A blog by Luke Akehurst about politics, elections, and the Labour Party - With subtitles for the Hard of Left. Just for the record: all the views expressed here are entirely personal and do not necessarily represent the positions of any organisations I am a member of.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Phew

I'm off on holiday tomorrow so posting will be light to non-existent for two weeks.

Final political drama before departure was the AGM of my CLP, Hackney North & Stoke Newington, last night. I had to get my own CLP's nomination in order to get on the ballot paper for the Labour National Executive Committee. This was not a foregone conclusion given the history of Hackney North.

However, the result was:

Luke Akehurst - 33 votes - nominated
Ken Livingstone - 22 - nominated
Oona King - 21 - nominated
Deborah Gardiner - 20 - nominated
Ellie Reeves - 18 - nominated
Peter Wheeler - 18 - nominated
Shaukat Ali - 15
Peter Kenyon - 11
Susan Press - 11
Christine Shawcroft - 10
Sofi Taylor - 10
Peter Willsman - 9

So the Grassroots Alliance (GRA) only got 1 (Ken) of Hackney North's 6 nominations. Last time (2008) the CLP nominated Ellie, Sonika Nirwal and Azhar Ali from Labour First and Shawcroft, Kenyon and Ann Black from the GRA. Shawcroft got 7 fewer votes than in 2008, Kenyon 5 fewer. Peter Wheeler's vote was up by 6.

Our local hard left did not choose to present to the meeting Ann Black or Sam Tarry's candidatures - they are also currently on the GRA's 8 candidates for 6 places slate.

Thank you to the 33 who voted for me - I appreciate particularly those people who voted against their political instincts in order to allow me to qualify for the ballot.

18 Comments:

Anonymous Andrea said...

how many people sit on the AGM?

How does it work? Some AGM members have to present the candidatures and then there's the vote? So if someone is not "presented", he/she won't even be subjected to the vote.

12:47 pm, May 28, 2010

 
Blogger Luke Akehurst said...

I think there were 36 delegates present plus 6 sent apologies. The wards are represented by 1 per 15 members plus the secretary, then there are extra delegates from the co-op, unions and socialist societies.

Delegates have to nominate and speak for any national office candidates they want voted on. No nomination from the floor and they don't get voted on. In some CLPs people are only networked in to one of the 2 slates or maybe one individual NEC candidate so the one side go through nem con and the others aren't even mentioned. Hackney North is unusual in having
members who are nationally active in both camps.

12:58 pm, May 28, 2010

 
Blogger Patrick Moule said...

Last night's meeting was my first as a GC member. I tend to split my NEC vote, not being committed to either camp, but it was pleasing to see you, (as well as Ellie and Ken) gain our nomination - congrats.

1:31 pm, May 28, 2010

 
Anonymous Andrea said...

Thanks, Luke, for the explanation

I notice that Deborah Gardiner had also a good local by election result yesterday in the Isle of Wight

2:25 pm, May 28, 2010

 
Blogger Ravi Gopaul said...

Congratulations on your nomination! I hope the PLP follow the example set by "people who voted against their political instincts in order to allow (you) to qualify for the ballot" and make sure all 6 candidates for leader are on the ballot paper.

4:35 pm, May 28, 2010

 
Blogger Merseymike said...

I agree: I also think its important to have a mixture of different people on the NEC in terms of views. The slate system does encourage polarisation. Ann Black, who is sensible and reasonable, clearly isn't 'grassroots' enough any longer...

4:57 pm, May 28, 2010

 
Blogger E10 Rifle said...

"Thank you to the 33 who voted for me - I appreciate particularly those people who voted against their political instincts in order to allow me to qualify for the ballot."

If only our PLP overlords held such honourable attitudes...

7:10 pm, May 28, 2010

 
Blogger Mark Still News said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYtAU5qD2

9:42 pm, May 29, 2010

 
Blogger Mark Still News said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYtAU5qD2JA&feature=related

9:45 pm, May 29, 2010

 
Blogger John Wiseman said...

