National Executive Committee (Labour Party)

(Redirected from Labour NEC) Governing body of the UK Labour Party

National Executive Committee
Abbreviation	NEC
Formation	27 February 1900; 124 years ago (1900-02-27)
Headquarters	London, England
Chair	Ellie Reeves
Vice-Chair	Shabana Mahmood
Parent organisation	Labour Party

The National Executive Committee (NEC) is the governing body of the UK Labour Party, setting the overall strategic direction of the party and policy development. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party, constituency Labour parties (CLP), and socialist societies, as well as ex officio members such as the party Leader and Deputy Leader and several of their appointees.

History

During the 1980s, the NEC had a major role in policy-making and was often at the heart of disputes over party policy.

In 1997, under Tony Blair's new party leadership, the General Secretary Tom Sawyer enacted the Partnership in Power reforms. This rebalanced the NEC's membership, including by reducing trade union membership to a minority for the first time in its history. The reforms also introduced new seats: two for local government, three for the Parliamentary Party, three for the (Shadow) Cabinet, and one for the European Parliamentary Labour Party (EPLP). Until these reforms, Member of Parliament could stand for CLP section seats on the NEC, but thereafter MPs and MEPs could not stand in this section. Moreover, under Blair, the committee's role declined. Its former policy development function is now largely carried out by the National Policy Forum. One of its committees has disciplinary powers including the ability to expel members of the party who have brought it into disrepute or to readmit previously expelled members. However, the NEC remains the administrative authority of the party.

In 2007, a new seat on the NEC was made for the Black Socialist Society, now known as BAME Labour.

In 2016, two new seats, one each for Scottish Labour and Welsh Labour, were added.

The 2017 Conference saw the creation of four additional NEC seats: one in the trade union section and three in the CLP section. Although the additional union seat was elected at Conference, the extra CLP seats were not elected until January 2018.

In November 2020, following the Brexit withdrawal agreement ending UK representation within the European Parliament and ending the European Parliamentary Labour Party, the single seat on the NEC for the EPLP leader was replaced by a new disability representative.

The Labour History Archive and Study Centre at the People's History Museum in Manchester has the full run of the minutes of the National Executive Committee in their collection.

Organisation

NEC Officers

As of October 2023, the Officers of the NEC are:

Leader of the Labour Party: Keir Starmer MP
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party: Angela Rayner MP
Chair: Jessica Morden MP
Vice-Chair: Ellie Reeves MP
Treasurer: Mike Payne
Chair of Organisation Committee: Wendy Nichols
Chair of the Equalities Committee: Angela Eagle MP
Chair of the Disputes Panel: Gurinder Singh Josan MP
Chair of the National Policy Forum (when a member of the NEC): Anneliese Dodds MP
Former Chair of the National Policy Forum (when a member of the NEC): Ann Black
NEC Co-Convenor of the Joint Policy Committee: Gavin Sibthorpe

Joint Policy Committee

The Joint Policy Committee (JPC) has strategic oversight of policy development in the party through overseeing the rolling programme of Partnership in Power. The JPC acts as the steering group for the National Policy Forum. It is therefore a joint committee made up of NEC, Government and National Policy Forum representatives.

NEC Co-Convenor: Gavin Sibthorpe

NEC sub-committees

The following are sub-committees of the NEC:

Equalities Committee

The Equalities Committee responsibilities and roles include:

Women's recruitment, retention and participation in the party in elected office and the development of women's forums at local level
Black, Asian and ethnic minority recruitment, retention and participation in the party
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender representation and participation within the party
Disability access and increased representation and participation of members with disabilities
Considering effective party responses to Employment Framework Directive based on Article 13 (Treaty on European Union) and the European Union Action Programme to Combat Discrimination
Responsibility for driving the Party's equality agenda and the development of an inclusive organisation at all levels
Link with Organisation Committee and Young Labour Co-ordinating Committee on issues of age discrimination
Biannual women's forum
Biannual ethnic minorities forum

Business Board

The Business Board is responsible for overseeing the business functions of the organisation including the management of the finances.

