contribution by Peter Kenyon

Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee meets in five days time to decide the timetable for the election of its next leader. There are three options now in play: fast track before the summer recess, normal procedure in time for Conference, Tory 2005 model using Conference for TV test ballot after.

Being a ‘harpy’ for accountability myself, shamelessly rule guided, if not bound, I support the timetable arising from the Rule Book .

The Labour Party has already budgetted a modest £500,000 to conduct a postal ballot of its members to elect constituency representatives to its NEC and National Policy Forum, which are conducted under the ‘one-member-one-vote’ system.

A mailout to constituencies, and affiliated trades unions and socialist societies is imminent calling for nominations. The deadline is 30 July, with a ballot during August and the first half of September.

Under Rule 4.2.B.ii nomination papers for Leader/Deputy should also be distributed where there in no vacancy. And thereby hang a couple of tales. First, the NEC in its wisdom after the 1997 put that rule in the deep-freeze. Second, it cited ‘advice’, which maintained the rule only applied when Labour was in opposition.

Obviously, there is now a vacancy for Leader. So a process is in train, save for the options cited by me above, only one of which is tenable IMHO, namely – normal procedure as set out in the Rule Book.

With regard to the Deputy Leader post, no one can claim we are not in opposition.

So I hope Harriet Harman, our new interim Leader will lead by example and insist that nomination papers for the post of Deputy Leader are issued with the rest in accordance with the Rule Book.

This does not mean there will be a challenger and an election. But this would be a clear sign from her that accountability matters. By doing so she would be drawing a line under 13-years of evasion under New Labour.

Reader comments

1. Liberal Conspiracy

   Will Harriet Harman send out deputy leader nominations? http://bit.ly/aej79S

2. newleader

   http://www.harrietharman.tk RT @libcon Will Harriet Harman send out deputy leader nominations? http://bit.ly/aej79S

3. Tweets that mention Liberal Conspiracy » Will Harriet Harman send out deputy leader nominations? -- Topsy.com

   [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Liberal Conspiracy, newleader. newleader said: http://www.harrietharman.tk RT @libcon Will Harriet Harman send out deputy leader nominations? http://bit.ly/aej79S [...]

4. Tim Nicholls

   @SamCEllis @mikeblakeney it wld seem a contentious issue… http://bit.ly/a2NSJt Cos uncertainty is what you want in leadership rules!!

5. newleader

   http://www.harrietharman.tk RT @tim_nicholls @SamCEllis @mikeblakeney it wld seem a contentious issue… http://bit.ly/a2NSJt Cos uncertainty…

6. » Labourites call for deputy leadership election too | Liberal Conspiracy

   [...] member Peter Kenyon said on LC earlier this week that under Labour rules the deputy leader post could also be [...]

7. Peter Kenyon

   @DMiliband I wish you and the other #labourleader contestants would come clean first about the Deputy Leadership http://goo.gl/R9g8