Tom Belger

1 week ago | labourlist.org | Tom Belger

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has set out a wide-ranging critique of the government and alternative left policy programme in an impassioned speech to a progressive conference, suggesting Labour must move beyond “factionalism” and “too much timidity in our offer”. Burnham used his address to the soft left pressure group Compass’ gathering at London’s Ministry of Sound nightclub on Saturday for a significant intervention ahead of next month’s Spending Review.

1 week ago | labourlist.org | Tom Belger

Louise Haigh has issued a stark warning to the Labour cabinet she left only months ago, warning Labour’s response to the local elections cannot just be “caution” and “doubling down on unpopular decisions”. The former transport secretary notably chose to make her first major speech outside Parliament since she left the cabinet last November at a conference held by soft left pressure group Compass today.

1 week ago | labourlist.org | Luke O'Reilly |Tom Belger

Labour’s policymaking process for the next election has come under fire from almost half the member representatives on Labour’s ruling body, with policy ideas no longer public, steering group meetings limited and representatives reportedly denied access to most policy work. The National Policy Forum (NPF) is the party’s official mechanism for formulating policy, with multiple party stakeholders involved in shaping a programme that eventually feeds into manifesto-writing closer to election time.

2 weeks ago | labourlist.org | Tom Belger

Labour officials have stopped regularly sharing membership data with the party’s national executive committee, after LabourList reported on falling numbers of members earlier this year. Labour will no longer update the NEC every two months, LabourList understands, though it will continue to share data annually with the Electoral Commission, remaining more transparent than some other political parties.

2 weeks ago | labourlist.org | Luke O'Reilly |Tom Belger

Labour is unable to balance its books this year, and will need “at least £4 million” to fight elections in 2026, LabourList can reveal. According to a document seen by LabourList, the party is operating under a “recovery plan” for 2025, with the aim of bringing finances to a “planned but manageable deficit”. The document says that Labour is in a “difficult financial position” with a staff pay freeze and strict vacancy controls in place as it seeks to stabilise its finances.