Corbyn’s initiative for a review of Labour’s democratic structures is a welcome break from Blairite bureaucracy. But it has one notable absence: the democratic accountability of MPs and councillors.
The Labour Party has been transformed since the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader in 2015. Inspired by Corbyn’s programme, hundreds of thousands of new members have joined the party to fight for a better future.
Yet bitter experience has taught the Left that the Tories are not their only opponents. At each turn, the overwhelming majority of the membership has faced the resistance of the right wing in the Labour Party: the Blairites and so-called “moderates”.
These relics of “New Labour” play the role of agents of big business inside the party. They bureaucratically use their control over the party machinery to frustrate any left-wing initiative. Their attempted “chicken” coup of 2016, their witch hunt of socialists, and their open sabotage in the 2017 general election are just a few examples of their duplicity.
Thus the “Corbyn revolution” inside the party, although having come a long way, is far from complete. It is in this context that Corbyn’s initiative for a review of Labour Party democracy is an important step forward.
Giving power to the people
The review, structured in three phases, seeks members’ views on how vital aspects of the party machinery can be democratised. The aim is to “ensure that the hugely expanded membership is fully involved to become a mass movement which can transform society”.
Such a review is necessary to undo decades of damage inflicted on the party under the Blairites’ leadership.
Since the mid-1990s, the democratic structures of the Party have been relentlessly attacked. The right wing bureaucratically consolidated their control by shifting the balance of power away from the CLPs and trade unions, in favour of the MPs and the party machine. It is the legacy of these counter-reforms which still allows a small clique of right-wing Labour MPs and bureaucrats to disproportionately influence the Party’s direction.
The remit of the review covers important aspects of internal democracy, such as:
– the role of Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) and party conference in forming policy (as opposed to the bureaucratic National Policy Forum established by Tony Blair);
– the composition of the National Executive Committee (NEC);
– how the party leader is elected;
– the internal structures of the party, including the governance of CLPs, the role of “socialist societies”, regional bodies, and trade union links; and
– the role of BAME Labour, Young Labour, and the Labour Party Women’s Conference – e.g. their autonomy, resources, and ability to shape policy.
Notable absence
A review of these areas is important, if the membership is to regain democratic control of the Party. However, the review is notable for its omission of one of the most important elements of party democracy: the accountability of MPs, councillors, and the party machinery to its membership.
From day one, the vast bulk of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) have organised to frustrate Corbyn’s every move. Since the Corbyn-led success of the 2017 general election, however, many of these MPs have gone quiet. At the very least, they are now keeping their criticisms private and biding their time.
But we should be under no illusions. With the election of a Corbyn Labour government, these MPs would act as a pro-business Fifth Column, operating to sabotage the implementation of a left-wing programme from inside the Party.
To prevent this, it is vital that all sitting MPs get the approval of the membership before the next election, which could be well before 2022. It should be a fundamental democratic principle that the MPs of the party represent the views and interests of the majority of the membership.
Despite growing support for mandatory reselection from the grassroots of the party, the review does not request submissions on this topic. Neither is it officially advocated by Momentum, e.g. in their resources for Labour activists participating in the review.
This is a mistake by the leadership of the Corbyn movement. By not giving a lead on this issue they hope to placate the right wing and keep the peace. But the Blairite MPs – who are only biding their time to stab Corbyn in the back – will never thank the Left for their restraint.
Complete the transformation
Furthermore, the accountability of the Party apparatus is also not up for review. In particular, there is no official questioning into the role and accountability of the McCarthyite Compliance Unit.
This shadowy arm of the Party machine has been used by the right-wing bureaucracy in the past few years to expel thousands of Corbyn-supporters on trumped up charges, without any right of appeal. The Compliance Unit – a law unto itself – should be abolished and replaced by an accountable and transparent process for the resolution of genuine disputes.
Overall, the review is to be welcomed by all honest Labour members, who want to free the party from the suffocating grip of the Blairites.
Organisational measures in themselves are not enough to achieve this goal, however. In order for the party to “to become a mass movement which can transform society”, any organisational changes must also be linked to radical political policies.
The Labour Party needs to put forward a bold socialist programme, demanding control over the commanding heights of the economy in the hands of the working class. It is in defence of such a programme that hundreds of thousands of activists will be inspired to complete Labour’s transformation and take the fight to the Tories.
