Labour’s membership

a red rose

The Labour Party staff stopped reporting membership to  the NEC earlier this year, but they reported the end of year membership to Annual Conference and of course the electoral commission.

A number of years ago, I made  a chart  showing Labour’s membership from 1989 to 2021; I have just updated it using the end of 2024 figures.

There are stories published that Reform have overtaken Labour in terms of membership numbers; it would take an extraordinary amount of departures for this to be true. This article in the New Statesman published under a pseudonym as a gossip column is headlined as such and points at Labour List reporting the membership in Feb as 309,000. …

Today’s issues for Labour

Portraits, Powell and Phillipson

Labour is holding an election for the position of Deputy Leader, I have five questions I want to ask them.

  1. Where do you stand on immigration and the fact that copying Reform legitimises and emboldens them?
  2. Where do you stand on closer relations with the EU on defence, trade and economic co-operation? Where do you stand on rejoining the single-market?
  3. Where do you stand on fiscal/monetary policy? How can we end austerity and make people feel better off and what will you do?
  4. Where do you stand on Welfare reform? Why are we increasing poverty?
  5. What do you think the Government should do about Gaza and Palestine?
  6. I believe a Deputy Leader, in fact all MPs, should represent the Party membership to the PLP and its leadership, will you start to do this?
  7. What measures will you take to turn the Party’s democracy back on?

Now how to put these questions to them. …

#Lab25 will get to debate rejoining the EU

Labour Conference 2019 from the balcony

At the General Committee of Lewisham North last night we agreed to send a motion calling for the abolition of the two child benefit cap, and also proposed a reference back of the NPF report. I intiallly proposed the words in a blog article posted last week. This article repeats some of the text of the reference back and my notes for my moving speech, and right of reply, as it was opposed by both those who think that being outside the EU is a good thing, and those who fear Farage and think the time is wrong. For those details, read overleaf ...

Thoughts on Labour’s NPF Report ’25

Thoughts on Labour’s NPF Report ’25

This article looks at the development of Labour's Policy as its annual Conference approaches. It looks at the rules commitment to "voting in parts", and reproduces an NPF report reference back motion on the subject of the relationship with the EU that I shall take to my local party. My motion calls to rejoin the single market immediately and to promise to rejoin the EU in the next manifesto. To read the whole article, use the "Read More" button ...

More on the ‘great reset’ meeting

Kier Starmer and Ursula von der Leyen in a conference room

In an article/podcast in inews, entitled "Starmer's Government sees closer ties with the EU as a key part of plans to ramp up economic growth",  the issue of deals with global partners to be a key part of trying to make Britain a more attractive destination for investment is allegedly discussed. See the full article at 'RemovePaywalls.com'. I made some notes inspired or provoked by this article, which was published in late July. Although much of this is extracted quotes, I make some comments. For more, use the 'Read More' button ...

Getting involved in politics

GMB banners on a march/demo

I went to London region's fringe meeting. These are held inside the conference centre and must be sponsored by a region. This meeting was called “Getting involved in politics”. It’s platform consisted of Dawn Butler MP, Robbie Scott (TULO), Miriam Myrwitch (London Labour), and two GMB voluntary officers from the Labour Party branch and the Parliamentary Staffs branch. I don’t know if the platform learnt anything, but some probing questions were asked, mainly about the Labour Party. This article uses my notes to report in the meeting, and I cross-reference and comment on Labour's rules on debate, social media and bullying. The full article is overleaf ...

Clause IV 2024

Labour Conference 2019 from the balcony

I have decided to reproduce Labour’s Clause IV, its Aims and Values. I think some need to be reminded.

Clause IV.

Aims and values

  1. The Labour Party is a democratic socialist Party. It believes that by the strength of our common
    endeavour we achieve more than we achieve alone, so as to create for each of us the means to
    realise our true potential and for all of us a community in which power, wealth and
    opportunity are in the hands of the many not the few; where the rights we enjoy reflect the duties
    we owe and where we live together freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect.
  2. To these ends we work for:
    A. A DYNAMIC ECONOMY, serving the public interest, in which the enterprise of the market
    and the rigour of competition are joined with the forces of partnership and co-operation to
    produce the wealth the nation needs and the opportunity for all to work and prosper with a
    thriving private sector and high-quality public services where those undertakings essential to
    the common good are either owned by the public or accountable to them
    B. A JUST SOCIETY, which judges its strength by the condition of the weak as much as the
    strong, provides security against fear, and justice at work; which nurtures families, promotes equality of opportunity, and delivers people from the tyranny of poverty, prejuidice and the abuse of power. C. AN OPEN DEMOCRACY, in which government is held to account by the people, decisions are
    taken as far as practicable by the communities they affect and where fundamental human
    rights are guaranteed. D. A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, which we protect, enhance and hold in trust for future generations.
  3. Labour is committed to the defence and security of the British people and to co-operating in
    European institutions, the United Nations, the Commonwealth and other international bodies to
    secure peace, freedom, democracy, economic security and environmental protection for all.
  4. Labour shall work in pursuit of these aims with trade unions and co-operative societies and also
    with voluntary organisations, consumer groups and other representative bodies.
  5. On the basis of these principles, Labour seeks the trust of the people to govern.

Or

Labour Rules Clause IV 2024Download
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