Written by As we all know the National Policy Forum (NPF) is a key element of Labour’s policy making process and we would encourage every coastal and rural CLP to make a submission to the current consultations, deadline 30th June, even if it is simply to say:
‘Dear NPF, please don’t forget more people live in rural England than in Greater London, and not all policies that work for Southwark, will necessarily work for Somerset, Suffolk or Staffordshire, and the many seats we need to win to turf out this incompetent government!’
While the NPF does recognise the whole of the UK, with its representatives from across the country, we also have to recognise that the NEC has yet to balance the interests of places Labour does represent with those it wishes to represent; and of course by definition the Shadow Cabinet can only be made up of those representing our areas of strength.
We are glad and appreciative of those MPs who’s hinterland has given them a good insight into the challenges faced by communities of coast and country, and how Labour can both address those challenges and be better placed to gain electoral success in the hamlets, villages and towns of England, and Wales and Scotland.
We’ll be exploring all this and LCC’s submission to the NPF as part of our upcoming Zoom event with Rachel Reeves MP, who leads the Shadow Cabinet Office team, on Tuesday 25th June at 6pm. If you’d like to join us for the discussion, please RSVP to Tom for further details.