A blog by Alex Toal. Alex is Make Votes Matter’s Campaigns & Digital Executive, and a Labour Party member.
This year, a number of positions are up for election on Labour’s governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC). Sixteen of the NEC’s 39 members are up for election:
Nine Constituency Labour Party (CLP) representatives.
Two local government representatives.
One treasurer (uncontested)
One youth representative
One BAME representative
One disability representative
One representative from Welsh Labour
Why do these matter?
The NEC has a significant role within Labour, setting the overall strategy for the party. NEC members are also able to attend Labour’s ‘Clause V’ meeting, in which the party’s general election manifesto is agreed.
How do these elections work?
Since 2020, elections for the CLP representatives on the NEC have been conducted under the Single Transferable Vote. As 9 positions are up for election, a candidate has to win 10% of votes to be elected.
Each round that a candidate is elected, any votes exceeding the threshold are transferred, and each round that no candidate is elected, the least popular candidate is eliminated and their votes transferred.
All other elections are on a First Past the Post basis.
Contacting candidates:
Most candidates have not made public statements on Proportional Representation, but some have expressed support.
If you are a candidate who supports PR, be sure to get in touch with us at team@makevotesmatter.org.uk and we can add your support to this page.
As a Labour member, I will be contacting the candidates to find out their views on PR and I would encourage other members to do so as well.
While this internal election will have ramifications both within and outside of the Labour Party, I would advise anyone who is not a Labour member to not lobby candidates. Some candidates may reasonably be opposed to an external activist getting involved in the party’s internal elections, and it could make them less likely to support PR.
Labour for a New Democracy has a great list of all of the candidates’ view on PR on this spreadsheet.
Candidates who support PR
CLP Reps
Luke Akehurst supports PR, writing in LabourList last year:
“Under PR, Labour would begin to look like and be identified as the party it actually is – one with support in every region and nation, rather than a voice increasingly seen to be primarily of the inner cities and university towns because of the distortions of the electoral system.”
Johanna Baxter supports PR, speaking in favour of it at an event with the Electoral Reform Society.
Ann Black supports PR, signing an open letter for Labour to adopt it in 2019.
Mish Rahman supports PR, responding to Labour for a New Democracy:
“I support PR and believe we need urgent electoral change as FPTP does not work for the many. Proud to be part of the last Momentum leadership which following a policy primary took the motion to back PR to conference which despite failing, had the overwhelming support from members.”
Jane Thomas supports PR, noting in her candidate statement that she is in favour of electoral reform.
Welsh Rep
Lynne Jones supports PR, tabling an amendment to an Early Day Motion which was supportive of PR when she was an MP in 1996.
BAME Rep
All of the candidates for BAME Rep support PR.