Audit, Risk Management and Compliance Committee

The Audit, Risk Management and Compliance Committee has responsibility for audit and compliance oversight, and is accountable for internal audit procedures providing a systematic approach to risk management in all of the party's activities. The committee ensures that the Labour Party's financial activities are within the law, and that an effective system of internal control is maintained.

Organisation Sub-Committee

The Organisation Sub Committee is a sub-committee of the NEC (generally known as Org Sub) and is responsible for party rules and constitution; ensuring parties are operating effectively throughout the country to the highest standards and has overall responsibility for membership, investigations, selections, Conferences, electoral law, boundaries strategy and internal elections.

Complaints & Disciplinary Sub-committee

The NEC Complaints & Disciplinary Sub-committee is a sub-committee of the NEC Organisation Sub-committee which hears membership appeals; re-admission applications; party disputes and conciliation; minor investigations and local government appeals where referred to the NEC. It operates in a quasi-judicial fashion, conducting hearings and interviews around the country where necessary.

Membership

Excluding ex officio members, NEC members are elected by their respective constituencies, and each serve a two-year term. As of 2023, the NEC has 39 members, as follows:

3: Ex officio positions: Leader & Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, and Party Treasurer
13: Trade Unions representatives
6: MPs
- 3 Frontbench MPs (nominated by the Cabinet)
- 3 Backbench MPs (elected by the members of the Parliamentary Labour Party)
2: Local Government representatives
9: from CLPs
1: from the Socialist and Co-operative Societies
2: Scottish and Welsh Labour
3: 1 BAME Labour, 1 Young Labour, 1 Disabled members

The General Secretary of the Labour Party acts as the non-voting secretary to the NEC, the Chief Whip and the PLP Chair also attend as non-voting members.

Current members

As of 26 September 2024
Leader of the Labour Party

Keir Starmer MP

Deputy Leader of the Labour Party

Angela Rayner MP

Treasurer

Mike Payne

House of Commons Front Bench

Young Labour Representative

Elsie Greenwood

Disabled Members Representative

Ellen Morrison

BAME Representative

Carol Sewell

Division I - Trade Unions

Kathy Abu-Bakir (GMB)
David Agbley (Unite)
Maggi Ferncombe (UNISON)
Isabelle Gutierrez (Musicians' Union)
Jane Jones (Usdaw)
Nicola Jukes (TSSA)
Ian Murray (FBU)
Wendy Nichols (UNISON)
Karen Rose (CWU)
Gavin Sibthorpe (GMB)
Joanne Thomas (Usdaw)
Mick Whelan (ASLEF)
Mary Williams (Unite)

Division II - Socialist Societies

Anu Prashar (Socialist Societies)

Division III - Constituency Labour Parties

Cat Arnold
Jessica Barnard
Ann Black
Gemma Bolton
Yasmine Dar
Angie Davies
Abdi Duale
Peter Mason
Jane Thomas

Division IV - Labour Councillors

Cllr Claire Holland
Cllr Peter Wheeler

Division V - Parliamentary Labour Party

Scottish Labour and Welsh Labour

Jackie Baillie MSP (Deputy Leader of the Scottish Labour Party)
Ann Jones (Welsh Labour Representative)

In addition, the General Secretary (Hollie Ridley), the PLP Chief Whip (Alan Campbell MP), and PLP Chair (Jessica Morden MP) attend ex officio without a vote

Chair of the National Executive Committee

The chair of the party is elected by the NEC from among its own members, and holds office for a calendar year, chairing both NEC meetings and national party conferences.

The name of this post has become confused since 2001 when Labour Party leader Tony Blair appointed Charles Clarke to the courtesy position of Chair of the Labour Party without the NEC or the national conference authorising such a position. The office's name remains "chair of the party" in the Labour Party Constitution, but elsewhere the party presents the position as "Chair of the NEC". Prior to 2001 the position was called "Chair of the Labour Party", and before that "Chairman of the Labour Party".

