The Labour Party leadership, using the NEC, reduced the power of local party members to choose their own candidates even further. At a meeting of the NEC on the 18th January 2022, the power to choose which candidates are put in the initial long lists was taken away from local members and given to the NEC and regional paid officials. Here’s a quote from the report by Labourlist.org.
Labour national executive committee (NEC) members have been presented with a plan that would remove longlisting powers from local parties and see longlists determined by national and regional board members instead.
From now on even the long lists will be chosen from inside the Westminster bubble. Expect to see more SPADs and MP’s bag carriers on the lists. Maybe even a few more Tories looking for a new party. The new rules, which haven’t been ratified by the annual conference, also reduce the power of local union branches to suggest candidates.
Here is a link to LabourList article.
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