Fewer than 50 party members select Labour’s parliamentary candidates on average, according to new analysis of over 100 of Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidates carried out by Progress, a Labour-supporting pressure group. This means that in many areas of the country fewer than 1 in 1000 residents have a say over who becomes Labour’s candidate, and in safe Labour seats, their MP.
On the day that Sir Thomas Legg has written to MPs about their expenses claims, Labour activists are meeting to discuss whether the Party should follow the Conservative’s lead and invite the public to help select future candidates. Launching the report, author Will Straw said “It’s clear we can’t go back to politics as usual after the expenses scandal – one way that the Labour Party could try to win back the trust of the public would be to involve them in the candidate selections that take place between now and the next election. The old closed shop of parliamentary selection has to be opened up so that new voices from all walks of life can help to rebuild our broken politics. We need a cultural glasnost.”
Ken Livingstone, a likely contender for Labour’s candidate for London Mayor came out in favour of primaries this weekend, and support is growing in the Cabinet after Peter Mandelson told Progress Magazine that primaries were “exactly the sort of modernising move the party should look at and consider.” Other supporters include Ed Miliband, Tessa Jowell, David Miliband, David Lammy and James Purnell.
Progress’ debate ‘Would primaries save or kill the Labour party?’ is taking place this evening. Details can be found below.
Monday 12 October 2009, 18:00 to 19:30
Venue: Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Westminster
Progress recently launched its campaign to introduce primaries for selecting Labour candidates. This debate will bring together two proponents and two opponents of the idea to debate whether the time is right for this change.
Speakers:
Rt Hon David Lammy MP
Luciana Berger
Prospective Council candidate, London Borough of Camden
Chris McLaughlin
Editor, Tribune
Will Straw
Editor, Left Foot Forward
Please register your attendance with Mark: [email protected]
Notes to editors
1. For more information about Progress campaign for primaries and to read Will Straw’s paper ‘The case for primaries to select Labour’s candidates’ visit archive.progressonline.org.uk/consultations/primetime
2. Progress is an independent organisation of Labour party members, set up in 1996, which aims to promote a radical and progressive politics for the 21st century. Progress seeks to discuss, develop and advance the means to create a more free, equal and democratic Britain which plays an active role in Europe and the wider world. Go to the Progress website for more information: archive.progressonline.org.uk
3. For comment please contact Jessica Asato, Acting Director, 07939 594 634
Open primaries would go some way to taking selections out of the hands of party apparatchiks, the unions and powerful backers such as No.10 or former ministers and as such, are an idea that should be explored and acted upon.
They would also encourage applicants to seek selection who were keen and able, but for whatever reason had not been willing or able to ingratiate themselves with local or national Labour Party politics. That isn’t to say that people who have worked for the party ought not become MPs, but that all too often such individuals have an unfair advantage due to their ‘contacts.’
Open selections would also minimise the advantages of those candidates with large amounts of money (or with backers willing to give it to them) to fund increasingly professional campaigns. Short, supervised, open primary campaigns might then allow for the focus of attention to be the ideas and abilities of the candidates in actual meetings or events, at which members of the public could attend and participate.
Anything we can do to level the playing field and simultaneously to engage with a wider audience than the 200 or so members of most CLPs must be a good idea. We need the best candidates for the job, not the best-connected.
Please see my blog – http://slingerblog.blogspot.com
Fantastic! Open Primaries would be an excellent idea in selecting the future candidates of a Modern Labour Party. The majority of the selected candidates are handpicked by a small number of out of touch nepotistic individuals who are not accountable to the public but themselves and are the poodles of regional and national representatives. I welcome the move for primaries. I would seriously consider challenging for selection of Labour Parliamentary candidate for the Don Valley Ward in a primary. Let the people decide, not for example, Flint’s Folly. After all we need the best, loyal and genuine candidates for the job.