Elections to Labour’s governing National Executive Committee take place this year. It’s a critically important body that oversees the organisation of the Party, its election manifesto, and crucially it decides candidate selections.

Momentum and the Centre Left Grassroots Alliance are proposing a slate which includes incumbent representatives Yasmine Dar and Gemma Bolton, who have sat on Labour’s ruling body since 2018 and 2020 respectively. This year they are joined on the slate by Sheffield Labour Councillor Minesh Parekh.

After the furore surrounding the Labour Leadership’s decision to block Andy Burnham from standing as a MP in Gorton and Denton, Momentum is calling for CLPs to nominate candidates who will stand up for the rights of members and advance Party democracy. 

Alex Charilaou, Momentum Co-Chair, said: “This weekend we saw NEC Officers enact an outrageous and destructive stitch-up in the Gorton and Denton by-election. That’s why it’s so important to elect CLP representatives to the NEC who will champion real Labour values and stand up for member democracy and due process. 

“Gemma, Yasmine, and Minesh are ready and willing to stand up for the rights of members and local parties.”

These candidates require nominations from CLPs. They need at least five CLP nominations to be included in this summer’s national ballot of Party members. CLPs have to submit their NEC nominations to the Party by 12 noon, Friday 26 June. There are nine CLP seats on the NEC and CLPs can make up to nine nominations. At least four of the nine members elected to the CLP NEC seats must be women. Please find out when you CLP will be meeting to make the decision on who it will nominate. Plus, spread the word about who are the best candidates to nominate.

Candidates’ statements

Gemma Bolton    L1405940

I’m standing for a fourth term on Labour’s NEC because I believe that our Labour government needs a fundamental change in direction, and for a democratic party where members are respected and valued at every level.

Labour must implement transformative, bold and popular policies that reject the hate and division of an increasingly threatening far-right. We must invest in our communities to reverse years of Tory decline; support public ownership; fight poverty and racism and adopt a peace-oriented foreign policy – which includes opposing Trump’s aggressive military actions in Venezuela and Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
During over six years on the NEC, I’ve seen that we’re strongest as a party when members feel empowered and engaged. That’s why local parties should always select their parliamentary and council candidates.

In addition to serving three terms on Labour’s NEC, I’ve also been a parliamentary candidate; served on the Women’s Conference Arrangements Committee; as CLP Equalities and Youth Officer; as Co-Chair of the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD) and on the South East Regional Executive Committee.

I’m proudly endorsed by the Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance, including Momentum and CLPD. Please also vote: Yasmine Dar and Minesh Parekh.

Twitter: @gembolton
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Yasmine Dar   L1173052

I’m standing for re-election to the NEC to continue speak out members, the lifeblood of our Party.

I’ve been on Labour’s ruling body since 2018, consistently advocating transformative economic policies, for a more positive agenda on migration and asylum rights, and for peace and justice internationally. I strongly support the 2025 Labour Conference policy for stronger action against the Gaza genocide, and TUC policy for “wages not weapons”. I endorse vital campaigns to defend our NHS from corporate interests and for urgent action on climate change.

Empowering members is my top priority. I actively promote Party democracy, including dynamic, inclusive equalities structures, the rights of members to select candidates and a strong trade union link. Only by listening to members and affiliates will we be successful in government.

As a BAME woman, social worker, anti-racist activist, and Councillor, my experiences fuel my determination to fight for a Labour government that transforms society.

In the face of spiralling living costs and a rise in far right politics, we must continue to pressure our Labour Government to change course and listen to members.

Please also nominate Gemma Bolton and Minesh Parekh. Together, we can build a more equitable future.
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Minesh Parekh   L1230833

I’m Minesh Parekh and I’m standing for the NEC to help get our government back on track.

I’m a Labour & Co-operative councillor in Sheffield where I have passed community wealth building policies and centred climate justice. I have been a party organiser, helping elect Olivia Blake in Sheffield Hallam in 2019 against the national swing. I’m a policy worker, mitigating the harms of the hostile environment.

The last general election was one of the best days of my life. It symbolised us finally being able to begin undoing the harms of the austerity and ushering in that decade of radical renewal. Instead, what we have seen is economic timidity, a rightward shift on welfare and migration, and our supporters abandoning us in droves. We need to change course.

Our party is strongest when all wings have a voice and can contribute to its mission. This political culture that disciplines dissent, and organises self-defeating stitch-ups, is a sign of weakness that we must move beyond. We need a politics built on consensus, not control.
I am standing to advocate for real Labour values, party democracy, and the transformative Labour government we need.

The three candidates are running on a clear platform:

After years of austerity, privatisation and inequality, our Labour Government has so far failed to introduce economic policies that can deliver the change communities are crying out for.

It is absolutely vital our Government succeeds and defeats the far-right at the next election, and that requires a change in direction.

For public services, redistribution of wealth and workers’ rights

For us to be successful in Government, we must revise our fiscal framework, introduce a wealth tax, take rail, energy, water, and mail into public ownership, reverse the creeping privatisation of our National Health Service and introduce a second Employment Rights Bill that goes beyond the current diluted version. We must address the disastrous impact of student fees and huge debts imposed.

For peace, defence of international law and against racism

The Government must be much bolder in supporting peace and justice internationally, and stand up to Trump’s belligerent agenda for US dominance. The government should act on last year’s overwhelming Labour Conference vote to suspend arms sales and trade with Israel and recognise the genocide in Gaza, as well as take the approach of the 2025 Trades Union Congress in prioritising wages not weapons by cancelling proposed increases to military spending. Instead of pandering to Reform, Labour must reverse its plans to attack migrant rights and make our asylum system even more draconian. Labour should not be attempting to out-Reform Reform and instead champion the contributions of migrants to society.

For a democratic Labour Party

The diverse views of our members and affiliates should be respected, and attacks on dissenting voices within the Party stopped. MPs should never have been disciplined for opposing welfare cuts and voting to scrap the two-child limit. Although those MPs were reinstated, Diane Abbott, Britain’s first black female MP, remains unjustly suspended, and threats to punish MPs for taking principled positions continues. To change course and rebuild support, the Labour Leadership needs to listen to its diverse membership, in particular by implementing democratic structures for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and Disabled Members, reinstating a 2-day Women’s Conference and valuing and strengthening our trade union link.

That’s why we need NEC representatives who will speak out on behalf of members: representatives who will stand up for democracy and local parties, oppose anti-democratic rule changes, and defend and advance the rights of members and affiliates in selections, internal elections and policy-making.

With the far-right on the rise, there’s no time to waste. It’s vital to elect NEC members who will fight for our Party to succeed.

Get your CLP to nominate the three candidates. Nominations close on Friday 26th June 2026. For more information: futureweneed.com