Stop the Shortlis' of One

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VEC must stop conference policy being flouted Our column from the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy this week is by CHRIS MULLIN, on the 'shortlist of one'.

It has also been pubiished as a letter in Labour Weekly.

LABOUR Weekly's report (August 7) states blandly that the MP for Pontefract, Geoffrey Lofthouse, was reselected 'unopposed'. Like hell he was. The facts are as follows:

Two other candidates were nominated. At the executive meeting to draw up the shortlist the chairman (Councillor Jack Smart) allowed a letter to be read out saying that one of the candidates have attended meetings with communists.

The executive then voted by 11 to nine to slice the two other candidates off the shortlist.

The regional organiser, Harold Sims, then suggested the executive vote on whether or not all 20 members should be mandated to support a shortlist of one at the general committee. They duly voted to do so.

(As Harold Sims will be aware, there is no provision in the party rules for an executive to mandate itself in parliamentary selections).

When the matter came before the GC, delegates voted 43-41 with four abstentions in favour of a shortlist of one. At least two of the abstentions were executive members who could not bring themselves to uphold the mandate.

The regional organiser, Sims, was again present to impartially oversee the proceedings.

Contrary to the NEC's instructions, he did not circulate advice that shortlists of one were inadvisable where more than one candidate had been nominated and was only persuaded to mention the subject when one of the delegates reminded him.

This is only the latest in a series of similar cases all of which create a great deal of unnecessary bitterness. The solution is simple: the NEC must instruct the National Agent's office that shortlists of one are not allowed except in cases where only one candidate has been nominated.