British Labour meets in NI

Tony Blair’s British Labour Party should be organising constituency parties across the North, it was urged today.

Belfast trade unionist Andy McGivern said people had gathered under the (British) Labour Party banner for the first time since the party overturned its 79-year ban on Northern Ireland members.

He said the new British Labour Party members were also considering a legal case to get the party to organise the constituencies here.

Meanwhile the Irish Labour party has been focusing on expanding it’s organisation in the North but it’s members do not contest elections.

The general secretary Mike Allen said they were looking towards implementing a policy like the trade union movement of the Union of Students in Ireland, which would allow for duel membership, when someone joins the party in the north or south.

“It creates a framework which allows them to get on with their job of representing students without creating a row about the constitution,” Mr Allen said.

“We have put that on the table with the British Labour party over the last couple of years.

“They have said that is very interesting we should explore that more.

“We have in our constitution changed a couple of years ago to allow members in Northern Ireland to become full members except for we don’t put forward candidates in elections.

“Our members in the North have a full input into the life of the party like sending delegates to conferences.”