A counting agent in UK elections is appointed by the candidates to watch the returning officer’s staff and give confidence through partisan observation that the count is conducted fairly. …
Tools
I just bookmarked the following two pages, Twitter Sentiment Analysis and Software helps identify anonymous writers …, I look forward to using these tools. …
Truth
A couple of days ago, I posted the critical facts about the Lewisham Deptford CLP AGM. The Left won the majority of branches and all the forums. The incumbent Secretary negotiated changes in the results with two branches and successfully asked region to rule out the largest branch delegation and replace it with the previous years, which would have had an effect of switching 25 votes from left to right. Such a ruling is clearly against the rules. Additionally there appear to be irregularities in the management and acceptance of affiliates by the officers of the CLP. …
Labour’s Democracy Review
When Jeremy Corbyn announced that he was planning an NEC away day to review Labour’s rules, I made some notes on my blog, which I have updated via comments, I plan to work them into a submission and submit them it’s successor and hope others will support them. The other blog has comments disabled after 7 days, so if you have something to add, please comment here.
Submissions are best made by email, or via a web form hidden in the party site. …
Scope
Labour’s Rules, yes my life is a bit obsessive, has a section called Scope of Rules, Ch 1.X. This states that the Rules apply to all party units and limits the NEC’s powers to vary the rules. They may not vary the aims and objectives, conditions of membership (inc. affiliates), selection procedures, or change the relationship between CLPs and the Party.
It permits local rules, and defines the NEC’s power of interpretation. It does not require the rules to be published to all members. 😣 …
Absolutism
The Chapter 15 gender quota rules cannot be absolute i.e. applied everywhere; it’s contradicted elsewhere in the rules. …
Control
Almost everyone routes their traffic through a small handful of DDOS mitigation providers now- because the cost of overbuilding one's own network is ruinous. Just like that, decentralization of the Internet is dead. The cost is incalculable.
— Allison Nixon (@nixonnixoff) November 18, 2017
Selflessness
… Integrity, Objectivity, Accountability, Openness, Honesty & Leadership
The 7 principles of public life, otherwise known as the Nolan Principles. …
Mandate
This is becoming a rules compendium, I really should build a rules wiki.
Here’s a rule from Conference 2016
Chapter 13 Clause II 2. A Aims and Values
NEW CLAUSE v. Members of the Labour group in administration must comply with the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 and subsequent revisions and shall not vote against or abstain on a vote in full Council to set a legal budget proposed by the administration. Members of the Labour Group shall not support any proposal to set an illegal budget. Any councillor who votes against or abstains on a Labour group policy decision in this matter may face disciplinary action.
What’s the penalty? This is worse in a Mayor led cabinet, because of the Mayor’s relationship with the budget, which can only be overturned by a ⅔ majority. Much then depends on the Group’s rules and transparency. …
Breathing
The Clarion, digging deep, well not that deep into Labour’s History, looks at the CLPD evidence to the Refounding Labour review.
They reproduce it, hosted on their site, “A living breathing Party” . It’s need has stood the test of time calling for the empowerment of the membership, a respect for diversity of opinion and the end of centralised command and control. …