National Executive Committee

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties, and socialist societies, as well as ex officio members such as the Party Leader and Deputy Leader and several of their appointees.

During the 1980s, the NEC had a major role in policy-making and was often at the heart of vitriolic disputes over party policy. In the Tony Blair era, the committee's role has declined and its membership has been reformed, but it retains a certain importance in overseeing the party. 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.

1 Current Members
2 Chair of the Labour Party
- 2.1 List of Chairs of the Party
3 External links

[edit] Current Members

(As of March 2007)

Jeremy Beecham (Div. IV - Labour Councillors)
Ann Black (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
Tony Blair MP (Leader)
Hazel Blears MP (Government and party chair)
Gordon Brown MP (Government)
Michael Cashman MEP (Div. V - PLP/EPLP)
Debbie Coulter OBE (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Jack Dromey (Treasurer)
Angela Eagle MP (Div. V - PLP/ELP)
Michael Griffiths (Div. I - Trade Unions), Chair
Dianne Hayter (Div. II - Socialist Societies), Vice-Chair
Diana Holland (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Jim Kennedy (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Paddy Lillis (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Joe Mann (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Ian McCartney MP (Government)
Sally Powell (Div. IV - Labour Councillors)
John Prescott MP (Deputy Leader)
Ellie Reeves (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
Christine Shawcroft (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
Dennis Skinner MP (Div. V - PLP/EPLP)
Keith Sonnet (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Cath Speight (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Norma Stephenson (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Gary Titley MEP (EPLP Leader)
Mary Turner (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Keith Vaz MP (Black Socialist Society)
David Ward (Div. I - Trade Unions)
Peter Wheeler (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
Stephanie Peacock (Young Labour)
Pete Willsman (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
Walter Wolfgang (Div. III - Constituency Labour Parties)
Harriet Yeo (Div. I - Trade Unions)

[edit] Chair of the Labour Party

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 "Party Chair" without the NEC or the national conference authorising such a position [1]. The office's name remains "chair of the party" in the Labour Party rule-book, but elsewhere the party presents the position as "Chair of the NEC".[2] Prior to 2001 the position was called "Chair of the Labour Party".