming support for the reinstatement of an Annual National Womens Conference to bring women together outside of their local party structures. Recommendation: n National Womens Conference will be a fixed annual event, and will be held over the weekend before Annual Conference each year. It will set the direction of travel for the womens organisation in the party, and there should be clear ways that the womens conference is linked to Annual Conference, for example having a speaker from the Womens Conference formally report back to Annual Conference.
Recommendation: Local parties should: n develop a buddying system where new women members are contacted by another woman member when they first join n audit how, where and when they hold meetings and should try different event formats and venues to encourage more women members to get involved. n ask members what transferable skills they have and what areas of campaigning / community involvement they would like to be involved in, so that members are encouraged to develop their skills in areas outside leafleting/election organisation. n develop an active Womens Forum, and receive support from the party to do so. n Regional Boards, and the Scottish and Welsh Executives, should select a womens officer, whose role would be to work with the National Womens Officer and CLP Womens Officers in the region to drive forward womens activity regionally and locally. n An NEC working group will be set up, chaired by a woman member of the NEC, to review and look at ways to better promote our existing discrimination and harassment processes.
A more representative membership

The party wants to do more to encourage an increased number of women, young members and supporters from under-represented groups to join as members. We agree that we should recruit more BAME members to the party, for example, and accept the point made in the BAME Labour submission that BAME members are an asset not only in terms of the contribution they make to local parties, but that the links they provide to a range of different communities are invaluable. Recommendation: n The party will work with our equality socialist societies and stakeholder groups to develop recruitment drives to increase the number of women, young people and supporters joining the party from under-represented groups. This work will be resourced with materials and support for events. Young members: n The age at which you can join the party will be reduced to 14 years of age. n To avoid the steep jump in fees and to allow the 1 rate to be subsidised for the youngest members for a longer period of time, two payment bands will be introduced for young members: n For those aged 14 19: 1 per year n For those aged 20 26: 1 per month (12 per year) n A system to reward successful recruitment by Young Labour Groups will be developed. This could include incentives such as rewards if a group reaches its membership targets.
A local organisation for women

Many submissions talked about the need for the party needs to change the way it organises to make sure that all women members get to play their part and put their particular skills into practice. We must ensure that the partys commitment to equality is put into practice in a strong, effective and well-resourced womens organisation. New members should be welcomed, CLP meetings should be accessible and members skills and interests assessed and utilised. Local parties should be offered training on equality and diversity practices, and there were widespread call for the national party to disseminate examples of best practise around the country. The benefits of joint working between women stakeholders at a national level are vital. CLPs should be encouraged to replicate this at a local level and develop active womens forums but we also need to accept that women should be able to organise outside of traditional party structures and so calls for online platforms that would enable women from different constituencies to make contact should be accepted. It was also clear from a range of submissions that when women members, or other members from underrepresented groups experience discrimination or harassment, or feel they need to report an issue, often they are unaware of the existing channels to highlight problems. We will utilise the trade union experience of NEC members to develop an open and transparent complaints procedure that is widely advertised to members so they know how to seek redress when the need arises.
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Refounding our support for young members

A number of submissions referenced the crucial role that young members play at every level of our party, and there was a strong feeling that investment should take place in our youth structures to ensure that our party is always able to rely on an active and motivated youth membership.
n The Young Labour National Committee should develop a process that allows young members to debate and set policy and decide upon campaigns to run. n NPF Youth Representatives will be elected by young members only. n The partys Youth Officer will work with the NPF Youth Reps to discuss how they can best consult and feedback to young members about their work on the NPF.
Liberation campaigns to increase the representation and engagement of women, LGBT, BAME and disabled members should be a vital part of Youth Conference, and as such they should be given time on the agenda. Following on from the experience of delegates attending the last Youth Conference, it is clear better communication is needed to clarify the voting rights of all delegates. Recommendation: n There will be an annual Youth Conference with the capacity for as many young members as possible. n The Youth Conference programme will be developed in conjunction with the Young Labour National Committee and will be chaired by the Chair of Young Labour and the NEC Youth Representative. n The complicated delegate system for CLP and Young Labour groups will be replaced. All young members will now be entitled to attend as Young Labour delegates, where delegate entitlements are worked out on a Scottish, Welsh and regional basis in proportion to the number of young members. In a situation where there are more candidates than delegate places, an election will be held to determine who represents Scotland, Wales or the region on the delegation. Scottish, Welsh and regional delegations will be gender balanced. In addition, dual mandates are allowed so, for example Trade Union delegates can also be elected to represent young Labour as delegates. n The party will ensure its communications with young members explain more clearly their role at Youth Conference, what their delegate status refers to in terms of which elections they can participate in, and what they can expect from Youth Conference. In addition a special session of conference for young trade union delegates will be arranged. n Young Labour liberation officers will be asked to work to develop activity at Youth Conference, in conjunction with the partys Youth Officer, and guidelines to self-definition will be read out at the start of each caucus to ensure that all delegates understand their opportunities to participate.
A more representative Young Labour National Committee