List of chairs of the Labour Party National Executive Committee

Chairmen of the Annual Conference of the Labour Representation Committee

1900: William Charles Steadman MP

1901: John Hodge

1902: William John Davis

1903: Joseph Nicholas Bell

1904: John Hodge

1905: Arthur Henderson MP

Chairmen of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Representation Committee

1900: William Charles Steadman MP

1901: Allan Gee

1902: Richard Bell MP

1903: John Hodge

1904: David J. Shackleton

1905: Arthur Henderson MP

Chairmen of the Annual Conference of the Labour Party

1906: Arthur Henderson MP

1907: J. J. Stephenson

1908: Walter Hudson MP

1909: John Robert Clynes MP

1910: Keir Hardie MP

1911: William Cornforth Robinson

1912: Ben Turner

1913: George Henry Roberts MP

1914: Tom Fox

1915: No conference held

1916: William Crawford Anderson MP

1917: George Wardle MP (acting)

1917–18: W. F. Purdy

1918–19: John McGurk

1919–20: William Harold Hutchinson

1920–21: Alexander Gordon Cameron

1921–22: Fred Jowett MP

1922–23: Sidney Webb MP

1923–24: Ramsay MacDonald MP

1924–25: Charlie Cramp

1925–26: Robert Williams

1926–27: Frederick Roberts MP

1927–28: George Lansbury MP

1928–29: Herbert Morrison MP

1929–30: Susan Lawrence MP

1930–31: Stanley Hirst

1931–32: George Lathan MP

1932–33: Joseph Compton

1933–34: Walter R. Smith

1934–35: William Albert Robinson

1935–36: Jennie Adamson

1936–37: Hugh Dalton MP

1937–39: George Dallas

1939–40: Barbara Ayrton-Gould

1940–41: James Walker MP

1941–42: Walter Henry Green MP

1942–43: Alfred Dobbs

1943–44: George Ridley MP

1944–45: Ellen Wilkinson MP

1945–46: Harold Laski

1946–47: Philip Noel-Baker MP

1947–48: Emmanuel Shinwell MP

1948–49: Jim Griffiths MP

1949–50: Sam Watson

1950–51: Alice Bacon MP

1951–52: Harry Earnshaw

1952–53: Arthur Greenwood MP

1953–54: Wilfrid Burke MP

1954–55: Edith Summerskill MP

1955–56: Edwin Gooch MP

1956–57: Margaret Herbison MP

1957–58: Tom Driberg

1958–59: Barbara Castle MP

1959–60: George Brinham

1960–61: Richard Crossman MP

1961–62: Harold Wilson MP

1962–63: Dai Davies

1963–64: Anthony Greenwood MP

1964–65: Ray Gunter MP

1965–66: Walter Padley MP

1966–67: John McFarlane Boyd

1967–68: Jennie Lee MP

1968–69: Eirene White MP

1969–70: Arthur Skeffington MP

1970–71: Ian Mikardo MP

1971–72: Tony Benn MP

1972–73: William Simpson

1973–74: James Callaghan MP

1974–75: Fred Mulley MP

1975–76: Tom Bradley MP

1976–77: John Chalmers

1977–78: Joan Lestor MP

1978–79: Frank Allaun MP

1979–80: Lena Jeger

1980–81: Alex Kitson

1981–82: Judith Hart MP

1982–83: Sam McCluskie

1983–84: Eric Heffer MP

1984–85: Alan Hadden

1985–86: Neville Hough

1986–87: Syd Tierney

1987–88: Neil Kinnock MP

1988–89: Dennis Skinner MP

1989–90: Jo Richardson MP

1990–91: Tom Sawyer

1991–92: John Evans MP

1992–93: Tony Clarke

1993–94: David Blunkett MP

1994–95: Gordon Colling

1995–96: Diana Jeuda

1996–97: Robin Cook MP

1997–98: Richard Rosser

1998–99: Brenda Etchells

1999–00: Vernon Hince

2000–01: Maggie Jones

2001–02: Margaret Wall

2002–03: Diana Holland

