How the Labour Party works and how you can have influence…

Locally

Branch Labour Party (BLP)

Group of members who live close to each other who regularly meet ‘formally’ to debate and plan campaigns, and informally to socialise with like-minded people.

• Add items to the agenda 
• Vote or stand to be an officer
• Suggest a motion to be discussed at CLP
• Attend or organise a social

Constituency Labour Party (CLP)

Group of members who live in the same constituency who meet monthly to debate and plan campaigns on local and national issues. Opportunity to focus on specific issues such as women, BAME, LGBT, fundraising, social and political education.

• Add items to the agenda
• Vote or stand to be an officer
• Help select the parliamentary candidate (the person who will try and become the local Labour MP)
• Sign up to canvas or fundraise
• Submit motions to be discussed at NPF or Annual Conference

Councillors and MPs

Elected representatives.

• Ask them for information about local issues
• Attend local council meetings and tell them how you want them to act

Labour South East

Regional office representing all CLPs in the South East region.

• Attend training
• Attend events
• Bi-annual conference

Local Campaign Forum (LCF)

Made up of CLPs within a local authority boundary, in our case East Hampshire CLP. Responsible for recruiting candidates to stand for local elections, deciding who will stand, and working with the local Labour councillors to discuss local issues and future manifesto programmes.

• Express an interest in being a CLP representative who becomes  member of the LCF
• Vote to decide who will be the CLP representative
• Inform the LCF of your view on local issues

Nationally

National Policy Forum (NPF)

The NPF and the seven policy commissions make sure that the direction of Labour policy reflects the broad consensus in the Party. The representatives that make up the body liaise with the members, supporters and public who submit to Your Britain. NPF representatives will respond to submissions made, ask questions and engage in on-going debate about the issues that matter to you, feeding them back when the NPF meets to move our policy forward.

• Logon to www.yourbritain.org.uk to read about policy, submit your ideas and comment on other peoples.
• Vote for the NPF candidates
• Be an NPF candidate

National Executive Committee (NEC)

Made up of representatives from each section of the Party – government, MPs, MEPs, councillors, trade unions and CLPs. Members vote for their CLP representatives in a ballot each year. The NEC sets the Party’s objectives and oversees the running of the Party nationally.

• Vote for the NEC candidates to decide who sits on the NEC
• Sign up to the NEC members updates and newsletters

Annual Conference

The ultimate authority in the Party, Conference decides the policy framework from which the next manifesto will be drawn and sets Party rules. Conference considers the policy papers prepared by the policy commissions after consulting local parties. Members choose delegates to represent them at conference – and those delegates could include you.

• Vote for who will represent the CLP delegate for conference
• Put yourself forward as a delegate so you can go to conference
• Put forward motions and proposals to help shape our manifesto