Labour First’s recommendations for NEC and NCC elections 2016

Nominations are now open for the six CLP representatives on the National Executive Committee. The 33 member NEC is currently finely balanced between the Hard Left and mainstream members. The NEC is the governing body of the party between Annual Conferences in all matters relating to party organisation and rules.

We are recommending support for the following candidates:

• Luke Akehurst. Luke served on the NEC from 2010-2012. A former parliamentary candidate and councillor in Hackney, where as campaign manager in 4 elections he took Labour from 29 to 50 councillors, he is now a CLP officer in Oxford. His campaign website is here: http://www.luke4nec.org.uk/
• Bex Bailey.As an NEC member for the past three years Bex hasn’t stopped campaigning for Labour and for members. She has prioritised supporting young members across the country to campaign for Labour, getting more young women involved, and introducing a comprehensive sexual harassment policy. She has consistently championed diversity in our party and is determined to ensure cost is not a barrier to working class people standing to be candidates.
  http://bexbailey.com/
• Johanna Baxter. Johanna stands as an Independent voice for grassroots members.  Since joining the NEC in November 2010 she has worked tirelessly to fulfil her commitment to putting members first – travelling across the country to engage with members, representing their views to the leadership and making the NEC more accountable to them.  From the West of Scotland she has also been CLP Secretary for Camberwell & Peckham and as a trade union official she fights for workers’ rights on a daily basis. www.Johannabaxter.com

• Parmjit Dhanda.Parmjit is a trade union official and was MP for Gloucester between 2001 and 2010. He recently wrote a book – My Political Race – about his experiences of growing up in an ethnic minority community, trying to navigate safe passage and a career in the Labour Party. http://www.parmjitdhanda.com/
• Ellie Reeves. Ellie has been on the NEC for almost 10 years and is currently vice chair. She is elected with broad support from across the party. Ellie is a trade union lawyer and is passionate about workers’ rights. She has the experience, commitment and credibility to get the right policy platform and campaign strategy in place and to hold the leadership to account.
• Peter Wheeler. Peter served on the NEC until 2010 and from 2012-2014. He is from Salford where he is a local councillor. A former full-time official for the Labour Party and Amicus trade union, he is committed to building a strong democratic and campaigning Labour Party.

Each CLP can nominate up to six NEC candidates.

CLPs can nominate at any time between now and 24 June. Many CLPs do this before the start of the local election campaign in April.

Please email labourfirst@gmail.com to let us know when the date is of the All Member Meeting or delegate-based General Meeting when your CLP will nominate.

Please work with other mainstream local members in your CLP to ensure you nominate as many as possible of our recommended candidates.

As soon as your CLP has nominated, please let us know the result.

Each CLP can also nominate for one seat on the National Constitutional Committee, which handles the most difficult disciplinary cases and disputes. We are recommending support for Maggie Cosin who is a long-standing incumbent NCC member, currently Chief Whip on Dover Council and formerly Deputy Leader of Camden Council.

The NEC CLP reps are elected by OMOV of full members in July/August whilst the NCC CLP rep is elected by CLP delegates at Annual Conference.