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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 January 2009
Within the last seven years there have been three important, but largely unnoticed, changes affecting the respective powers of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs). Assessment of these changes is not facilitated by the fact that they are central to an inner party dispute between left-wing and right-wing factions. The political rhetoric which has accompanied them is not a reliable indication of their true import and nature. This paper aims to describe and analyse the three changes and to assess them in terms of their impact on constitutional structures and their likely consequences for factional struggle – but not to make any value-judgements upon them or upon the inter-factional disputes.
1 See The Party, Labour, Party Constitution and Rules 1974 (London: Transport House, 1974), Clause II (3).Google Scholar
2 Party Constitution 1974, Clause II (4).
3 Party Constitution 1974, Clause VIII (2c).
4 R. G. Hayward, General Secretary of the Labour Party, circular letter to Secretaries of Affiliated Organizations and Central, Constituency and Local Labour Parties, headed Discontinuation of the Proscribed List, dated 07 1973.Google Scholar
5 Confidential Underhill Report to NEC Meeting, 26 November 1975, referenced NAD/92/11/75, and supplement of the same date, referenced NAD/92a/11/75. For responses of NEC on 15 December 1976 and 26 January 1977 to this continuing political issue see: ‘Report of Special Committee to examine documents on Entrism’, in NEC Report to Annual Conference, 1977 (London: Transport House, 1977), pp. 160–2.Google Scholar
6 i.e., the process whereby a CLP decides not to renominate a sitting member as the Labour candidate for the next general election.
7 See The Labour Party: Party Constitution and Rules (London: Transport House, 1976)Google Scholar, and the Rules for Constituency Labour Parties and Branches (London: Transport House, 1975).Google Scholar
8 Clause XIV (7) of the Rules for Constituency Labour Parties.
9 See 1975 Rules for the old rules and Rules for Constituency Labour Parties, 1977 for the new rules.
10 See Rules for Constituency Labour Parties, 1975, Clause X (6) to be construed in conjunction with Clause XII (1) and Clause XIII (1).
11 See 1975 Rules, Clause V; and 1977 Rules, Clause V.
12 See 1975 Rules, Clause IX (3); and 1977 Rules, Clause IX (3).
13 See 1975 Rules, Clause XVI, and 1977 Rules, Clause XVI (5).
14 See Lewis v. Kitson [1978] The Times Law Report, 25 01 1978.Google Scholar
15 See 1975 Rules, Clause XIII (1); and 1977 Rules, Clause XIII (1c).
16 See 1975 Rules, Clause XIV (4); and 1977 Rules, Clause XIV (4).