NEC takes stock after elections

Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) met on 12 June. It interviewed and appointed Ray Collins as the new General Secretary. He was the sole candidate on the shortlist put before the NEC. The meeting was informed that five people had applied for the post, one had withdrawn, and that there had been no women or ethnic minorities applicants.

Under his Leader’s report, Gordon Brown highlighted a number of issues, including the recent agreement with the TUC and CBI on temporary and agency workers. He also referred to the previous night’s Commons vote on 42 days detention without charge, which he said he considered an important victory that was now the Tories’ problem. The government’s current problems were rooted in the difficult economic circumstances — the rising price of food, oil and other commodities, plus the credit crunch. He said he did not recognise that the government had done anything specifically wrong, although he did refer to the supplementary budget announcement which he pointed out compensated many of those who had lost out from the decision to cut the 10 per cent tax band.

Walter Wolfgang pointed out that the 42 day detention proposal was damaging Labour’s support and said that it would have been better if Labour MPs had voted the proposal down. He suggested that the party needed a proper debate about policy resulting in a real change in direction. He raised concerns that the United States was now proposing to rob the Iraqis of their oil, with British government support. He set out the clear case for a troop withdrawal from Iraq and also from Afghanistan.

Peter Willsman also pointed out the need for a change of direction in government policy, as this was the deepest pit Labour had been in for many years. He stressed that the party was better when it was bold and urged greater attention on achieving social justice. Andy Kerr, from the CWU, pointed out that the agreement on agency and temporary workers did not provide sufficient protection to this vulnerable group. He thought Labour could win the next election if the leadership listened to the views of party members. Ann Black agreed and called for more respect for members. She welcomed the rebates for some people who lost out from the 10p tax band cut, but was concerned about what would happen next year to assist the people who had been adversely affected by this tax change. She noted the growing cynicism about politicians and said the party was giving mixed messages about East Europeans. In the Crewe and Nantwich by-election the party was seen as campaigning against them, whereas elsewhere, the party was trying to win their votes with the message that East European migrants would benefit from the agency workers directive. She questioned some of Labour’s messages in the by-election, notably the focus on attacking ‘toffs’, as if people should be judged on their birth as opposed to their actions. Mike Griffiths said the electorate did not understand the difference between Labour and the Tories, and that there needed to be clear red sea between the two parties, with Labour making people aware of the dangers that the Tories posed.

Gordon Brown, in his reply to the discussion, argued for continuing British military action in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He did not agree with Walter Wolfgang that these should be brought to an end. He stressed that winning the vote, about detaining people for 42 days without charge, was a victory.

Douglas Alexander gave a report on the recent elections and what to do in the wake of the Crewe and Nantwich by-election. Overall, the huge increase in turnout, and the very highly motivated anti-Labour vote had taken the party leadership by surprise.

Jeremy Beecham pointed out that the Tories had won seats in very unlikely places like Rotherham and Wakefield. He cautioned against the over-use of the phrase ‘hard working families’, which some saw as not being inclusive – as it excludes pensioners, people without children, the young and single parents.

Norma Stephenson said people were concerned about the health service and that a central issue for Labour is to stop privatising it. She noted the considerable ignorance about immigration and how the wrong messages were coming out from the party. Peter Willsman said the campaign in Crewe and Nant-wich had been infantile, as nasty personal attacks on other candidates do not win votes for Labour.

Harriet Harman raised David Davis’ resignation over the 42 days detention issue, which she believed would just waste tax-payers’ money on an unnecessary by-election. She also indicated that feedback from the May council elections, including from people who lost their seats, was that cutting the 10p tax band was the main issue on the doorstep.

Under a report on the National Policy Forum (NPF), Walter Wolfgang said there was a view that the NPF was hidden from the members. Whilst there was recorded voting at annual conference there was no such record of the NPF.

Bridget Prentice introduced an item on party funding and indicated that the White Paper would be soon published. Walter Wolfgang asked for an assurance that there would be no restriction on trade union funding, because, he said, Blair had obviously appointed Hayden Philips to restrict the union link. Bridget Prentice did not agree with that understanding.

Several motions were tabled for discussion at the meeting. The NEC’s current practice is not to debate these motions, but to refer them to the relevant policy commission.

A motion from Walter Wolfgang and Peter Willsman stressed the importance of reconnecting with Labour’s core voters and the need for a policy shift to achieve this.

A motion from Ann Black and Peter Willsman raised the issue of cutting the 10p tax band and how resolutions on this issue sent to last year’s annual conference had been ruled out of order with the result that they were not seen by delegates to the conference. The motion asked the Joint Policy Committee to agree that such resolutions would at least be published in future.