Below is our open letter to candidates for the Labour Party National Executive Committee 2020. You can also click here for the PDF version.
Below our letter you will find candidates' replies.
July 2019
Dear NEC Candidate,
Congratulations putting yourself forward as a candidate for Labour’s National Executive Committee.
The NEC has a considerable role in ensuring we increase women’s participation, representation, inclusion and safety in the Labour Party. We would therefore like to invite candidates to answer ten questions about your commitments to Labour women. Labour Women’s Network represents a diverse sisterhood of women in the Labour Party, of all shades of red, and does not take positions on internal selections and elections. However, this opportunity will allow you to make public your pledges for Labour women, and help LWN members make an informed decision.
- Will you defend the principle and implementation of All Women Shortlists, and commit to a Labour manifesto pledge to change the law to extend these to mayoral, local government and police and crime commissioner elections, and to ensure their use is legal until parity is sustainable without them?
- Will you ensure Labour publishes data about the diversity of its candidates in all elections, in accordance with section 106 of the Equality Act?
- Will you support the urgent introduction of an independent complaints system for sexual harassment, from first contact to final outcome?
- What actions will you take to ensure Labour tackles a culture of sexism and misogyny from the grassroots up?
- Will you sign LWN’s campaign to #KeepTheGoodStuff from the Covid-19 crisis and reduce barriers to women’s political participation by introducing a degree of long-term virtual access to Labour Party meetings and events? Sign here: https://www.lwn.org.uk/keepthegoodstuff
- Will you support the annual continuation of the Jo Cox Women in Leadership Scheme, which has successfully empowered women to stand for office and act as agents of positive change in their local parties, communities and workplaces?
- What steps will you take to improve the diversity of Labour Party staff in senior and strategic roles?
- Will you ensure that Labour women have a formal voice at every level of the party, and that a meaningful and engaging Women’s Conference takes place every year?
- Will you take action to ensure no Labour Party event advertises an all male panel or uses gendered language?
- Will you ask Labour Groups to introduce formal parental leave arrangements for councillors, so baby leave is not a barrier to public life, and commit to a Labour manifesto pledge giving a legal right to baby leave for all forms of elected office?
Thank you in advance for taking the time to answer these questions. Please email your response to [email protected] as soon as possible, with the subject line NEC Answers.
We wish you every success with your election.
In sisterhood and solidarity,
Labour Women’s Network
Candidates' replies so far:
Kira Lewis
Luke Akehurst
Shama Tatler
Ann Black
Katherine Foy
Iram Woolley
Joint Response from Theresa Griffin, Liz McInnes and Paula Sherriff
Theo Michael
Gail Ward
Councillor Alice Perry
Councillor Terry Paul
Vince Maple
Fiona Dent
Replies are published in the order in which LWN received them.