| Save the Labour Party |
| Open letter to NEC 18 September 2005 Open letter to Labour Party National Executive Committee Dear NEC member, Membership subscriptions In the first instance, we would like to thank Ann Black for taking the trouble to ask for feedback about the propose 50% increase in subscription rates. We understand that widespread concerns have been expressed to her, which she has already circulated to you. We have heard from another NEC source that there is a possible link to the latest state of the Party’s finances and possible changes in conditions attached to some loans from the Labour Party’s bankers; namely earlier repayment. STLP regrets the possible threat to the financial standing of the Party and the precipitous timing of the 50% subscription hike proposal, but sees this as an opportunity for the Party leadership to take a positive stand toward its rank and file members and rebuild. We have noted statements released on the Labour Party website http://www.labour.org.uk/brighton2005 at the end of last week in the name of the Leader, Chair and General Secretary regarding members’ contributions to winning a 3rd term and its future success. These sentiments need to be followed by appropriate action. Increasing subscriptions without proper discussion of the wider issues is not appropriate. We recognise that membership revenue might be increased in the short-term, but would urge the NEC to bear in mind the extent to which remaining membership comprises individuals who have a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in party membership, sometimes known as the ‘pay-roll vote’. We note there are provisions within the Head Office paper to increase levies on ‘pay-roll vote’ members. They should be considered separately from the proposed 50% hike in membership subscriptions. STLP, like the Electoral Commission, regards membership as a key indicator of mainstream political party performance. At your meeting on Tuesday 20 September, we urge you to probe the circumstances leading up to the drafting of the proposal, and recognise the opportunity it represents to settle a key issue; namely whether Labour should aspire to be a mass membership, democratically-run party or not. We are aware that the STLP campaign has risked being dismissed as seeking a return to so-called ‘old Labour’ ways. We believe we have demonstrated through our work, that we are interested in Labour’s future as a democratically run mass membership party wedded to good governance of its own affairs. You will be aware of the launch of the LabOUR Commission http://www.labourcommission.org.uk/ and the role of STLP in helping to get it set up. We hope that you will recognise the positive contribution this independent group of members (only two of whom are currently STLP members) could make to restore public confidence in the Labour Party, and invite you to instruct party officials to respond accordingly to any requests for assistance. The faster the LabOUR Commission is able to undertake its Research Programme, the quicker an evidence-based approach can be agreed to rebuild mass membership and encourage active promotion of Labour’s 21st century political aims and values. Positive steps to widen its financial appeal to its own stakeholders are likely to be taken note of by the Party’s bankers. This should reduce the immediate pressure for a subscription increase and rebuild confidence in the Party’s future. The more publicly this is done in a unified manner, the easier it will be for the Party to achieve a positive response both among its current membership, the wider public and its financial backers. We believe the simplest solution would be to integrate a formal Annual General Meeting into Annual Conference. An AGM is the way all officers of CLPs and affiliated bodies have to give account of themselves to their members, as do the directors/officers/trustees of every incorporated company or voluntary body under UK law. We have written to the Conference Arrangement Committee for the second year running to request such a meeting. We note that in some reporting of the proposed 50% subscription a comparison has been made between the Labour Party and the National Trust (NT). We hope that NEC members will recall that unlike the Labour Party, not only does the NT have mass membership, but offers direct financial incentives to its members, namely admission to its properties and free car parking. In addition, its governance arrangements enable NT members to question and challenge their officers and staff in an open and transparent way through an AGM. Another way in which your intention to rebuild the party could be shown would be through a positive response to the recommendations of the Electoral Commission report on the funding of political parties, published in December last year. In particular, the EC’s proposal for financial incentives to be offered to encourage small donations, including membership of political parties, warrants serious consideration. STLP’s response was published in on 16 December 2004 and can be read at http://www.savethelabourparty.org/news19.html In conclusion, we hope you will seize the opportunity to open up debate about how to rebuild the Party for the 21st century, and resounding electoral success in national, devolved, regional and local elections in future. Peter Kenyon – Chair, STLP 18 September 2005 |