NEC Endorsement ballot: Candidate Statements

Open Labour will soon be balloting our members on which candidates should receive Open Labour’s endorsement in the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee elections.

When opening applications, Open Labour set out that it would be endorsing 2 candidates for the position of CLP representative and 1 candidate for the position of Councillor’s representative, according to our resources.

The ballot of our members will open on Sunday 24th of March and close on Thursday 27th March. Our members will decide which candidates will be endorsed by Open Labour.

We have received 6 applications, from 4 candidates for the position of CLP representative, and 2 candidates for the position of Councillor’s representative.

Their statements are below.

Candidates for CLP representative

Statements from Bodrul Amin, Ann Black, Nick Palmer and Karen Self below.

Bodrul Amin

In the 2020 NEC elections, I ran as an independent candidate, finishing just outside the automatic places. Despite being unattached to any faction, I believe that securing the endorsement of Open Labour can propel me into the coveted second seat for Open Labour on the NEC.

My background is diverse, with a career spanning teaching, law, and trade union activism. This breadth of experience has deepened my understanding of the challenges faced by people from various walks of life.

As a grassroots activist, my motivation in politics lies not in pursuit of prestige or power, but in the firm belief that a better world is achievable. I am committed to championing Labour Party democracy and serving as a true representative, prioritising listening to members and upholding clear moral principles in advancing our party’s goals of winning the next general election and rebalancing power and wealth in favour of working people.

My journey with the Labour Party began in 1997, during which time I have served in various capacities, including as chair of my local CLP. My professional roles as a teacher, trade union activist, and trade union lawyer have centred on advocating for people’s rights and improving conditions in the workplace.

As an NEC representative, I will advocate for:

A resolute stance against racism, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism, ensuring there is no tolerance for any form of discrimination within our party, and rejecting any notion of a ‘hierarchy of hate’.
A steadfast commitment to internationalism, including speaking out against human rights violations around the world.
A thorough review of the party’s structure to ensure it is inclusive and representative of all members.

Ann Black

I joined Open Labour in 2016, attracted by their rejection of factional extremes, and am grateful for their support in earlier campaigns. I’m now asking you to endorse me for a further two years on the NEC as a principled, independent and accountable voice for members. I served from 2000 to 2018 and from 2020, and after ten years in government and twelve in opposition I know that government is always better.

The first priority is the general election, and those who put faction before country will not be forgiven by those who most need Labour to succeed. The leader has chosen his team and his strategy, and any differences must be settled privately. Unity is paramount.

If we win, Labour will have to rebuild after 14 years of austerity and chaos, against the grim background of war in Ukraine and the Middle East. I support the national policy forum’s ambitious programme, including employment rights, building homes and protecting tenants, reducing child poverty, saving the NHS and tackling climate change.

Within the NEC I have consistently argued for fairer allocation of membership subscriptions, improved IT systems, better communication with volunteers, an empowering women’s organisation and integrity in selections, complaints and disciplinary processes. I will return to these after the election. Too many cases still take too long to resolve, and too many CLPs will have parliamentary candidates imposed for the third successive general election. When I chaired the NEC in 2009/2010 only one candidate was imposed in the entire country.

I am a lifelong UNISON member, vice-chair of the south-east regional executive committee and have been secretary of my local party for 25 years. Please check my record at www.annblack.co.uk, mail me at annblack50@btinternet.com, follow me on X/Twitter at @AnnBlackLabour and give me your #1 preference.

Nick Palmer

I’ve been a Party member all my adult life, and served as MP for Broxtowe (Notts) from 1997-2010, as the only Labour MP the constituency has ever had (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Palmer). I was CLP chair in Waverley and am currently chair of Didcot and Wantage CLP, where we are also working to elect the first Labour MP. I don’t believe in factionalism and have served each Labour leadership loyally, while reserving the right to speak out on individual policies.

We need reasonable, fully-funded policies to win power. But we didn’t join Labour merely to win office: we must also take the opportunity of power to achieve lasting improvements to our society and the world around us. People recognise the difficult situation produced by shambolic Tory government and don’t expect instant solutions to everything, but they do want a clear sense of direction.

I argue for priority for:

reducing NHS waiting lists
funding our schools adequately
facilitating genuinely affordable housing
building a modern green economy and meeting our global climate change commitments
addressing poverty: food banks should not be needed in today’s Britain.
returning to the 0.7% target for international aid by the end of the next Parliament.

