We have learned a number of lessons from the first cycle of Partnership in Power. We need to involve more members, improve our feedback systems and create much closer links with our local communities. But we also need to focus on the values which should underpin the process during the second term. The process should be open, honest, ensure equality of access to our members, encourage a sense of responsibility to each other, promote a sense of pride, and help develop an informed democracy. At all levels of the party we should think about our responsibilities to each other when we participate in the process, and be guided by the principles of democracy and solidarity.
I think we can be proud of what we are trying to achieve. In the next cycle of Partnership in Power we have the opportunity to develop the process to reach out to our communities and to encourage engagement in politics. However, in order to promote these values we need to relaunch the system.
The first stage of this relaunch will be a consultation on Partnership in Power. Following the consultations with the National Policy Forum and at party conference we will bring a paper to a November or December meeting of the NPF for the next rolling programme, including the names of the new policy commissions, a timetable for the rolling programme and proposed changes to the way the NPF works.
In general we want to see more members involved; much better flows of information around the system; greater involvement of local communities; a reduction in bureaucracy; more engagement by ministers; and clarity about the role of NPF delegates in the final decision-making processes with a special focus on the balance between our affiliated unions and other stakeholders.
National Policy Forum members have indicated that they have concerns about a number of issues including: elections to the NPF and policy commissions; the way amendments are made to documents; the relationship between documents and government policy; time to consider documents and amendments; dissemination of information to members; and resourcing and support of NPF members. All these matters will be part of the consultation. With many of these matters we need to involve the wider party. We will discuss them further at conference and at the autumn National Policy Forum.
We now have thousands of submissions, resolutions and reports moving around the system and we need new technology to help us manage the system. A major part of our relaunch must be a new information and communications system. The main aim of the new system will be to enable information and feedback to move much more efficiently around the Partnership in Power system. The new communications system could address two key problems in communication which emerged in the first cycle of Partnership in Power. First, communication between local policy forums and policy commissions and, second, communication between local policy forums and local members. The new project will be designed to help members track what has happened to their proposals and to improve the dialogue between policy commissions and local policy forums.
Partnership in Power now has the opportunity to make a major contribution to helping create an informed democracy. In relaunching the system we should keep this at the forefront of our thoughts. New style policy forums will engage citizens and communities, promote in depth debate of the issues and encourage new ways of working in politics. We should be proud of what we have achieved here – we are leading the way in British politics. Everyone who attends our policy forums is impressed by the level of participation and the quality of the debate. This work can help in the great job we have to help people reconnect to politics. The Labour Party can play a central role in helping to promote active citizenship.