This is something we need to get stuck into very soon. Whilst understanding the party leadership not wanting to create unnecessary internal battles, we do need a meaningful way for party members – or otherwise – to contribute to policy development. We don’t at the moment.

I blogged with David Chaplin on Progress yesterday and suggested opening up Labour’s policy formation on constitutional reform to anyone in the country who wanted to contribute: http://www.progressonline.org.uk/Magazine/article.asp?a=4830

Thanks for this thoughtful discussion of yesterday’s panel. I don’t see primaries as a panacea for our party or our democracy’s problems. Far from it. But alongside meaningful electoral reform (ie greater proportionality) and a more democratic policy-making function in our party, I think primaries can be a way of re-engaging people in political processes.

The Totnes primary, where 25% of the electorate took part, indicates that there is a greater appetite from the public for a say in candidate selection. Contrast that with the Labour party’s current restrictive processes where a median average of just 40 people (ie 1 in 7 local Labour members or 1 in 1000 of the local electorate) are voting in PPC selections.

The question I would ask opponents of primaries is whether the status quo is acceptable and what you would do about it.

All the best,

Will