I grew up in Denmark, where decades of social democracy have led to a healthy, thriving society. I want to help achieve the same in our country.

My day job is Chief Political Strategist for Compassion in World Farming; I’m on the NEC of the Labour Animal Welfare Society. I have a PhD in mathematics, previously belonged to Danish and Swiss Social Democratic parties, and speak 6 languages. Before election to Parliament I worked in IT management, and also stood as Parliamentary candidate for Chelsea (1983) and European Parliament candidate for East Sussex and South Kent (1995).

Karen Self

I want to bring a fresh look to the NEC, with progressive political views enshrined in the traditional values of the Labour Party. For the sake of the country there is no alternative other than a Labour victory at the next general election — that is my focus and it should be the same at every level and for all members of the Party. About me:

First joined the Labour Party in 1988
CLP and branch secretary in Bristol North West
LGBT+ officer
Councillor candidate for May 2024.
Member of Unite the Union.
Worked in aerospace for more than 30 years.
STEM ambassador and founding member of Labour:WomenInTech
Champion for women and equalities in the workplace.
Trans woman.

My priorities for the NEC:

Building a winning culture. Respectful disagreement but collegiate working to a common purpose — a Labour government
Making sure our traditional ‘working class’ base has its views represented
A commitment to rebuilding our public services, after 14 years of Tory failure
A commitment to equalities and social justice. An inclusive organisation that is the voice for the oppressed and marginalised
Championing women on the issues that really matter (e.g. maternity rights, childcare, pay, VAWG)
Making sure our messaging is clear
Getting our policies and candidates sorted in good time, no factionalism
Making sure our Party and candidates reflect the society we live in, a commitment to ensuring local branch/CLP involvement
A complaints system that works – all complaints answered and actioned in 3 months

Candidates for Councillor’s representative

Statements from Elizabeth Dennis and Minesh Parekh below.

Elizabeth Dennis

I’m proud of our movement’s open, inclusive, and welcoming tradition and stand for social justice and a fairer deal for working people. I believe we deliver at our best when we set aside our differences and come together to work for the many, not the few.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in local government where through working collaboratively as partners across the council chamber, with our communities, other authorities, and central government delivers positive outcomes for our communities. I am passionate about the role councils of all types play in enhancing the lives of our communities and champion local government as the District Council’s Network’s finance lead. Through collaboration with colleagues of all parties I worked to secure the additional 1% in this year’s financial settlement for local government, and enhance the support for councils with large Internal Drainage Board levies.

I stand on an Open Labour platform because I am a socialist and I value community outcomes brought by the people, for the people. I am open to my views being challenged and shaped through healthy debate, absent of dogma and bias. If we do not deliver for the marginalised and most vulnerable in society we fail. I believe in listening to others, and exploring different opinions and possible solutions to problems, and recognise that sometimes inspiration comes from outside our movement. I will be a powerful voice for councillors within the Labour Party, but also champion the importance of local government as a whole. I am proud not just to be a Labour member, but to be a member of Open Labour, a positive safe space for all. And as our local government representative on the NEC, I will bring those values to bear at the heart of our party’s governance structure.

Minesh Parekh

I’m Minesh, a Labour and Co-operative Councillor in Sheffield, looking for your support to stand as an NEC Rep.

Local Government is in crisis. At the extremes, councils like Birmingham are being forced by Government to make savage cuts, but the picture is grim across the board. Transformation is needed. That means more funding—without question—but it also means changing how local government works, what powers are devolved, and moving far more capacity into our towns and cities.

We need a Labour Government, to reverse fourteen years of low growth and climate catastrophe, but also to unlock the skills and potential that exists across the country; to build good quality council-housing; create good green jobs and drive decarbonisation; invest in public transport and publicly-owned buses and trams. There is an alternative future within reach, but it will require bravery and vision to claim it.

I’m standing to be our NEC Rep as a loud voice for local government: to advocate for the multi-year settlements and powers we need, and to make the case for increasing funding; because it costs less in the long run; will be better spent; will deliver a multitude of wider benefits; is an investment.

The next five years will be critical. I will advocate for transformative action on the climate and ecological emergency. The pandemic showed how essential local government is in crisis, how vital it is to have local knowledge and people on the ground capable of delivering. When it comes to climate justice it won’t be Whitehall that delivers, but local councils across the country. I would press for new powers and resources to expedite the transition and do so in a way that centres social and economic justice.

We need a Labour Government, to transform local government.