Monday, February 24, 2014

Miliband gets major boost after party reforms backed by Labour right

Lord Andrew Adonis said the shake up would help Labour win the ground war against the Tories in next year’s general election

Proposals: Miliband plans to open party membership to thousands of affiliated members
Ed Miliband has been given a major boost after his party reforms were backed by the right of the party.

Lord Andrew Adonis said the shake up would help Labour win the ground war against the Tories in next year’s general election.

Under the proposals to be voted on at a special conference this weekend, Mr Miliband will open up the membership to thousands of affiliated members who will pay just £3 to have a say in the running of the party.

He will also change the leadership rules to a one-member-one-vote system and loosen the power of the unions by asking union members to opt in to paying their subs.

Mr Miliband said the proposals were the “biggest change probably since the Labour Party was founded as a membership party in 1918” and could see the number of Labour supporters double to 400,000.

Lord Adonis said the reforms would see Labour outnumber the Tories by five to one on the ground.

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