• Source: National Executive Committee (Labour Party)

      • The National Executive Committee (NEC) is the governing body of the UK Labour Party, setting the overall strategic direction of the party and policy development. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party, constituency Labour parties (CLP), and socialist societies, as well as ex officio members such as the party Leader and Deputy Leader and several of their appointees.


      History


      During the 1980s, the NEC had a major role in policy-making and was often at the heart of disputes over party policy.
      In 1997, under Tony Blair's new party leadership, the General Secretary Tom Sawyer enacted the Partnership in Power reforms. This rebalanced the NEC's membership, including by reducing trade union membership to a minority for the first time in its history. The reforms also introduced new seats: two for local government, three for the Parliamentary Party, three for the (Shadow) Cabinet, and one for the European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP). Until these reforms, Member of Parliament could stand for CLP section seats on the NEC, but thereafter MPs and MEPs could not stand in this section. Moreover, under Blair, the committee's role declined. Its former policy development function is now largely carried out by the National Policy Forum. One of its committees has disciplinary powers including the ability to expel members of the party who have brought it into disrepute or to readmit previously expelled members. However, the NEC remains the administrative authority of the party.
      In 2007, a new seat on the NEC was made for the Black Socialist Society, now known as BAME Labour.
      In 2016, two new seats, one each for Scottish Labour and Welsh Labour, were added.
      The 2017 Conference saw the creation of four additional NEC seats: one in the trade union section and three in the CLP section. Although the additional union seat was elected at Conference, the extra CLP seats were not elected until January 2018.
      In November 2020, following the Brexit withdrawal agreement ending UK representation within the European Parliament and ending the European Parliamentary Labour Party, the single seat on the NEC for the EPLP leader was replaced by a new disability representative.
      The Labour History Archive and Study Centre at the People's History Museum in Manchester has the full run of the minutes of the National Executive Committee in their collection.


      Organisation




      = NEC Officers

      =
      As of October 2023, the Officers of the NEC are:

      Leader of the Labour Party: Keir Starmer MP
      Deputy Leader of the Labour Party: Angela Rayner MP
      Chair: Jessica Morden MP
      Vice-Chair: Ellie Reeves MP
      Treasurer: Mike Payne
      Chair of Organisation Committee: Wendy Nichols
      Chair of the Equalities Committee: Angela Eagle MP
      Chair of the Disputes Panel: Gurinder Singh Josan MP
      Chair of the National Policy Forum (when a member of the NEC): Anneliese Dodds MP
      Former Chair of the National Policy Forum (when a member of the NEC): Ann Black
      NEC Co-Convenor of the Joint Policy Committee: Gavin Sibthorpe


      = Joint Policy Committee

      =
      The Joint Policy Committee (JPC) has strategic oversight of policy development in the party through overseeing the rolling programme of Partnership in Power. The JPC acts as the steering group for the National Policy Forum. It is therefore a joint committee made up of NEC, Government and National Policy Forum representatives.
      NEC Co-Convenor: Gavin Sibthorpe


      = NEC sub-committees

      =
      The following are sub-committees of the NEC:


      Equalities Committee


      The Equalities Committee responsibilities and roles include:

      Women's recruitment, retention and participation in the party in elected office and the development of women's forums at local level
      Black, Asian and ethnic minority recruitment, retention and participation in the party
      Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender representation and participation within the party
      Disability access and increased representation and participation of members with disabilities
      Considering effective party responses to Employment Framework Directive based on Article 13 (Treaty on European Union) and the European Union Action Programme to Combat Discrimination
      Responsibility for driving the Party's equality agenda and the development of an inclusive organisation at all levels
      Link with Organisation Committee and Young Labour Co-ordinating Committee on issues of age discrimination
      Biannual women's forum
      Biannual ethnic minorities forum


      Business Board


      The Business Board is responsible for overseeing the business functions of the organisation including the management of the finances.


      Audit, Risk Management and Compliance Committee


      The Audit, Risk Management and Compliance Committee has responsibility for audit and compliance oversight, and is accountable for internal audit procedures providing a systematic approach to risk management in all of the party's activities. The committee ensures that the Labour Party's financial activities are within the law, and that an effective system of internal control is maintained.


      Organisation Sub-Committee


      The Organisation Sub Committee is a sub-committee of the NEC (generally known as Org Sub) and is responsible for party rules and constitution; ensuring parties are operating effectively throughout the country to the highest standards and has overall responsibility for membership, investigations, selections, Conferences, electoral law, boundaries strategy and internal elections.


      = Complaints & Disciplinary Sub-committee

      =
      The NEC Complaints & Disciplinary Sub-committee is a sub-committee of the NEC Organisation Sub-committee which hears membership appeals; re-admission applications; party disputes and conciliation; minor investigations and local government appeals where referred to the NEC. It operates in a quasi-judicial fashion, conducting hearings and interviews around the country where necessary.


