No limelight for lobby group
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Labour Party members have been warned that a Defend Council Housing-backed debate will not be allowed to hog the limelight when the party refreshes its policies.
Nearly 30 constituency parties are understood to have supported an amendment calling for a level playing field for councils that want to build new homes, in the run-up to Labour’s national policy forum.
Constituencies have been proposing amendments to the party’s draft policy document in the run up to the meeting, for selection by the forum. Similar calls have won the popular vote at three of the past four Labour Party conferences.
But national policy forum member Daniel Zeichner, Labour Party constituency representative for the east of England, said the amendments were identical to calls from pressure group Defend Council Housing.
He said: ‘Our job is to relay Labour Party members’ opinion, not to bow to organisational pressure groups. Just because groups are well organised, does not mean to say that they will necessarily reflect wider opinion.’
Inside Housing understands that one proposed amendment being circulated by Labour offices endorses housing minister Caroline Flint’s controversial proposal to write commitments to seek work into the contracts of new social tenants, sparking speculation that it has been planted by the government. The motion appears not to have been adopted.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: ‘In the run-up to the national policy forum, it is a normal part of the political process for amendments to be discussed by party members. These amendments do not originate from Labour Party offices.’
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