Elections to the Young Labour National Committee (YLNC) should be simpler, and the requirement for candidates for Young Labour Chair to be a member of the committee should be abolished, with candidates instead requiring nominations from fellow members. Attempts should be made to encourage participation in elections from younger members and new members, and we agree with the suggestion from the current YLNC that an effective way to do this would be to create new positions on the committee for two ordinary representatives, along with an under-19 representative and an international representative. In recognition of this enlargement of the YLNC, and the important need to engage young workers and trade unionists, an extra place will be given to the trade unions on the YLNC. It has also been suggested that the Chair of Co-op Youth should sit on the YLNC, and that representatives from other youth wings of affiliates who arent currently represented on the committee should be able to apply to the committee to gain representation. In line with this, the Young Labour Liberation Officers should where possible be invited to attend executive meetings of relevant liberation groups in the wider party, for example, the Young Labour BAME Officer is currently invited to BAME Labour executive meetings. Recommendation: n The rules governing elections to the Young Labour National Committee will be changed to include an additional: two ordinary representatives an under-19s representative an international officer an additional representative from the trade union section, taking the total to six Trade Union representative. n The NEC youth representative should automatically become the Chair of the Young Labour National Committee, in light of the fact that they are elected by all sections of the youth movement n The need for candidates for Chair of Young Labour to be members of the Young Labour National Committee
A champion for young people

Recommendation: n The position of Vice Chair Youth will therefore be reinstated and the Young Labour National Committee will be involved in the selection of a member of parliament to the role.
An Annual Youth Conference

The desire for an Annual Youth Conference was clear from a large number of submissions from a range of stakeholders. This event should be not just about elections but also give young members the chance to come together and debate policy, agree policy motions and Young Labour campaigns. The Young Labour National Committee should play a key role in the planning and the execution of the event and the Chair of Young Labour and the NEC Youth Representative should chair Youth Conference, with the help of other members of the committee. There was agreement that the complicated delegate system currently used for Youth Conference should be changed to ensure uniformity across regions, and we should ensure that youth events dont exclude young members who arent active in their local parties by making them accessible to all. Better attempts should be made before and during Youth Conference to make it clear to members what the eligibility criteria for elections is, as well as making sure all delegates understand the nomination and voting processes, particularly in light of different sections in the electoral collage. The cost of attending Youth Conference was also raised, and the Young Labour National Committee want to see CLPs supporting young members from their area helping to cover attendance, travel and accommodation costs. And to help keep travel costs as low as possible for young members sufficient notice of youth conference will be given.
A greater say for young members

