Wolfgang on the NEC?
So, Walter Wolfgang is mounting a bid to get on the Labour NEC. Fair enough, and his platform of “pulling out of Iraq, rejecting Trident and restoring democracy to the Labour party” seems like it would at least add a little diversity to the NEC in terms of policy, and the restoration of party democracy should be a real priority (after winning elections, of course!) for all socialists in the party. The website for the Grassroots Alliance is here, if anyone would like to take a look.
Having said that, as I don’t know the full list of candidates, I don’t know whether I’ll vote for him. Two of my votes are already spoken for - Ann Black, who’s our CLP secretary, and Helen Jackson, the former Sheffield MP who was on the NEC from the MPs’ section until May.
Helen has promised to be an independent voice on the NEC, as she’s running neither on the Grassroots Alliance slate nor on the loyalist Amicus-backed slate (though for OULC loyalty’s sake, I may also consider voting for a former chair who’s running on that slate and hasn’t a chance in hell of getting elected). Helen opposed the war in Iraq, and has always been a stalwart for women’s rights and representation (which is how I know her, as we’re both on Fawcett’s board of trustees). The NEC doesn’t have the power that it once did, but given that it has power over all-women shortlists and other arrangements to increase women’s representation, voting for Helen (and nominating her from your CLP, if you can) might be a good idea. If you’d like a copy of her leaflet, drop me an email.
Our CLP usually nominates Ann Black and mandates the delegate to conference to vote for her. Its a sort of tradition now.
I think it started when she visited Crawley once (before my time, or I missed it) and everyone liked her.
Something anyone wanting to get on the NEC should bear in mind - start doing the rounds of CLPs as a bit of personal contact counts for more than pages full of CV.
Awww, c’mon, Antonia, you’ve got to support Walter, surely the most charismatic individual ever to have been thrown up by the Labour left. We have a world to win, you know …
Awww, c’mon, Antonia…
You’ve got to support Walter Wolfgang (crazy name, crazy guy)surely the most charismatic individual ever to have been thrown up by the Labour left.
We have a world to win, you know …
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Walter Wolfgang would be a disaster on the NEC, he represents the past and would only be there because he rudely interupted someones speech after being asked to shut up several times.
Well our CLP (North East Hertfordshire) were among those who refused his nomination, and I was one of the GC members who pressed for that.
I have nothing against him personally, but am concerned that he is being used by political elements with less than clear, or possibly even honest, agendas.