Plan to give Labour’s NEC power over policy are an attack on Corbyn’s democratisation of the party
The sign says “I voted for a new kind of politics”, but Jon Lansman’s proposals would take power away from that person [Image: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty].
One of the most attractive Corbyn policies is his claim that policy-making power should be taken back from committees like the NPF and the NEC, and put directly into the hands of members – hence his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell’s call for party members to be consulted directly on Labour’s policy on nuclear weapons.
Now here’s someone who says he’s a Corbyn supporter, trying to put the mockers on it.
This Blog says “NO” to Jon Lansman’s proposals. This Writer, despite being a member of the Labour Party, had never heard of them until I read this Guardian article.
A row is brewing before Labour’s national executive committee meets next week after a series of proposals tabled by a leading supporter of Jeremy Corbyn were described as “political and divisive”.
The NEC is to examine calls to give it a greater say over policymaking – at the expense of the national policy forum – and to give the committee a decisive say over the recruitment of Labour party staff.
Critics of Corbyn were alarmed by a set of proposals tabled by Jon Lansman, a veteran supporter of Tony Benn who co-founded the pro-Corbyn Momentum group. Lansman, who is not a member of the NEC but is influential, is proposing that an NEC policy and coordination committee should “oversee and coordinate all aspects of the party’s policymaking process”. An NEC staffing committee should “make all senior appointments” in consultation with the Labour leader’s office, Lansman said.
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Are you sure you are not mistaken here Mike. I am fairly sure the proposals by Landsman are what Jeremy wants. The NEC to help make policy rather than the PLP
The PLP doesn’t make policy in any event.
Just the old sectarian battles of the hard left played out once again. All part of Corbyn’s 80s Revival Party.
You can’t lay it at Corbyn’s feet when it isn’t a policy he supports.
Is this a move to restore the powers of the NEC before Blaire stripped them out, so he could have a Presidential grip on policy? I suspect more cock-up here, rather than anything else. The Blairites are a fading force, and we can’t allow the party to be moulded simply as a response to them – we need it to respond to the majority. I always thought that “back in the day” that NEC policy proposals were always subject to ratification by conference, which put the power back with the members through CLP.