August 18 2017
Labour right-wingers are campaigning vociferously for the mayors of London and Manchester, Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, to have automatic slots for speeches at the Labour Party conference. Their campaign has been supported by the Tory press and this is not surprising, because its purpose is to give some prominence to Labour figures who have been ambivalent to the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn in the past. Both Andy Burnham and Sadiq Khan have been touted as counterweights to Corbyn and it is for this reason – and no other – that the right wing are banging a drum for them. There is no parallel campaign for any other city mayors to have an automatic slot in conference.
The controversy has arisen because the conference arrangements committee are attempting to give more time to delegates from the floor of the conference, particularly given the huge surge of membership under Corbyn’s leadership.
We would support whole-heartedly an increased democratisation of the conference. Since the days of the Blair leadership, too much of the conference has been stage-managed, crowding out ordinary party members and delegates. The Labour Party conference should be the sovereign decision and policy-making body of the Labour Party and the maximum time possible should be given at the rostrum and in debates to trade union and constituency delegates who are the bedrock of the Party.