      Membership


      Excluding ex officio members, NEC members are elected by their respective constituencies, and each serve a two-year term. As of 2023, the NEC has 39 members, as follows:

      3: Ex officio positions: Leader & Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, and Party Treasurer
      13: Trade Unions representatives
      6: MPs
      3 Frontbench MPs (nominated by the Cabinet)
      3 Backbench MPs (elected by the members of the Parliamentary Labour Party)
      2: Local Government representatives
      9: from CLPs
      1: from the Socialist and Co-operative Societies
      2: Scottish and Welsh Labour
      3: 1 BAME Labour, 1 Young Labour, 1 Disabled members
      The General Secretary of the Labour Party acts as the non-voting secretary to the NEC, the Chief Whip and the PLP Chair also attend as non-voting members.


      Current members


      As of 26 September 2024
      Leader of the Labour Party

      Keir Starmer MP
      Deputy Leader of the Labour Party

      Angela Rayner MP
      Treasurer

      Mike Payne
      House of Commons Front Bench

      Shabana Mahmood MP
      Ellie Reeves MP
      Jonathan Reynolds MP
      Young Labour Representative

      Elsie Greenwood
      Disabled Members Representative

      Ellen Morrison
      BAME Representative

      Carol Sewell
      Division I - Trade Unions

      Kathy Abu-Bakir (GMB)
      David Agbley (Unite)
      Maggi Ferncombe (UNISON)
      Isabelle Gutierrez (Musicians' Union)
      Jane Jones (Usdaw)
      Nicola Jukes (TSSA)
      Ian Murray (FBU)
      Wendy Nichols (UNISON)
      Karen Rose (CWU)
      Gavin Sibthorpe (GMB)
      Joanne Thomas (Usdaw)
      Mick Whelan (ASLEF)
      Mary Williams (Unite)
      Division II - Socialist Societies

      Anu Prashar (Socialist Societies)
      Division III - Constituency Labour Parties

      Cat Arnold
      Jessica Barnard
      Ann Black
      Gemma Bolton
      Yasmine Dar
      Angie Davies
      Abdi Duale
      Peter Mason
      Jane Thomas
      Division IV - Labour Councillors

      Cllr Claire Holland
      Cllr Peter Wheeler
      Division V - Parliamentary Labour Party

      Luke Akehurst MP
      Gurinder Singh Josan MP
      Melanie Onn MP
      Scottish Labour and Welsh Labour
      Jackie Baillie MSP (Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party)
      Ann Jones (Welsh Labour Representative)
      In addition, the General Secretary (Hollie Ridley), the PLP Chief Whip (Alan Campbell MP), and PLP Chair (Jessica Morden MP) attend ex officio without a vote


      Chair of the National Executive Committee


      The chair of the party is elected by the NEC from among its own members, and holds office for a calendar year, chairing both NEC meetings and national party conferences.
      The name of this post has become confused since 2001 when Labour Party leader Tony Blair appointed Charles Clarke to the courtesy position of Chair of the Labour Party without the NEC or the national conference authorising such a position. The office's name remains "chair of the party" in the Labour Party Constitution, but elsewhere the party presents the position as "Chair of the NEC". Prior to 2001 the position was called "Chair of the Labour Party", and before that "Chairman of the Labour Party".


      = List of chairs of the Labour Party National Executive Committee

      =
      Chairmen of the Annual Conference of the Labour Representation Committee

      1900: William Charles Steadman MP
      1901: John Hodge
      1902: William John Davis
      1903: Joseph Nicholas Bell
      1904: John Hodge
      1905: Arthur Henderson MP
      Chairmen of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Representation Committee

      1900: William Charles Steadman MP
      1901: Allan Gee
      1902: Richard Bell MP
      1903: John Hodge
      1904: David J. Shackleton
      1905: Arthur Henderson MP
      Chairmen of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party


      See also


      Conservative Party Board
      Liberal Democrats Federal Board


      Notes




      References




      Further reading


      Laffin, Martin; Shaw, Eric; Taylor, Gerald (January 2007). "The New Sub-National Politics of the British Labour Party". Party Politics. 13 (1): 88–108. doi:10.1177/1354068806071265. hdl:1893/1049. ISSN 1354-0688.
      McCormick, Paul (1980). "The Labour Party: Three Unnoticed Changes". British Journal of Political Science. 10 (3): 381–387. doi:10.1017/S0007123400002258. ISSN 0007-1234. JSTOR 193528.
      McKenzie, R. T. (January 1956). "The Wilson Report and the Future of the Labour Party Organization". Political Studies. 4 (1): 93–97. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9248.1956.tb00943.x. ISSN 0032-3217.
      Massey, Christopher (April 2021). "The Changing of the Praetorian Guard? The Size, Structure and Composition of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee and the Enduring Importance of Labour's Trade Unions". The Political Quarterly. 92 (2): 343–351. doi:10.1111/1467-923X.12984. ISSN 0032-3179.
      Russell, Meg (2005). "The National Executive Committee". Building New Labour: The Politics of Party Organisation. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 172–189. doi:10.1057/9780230513167_7. ISBN 978-1-4039-3994-4.
      Shaw, Eric (April 1989). "The Labour Party and The Militant Tendency". Parliamentary Affairs. 42 (2): 180–196. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.pa.a052189. ISSN 1460-2482.
      Sibley, John Richard (March 1978). "Labour Party Committee Elections and The Labour Leader, 1945–1976". European Journal of Political Research. 6 (1): 71–104. doi:10.1111/j.1475-6765.1978.tb00550.x. ISSN 0304-4130.


      External links


      "Members of the NEC" Labour (2024)

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