2003–04: Mary Turner

2004–05: Ian McCartney MP

2005–06: Jeremy Beecham

2006–07: Michael Griffiths

2007–08: Dianne Hayter

2008–09: Cath Speight

2009–10: Ann Black

2010–11: Norma Stephenson

2011–12: Michael Cashman MEP

2012–13: Harriet Yeo

2013–14: Angela Eagle MP

2014–15: Jim Kennedy

2015–16: Paddy Lillis

2016–17: Glenis Willmott MEP

2017–18: Andy Kerr

2018–19: Wendy Nichols

2019–20: Andi Fox

2020–21: Margaret Beckett MP

2021–22: Cllr Alice Perry

2022–23: Johanna Baxter

2023–24: James Asser

2024-25: Ellie Reeves MP

Notes

Elected by and from councillors, directly elected mayors, and/or Police and Crime Commissioners
nominated by CLPs, elected by all party members on a one member one vote basis
no conference was held in 1938

References

Massey, Christopher (29 March 2021). "The Changing of the Praetorian Guard? The Size, Structure and Composition of the Labour Party's National Executive Committee and the Enduring Importance of Labour's Trade Unions". The Political Quarterly. 92 (2): 343–351. doi:10.1111/1467-923X.12984. Retrieved 1 June 2024 – via Wiley Online Library.
Macintyre, Donald (9 September 1998). "How we all fought to end Labour's political corruption". The Independent. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
Abrams, Fran (30 September 1997). "Labour Conference: Left jubilant as Mandelson fails in NEC election". The Independent. Archived from the original on 1 August 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
Katwala, Sunder (1 October 2010). "And Labour's top baron is…Keith Vaz". Labour Uncut. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
"Conference liveblog: Welsh and Scottish Labour celebrate party reform victory". LabourList. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
"Archive & Study Centre". People's History Museum. 6 October 2015. Archived from the original on 13 July 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
Collection Catalogues and Descriptions, People's History Museum, archived from the original on 13 January 2015, retrieved 20 January 2015
^ "NEC Committees". The Labour Party. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
"PLP elections: Morden becomes chair as Akehurst and Singh Josan return to NEC". 18 July 2024.
^ "Who's on the NEC?". The Labour Party. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
Labour Party Rulebook, 2023: Chapter 1, Clause VIII; Chapter 4, Clause III
Roy Hattersley (26 July 2001). "Blair mistook his Clarke for a chair". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2007.
"NEC committees". Labour Party. Archived from the original on 13 July 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2007.
'British Political Facts 1900–1994', Butler & Butler 1994, PP144-5
Kevin Jefferys, Leading Labour: From Keir Hardie to Tony Blair, p.4
'British Political Facts 1900–1994', Butler & Butler 1994, pp.144–5 for the period down to 1993
"Who's Who". Ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
"Who's Who". Ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 18 March 2012.

External links

"Members of the NEC" Labour (2024)

