CLPD 2004 AGM Resolution 3

Scrap Partnership in Power

This AGM notes the growing disaffection of active members from party
organisation and procedures that are stifling democratic expression and
decision-making and the development of groups calling for the re-foundation
or saving of the party.

A major cause of this blockage is the instrument of control freakery known
as Partnership in Power, which has deprived Labour Party bodies and especially
Annual Conference of its decision-making role. Instead, policy-making has been delegated to National Policy Forums and the issuing of documents under leadership control. These documents are written in a technocratic Newspeak which obscures political alternatives. Party members are allowed only to polish pre-set government policy around the edges.

National Policy Forums have failed to offer any set of alternatives while
the government has ignored Conference resolutions on pensions, PFI and
Foundation Hospitals. CLPD therefore concludes that the restoration of party democracy requires the scrapping of Partnership in Power and National Policy Forums.

However CLPD believes that the first steps towards achieving the dismantling of Partnership in Power and the National Policy Forum is the promotion of rule changes that would weaken New Labour’s stranglehold on members’ policy making input, and that are already potentially acceptable to most members such as the right of CLPs and affiliated organization directly to amend NPF proposals at conference. Another way of achieving this objective is to widely circulate information about NEC and NPF proceedings. This alone will result in the election of NPF and conference delegates less deferential to the leadership.