http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/27/jeremy-corbyn-labour-membership-policy-leadership
Jeremy Corbyn: Labour membership will determine policy, not me
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| Labour membership will determine policy. Not me. |
It is the idea that Labour party policy will be made by Labour party members and not the MP's of the Parliamentary Labour party, that is a major feature of why many of the PLP are so opposed to Jeremy Corbyn and the campaign for him to become Labour leader. It is this prospect which unites the PLP with the hysterical crusade in the media and on television, with its smear, distortion and lies in the "anyone but Corbyn" operation which has been raging for weeks.
However, the Labour party has historically, held the position that the party manifesto and therefore its policy, would be determined at Annual Conference and where Conference resolutions and decision were passed, those resolutions would be included in the Labour party manifesto. The flaw in this process was/is that even if Conference passed resolutions, the content could be bypassed by the PLP and manifesto committees and consequently never appear in the document finally presented to the electorate as the Labour Party manifesto.
This has over many years festered into a growing rift between many sections of the party and the PLP who have been seen as drifting away from the party members to pursue their own agenda after their election to the Commons.
Jeremy Corbyn is merely stating what has been the position for many years and that under his leadership, the party will determine policy rather than the PLP and a small clique of "advisers" setting the programme. That is the way it should be and how it will be should Corbyn be elected.
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