Respond to the consultation

Labour’s National Policy Forum (NPF) is divided into six policy commissions. Each commission is consulting on its policy areas until 17 March 2023.

The Safe and Secure Communities (SSC) policy commission is responsible for constitutional reform as well as a wide range of other issues (crime, policing, justice, planning, local government, high streets, civil rights, local transport).

In the SSC commission’s consultation document, question 5 is, “In what ways can devolution and constitutional reform empower people and bring our communities closer together?”

Branches, CLPs, affiliates and external organisations are invited to respond to the consultation documents. The party will use these responses to help shape policy documents which will be amended, agreed and finalised throughout the year. The resulting ‘policy programme’ will form the basis of the next Labour manifesto.

Write as much or as little as you like - but try to explain why you and other Labour members in your area and region want Proportional Representation.

Perhaps you live in a ‘safe seat’ where parties never come canvassing during elections. Maybe you live in a region where the closest Labour MP is miles and miles away. Or are you in a newly marginal seat - where politicians have started to take an interest, but only after decades of neglect.

It’s worth mentioning if your CLP already has policy in favour of PR, if it sent a PR motion to conference, and what the conference vote meant to you.

It can also be powerful to pick up the points Keir Starmer is making about democratic reform and echoing it back: how “the Westminster system isn’t working”, that leads to “short-termism” and “sticking plaster politics”, and how “we need a new government and a new way of governing”.

Yes.

If you don’t have time to tailor, it’s much better to submit something rather than nothing. If you’re really pushed for time, copy the text above and send it to your branch & CLP secretaries as it is.

Try some of these articles:

Without PR, Labour’s plan for democratic reform will be another sticking plaster - Laura Parker (L4ND)

Fairer contests, better outcomes: Labour stands to gain from electoral reform - Professor Rob Ford

Why it’s time for Labour to back proportional representation - Andy Burnham

PR for general elections is essential for a more democratic, equal and united UK - Caroline Osborne & David Ward (L4ND)

Both!

Responses are invited from both branches and Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs). In view of the short consultation window, it’s best to try to progress both at the same time.

Once your branch or CLP has agreed the response, the secretary should submit the text via the NPF website: www.policyforum.labour.org.uk/commissions/empowered-communities

It should be flagged as a response to the Safe and Secure Communities policy commission - and tagged with the categories “electoral reform” and “constitutional reform”.

No.

Only branches, CLPs or other organisations may respond to the consultation documents this year.

It should be possible to agree a single text at your branch and CLP meeting. Provided the final submission is in favour of PR, it will help your secretary if you are flexible about the compromise wording. You could even volunteer to help draft a compromise text in consultation with other members.

If your branch/CLP policy in favour of PR then this should be borne in mind.

However, if there’s a fundamental disagreement, there may need to be a vote to decide how to proceed.

Absolutely!

We know Labour members are interested in a wide range of policy issues.

However, it is really important that PR is given sufficient priority. We know that improving the electoral system is key to Labour being able to implement the many other policy reforms we need.

So if your branch / CLP wants to focus on just a few issues, do explain why it’s important that PR is top of the list.

If you have any other questions or if you’d like us to look over your proposed response, please email us at hello@labourforanewdemocracy.org.uk