NI Labour members reach participation deal

British Labour Party members in the North have taken a step closer to fighting elections there under a deal struck today with the leadership.

Party leaders avoided a potentially embarrassing race discrimination court case by reaching an agreement with Northern Ireland member Andy McGivern enabling members in the province to take part in party conferences and bodies.

The Belfast trade unionist had been behind legal action over Labour’s refusal to let its Northern Ireland members set up constituency associations which could nominate people to conferences and bodies.

He claimed this meant Labour’s members in Northern Ireland had been given second class membership compared to their English, Scottish and Welsh colleagues.

Under today’s deal, Northern Ireland members will be able to set up their own forum once they have secured 200 party members.

There are currently around 120 members of the party in Northern Ireland at present.

The forum will be funded like a constituency party and will be able to send delegates and submit motions to party conferences.

Northern Ireland members will also have a guaranteed seat on Labour’s national policy forum and they will be able to put forward candidates for election to the national executive committee.

A delighted Mr McGivern said: “It has been a long, hard struggle to reach this point.

“At last the Labour Party is giving people in Northern Ireland their democratic right to participate fully in the party and shape policy.

“It is unfortunate that I have had to take the party to the doors of the court twice to ensure people in Northern Ireland are entitled to the same rights as their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales.”

In 2003, the GMB trade union member forced Labour to overturn a 79-year ban on people in the North joining the party by also initiating a race discrimination case.

Mr McGivern said while Labour members would not initially be able to contest elections in the North, the deal paved the way for that to happen in the future.

“When the forum is up and running we initially will not be able to contest elections,” he said.

“However the party will not be able to say no if we have people on the NEC and the national forum.”