Since the start of Starmer's leadership which also coincided with #LabourLeaks I feel there has been an attempt to shut down member democracy and participation. Never in the past three years have CLPs received such prescriptive guidance around what we are or aren't allowed to do.
COVID I think provides a convenient excuse given that the recent lift on the online meeting ban was not accompanied bybany measures to improve accessibility which surely negates any justification for the ban previously.
The vague language around "legal advice" also feels like it's banking on the fact that CLP officers are not legal experts so will just have to quietly comply. The idea that we should just trust a party that has so far behaved in such factional ways is laughable.
At this rate it genuinely feels that members cannot have much input into the party any more, if we ever did have any. It really does feel like a top down technocratic party atm. I wonder whether this is what being a member under Blair was like.
It's such a shame because my experience of the 2019 conference was mostly very good and made me feel quite positive about party politics. There really are many good members in Labour, older and newer, but this version of the party doesn't feel like it will do us justice
One of my favourite moments of being a Labour party member, now feels years away
