Roles and Responsibilities of the NEC Committees

NEC OFFICERS

The Officers of the National Executive Committee are:

• Leader of the Labour Party

• Deputy Leader of the Labour Party

• Chair of the NEC

• Vice-Chair of the NEC

• Treasurer of the NEC

• Party Chair

• Chair of Organisation Committee

• NEC Co-convenor of the JPC

JOINT COMMITTEES

NEC Joint Committees comprise those committees that are made up of NEC members, government and other members as detailed below. There are two NEC Joint Committees.

Joint Policy Committee

The JPC has strategic oversight of policy development in the party through overseeing the rolling programme of Partnership in Power. The JPC acts as the steering group for the National Policy Forum. It is therefore a joint committee made up of NEC, Government and National Policy Forum representatives.

NEC Co-convenor: Debbie Coulter

Joint Local Government Committee

The Joint Local Government Committee has a tri-partite membership of NEC, Government and Local Government members. It is responsible for promoting and securing the Party's representation at all levels in local government; in particular, it looks to ensure the highest standards of conduct in public office, the recruitment and training and development of candidates and councillors representative of their communities, and the effective promotion of Labour's agenda in consultation and engagement with communities locally.

STANDING COMMITTEES

There are three standing committees of the NEC.

Women, Race and Equalities Committee:

The Women, Race and Equalities Committee roles and responsibilities include:

• Women’s recruitment, retention and participation in the Party in elected office and the development of women’s forums at local level

• Black, Asian and ethnic minority recruitment, retention and participation in the Party

• Lesbian gay and bisexual representation and participation within the Party

• Disability access and increased representation and participation of members with disabilities

• Considering effective Party responses to Employment Framework Directive based on Article 13 (Treaty on European Union) and the European Union Action Programme to Combat Discrimination

• Responsibility for driving the Party’s equality agenda and the development of an inclusive organisation at all levels

• Link with Organisation Committee and Young Labour Co-ordinating Committee on issues of age discrimination

• Biannual womens’ forum

• Biannual ethnic minorities forum

Chair: Norma Stephenson

Audit Committee and Business Board

The Business Board is responsible for overseeing the business functions of the organisation including the management of the finances.

Chair: Jack Dromey

The Audit Committee meets to scrutinise the proposed budget, the audited accounts and the business plan and consider management data.

Chair: Cath Speight

Organisation Committee

The Organisation Committee is responsible for party rules and constitution; ensuring parties are operating effectively throughout the country to the highest standards and has overall responsibility for membership, investigations, selections, Conferences, electoral law, boundaries strategy and internal elections.

Chair: Mike Griffiths

PANELS

There are two Panels serving the NEC:

Disputes Panel

The NEC Disputes Panel is a panel of the NEC Organisation Committee which hears membership appeals; re-admission applications; party disputes and conciliation; minor investigations and local government appeals where referred to the NEC. It operates in a quasi-judicial fashion, conducting hearings and interviews around the country where necessary.

Chair: Cath Speight

Selections Panel

The NEC Selections Panel combines the work of the former NEC By-election panel, NEC Selections Review Group and is responsible for the Parliamentary Panel.

The National Executive Committee