I would like to thank each and everyone of you who recently supported me in my campaign for Treasurer of the Labour party.  I was overwhelmed to receive the support of over 41% of the membership and would like to extend a huge thank you to my campaign team who have worked tirelessly over the last weeks and months to speak to members the length and breadth of the country.

writes Labourhome candidate Mark McDonald

Apparently Jack Dromey has been re-elected as treasurer of the Labour party

I've just voted online for the NEC, Treasurer & Auditors, and the voting system secrecy seems inadequate to me. You have to give your membership number to vote, unlike on the paper ballot; and the voting data is transferred unencrypted so could be observed in transit.

Update: The lack of encryption issue has been fixed after I reported it, with voting now at the rather quaint URL: https://clarahost.clara.net/www.kenda.co.uk/labourparty/ - though using a sub-contractor of a sub-contractor of a contractor's SSL Server Certificate means users cannot verify from the certificate or the URL that this is the genuine voting website, and have to take that on trust.

Dear Comrade 
 
I am writing to ask for your support to be re-elected to the Labour Party National Executive Committee. 

In a move brokered by Amicus Unite Deputy General Secretary Tony Dubbins, the Grassroots Alliance has agreed to back Mike Griffiths for General Secretary, having secured the withdrawal of "wildcard" left-wing NEC candidate John Wiseman, the Labour candidate in Westmoreland & Lonsdale.

Wiseman has used the pages of Labourhome.org to present a platform that a number of left-wingers have found attractive, and which is known to have caused concern among Grassroots Alliance figures, who are not presenting "celebrity" candidate Walter Wolfgang for a further two-year bid - and who fear a split in the left-wing vote.

While John Wiseman should be proud to have secured from the Grassroots Alliance an undertaking to be more democratic in two years time (at the next NEC election) a further concession the left-wing slate has made is a promise to support Amicus Official Mike Griffiths' application for General Secretary of the Labour Party.

The Grassroots Alliance may well save a seat on the NEC through this deal - and I certainly hold no brief against Griffiths - but is this really the best way to recruit a General Secretary for the party in difficult times?

John Wiseman's announcement can be read here.

Readers may be aware that I am seeking nominations from CLPs, unions and affiliates for the position of Labour Party treasurer.

A correspondent on a previous Labourhome article suggested I post some details of my experience, so I have drawn together those details below. Please do get in touch if you are willing to support my candidacy or if you would like to ask me any further questions.

 

Many thanks,

 

Mark McDonald
markpaul.mcdonald@gmail.com
A703973

Labourhome.org Editor Alex Hilton in December challenged the grassroots to find a candidate for the role of Treasurer of the Labour Party and I have decided to respond to that challenge. I believe that there is a need for change; not just a change in the position itself but a new approach to governance and accountability in the Labour Party.