Campaign for Labour Party Democracy - Web Archive |
No.34 (Conference Edition) September 1986
Last November the NEC decided by 17 votes to 10 that it would no longer hold a recorded vote whenever an NEC member requested.
The motion to retain the established practice was moved by Eric Heffer and Jo Richardson. A proposal by David Blunkett that recorded votes "be agreed only by the Chairman or a majority vote of 10" (sic) fell as it was not seconded. The provision that a call for a card vote would need a majority in favour was then carried by 18 to 9; this vote was not recorded.
Since then the Party has been increasingly kept in the dark about NEC voting, and NEC members have become correspondingly less accountable for their actions. Needless to say, the NEC majority in this manoeuvre included several members who constantly lecture the Party on freedom of information and the extension of democracy. Deeds speak louder than words.
| Archive contents | CLPD home page |