Young Labour will be given a greater say in the party. Many submissions asked for greater clarity as to the role and remit of Young Labour, and there was a clear sense that it should be given increased rights and responsibilities within the party. In addition, a number of submissions talked about the need for a greater presence for young members at Annual Conference. NPF youth representatives should be elected by young members only and we should support NPF Youth Representatives to feed back from NPF meetings direct to young party members. Recommendation: n Young Labour will be given voting rights which will mean they have the right to send delegates to Annual Conference and submit contemporary resolutions, as well as nominate in any future leadership elections. n Regional Young Labour Groups will also be given rights at a Scottish, Welsh and regional level, meaning that groups would be able to send delegates to Scottish, Welsh and regional conferences. n There will be a discounted rate for young delegate and visitor passes to Annual Conference. n The partys Youth Officer will work with the Young Labour National Committee to help maximise Young Labours presence at Annual Conference.
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will be abolished. Instead, candidates should present nominations from 50 members in order to be eligible to stand. n The Chair of Co-op Youth will be added to the list of representatives on the Young Labour National Committee, and the committee should have the right to approve applications for representation from other affiliates as and when they arise. n All counts of elections to the Young Labour National Committee should be open to a representative from each candidate.
Recommendation: n Every Scottish, Welsh and Regional office should organise an event for young members at their Scottish, Welsh and Regional Conference and offer a subsidised youth rate in order to increase participation of young members. n Scottish, Welsh and Regional offices should also host at least one additional event for young members every year. n Each Scottish, Welsh and Regional office should have a staff member who is responsible for young members activity. n There should be a way to recognise and reward good practice by Young Labour groups. This could include rewards such as best practise awards, free passes to Annual Conference or the chance to design some campaign materials.
Recommendation: A young members section of the training academy will be developed, which will include training on issues such as campaigning in the community, campaigning on policy and how to be a youth officer. n A mentoring scheme will be developed to help young members get involved both within the party and in public life. n Every young member will get a welcome pack when they join with information about the various ways they can get involved and an explanation of key terms and other jargon to make our party more accessible.
Increased young member representation at Scottish, Welsh and Regional level

It is recognised that the Scottish and Welsh Executives and Regional Boards are the foremost bodies in Scotland, Wales and each region, and the Young Labour National Committee submission recommended better ways to link regional Young Labour activity and the work of Young Labour nationally with the work of the Regional Board. Recommendation: n As well as conducting an OMOV ballot to elect regional representatives to sit on the Young Labour National Committee, an election for the Youth Representative on the Scottish and Welsh Executives and Regional Boards should take place at the same time. n These two positions will be gender balanced one reserved for women and one open, and conducted through a ballot of all young members in Scotland, Wales and the relevant region. n Job descriptions for these both regional posts will be agreed by the YLNC to give clarity of responsibilities for the Young Labour post holders.
Youth Officers
A number of submissions talked about the crucial role that CLP Youth Officers play in local parties. The party should assist youth officers by helping to develop fuller job descriptions and through training and events for youth officers. Youth Representatives on the Scottish and Welsh Executives and the Regional boards should play a role in this by hosting meetings for youth officers in their local area.
Increased link with Trade Unions

The link between Young Labour and the youth structures of our affiliate trade unions should be strengthened. There were a number of submissions about Young Labour encouraging its members to join trade unions, and the party should help the Young Labour National Committee to do this. Recommendation: n The partys Youth Officer will work with the Trade Union representatives on the Young Labour National Committee to look into ways that young members could be encouraged to join a trade union.
Recommendation: n The purpose and role of Youth Officers will be defined, working with Young Labour National Committee to develop a thorough job description and guide to help post holders. n Youth Officers should be young between the ages of 14-26 and should facilitate a buddy system whereby new young members receive a phone call from another young member in the local party when they first join. n The Youth Representative on the Scottish and Welsh Executives and Regional Boards should convene a meeting of all Youth Officers in their region at least twice a year.
Training and development of young members

A number of submissions referenced the need to invest in the training and development of our young members, to ensure that our membership is fully equipped to fight future elections. We need to do more to encourage young members to take up training opportunities, and should work with the Young Labour National Committee to develop this fully. A mentoring scheme should also be developed for young members, particularly for young members from underrepresented groups.
Increased support for young members and Young Labour Groups

The need for active and engaging Young Labour groups in every part of the country was a clear theme running through a number of submissions. Scottish, Welsh and Regional Offices should be aware of their responsibilities to help young members develop activity within the local area, and the need to reward best practice with regards to Young Labour groups was also raised.
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Refounding our support for ethnic minority members

Ethnic Minority Forums
We agree with the great number of submissions which highlighted the overlap and resultant confusion between the role and scope of Ethnic Minority Forums and BAME Labour Branches. Recommendation: n The party will establish a working group to work with BAME Labour to develop a transition to a single level of local organisation rather than two (with regard to BAME Local Branches and Ethnic Minority Forums).
Refounding our support for members with disabilities

