Our branch proposed a motion on PR & FPTP asking for a member’s consultation and a position of abstention while that occurs. The GMB have a position of robustly supporting FPTP. ( I should find out how many members the GMB group of the PLP has.) The video clip includes a speech from the following motion where the delegate used the opportunity of moving a pious motion calling for a Labour Government to argue for FPTP. If the vote had been close, I’d have asked for a count but it wasn’t. The GMB continues to support the careerism of its parliamentary allies.
Here’s what I said, or nearly, it’s based on my notes.
President, Congress, Dave Levy, London Central General, moving motion 206 Fair Voting, without region support
This motion calls for a whole union debate and the establishment of a mandate involving the whole membership on the issue of a fair voting system.
UK democracy is in turmoil. Successive Tory governments have decimated public services and created a hostile environment for workers. In 19 of the last 20 general elections, parties to the left of the Conservatives won the popular vote yet the Tories have governed for almost two-thirds of that time.
The voting system in the U.K. has given the Tory Party large parliamentary majorities enabling them to decimate workers rights, underfund our public services and destroy our communities, treat the treasury as a personal piggy bank, pay billions to their donors and open the flood gates to the most corrupt prime minister ever, protected by the doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty and a majority in a House of Commons elected by FPTP on 44% of the vote. That’s the inconvenient truth behand FPTP, 43% support, 100% of the power. This was illustrated at our regional delegation meeting this was a very close debate and vote, in fact a reinforcement of the argument that a split vote should not deliver 100% of the power.
There is crumbling support for FPTP except in the Tory party, where they have just abolished the supplementary vote for Mayors and Crime Commissioners.
The UK, apart from the US & Canada are the only OECD countries to use FPTP.
The only other group supporting FPTP are Labour’s nomenklatura, elbowing their way into pole position for the next round of selections.
In the UK, we use PR to elect the Scottish Assembly, the Welsh Senedd and the GLA in London.
But FPTP delivers a corrupt and degraded parliament as we can see; Parliaments are designed to compromise and work best with a basic law.
The CEC ask you to oppose this because they think it will reduce the chance of the Tories losing, I don’t agree, and neither do the SPD who have been in Government since 1991, that’s 30 years, nor the New Zealand Labour Party who have been in Government since 1917. Oops, 2017, if 1917 had been right, that would have been a killer argument.
They argue that PR systems mean that we will lose MP’s electoral accountability and that bad MPs can be removed today. In terms of accountability of MPs, it doesn’t seem that way to me, ask Labour members in Vauxhall, Bassetlaw, Rochdale, Bermondsey & Old Southwark or Birkenhead. I could list the seats of the 15 MPs that resigned from or were kicked out of the PLP in the 2017 parliament. MPs are not accountable to their voters, and neither are the accountable to their parties.
Some argue that PR will allow the far right to enter Parliament; I have some bad news for you, they have taken over the Tory Party and are already there.
You will be told that with PR we won’t get a Labour Govt again. We need to tell ourselves the truth; Labour is not very good at winning elections.
The transparency of any programme to be pursued will be weakened by the fact that under FPTP, the coalition is formed before the election while under PR it’s formed after, with a knowledge of the popular mandate.
We have a members first slogan, this motion asks the CEC to behave in this way, and to consult the membership so we can all be confident that the Congress mandate meets the voice of our members. (it’s an issue that members have written to me about.)
You may find the platform reminding you that we are without region support. It was a close vote and this is politics, there’s no special wisdom in any one Region, except possibly Scotland & Wales and you are not mandated, you can make your own minds up as to whether you want to support this or not.
We are only asking for members to be properly consulted.
I ask you to support this motion.
Dave Levy
And here is the text of the motion
UK democracy is in turmoil. Successive Tory governments have decimated public services and created a hostile environment for workers. In 19 of the last 20 general elections, parties to the left of the Conservatives won the popular vote yet the Tories have governed for almost two-thirds of that time. We recognise that things must change within the UK and that we must commit to doing everything we can to ensure Labour is in government after the next election
The voting system in the U.K. has given the Tory Party large parliamentary majorities enabling them to decimate workers rights, underfund our public services and destroy our communities.
Last year – both before and after the Labour Party conference – more affiliated trade unions passed policy in favour of Proportional Representation. There is significant support for electoral reform and proportional representation (PR) within GMB, with many having strong feelings that are not aligned with current union policy. It is essential that we ensure there is space for debate on the subject to allow the union to form an up to date and considered stance on an issue which is very significant in the union movement right now.
Congress resolves:
- GMB should consult the membership through branch meetings, presenting the arguments in a document and maybe video fomr and against electoral reform – including evidence about outcomes for workers and trade unions. This consultation needs to be guided and must include the option to attend branch, regional and other meetings. These meetings must have the ability to state the views of the meeting to allow a consensus to be drawn.
- That as a result of this exercise the CEC shall present a special paper reflecting all views from the consultation allowing the next Congress and its delegates to determine the policy of the Union going forward.
- Until this consultation has concluded, GMB should abstain from either voting for or against Proportional Representation.