Starmer tells colleagues he wants to change rules for electing leader and deputy and to limit role of party conference in deciding detail of policy
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Some union leaders have already expressed anger about Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to change the leadership election rules. (See 12.21pm.)
Unite’s new general secretary, Sharon Graham, said the move was “deeply disappointing” and urged MPs to oppose it. She said:
Unite believes in democracy and this move to reduce the entire membership to one third of the vote while inflating the votes of MPs to one third is unfair, undemocratic and a backwards step for our party.
Labour has announced an important initiative by Sir Keir Starmer. It is one of the most significant moves he has made as party leader, and is likely to become one of the big stories of next week’s conference.
At shadow cabinet this morning, he told colleagues that he wanted to change the rules for electing the leader and deputy leader, and he wants to limit the role of party conference in deciding the detail of party conference.
The Labour leader will present specific proposals [to trade union leaders]:
Our rules as they are right now, focus us inwards to spend too much time talking to and about ourselves and they weaken the link with our unions.
These are two things that have got to change if we are serious about winning the next election …
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