Labour Party

History

Main

History of the Labour Party

Topics

Leadership

Leaders	Hardie Henderson Barnes MacDonald Henderson Adamson Clynes MacDonald Henderson Lansbury Attlee Morrison^ Gaitskell Brown^ Wilson Callaghan Foot Kinnock Smith Beckett^ Blair Brown Harman^ Miliband Harman^ Corbyn Starmer
Deputy Leaders	Clynes Graham Attlee Greenwood Morrison Griffiths Bevan Brown Jenkins Short Foot Healey Hattersley Beckett Prescott Harman Watson Rayner
General Secretaries	MacDonald Henderson Middleton Phillips Williams Barker^ Nicholas Hayward Mortimer Whitty Sawyer McDonagh Triesman Carter Watt Collins McNicol Formby Evans
Treasurers	Henderson MacDonald Henderson Lathan Greenwood Gaitskell Bevan Nicholas Davies Callaghan Atkinson Varley Booth McCluskie Burlison Prosser Elsby Dromey Holland
Leaders in the Lords	Haldane Cripps Ponsonby Snell Addison Jowitt Alexander Pakenham Shackleton Shepherd Peart Hughes Richard Jay Williams Amos Ashton Royall Smith of Basildon
Scottish Labour Leaders	Dewar McLeish Jamieson^ McConnell Jamieson^ Alexander Jamieson^ Gray Lamont Sarwar^ Murphy Gray^ Dugdale Rowley^ Baillie^ Leonard Baillie^ Sarwar
PLP Chairs	Hardie Henderson Barnes MacDonald Henderson Hodge* Wardle* Adamson Clynes MacDonald Henderson Lansbury Attlee Lees-Smith* Pethick-Lawrence* Greenwood* Gaitskell Wilson Houghton Mikardo Hughes Willey Dormand Orme Hoyle Soley Corston Clwyd Lloyd Watts Cryer Morden
EPLP Leaders	Stewart Prescott Castle Lomas Martin Seal Ford Green David Donnelly Murphy Titley Willmott Corbett
* = wartime, in opposition ^ Interim/Acting

Internal elections and selections

Leadership elections	1922 Ramsay MacDonald 1931 Arthur Henderson 1932 George Lansbury 1935 Clement Attlee 1955 Hugh Gaitskell 1960 1961 1963 Harold Wilson 1976 James Callaghan 1980 Michael Foot 1983 Neil Kinnock 1988 1992 John Smith 1994 Tony Blair 2007 Gordon Brown 2010 Ed Miliband 2015 Jeremy Corbyn 2016 2020 Keir Starmer
Deputy Leadership elections	1952 Herbert Morrison 1953 1956 Jim Griffiths 1959 Aneurin Bevan 1960 George Brown 1961 1962 1970 Roy Jenkins 1971 1972 Edward Short 1976 Michael Foot 1980 Denis Healey 1981 1983 Roy Hattersley 1988 1992 Margaret Beckett 1994 John Prescott 2007 Harriet Harman 2015 Tom Watson 2020 Angela Rayner
Shadow Cabinet elections and reshuffles	Sep 1931 (Henderson) Nov 1931 1932 (Lansbury) 1933 1934 1935 (Attlee) 1936 1937 1938 1939 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 (Gaitskell) 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 (Wilson) 1970 1971 1972 1973 1979 (Callaghan) 1980 (Foot) 1981 1982 1983 (Kinnock) 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 (Smith) 1993 1994 (Blair) 1995 1996 2010 (Miliband) June 2016 (Corbyn) May 2021 (Starmer) November 2021 2023

Party structure

Constitution	Clause IV
Executive	National Executive Committee General Secretary Treasurer
Parliamentary	Parliamentary Labour Party Chief Whip of the Labour Party
Conference	Labour Party Conference
Subnational	Scottish Labour Welsh Labour Labour Party in Northern Ireland
Directly elected city mayoral authorities	London Labour
CLPs	Constituency Labour Party Labour International
Miscellaneous	National Policy Forum Affiliated trade unions Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation Labour Co-operative Co-operative Party Labour – Federation of Labour Groups

Associated organisations

List	Organisations associated with the Labour Party
Sectional groups	Young Labour Labour International LGBT+ Labour Labour Campaign for Trans Rights Labour Students BAME Labour Disability Labour
Factional groups	Blue Labour Campaign for Labour Party Democracy Christians on the Left Compass Fabian Society Young Fabians Future Britain Centre-Left Grassroots Alliance Jewish Labour Movement Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform Labour CND Labour Friends of Israel Labour Friends of Palestine & the Middle East Labour Growth Group Labour Party Irish Society Labour Representation Committee (2004) Labour Women's Network Momentum Open Labour National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs Progressive Britain Revolutionary Communist Party Formerly Socialist Appeal Socialist Health Association Socialist Educational Association Socialist Environment and Resources Association Socialist Campaign Group Socialist Youth Network Socialist societies
Media publications	LabourList Tribune

Party alliances

Current	Party of European Socialists Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Progressive Alliance Socialist International

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