Help Labour win in Copeland and Stoke Central

Labour now faces two important defensive by-elections in Copeland and Stoke Central. Both by-elections will be held on 23 February.
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I urge supporters of socialism to help in both contests.

I am sure you will have been worried to see that Copeland CLP selected a local, 'moderate' (right wing) candidate, Cllr Gillian Troughton, rather than the Left alternatives. Disappointing.

The candidate for Stoke Central has yet to be selected. Details as soon as they appear but in the meantime please contact the West Midlands Regional Labour Party for details of how to help: http://www.westmidlandslabour.org.uk/contact_details

CLP decisions relating to Annual Conference

In the meantime CLPs around the country are taking important internal decisions relating to the Labour Party Annual Conference. Progress are organising very hard, and we need a strong socialist presence to ensure Left Wing conference victories unlike in 2015 and 2016, and also to make sure that the Hard Right cannot again pass rule changes that would make it harder for socialists.

Here is what we need you to do:

1. Find out the date when your CLP will be electing its conference delegate(s) – your CLP Secretary will be able to tell you this.
2. Make sure you have true socialist candidates ready to stand to be delegate(s) and that left wing members know this is a “must attend” meeting. This will involve getting active at Branch level. Momentum may be able to help.
3. Urge your CLP to not nominate either Michael Cashman and Gloria De Piero for re-election to the CLP section of the Conference Arrangements Committee (CAC), which is elected by One Member One Vote this summer. Their manifestos are seriously right wing.
4. Ask your CLP to definitely not nominate either Rose Burley or Kevin Hepworth for the CLP section of the National Constitutional Committee (NCC). CLPs can only nominate once for the two vacancies. This election takes place among CLP delegates at conference. Their manifestos are equally appalling

The deadline for delegate registration and nominations is 23 June, but we would advise all CLPs to elect their delegates as early as possible, in case a snap General Election leads to a moratorium on party meetings or the right wing once again start banning meetings.

CLPs send one delegate for the first 749 full members they had on 31 December 2016, and one further delegate for every additional 250 individual members in the constituency or part thereof. At least every second delegate from a CLP has to be a woman; where only one delegate is appointed this must be a woman at least in every other year. Where the individual women’s membership in a constituency is 100 or more, an additional woman delegate may be appointed. Where the individual Young Labour membership in a constituency is 30 or more an additional delegate under the age of 27 may be appointed.

CLPs do not need to send their full delegation entitlement, their card vote remains the same value even if they just send one delegate. Each CLP’s delegation votes as a block, casting a card vote equivalent to its membership on most key votes, so the key objective is to ensure that a majority of your CLP’s delegates are Corbyn supporting socialists

Cheers.

P.S. please do copy and forward this to your friends and encourage them to get involved in making Labour a socialist movement once more. Thank You.