by René Lavanchy
GORDON BROWN and the Labour Party leadership are under pressure from party activists wanting tougher and speedier over the MPs’ expenses scandal.
Mr Brown attempted to regain the political initiative, and stem Labour’s poor showing in the polls, by persuading a fraught, extended meeting of Labour’s National Executive Committee to set up a panel that will consider banning MPs from standing at the next election.
One NEC member, backed by a flood of support from party activists, has openly questioned the executive’s decision, as the committee received thousands of messages demanding swift action to counteract the public mood against Labour grassroots campaigners.
An NEC endorsements panel has been established to examine MPs referred to it by general secretary Ray Collins and chief whip Nick Brown. The panel will recommend to the NEC whether an MP should have their endorsement “rescinded” – effectively barring them from standing. David Chaytor and Elliot Morley, both suspended from the party last week for over-claiming mortgage expenses, will appear before the panel by early next week. “Reasonableness” as well as not breaking rules will the criterion, officials said.
Mr Collins and Mr Brown will act on the work of the new parliamentary standards authority announced by Commons leader Harriet Harman this week, which is to examine all MPs’ expenses going back four years. Labour officials also insisted that constituency Labour parties would provide input.
But NEC member Ellie Reeves told activists this week that she wanted to see CLPs given the power to trigger a reselection ballot.
Ms Reeves, who said she had been hit by some 500 messages from party supporters, told Tribune: “The majority wanted an approach that would include empowering CLPs to take a vote to decide. Unfortunately my proposals didn’t pick up much support at the NEC. Ultimately I supported the proposals”.
A Labour spokesperson said the NEC had been allowed to see Brown’s proposals two days in advance of the meeting, but Ms Reeves and another committee member said they had only been shown the plans on the day.
She added that she had been guided by a letter to the NEC sent by over 200 party activists, councillors and parliamentary candidates, calling for CLPs to have the right to call reselection ballots. “There seems to be broad consensus about what’s set out there”.
Alon Or-Bach, an activist in North London and member of Labour’s National Policy Forum, agreed: “It’s crucial for parliamentary candidates to have the backing of their CLPs so I think Ellie Reeves is right in that sentiment.”