I am standing for the NEC & NPF (North West) of the Labour Party (CLP section) to bring about more accountability within party structures, better regulation of parliamentary selections, more accountability of our MPs and their advisors, as well as more of an input by our members.
Our members need better communication and a better understanding of the rules. This can not all be left to the few. This must be left to the many activists that work hard to make the Labour party work. The left in this country needs to be united. Please nominate and support

The expenses scandal has left the party weakened, we need more accountability of our MPS and we need a strong progressive voice. Party officers must be accountable.

Overall we need:-

More accountability to the membership,
Education and training of the membership eg rules,
No use of external companies during parliamentary selections,
Better policy consultation—power to the members

We need the membership to have more of a say at conference (OMOV a step forward). We also need drastic changes in policy eg the war on climate change, further equality measures, as well as the anti-trade union legislation. I am a CLP secretary for St Helens South and Whiston as well as being Branch Chair, on the regional TULO, NEC Cooperative party, Shop Steward, Area Committee of Merseyside Unite, National and Regional Political Committee of Unite.

Vote Change and Nominate John Wiseman
Membership No L0023586

12:51 pm, May 30, 2010

 
Blogger Mark Still News said...

Very disappointing that NLP had 13 years in government and failed to repeal the draconian anti trade union laws.

8:39 pm, May 30, 2010

 
Anonymous Ben said...

I didn't realise the Natural Law Party were such a bunch of pro-boss bastards, Mark. And they've been in government for the last 13 years? Wow. That must've been one heavy trip I was having.

Congratulations, Luke. Excellent news on all fronts apart from Ken.

10:10 pm, June 06, 2010

 
Anonymous Rich said...

What has happened to the opposition. We currently
have a coalition government, with one half that went to the polls promising no cuts in 2010.

Now we have been told to expect cuts as much as 30%. but where are the opposition arguments.

Labour are surely aware of how fragile the current government is. Win the argument on cuts and you could easily force an election which you would then win.

Have labour given up

7:51 am, June 07, 2010

 
Blogger Mark Still News said...

The 6 billion pound in savage cuts is off set by the 8 billion tax give away to corporations, so the government have not saved 6 billion as there is now a further minus of 2 billion.

Name any jobs created by the 8 billion tax give away?

Come on Labour do your job as an opposition and start defending yourselves when the Tories keep on about you bankrupted the country by overspending?

Labour need to recoup and bring in cuts, such as cut Nuclear missiles and scrap Trident and the 2 illegal wars. Every time an Afghan village gets blasted to pieces it costs millions of pounds for the missiles used to fire at them, repeat this many thousands of times and you have hundreds of billions of pounds wasted.

Labour needs to change itself quickly and be an alternative to Tory and Liberal crap.

11:23 am, June 08, 2010

 
Blogger Martin Meenagh said...

Well done on your nomination, and good luck.

2:18 pm, June 08, 2010

 
Blogger Martin Meenagh said...

By the way, I've noticed a real change after the election in myself and others. It's partly also because I keep seeing what the national health service does for my mother, and because I know what Liberals and Tories are like, and the sort of cuts they are salivating over. I and several others have rejoined the Labour Party. Have you noticed the change? Just in time to vote for Burnham or Abbot if nominated too....

2:48 pm, June 08, 2010

 
Blogger Mark Still News said...

The government is cutting back the essential services when it could cut waste such as Trident and pull out of Afghanistan and Iraq Its not viable no longer to fight for oil as in a few years time oil will no longer be a fuel it will be a lubricant or used for plastics, as zero-carbon hydrogen energy will be in soon fully.

We need to spend the resources in this country and combat terrorism and crime here not in Iraq or Afghanistan

5:20 pm, June 08, 2010

 
Anonymous Rich said...

The Tories are
using the deficit as an excuse to wage war on public services.

This is going to end up with 10 million unemployed and the wholesale privatisation of just about every public service.

If people start losing their jobs in large numbers there will be riots and London will be a bloodbath.

Working classes feel unrepresented at the moment which is the first sign that people will take to the streets.

11:18 pm, June 08, 2010

 

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