Momentum have run a policy primary to decide what topics and motions to push for Labour Conference 2021. The Fabians seem to have decided that this is a good idea and issued a shorter, more guided questionnaire to the world at large. They ask five questions, … a new policy Labour should back that could transform the country, one thing Labour should do to reconnect with voters who rejected the party in 2019, one commitment from the 2019 Labour manifesto that the party should abandon, one idea for creating more unity and harmony in the Labour movement, and name one Labour MP the party should make more use of. The last is just asking for trolling, my answers are overleaf/below and feel that I have a right to offer my advice as I only left the Fabians last year having joined it to help me rethink my ideas about policy and strategy.
NAME ONE… new policy Labour should back that could transform the country,
Labour should support a Proportional Voting systems like Germany’s and implement a basic law, embedding Human Rights. PR is new, but Labour must sustain its support for a Green Recovery, and economy that delivers for all and workplace justice.
NAME ONE… thing Labour should do to reconnect with voters who rejected the party in 2019
The Party needs to invest in party building and organisational capability in the old Pit & Steel towns so that we can actually talk and listen to voters there. We need to listen to the membership, offer it the last word on policy and MP candidate selection. Any policy response needs to be carefully calibrated, so as not to offend those who do vote for us as we now know where “they’ve nowhere else to go” leads.
NAME ONE… commitment from the 2019 Labour manifesto that the party should abandon
We should reject Trident Renewal and promise to scrap the Aircraft Carriers while maintaining the 2% GDP defence spending promise; and demerge DFID from the Foreign Office. I choose a defence issue because the economic and domestic policy promises and policies were spot on.
NAME ONE… idea for creating more unity and harmony in the Labour movement
Ending factionalism in the Party by a means other than winning the struggle. i.e. recognise that Members have the right to dignity and respect, and to be treated fairly by the Labour Party. Party officers at every level shall exercise their powers in good faith and use their best endeavours to ensure procedural fairness for members. All officers,. both elected and appointed should be held to this standard
NAME ONE… Labour MP the party should make more use of
This is actually more complicated, personally I am not sure that Corbyn would add to the power of Labour’s voice; the most effective front bench performers have been Ed Miliband and David Lammy, the least being his key allies, Nick Symonds Thomas (Home Office) and Jo Stevens (DCMS). Bit tricky since over half the PLP are on the front bench, not sure they’re all in the right portfolios.