Making our party accessible for members with disabilities
Across all of the consultation events, the issue of double discrimination was raised, particularly with regard to disability. Submissions highlighted a lack of understanding in local parties about accessibility, and quite often a lack of tolerance for access needs that members may have. A lack of clarity regarding the responsibilities that local parties have to make their activities accessible needs to be rectified so that we can build a party that is accessible to all our members. We also need to ensure that the voices of our disabled members are heard within our policy making structures and so we will ensure representation at the National Policy Forum for the Labour Party Disabled Members Group. Recommendation: n The party will work with the Labour Party Disabled Members Group to develop a programme of work which would increase disability awareness across the party. n The party will update the accessibility guide and reissue it to local parties. n Best Practice will be identified and shared, and local parties will be made aware of their responsibility to ensure that their meetings and practices are accessible to all members. n The Labour Party Disabled Members Group will be permitted to send a representative to the National Policy Forum to ensure that the voice of our disabled members is heard
Refounding our support for LGBT members

Making our party accessible for LGBT members
Submissions from LGBT Labour and LGBT members sought to ensure that we continue building a party that is open to all members. Better representation, recognition of the contribution of LGBT members, a stronger voice in policy, as well as increased support from the party were themes that came through in a number of submissions. It also became clear from submissions that the p==arty should do more to ensure that LGBT candidates get selected. LGBT Labours submission highlighted the issue of LGBT representation not just in terms of the UK Parliament, but also in the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. Discrimination against LGBT candidates, and developing a selection process that prevents this from happening should also be considered. Recommendation: n As per job interviews, the same questions should be asked to all candidates to prevent particular candidates from being discriminated against n The party should make sure that its complaints procedure is open and accessible, so that people know how to report a problem if one does occur. n The Labour Party in Scotland and Wales should be asked to develop specialist programmes to support openly LGBT people to stand for the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly. n The Labour party should devote time to develop a strategy to get more LBT women elected to Parliament. n The party should advertise the work of LGBT Labour, particularly advertising the Chris Smith List which exists to provide financial support to LGBT candidates. n The party should continue and increase where possible support for activities that promote the engagement of LGBT members, for example support with literature development and events. n LGBT Labour, as our affiliate organisation representing LGBT members, will be given a representative at the National Policy Forum to ensure that the views of LGBT members are fed into the policy making process.
Ethnic Minority Officers

A number of submissions talked about the need for better defined roles for CLP Ethnic Minority Officers, as well as increased training for members holding these posts. In BAME Labours submission, the issue of inclusivity of CLPs with regards to BAME members was raised. BAME Labour sees a need to ask CLPs to develop a race equality strategy for their constituency. CLPs should therefore be asked to develop a race equality strategy based on assessment of the nature, size and make up of the constituency, with the Ethnic Minority Officer being asked to lead on this work. Recommendation: n The purpose and role of the Ethnic Minority Officer will be defined, working with BAME Labour to develop a thorough job description and guide to help post holders. n Greater training and support should be available for Ethnic Minority Officers. The party will develop a training plan for these post holders in conjunction with BAME Labour.
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a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

Page 4 Page 9 Page 10 Page 10

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

Peter Hain MP, Chair, Labour Party National Policy Forum

In order to achieve this we need to:

A campaigning, community-based party

A party at the heart of a mass movement

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

A party which values members views

The debate continues

Key to achieving this wider engagement are:

A party of which we can be proud

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

The consultation: a summary

Refounding Labour a party for the new generation

Refounding Labour a party for the new generation

The review of Labour in Scotland

Refounding our local parties

Our Party Leader: rights and responsibilities

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

Effective working at a local level with Trade Unions

A development plan for every CLP

Party meetings that focus upon widening involvement

Officers and local roles that match CLP needs

New Local Campaign Forums

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

Regional Board Working Groups

Refounding our place in the community

New strategic functions for Regional Boards

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

Embedding community organising methods in the way we work

Candidate Contracts for all elected representatives

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

Refounding Partnership into Power

Reaching out to the public

The case for reform

Involving all our party members in policy making

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

Stronger, better policy making institutions

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

Refounding support for our members

New and improved technology for communication

Training and development

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

The detail of the proposal

a party for the new generation

a party for the new generation

Labour International (LI)

Rights and responsibilities of our MPs and MEPs

Gender balance within the Leadership Team