Yesterday the Labour Party released the results of the two-yearly elections to the Party’s National Executive Committee.
BLACK Ann – Elected Stage 1
BARNARD Jessica – Elected Stage 1
BOLTON Gemma – Elected Stage 18
THOMAS Jane – Elected Stage 20
DAVIES Angie – Elected Stage 20
DAR Yasmine – Elected Stage 20
MASON Peter – Elected Stage 20
DUALE Abdi – Elected Stage 20
ARNOLD Cat – Elected Stage 21.
In terms of the Party’s internal groupings, this represents four candidates for Labour to Win/Labour Together, three for Momentum/Campaign for Labour Party Democracy, one Open Labour (Ann Black) and one for the new Labour Women slate (Cat Arnold).
The left dropped from four to three nominees. Jess Barnard, Gemma Bolton and Yasmine Dar were re-elected. Mish Rahman lost his seat.
Labour to Win said on social media its candidates had won a “decisive victory” and an “emphatic win for Labour’s mainstream”. It said it was the first time in two decades that self-described Party moderates had won more CLP representative seats than the left.
But as former Labour NEC member and current CLPD co-chair Rachel Garnham pointed out on twitter, there is “nothing ‘moderate’ about support for Israel’s genocide, continuity austerity and failing to address child and pensioner poverty. Winning four seats out of nine, despite doing their best to abolish grassroots democracy is hardly a ringing endorsement!”
For the left, winning three candidates, all of whom have previously served on the NEC and have gained vital experience, is a real achievement in current conditions, given the authoritarian attempts by the Party apparatus to drive the left out of the Party, which has caused a considerable exodus of activists.
A Momentum spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to see fantastic socialist candidates be elected onto Labour’s National Executive Committee. They will have a key role to play defending real socialist values throughout the Party. However, abysmal turnout in these elections shows the consequences of rolling back members’ rights amid an increasingly reactionary leadership.”
The defeat of Mish Rahman, however, is a real loss. John McDonnell MP paid tribute to him “for the tremendous work he’s undertaken in holding those in power in the Labour Party to account. It takes courage to speak truth to power and Mish has been at the forefront of upholding the democratic rights of Party members.”
Zarah Sultana MP commended his “efforts in challenging racism and Islamophobia in the Party.” Diane Abbott MP said, “Commiserations Mish. You were a powerful and effective voice for the left on the NEC. I am sure that you will be back on again soon.”
Momentum tweeted: “Mish Rahman has served Labour members with commitment and principle. He has been fearless in standing up for a transformative and democratic Labour Party. The NEC will be a poorer place without him.”
Veteran NEC member Ann Black as usual got a large vote. Nominated by the centrist Open Labour grouping, she invariably gets strong support from the left on account of her highly detailed NEC reports, which showcase the importance of accountability within the Party’s structures.
Turnout for these NEC election was the lowest in recent history. Just 13% of eligible members voted. This is down from 16% in 2022, 25% in 2020 and a third in 2018. It reflects increasing disengagement from the internal life of the Party by its members.
The election was held under the Single transferable Vote system, which was introduced in an attempt to reflect the full range of Party members’ views. On that basis, these results are far from a ringing endorsement of the Starmer leadership’s project.
Despite the changes in the composition of Labour’s grassroots, there is still a sizeable block of left-voting Labour members, constituting around a third of the overall membership. In fact, Labour to Win’s vote fell more than the Centre-left Grassroots Alliance’s – 44% compared to the CLGA’s 39%.
The left also came closer than expected in the contest for the Welsh NEC seat. It got 47%, up from 40% in 2022. Its vote also held up in the vote for NEC councillors’ seats -35%, down from 36% in 2022. This is a creditable result when you take into account that over 100 councillors have resigned over the Party’s line on Gaza.
In the National Policy Forum elections, left wing candidates got around 37%, down from 38% in 2022. Momentum tweeted: “Congratulations to Niamh Iliff, Ada Gravatt, Antonia Shipley and David Smith for getting elected onto the National Policy Forum. It is fantastic to see comrades who will fight for transformative policies.”
A full breakdown of the election results is here.
Image: Momentum
Labour Hub 